This is kind of a follow-up to my Beginner Cosplay Tips entry from last year. Sometimes people tell me that they’d like to try making a costume but aren’t sure where to begin. Though each cosplay differs, I generally follow the same process for each one. Here’s how I go about my costumes!
Character research
I always start by researching the character’s outfit and by gathering as many references as I can, which are often screenshots and official art. In addition to just searching the internet, I’ll re-play games or re-watch shows/movies. When I can’t get good references, I have to make my best guess at certain parts I’m missing.
Sometimes I’ll also draw the outfit on paper with notes, just to make sure I have the right idea and don’t miss any important details.
Pattern research or drafting
Next is deciding on a pattern! Sometimes I alter pre-made patterns, and sometimes I will draft my own from scratch. When looking for pre-made patterns, I browse a couple major pattern companies – Simplicity and McCall – to see if I can find something similar to what I’m making. (McCall now has a cosplay section!) Most of the time, I jot down ones that interest me and then check out my local hobby/fabric store. On occasion, I will order from the site directly.
I already covered drafting my own patterns in the cosplay tips entry, but if I decide to do it from scratch, I will use pattern paper and base if off of my own clothing.
A few custom pattern pieces from my latest project.
Mock-ups
The mock-up phase is very important to me because I often make 2-3 mock-ups before I’m satisfied with my pattern. It’s hard to tell if my alterations or patterns fit properly until I actually try them out and wear the result. To make sure I don’t mess up the real fabric, I draft on cheap muslin.
If one of my mock-ups is pretty close but still needs a few alterations, I’ll do another mock-up that is much simpler just to test out certain areas. Also, you’ll notice that almost all of my mock-ups only have one sleeve. That’s my way of saving a bit of fabric and time. If one sleeve works, you can usually assume the other one will too!
The second mock-up was just to test the collar and sleeve.
Fabric research
While I’m doing mock-ups, I’ll start shopping for the fabric. I buy both in-store and online (usually from Fabric.com); it really depends on which one has what I need. It’s easier to view fabrics in-store, but I also order fabric swatches online before making a decision.
Some fabric swatches I’ve ordered online.
How do I decide what type to buy? Well, even though I am making a costume, I am still making clothing. For example, if I’m making a jacket, I’ll research what jackets typically use. I pay attention to the fabric weight, how it drapes, and the texture. Pre-made patterns also have suggested fabrics on the envelope.
I used to make the mistake of using quilting cotton because I loved how it came in such a large variety of colors. However, quilting cotton is thin and wrinkles easily. I have used it purposely before when I needed a light fabric and didn’t care about the wrinkles, but a lot of times, it’s not a good choice.
I have learned to use fabric dye when I can’t find the right color in the fabric I want. For Zia’s jacket, I wanted a medium weight fabric but couldn’t find one in teal. I bought white twill and dyed it myself. For Rhyme’s shirt, I wanted a soft, stretchy fabric like on T-shirts. However, her shirt is a salmon color, which is very uncommon. I ended up buying white jersey and also dyeing it myself.
Though it’s kind of a pain, dyeing fabric is not hard to do, and I like using the bucket method with liquid Rit dye. My tip is to prioritize the type of fabric over the color because dyeing might be an option. (Not all fabric types will take in the dye, so do your research.)
Sewing the cosplay
And well, the last part is the most exciting and important, yet… I have the least to say about it! How I sew the costume is different with each one. I like making a to-do list, to make sure I sew the parts in order. I also focus on one piece of the costume at a time, so I don’t mix up the fabric or patterns. For example on Rhyme’s costume, I did her shorts to completion before even starting on her shirt.
Then there’s also everything else, like styling the wig and making accessories and props. I tend to do those at the end because I’m just way more excited about sewing. This was kind of long, but I hope it was an interesting glimpse on how I make my costumes!
