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[SpiffyPoptarts]

Okay, I'm sure someone has asked this before, but I can't find it.... I'm planning a Madame Red cosplay, and I desperately need a pattern for her. I think I'm going to do the this version, so I don't need a coat.... but ugh. I suck at sewing D: And does anyone have tips on this in general?

[Kuroi Kago]

I warn you now. I babble. XD

I've been lurking this thing for a long time, and I've made up my mind to cosplay everyone's favorite demon butler! But first I need help with a few things~

I can't decide if I should sew sebs costume or just buy it online? I mean, I'm pretty sure I could find some random cosplayer who most likely has only worn it once and is selling it for cheap? Plus I'll be buying the wig and contacts, so that adds to the cost. But if I sew it, there is the chance it might be more expenisive, since I'd have to buy the patterns and what-not. Such a hard decisions... @ A @;
I'm not so sure if I'm up for making pants again, I kind of fail at those.
Opinions? Patterns? What kind of cloth?

And then the other things-

Obviously there are bunches of people who have cosplayed Sebastian. Any advice for cosplaying him? Places where NOT to buy the costume/wig [If I do buy online]? I've already heard about the 'no-platform' shoes thing. :3 Just...tell me everything I might possibly need to know? Lol.

And then finally, I am not sure what version of Sebastian I'm doing [Anime vs. Manga]
There are some differences, but I'm unsure of which one. It feels like I've looked at every Sebby cosplay on the web, and each one seems...different? I've seen cosplays with his jacket open and closed and I can never tell if the jacket is made that way, or its just unbuttoned? So let's say if I do make the costume...would I make the jacket not button? Or buttoned, but leave it open? ...The front might kind of flop around... > n <

And the vest! What color would that be? So far I've seen lots of grays, and some sort of gray-ish lavender?
Thank you~

[Kuroi Kago]

Originally Posted by SpiffyPoptarts

Okay, I'm sure someone has asked this before, but I can't find it.... I'm planning a Madame Red cosplay, and I desperately need a pattern for her. I think I'm going to do the this version, so I don't need a coat.... but ugh. I suck at sewing D: And does anyone have tips on this in general?

To me it looks like shes wearing a jacket? ^ ^; Maybe I'm wrong and I'm missing something...? You might want to look at halloween costume first, usually they have some victorian style patterns that you could alter for you costume. If you don't like sewing that much, try looking in thrift stores, you might find something there.


Dress patterns [You could alter these someway]:

http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v819...hp?page_id=861

http://butterick.mccall.com/b4954-pr...hp?page_id=916

Jacket [ Once again, you could alter this too?]:

http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v862...hp?page_id=262 [This one you could flip the pattern so it buttons up on the right side, and possibly shorten the collar?]

http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m617...hp?page_id=115 [With this one you could fix it so it lines up like a normal jacket, and just make the collar longer so it lays flat]

http://www.kwiksew.com/catalog/cat_d...cketsVestSkirt [Flip the pattern and not use a zipper?]

Sorry I couldn't find much D: I hope that helps some if it even made sense at all? Good luck!

[Kuroi Kago]

For everyone sewing their costumes, I have some links that might help you out, if you happen to be stuck on your costume! I'm in the process of sewing a friends Ciel costume and these have helped me out so far-

Tutorial on ruffles:
http://www.wikihow.com/Gather-Fabric-into-Ruffles

Another one about sewing ruffles:
http://www.burdastyle.com/techniques...o-make-ruffles

How to make a froo-froo butt skirt thinga-majig that Ciel wears in few outfits:
http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/project...e_bustle_skirt

Tutorial/ info on ties, cravats ect.
http://www.vintagesewing.info/1940s/42-mpd/mpd-06.html

How to make a top hat: [Big clear pictures! : D]
http://www.amtgard-wl.com/library/howtos/how2toph.pdf

How to make spats: [My friend made some for her Grell cosplay, instead of painting her shoes]
http://www.threadbanger.com/episode/THR_20090603

Eye patch tutorial: [I have yet to try it, I might look for some more?]
http://www.instructables.com/id/Make...-or-masquerad/

If anyone would like more, just say so. c:
Maybe I should be posting this in a different forum... ^ ^;;

For anyone cosplay pink dress Ciel, I found a character sheet on photobucket~

http://media.photobucket.com/image/k...0Sheets/07.jpg
And the back-
http://media.photobucket.com/image/k...0Sheets/08.jpg

And another Sebby photo- * U *
If I remember correctly I think it was on a cover Kuro's CD soundtrack?
http://media.photobucket.com/image/k...ptp_129038.jpg

[Braithcakes]

His vest is always gray or blue, except for once in the manga where it is red, and once where it is brown.

His coat, I believe, is only shown buttoned.

