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[TrannyMess]

Originally Posted by Mehdia

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.

I completely agree with this. Queen Victoria took me over a semester and that was with pulling many all-nighters. I ended up modifying and drafting a lot of patterns because Truly Victorian was out of my price range and I really needed practice modifying and drafting patterns.

It cost me well over $200, too. And that was with some materials I already had, patterns and materials borrowed or donated from the costume shop and friends, and an employee discount.

Just remember Victorian garments are not cheap or quick and easy to make. Give yourself plenty of time and try to price out everything you will need before you even start to make sure it is in your price range. It wouldn't be fun to get halfway through a costume and realize you don't have enough money to complete it.

[SpiffyPoptarts]

Mehdia&TrannyMess- That probably is a good idea. It would be horrible if I couldn't finish it... Thanks so much<3

[Mehdia]

Originally Posted by TrannyMess

I completely agree with this. Queen Victoria took me over a semester and that was with pulling many all-nighters. I ended up modifying and drafting a lot of patterns because Truly Victorian was out of my price range and I really needed practice modifying and drafting patterns.

It cost me well over $200, too. And that was with some materials I already had, patterns and materials borrowed or donated from the costume shop and friends, and an employee discount.

Just remember Victorian garments are not cheap or quick and easy to make. Give yourself plenty of time and try to price out everything you will need before you even start to make sure it is in your price range. It wouldn't be fun to get halfway through a costume and realize you don't have enough money to complete it.

The reason I could afford the Truly Victorian patterns was thanks to my parents. They support my hobby, and when my birthday came around, they asked what I wanted and I showed them the patterns (as well as a wig I was drooling over) and they bought them, even though all the stuff together cost them around $100. But my mom is a seamstress herself and my dad thinks it's the greatest thing in the world to see me making costumes, so I lucked out there.

Victorian garments, whether accurate or just inspired, do take a lot of work and aren't cheap. Just the sheer amount of fabrics and notions that go into them can break you. But the biggest thing to me about them is time. If you can find deals on fabrics or manage to get stuff from others, then you will just have to spend all the time finishing seams well and tailoring. To me, the biggest part of Victorian clothing is the tailoring.

Originally Posted by SpiffyPoptarts

Mehdia&TrannyMess- That probably is a good idea. It would be horrible if I couldn't finish it... Thanks so much<3

My greatest fear is not finishing something...and I've done that before. It's a BAD feeling. But pace yourself, learn to do all of it correctly, and you can end up with a beautiful final product.

[CrazyCookie2111]

Originally Posted by 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

__________________________________________________ ______________________
Thank you so much for this tip! I been looking for some tips for awhile.
XD Can't wait until I finish my Ciel outfit.

[Lydialulu]

progress on my ciel strawberry so far im not binding in this pic tho, and i have soooo much to dooo

http://www.cosplay.com/photo/2656211/

[Brsis]

Originally Posted by Mehdia

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^^

Excellent, thank you! I will definitely bear them in mind in future. I wasn't certain about laying down $14 on a pattern (plus shipping to the UK >.>) unless I was sure it was worth it.

(My cat too. I don't understand the appeal o.O)

I'm still probably going to end up just figuring out Ciel's ball gown from a mixture of 'proper' pattern making and 'chuck a few sheets over the dummy and move the pins until it looks about right' because I can't afford a new hoop right now, so it's my mum's old one over a bustle pillow, but HEY nobody's going to see that... >.> The only thing that's going to give me real trouble is the ruching on the overskirt... in the drawings, it doesn't sit right for a straight channel, which means I'm probably going to be sat there for hours adjusting the spacing of loops on the underside. Bleh.

However, I lucked out at a charity shop the other day, and now I have my hat and boots! The hat needs recovering (Sending off for my fabric samples end of this week!) but it already has a sash and bow I can use as a pattern. This is good, because millinery is not my strong point. And the boots are spot-on, comfortable, my size, and cost me £2 rather than the £80 I was going to be laying down. Happy dance!

