Hello again and welcome back to parts 3 & 4 of my leafeon cosplay build! Part 1 can be found here, and part 2 can be found here. Why two parts this week? Because part 3 is super short, and I didn’t want to disappoint! Without further ado, let’s get going! The following is an excerpt of my leafeon make book, as well as the paper I handed in for my semester project of my costume history university course.
Part 3: Fabric Cutting
Fabric cutting & Layering:
Once all my materials and patterns were prepared, it was time to begin cutting fabric and piecing the costume together. I started by stacking all of my fabrics in a neat pile according to what piece was needed. The majority of the bodice was made of three layers: A cotton outside, non-woven lightweight interlining middle, and poly-cotton lining. In some areas there are additional layers, such as a woolen fleece padding in the upper bust and iron-on interfacing on the back of the collar embroidery. For some pieces with darts and other details, I used a transfer paper to transfer markings to the top layer of fabric. Since I did not have a seam allowance included with my patterns, I used the space between the blade and adjusting knob on my rotary cutter (exactly 1cm) to create a seam allowance.
Part 4: The Bodice
Once all of the layers were cut out, it was time to get to work. I began by stay-stitching the edges of a few of the pieces, both to prevent stretching and to keep the layers together. I also stitched around free edges, darts, and openings to stop the layers from sliding around while I am sewing other pieces. As soon as the pieces were ready for assembly, I began my work. I started with the back of the bodice, assembling the back and basque. I then took on the task of the front pieces. These required extra work, as the padding layer overlapped the darts. This meant that I had to work the outer layer separate from the lining and padding layer. Here, I put the darts and boning into the outer layers (cotton & interfacing). I then did the darts in the lining separately, sandwiched the padding in between the layers, and stitched them together at the edges. This is why the front of the bodice has a more “modern” lining style, with the seams hidden within the layers
Decoration, Trims & Sleeves
The majority of the work on this jacket was the decoration. I began by working on the sleeves. I made a simple cuff for the sleeves, and on top of that layered more decorative cuffs with lace and buttons. For the collar and revers, I made each piece separately and attached them together before sewing them on. Each piece is two identical pieces sewn together and turned inside out to create a smooth edge. This revers/collar piece was sewn on after the sleeves and other decorations were finished. I also finished all of the edges with bias tape, using a darker green for the lower edge and a cream color for the button area. The buttons themselves are plain green fabric colored buttons I made in the same way as the embroidered buttons. The collar is also made of a wide bias tape.
That’s all for now, folks! Parts 5 & 6 will be posted next week, on August 3rd, 2016.
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