I'd be willing to sell you by sebastian stuff but I'm not sure if it'd fix you, it's likely to be considered a male XS, I am very tiny >_>

[Mehdia]

Originally Posted by SpiffyPoptarts

Okay, I'm sure someone has asked this before, but I can't find it.... I'm planning a Madame Red cosplay, and I desperately need a pattern for her. I think I'm going to do the this version, so I don't need a coat.... but ugh. I suck at sewing D: And does anyone have tips on this in general?

I did this costume for A-kon this year, with a few more historically accurate alterations (note: a few, I didn't make her 100% historically accurate). I used patterns from Truly Victorian. For the jacket I used pattern TV464 (had to do some tweaking, and I kept the double pointed lapel), the overskirt was TV368 without the back drape, I just added two tails that I tied into her bow, and for the skirt I used TV221 and added the extra tiers in the back to add the pleats to it. The pleats were the most time consuming part.

Also, I made a Victorian corset with steel bones to go under it, a bustle pillow, and a petticoat with light netting to keep it flared. The shirt I made from a pattern I have had for years, and the hat was one I bought and covered. If you have any real specific questions you want to ask, feel free to PM me. I put about 75 hours worth of work into this costume and won a Best Craftsmanship award for it at A-kon.

Here's the two galleries I have with the progress and final pictures with my whole group.

Progress: http://www.cosplay.com/gallery/174441/

Group: http://www.cosplay.com/gallery/184306/

[SpiffyPoptarts]

Mehdia- Oh wow thanks! That's really helpful. Can I ask how you made the cravat too?

[Mehdia]

Originally Posted by SpiffyPoptarts

Mehdia- Oh wow thanks! That's really helpful. Can I ask how you made the cravat too?

That was one of the easiest parts! I found the lace I wanted to use at Hobby Lobby. It was pleated just like all the detail on the dress, so I had to have it. Then, I made a neckband and interfaced it. After that, I just sorta played with the shape of the layers of the cravat. When I was happy, I cut two of each size, sandwiched the lace between them, sewed them together with the right sides together except at the top, then turned them. I the pressed them and turned under the unfinished seams and stitched them down to the inside of the neckband. Once that was all done, I just put some closures in the back of the neckband and then flipped the layers over and pinned them into place with the brooch I found. The lace at the top is actually in the collar of the shirt, not in the cravat in case you were wondering.

[SpiffyPoptarts]

Oh gosh thanks. Yeah the lace that you had at the top was what was baffling me haha.

[Mehdia]

Yeah, I put it between the two layers that made my shirt collar. A lot of the costume is actually very easy to make, just very time consuming. Especially fittings...on myself...because I had to put on all the undergarments, shoes, and everything to make sure it fit right. It's not one you can try on without all the pieces together because you need it to all fit over a corset, bustle pillow, and petticoat; that is if you are going to use all those pieces underneath.

[SpiffyPoptarts]

Yeah, I can imagine so. I'm not sure yet what exactly I'm going to do...

[Mehdia]

Originally Posted by SpiffyPoptarts

Yeah, I can imagine so. I'm not sure yet what exactly I'm going to do...

I would say that you should totally sit down and 100% decide on everything you want to do, a timeline you have to work with, and your budget. Trust me, all those things are going to help you in the long run. I started buying my stuff in November of 2009 and finished the costume in June 2010. That was with doing about ten other costumes, but it's time consuming really. And a huge monetary endeavor if you want to use really good materials. Mine cost me somewhere in the range of $250, and that's not counting what I spent on the corset, bustle pillow, and contacts because all of them had been previously made and purchased (made the corset and pillow, bought the contacts of course) for other costumes.

[Brsis]

Mehdia, how did you find using patterns from Truly Victorian? I have heard mixed reviews about that site but I've never used one of their patterns myself, and they look like a great resource for historically minded cosplayers ^.^

[Mico_125]

Currently finding a chef's uniform for my Bard cosplay(well at least it was so easy looking for a big white apron). And I'm considering doing Claude next year.

[Mehdia]

Originally Posted by Brsis

Mehdia, how did you find using patterns from Truly Victorian? I have heard mixed reviews about that site but I've never used one of their patterns myself, and they look like a great resource for historically minded cosplayers ^.^

I loved them! All of the patterns to me were very easy to use and the fit is amazing. Especially their specialty sizing for jackets. That really helps it fit nicely over a corset. Of course, as I said, I didn't go 100% accurate because Kuroshitsuji is still Yana Toboso's alternate Victorian England, but even with coming up with alterations, they were really nice patterns to use. Also, since they are on the heavier paper, they stand up to the abuse I can seem to put a pattern through, especially the fact that my brother's cat likes to sleep on my sewing table when I have fabrics and patterns laying around^^