Rachel Alucard - Sewing Advice please!

By Mandie_Chan. 04/09/09, 04:02 am

So for Auckgeddon I'm changing my comp cosplay to Rachel Alucard from BlazBlue ~~(because I was hitting a few to man speed bumps for Temari >_<)~~

4 large-ish pictures:

Spoiler:

So I have a pretty good idea on what I want to do but there are a few finer points I can't figure out:

1) I REALLY WANNA DO THE CAT UMBRELLA!!! Though honestly I would know where to start >_<
I have thought about usually Lycra to cover an umbrella and that's as far as I got lol. Anyone got tips/adivce/link to tutorial

2) there are like not reference pictures to JUST her top. I know that the sleeves are separate (see last picture for cosplay~) so I'm debating how do I make the sleeves stay and not fall down every 5min. Anyone got ideas?

3) Still on the top issues, I don't know what it looks like underneath the bow. Can't find any pictures but I think it's got some sort of white collar... Has anyone got amazing 'reference picture finding skills' they could use to find a pic for me? or maybe a suggestion as to how to make it up from the pics provided?
(please see 2nd picture at the feet of the 1st colour pic (she's standing side on) there is a 'glimpse' of what it looks like)

4) Skirt is meant be be very round. I don't want to go into the trouble of having a hoop skirt... think I could avoid using one? Do I need one? Is there another way to do it?

5) lovely hair~ Don't think I'm going to buy a long hair wig that is THAT LONG... think it'll matter?
also how to keep the black things standing up? I thought of wire... any other suggestions?

6)With the red and white crosses that are all over the cape and skirt, I'm looking for a fabric that won't fray but isn't too shiny... Any ideas? Also could I just get away with hot glue gunning the layers for the crosses together to avoid having sewing lines all over the place?

7) Last but not least... Could anyone recommended a pattern for the top? (with/without sleeves)

Thank you in advance for any help/advice ^_^

By **Duckeh**. 04/09/09, 04:24 am

fdjkldasjfklads
//worship.
I'm planning on cosplaying her next year. :3

1) Cover for an umbrella is what I was gonna doo. Well atleast use it for a base.
2) Elastic? o-o Or make it have a seam at top which you can undo with hook and eyes or something?
3)From the second pic on the left it looks like a v with the white ruffles round the edge so it looks like the sleeves and bottome of shirt?
4)Petticoat? LOTSA TULLEEENESS.
5)Wire sounds good. :3
6)The third pic looks like it uses a vinyl stuff? I actually dunno what it is, but I've seen stuff like it at spotlight. It should fray, I don't think. You could always cut it out the whole thing in red and use bias binding for the white.
7)If you have a top pattern with the basic fitting darts in it, that should be easy to adjust? Otherwise a V button up pattern. //doesn't know any numbers as haven't looked for such a thing.

By **JVCA**. 04/09/09, 04:33 am

HOKAY:

1) You'd have to make a wire frame for the cat bit, and attach it to a normal umbrella. I don't know how you could do this and ensure you could CLOSE the umbrella though.

2) Elastic band around the top, and fashion tape (which is essentially double sided tape). Fashion tape is perfect - it's what I used for my Kero gloves and my Flonne sleeves. C:

3) Imo it looks like the shirt is a vest of sorts, and there's nothing under it? It just looks like skin to me. Oh, wait, are we talking about the vest, or her jacket?

4) Very boofy petticoat will work in the stead of a hoop skirt. :)

5) Definitely wire for the black things - as for the wig: buy a shorter one and two string falls and stub the wig. You'll have to buy some wefts for the back part of the wig as well (see Katie Bair's website for a tutorial on how to do this)

6) What you do here is appliquéing - Taeliac has a really good tutorial on it: http://taeliac.deviantart.com/art/Tutorial-How-to-Applique-95085013

7) This is a free vest pattern you could try as a base? http://www.burdastyle.com/patterns/franzi

**Guest** Guest

Or you could jam some wire into the seams of the skirt, and point it outwards. You'd run the risk of looking mildly umbrella like yourself, but you'd get cheap, easy poof that's damn near horizontal.

For the hair ribbons, I found this awsome stuff in Spotlight - it's ribbon with very light wire built into it already. !!! So you can point it where-ever you like.

With Applicique you do need to sew it down afterwards, in some way. The standard applique glue you use isn't permanent - you can rip it off. A buttonwhole stitch all the way around looks very neat and tidy once you've got the hang out it, alternatively you could do a turn-under applique and hand stitch it down.

The collar is probably, based on the pseudo-victorian tone of the rest of the outfit, one of those white ruffly things that look revolting on 90% of everyone. And I second the idea it's a vest under there.

By Static. 04/09/09, 06:21 am

With the umbrella, the cat will have to be a hard shell - paper mache, or plastic, or something with a bit of stiffness to it, but not too heavy. You could possibly make a stretchy skin for it that covers both the cat and an umbrella to make it seamless. I am going to go have lunch now, but I will think on the rest! Angusburgernomnomnom.

By **seraphik**. 04/09/09, 12:00 pm

i have the blazblue artbook, so you might want these pages mandie~ WARNING THEY ARE MASSIVE

Spoiler:

By **Riven_**. 04/09/09, 01:36 pm

LUCY. CAN I BEG YOU TO SCAN SOMETHING OF JIN'S? ~~LIKE THE BACK OF HIS JACKET?~~
I WOULD LOVE YOU FOREVER.

By **seraphik**. 04/09/09, 01:55 pm

yes~ here you go~ (also i just noticed jin has the same birthday as me)

Spoiler:

By **Riven_**. 04/09/09, 02:06 pm

By **seraphik**. 04/09/09, 02:38 pm

hahahahahlkajsdlfkjsd ahhh that was hilarious.

no, really, i'm a god. (jokes)

By sakura_petals. 04/09/09, 02:41 pm

Those scans are going to be really helpful!! I think I saw a few of her without her coat thingy!! So love pics when they're showing what's underneath. I know that sounded dodge but you know what I mean.

By **seraphik**. 04/09/09, 03:41 pm

glad i can help. C':

By Mandie_Chan. 05/09/09, 12:11 am

WOW!!! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING~~~

Thank you so much!!!

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