[Mehdia]

Originally Posted by Brsis

Excellent, thank you! I will definitely bear them in mind in future. I wasn't certain about laying down $14 on a pattern (plus shipping to the UK >.>) unless I was sure it was worth it.

(My cat too. I don't understand the appeal o.O)

I'm still probably going to end up just figuring out Ciel's ball gown from a mixture of 'proper' pattern making and 'chuck a few sheets over the dummy and move the pins until it looks about right' because I can't afford a new hoop right now, so it's my mum's old one over a bustle pillow, but HEY nobody's going to see that... >.> The only thing that's going to give me real trouble is the ruching on the overskirt... in the drawings, it doesn't sit right for a straight channel, which means I'm probably going to be sat there for hours adjusting the spacing of loops on the underside. Bleh.

However, I lucked out at a charity shop the other day, and now I have my hat and boots! The hat needs recovering (Sending off for my fabric samples end of this week!) but it already has a sash and bow I can use as a pattern. This is good, because millinery is not my strong point. And the boots are spot-on, comfortable, my size, and cost me £2 rather than the £80 I was going to be laying down. Happy dance!

Honestly, I normally wouldn't want to spend that much on a pattern either, but all of theirs are truly worth it. Especially when you want to get a little more accurate. They are all drafted from Victorian outfits of the day and using similar tailoring methods along with modern ones. I LOVE their stuff and plan to buy more in the future.

[TrannyMess]

Originally Posted by Mehdia

Honestly, I normally wouldn't want to spend that much on a pattern either, but all of theirs are truly worth it. Especially when you want to get a little more accurate. They are all drafted from Victorian outfits of the day and using similar tailoring methods along with modern ones. I LOVE their stuff and plan to buy more in the future.

I forgot to mention this before. I drafted/graphed my patterns out of historical costuming books. I had free access to a ton of them but you can find them used online. Most are the patterns from the garments of the time. You just have to be careful and make sure you find one that is actually historically accurate and not just fudged for a costume.

Norah Waugh has some really good books. I used Corsets and Crinolines to make my corset. The only problem is that a lot of the patterns are made for the body type of the time. I had to modify my corset pattern slightly because it was made for someone who had been wearing a corset for a long time. I do not have a nineteen inch waist...

Anyway, if you can't find a pattern in Truly Victorian patterns, I highly suggest this. I had a lot of fun even if my first draft took about three hours. I also use a body sloper for resizing and fitting. It makes things so much easier if you don't have anyone to help you fit all of the time.

[Brsis]

Sadly, this is actually one of the things the UK really kinda sucks at - good historical costuming books are very hard to come by unless you want to order them from the US, and often the shipping ends up costing more than the book >.> My mother is the real historical enthusiast (I'm the rebel who spends twenty minutes calling the series producers out on why Hanna's underwear is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG and then decides to make the dress anyway cause it's pretty, screw historical accuracy XD) and because it was more or less all she could get, she used to make quite a bit straight from Victorian and Edwardian patterns AKA random paper shapes enlarged from ancient crumbling magazines with no instructions and, if you were lucky, a colour plate to show you how it was meant to look, except with a teeny-tiny waist and ridiculously exaggerated underpinnings, because OF COURSE that's how big your bustle should be!

It was fun, but they were bitches to make and bitches to wear XD

My mother was very much for the Gibson Girl era, however, so mostly I was looking at Truly Victorian's patterns as a base for teaching myself how to draft for the bustle and hoop, but I'll see how I get on with Ciel. It looks like some of Norah Waugh's books are on Amazon, so maybe I can add them to my wish list. Thanks for the recommendation!