I don’t think I’ll ever cosplay myself, but this post is definitely a good intro post for those who are interested in pursuing this hobby. It makes perfect sense to do all those researches to ensure an accurate outfit! Honestly, fabric research didn’t even come to me, but I can see how different outfits would require different fabrics, so now it makes sense 😀
This is such a great breakdown of the process to read. I always get overwhelmed when trying to create a bit of clothing, I forget patterns exist! When I move flat, I’m going to start making myself my first cosplay costume, and I’ll keep all your guides to hand! Also, the colour of Zia’s jacket is lovely =p
I love how you put a lot of thought into making the final product! It’s awesome to do lots of research because you can discover the little details you didn’t know of before.
Mockup’s are definitely nice because you know that this isn’t the final product and you have the luxury of knowing that it’s okay to mess up. It’s awesome how you find ways to get the clothes to match the colors whether it’s through dying or finding hte right vendor for fabric.
I am always so amazed by your skills because I can’t even successfully follow a pre-made pattern and you draft your own! That’s amazing!
These tips are so helpful. I don’t know why but your tip about drafting on muslin blew my mind. I have ruined perfectly good fabric too many times, lol. I feel like a loser.
That’s so cool that you know how to sew. I am not a craftsy person and I’d just make a mess. Great job especially on dying your own shirts!
I too, do research, and look at thrift stores and see what can be used for the cosplay, especially in the case for my recent one: Miller from MGSV. Sometimes, I can get away with using things from thrift stores and that’s really fine because I don’t know how to sew and whatnot.
I guess we have to do what we gotta do to make our cosplays as accurate as possible.
This was really interesting to read about! The only sewing I ever end up doing is if a button pops off or a strap is loose or ripping, and even then it’s kind of a miracle if i can fix it without it looking sloppy haha.
A lot of these steps I wouldn’t even think about – like the type of fabric for the costume. I love the detail that you take with all your projects, from picking the fabric and the colors. It’s always fun to see your process from the beginning to how it turns out in the end.
This is such a great way of doing it! I’ve never made a costume properly before. I made my Poison Ivy costume by sewing leaves onto a ready made dress. I really want to make something from scratch though. I’m determined to make a Sally Jupiter costume, but it means I’ll need to learn how to sew. I can’t thread a machine to save my life.
Wow, this is so cool, amazing ideas!
Yes this was actually a facinating post on how you make your costumes!! Love the idea of mock ups!!
This is so cool!!!!! Mockups sounds like a really smart idea – I always would go for the finish when I made anything physical, which is bad. You make an awesome Zia too!!! Perfect in fact!
This is a great post! I think it can also apply to just making clothes in general. 😀 I find choosing and dyeing fabrics to be the most interesting steps!
Thanks for sharing this. It’s really interesting to learn about the process that people take with creative adventures. 😀
Thanks for sharing this Cat, I think it’s a good post for cosplaying and for just making clothing for yourself. I’ve been into researching DIY stuff for cosplaying and just to save myself from shopping all the time!
Thanks for sharing the creative process Cat! 🙂 I always love seeing what you’ve created on instagram 😉
Wow, this is a great post, very detailed and I’m sure will be helpful to me in future. I’ve not done many cosplays “from scratch” but have done modifications before to clothing – removing sleeves, taking clothes in, adding patches, dyeing fabric etc.
As always, Kat, I’m amazed by your amazing costumes and your incredibly dedication. Me, I have like 20 unfinished mixed media collages. Yeah…
Aahh, by the way, my name is Cat, not Kat ^^;; But thanks! I have a bunch of unfinished work too, but getting a cosplay ready for an upcoming con is pretty motivating, haha.
See, I knew that but “Kat” was the name that came to my mind at the time. My apologies. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve had people call me Kevin before.
So many steps! I never really thought about it before but I bet drawing it out does help a lot to give you more of an idea on how to do something. I need to give that a try to get a feel for it. Sewing intimidates me haha
and WTF they have a cosplay section?! haha craziness