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[Giyari]

Hello

I'm currently working on a FF Black mage cosplay. I plan to use the style from FFXIV.

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__...Mage_FFXIV.png

My question is, which material would work best for the coat. Based on the game, it is repaired with leatherworking. Taking this into account I figured leather would be best.

From what I see though, in addition to the coat, is a poncho with a collar that would cover my mouth. 2 layers of black leather sounds a bit uncomfortable.

What I'm looking for is a material that is breathable and at the same time give me the desired leather like look.

Any help with this would be appreciated.

[hitana89]

I've made a cosplay or two before, but I've never known much about fabrics. I mostly went to Joann Fabrics and looked around to find what I wanted, but that hasn't really helped me in terms of stability and overall look. I also have very (and I mean very) limited skills when it comes to sewing.. I wanted to do a cosplay of Wasp from Earth's Mightiest Heroes:
Reference 1
Reference 2

I think I can find yellow pleather for the boots (I'll probably just make boot covers) and gloves, and black leggings should work fine, but its the dress that I need help with. I want something that will be durable enough to wear for a full con without needing massive repairs, but something that's easy for a novice like me to work with and cheap enough that I can buy more than I could possibly need (since sewing machines and I have a mutual dislike.) Also, the convention is in May, so the heat retention of the fabric isn't a huge worry... It's always either freezing cold or sweltering, with no warning at all (because Chicago is awesome like that.)

Any suggestions would be very greatly appreciated!

[FireInMyEyes]

Hi! I'm planning going as Haruhi Suzumiya to next year's Anime Expo in L.A. I'm focusing on a lot of other stuff for the next few months so I'm planning far ahead. I know it should be simple for me to choose, but I've always had a very experienced cosplayer choose fabric for me and such. This will be my first time choosing fabric myself, and I have no idea what would work.

Here are some refrences:
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__.../d8/Haruhi.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._book_01_s.jpg
http://images4.fanpop.com/image/phot...-2000-1875.jpg

Suggestions to any of the clothing parts would be appreciated! Would the same type of fabric work for the whole uniform? (Not including socks and such, lol ^^)

[touchmon]

^I would say go for a cotton or a suiting fabric. Maybe for the skirt a suiting since those tend to hold pleats better than cotton does.

I'm going to be cosplaying Viola from Eternal Sonata and I'm not sure what to use for the brown parts of the outfit. I'm guessing, in game they're supposed to be made from animal hide but yeah, I'm not up for doing that. Lol

http://images.wikia.com/eternalsonat...ola_Render.jpg
http://images.wikia.com/eternalsonat...a_Artwork2.jpg

[LostInAReverie]

I'm planning on a persona 4 cosplay, and I want to be as accurate as possible. I'm particularly planning on cosplaying the main character's cross-dressing outfit, which is basically a school uniform, with a long skirt, rather than a short one.

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__...s_dressing.jpg
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9...x2eo1_1280.jpg

Would a quilting fabric be okay for the skirt, or would it be too flimsy/stiff? Im not too familiar with fabrics.
In particular this fabric
http://www.hawthornethreads.com/fabr...h_in_dark_gray
If not any recommendations (especially since dark gray houndstooth is incredibly hard to find)?
And for the top too.
Thanks in advance uvu

[Penlowe]

Originally Posted by Giyari

Hello

I'm currently working on a FF Black mage cosplay. I plan to use the style from FFXIV.

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__...Mage_FFXIV.png

My question is, which material would work best for the coat. Based on the game, it is repaired with leatherworking. Taking this into account I figured leather would be best.

From what I see though, in addition to the coat, is a poncho with a collar that would cover my mouth. 2 layers of black leather sounds a bit uncomfortable.

What I'm looking for is a material that is breathable and at the same time give me the desired leather like look.

Any help with this would be appreciated.

I wouldn't call that a poncho so much as just a coat with two collars, one standing, one laying flat. The first link looks like the whole coat is leather, the second doesn't look like leather at all, so it's pretty wide open to whatever you are comfortable wearing & working with. Either way, the standing collar will need heavy duty inner facing to function.

[Penlowe]

Originally Posted by hitana89

I've made a cosplay or two before, but I've never known much about fabrics. I mostly went to Joann Fabrics and looked around to find what I wanted, but that hasn't really helped me in terms of stability and overall look. I also have very (and I mean very) limited skills when it comes to sewing.. I wanted to do a cosplay of Wasp from Earth's Mightiest Heroes:
Reference 1
Reference 2

I think I can find yellow pleather for the boots (I'll probably just make boot covers) and gloves, and black leggings should work fine, but its the dress that I need help with. I want something that will be durable enough to wear for a full con without needing massive repairs, but something that's easy for a novice like me to work with and cheap enough that I can buy more than I could possibly need (since sewing machines and I have a mutual dislike.) Also, the convention is in May, so the heat retention of the fabric isn't a huge worry... It's always either freezing cold or sweltering, with no warning at all (because Chicago is awesome like that.)