While we're on the subject of historical patterns and Ciel's ball gown - I'm planning on at least one petticoat to stop the old hoop showing through my skirt (Taffeta, because I like rustling when I walk), but I haven't thought about bloomers/pantaloons yet. I don't think I'm brave enough for split-legged drawers, but it's definitely going to be easier trying to go to the bathroom with bloomers or pantaloons that tie over the top of my corset rather than underneath... any thoughts? Gathered to above the knee, or straight-legged?

[kaibutsu-Ketto]

I was wondering if anyone has pic’s of Ciel in Wonderland. I'm mostly looking for pictures that are of the other characters rather then ciel. My friend wants to see pics of the wonderland theme for she can see if she likes a character. But so far I only found pic's for Grell and Ciel (which are already taken) and I don't have the pictures for the other characters. I would really appreciate the help.

[Mehdia]

Originally Posted by TrannyMess

I forgot to mention this before. I drafted/graphed my patterns out of historical costuming books. I had free access to a ton of them but you can find them used online. Most are the patterns from the garments of the time. You just have to be careful and make sure you find one that is actually historically accurate and not just fudged for a costume.

Norah Waugh has some really good books. I used Corsets and Crinolines to make my corset. The only problem is that a lot of the patterns are made for the body type of the time. I had to modify my corset pattern slightly because it was made for someone who had been wearing a corset for a long time. I do not have a nineteen inch waist...

Anyway, if you can't find a pattern in Truly Victorian patterns, I highly suggest this. I had a lot of fun even if my first draft took about three hours. I also use a body sloper for resizing and fitting. It makes things so much easier if you don't have anyone to help you fit all of the time.

I have had to use patterns because, unfortunately, I haven't learned to draft patterns fully yet. It's the one thing I haven't learned but want to badly. It's awesome that you have done that yourself, but yeah, Truly Victorian patterns are good if you can't draft one for yourself.

[GothicLolita<3]

Sup Anyone know where I can get a good wig for Dagger? Just a white one I could style would be fine. Thanks

Edit: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PW103-Genuine-...item1e5a680732 What do you think of this one? Obviously it needs to be trimmed up and dyed, but it that's pretty easy to do

[Suppo]

Originally Posted by GothicLolita<3

Sup Anyone know where I can get a good wig for Dagger? Just a white one I could style would be fine. Thanks

Edit: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PW103-Genuine-...item1e5a680732 What do you think of this one? Obviously it needs to be trimmed up and dyed, but it that's pretty easy to do

Dagger has blonde-golden hair in a coloured picture that Yana drew, so if you're not planning on dyeing the whole wig blond first and then dyeing the black stripe, I suggest you get a blond wig (they seem to be easier to find) You can go with the white if you like though
Here's the pic:
http://media.photobucket.com/image/d...une/wa5b3l.jpg
It annoyed me that Dagger's eye-color is such a mystery, because I cosplayed as him and didn't quite know what contacts I should wear Oh, and I added the black stripe (clip-on extension) so that the wig could be used for some other characters if I want to

[Cosplay_Kitten]

I guess its time for me to camp out here XD This series kinda just asks to be cosplayed from it. I'm working on a Sebastian costume and also this version of Ciel (which I'm seen NO other person do and it's frustrating XD) I've named it Foo-Foo Butt, but many of his outfits have Ruffle Butts on them. http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/a...ans_391592.jpg

I just bought the shirt to go under the jacket now to begin everything else.

[Suppo]

Originally Posted by Cosplay_Kitten

I guess its time for me to camp out here XD This series kinda just asks to be cosplayed from it. I'm working on a Sebastian costume and also this version of Ciel (which I'm seen NO other person do and it's frustrating XD) I've named it Foo-Foo Butt, but many of his outfits have Ruffle Butts on them. http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/a...ans_391592.jpg

I just bought the shirt to go under the jacket now to begin everything else.

It's not cosplayed much because that outfit is only on that picture. I love that outfit too, I was supposed to make Drocell and my sister was supposed to make that outfit but we ran out of time.. we are making them eventually. The annoying thing is that it doesn't show the bottom half of the costume