Any suggestions would be very greatly appreciated!

Strapless dresses are not beginner friendly, the tailoring needed to make it stay put, put boning in, etc. are not something I'd give to a newbie sewist, let alone the modifications to get the shape on the bodice and the chevrons across the dress itself. I really don't know where to tell you to begin other than at the sewing machine itself.

[Penlowe]

Originally Posted by FireInMyEyes

Hi! I'm planning going as Haruhi Suzumiya to next year's Anime Expo in L.A. I'm focusing on a lot of other stuff for the next few months so I'm planning far ahead. I know it should be simple for me to choose, but I've always had a very experienced cosplayer choose fabric for me and such. This will be my first time choosing fabric myself, and I have no idea what would work.

Here are some refrences:
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__.../d8/Haruhi.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._book_01_s.jpg
http://images4.fanpop.com/image/phot...-2000-1875.jpg

Suggestions to any of the clothing parts would be appreciated! Would the same type of fabric work for the whole uniform? (Not including socks and such, lol ^^)

Trigger is what you want, it's what most uniform skirts are actually made out of.

[Penlowe]

Originally Posted by touchmon

^I would say go for a cotton or a suiting fabric. Maybe for the skirt a suiting since those tend to hold pleats better than cotton does.

I'm going to be cosplaying Viola from Eternal Sonata and I'm not sure what to use for the brown parts of the outfit. I'm guessing, in game they're supposed to be made from animal hide but yeah, I'm not up for doing that. Lol

http://images.wikia.com/eternalsonat...ola_Render.jpg
http://images.wikia.com/eternalsonat...a_Artwork2.jpg

ultrasuede mimics doeskin better than any other type of leather, it's the perfect material for this outfit.

[touchmon]

Originally Posted by Penlowe

ultrasuede mimics doeskin better than any other type of leather, it's the perfect material for this outfit.

It does look nice but after looking at the prices for one yard, is there something a little cheaper that mimics it well enough?

[Penlowe]

Originally Posted by touchmon

It does look nice but after looking at the prices for one yard, is there something a little cheaper that mimics it well enough?

Not really. It's a case of 'you get what you pay for'.
My Nana always said "better taste and no money than money and no taste"

[Penlowe]

Originally Posted by LostInAReverie

I'm planning on a persona 4 cosplay, and I want to be as accurate as possible. I'm particularly planning on cosplaying the main character's cross-dressing outfit, which is basically a school uniform, with a long skirt, rather than a short one.

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__...s_dressing.jpg
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9...x2eo1_1280.jpg

Would a quilting fabric be okay for the skirt, or would it be too flimsy/stiff? Im not too familiar with fabrics.
In particular this fabric
http://www.hawthornethreads.com/fabr...h_in_dark_gray
If not any recommendations (especially since dark gray houndstooth is incredibly hard to find)?
And for the top too.
Thanks in advance uvu

Quilting cotton is way too light to get that look. You will have better luck getting a black & white houndstooth and over-dying it to turn the white parts grey. Dying will be a challenge because the fabric you want just isn't made in cotton, it'll be wool, polyester or a blend of the two, RIT is not the dye you will need.

[xxbabyjenksxx]

Ok so I'm wanting to start work on my pinkie pie gala dress costume but I'm unsure of what fabrics to use. I know that I don't want to use anything shiny because its just not what the costume looks like. Here's some references -

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/20...ns-d3kxjg5.png

and then this one is loosely what the costume will look like on a person - http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/6...nkabyponym.png

I don't want to spend a huge amount of money on fabric so my first choice was broadcloth but I'm afraid it will be to thin and cheap looking. Then someone suggested quilters cotton or kona cotton. What do you guys think?

[Penlowe]

Quilters cotton and kona cotton ARE broadcloth, but different quality levels. It's sorta like saying "I don't want a car, I want a Toyota Camry". All broadcloth, regardless of quality, will be very lightweight and fairly thin, how cheap or fine it looks is based on the thread count, quality of thread and dyeing/ printing quality. So getting higher quality cotton broad cloth won't necessarily reduce the cost of your project.

The best way is to actually go to a fabric store and walk around and feel the fabrics. Ones you like, hold out a single layer to the light and see how much you can see through it, if at all.

You may find a polyester crepe that will look good, be affordable, and not be see through, but it's something you need to touch to see if you'll like it.

[Inkiw]

What fabric should I use for the brown parts of this?
http://i45.tinypic.com/rk1oc9.png

The silver are going to be metal attachments.