street-angel

Costume :	Alice
Variant :	Red Artbook Dress
Source :	Pandora Hearts
Progress :	Complete
Worn At :	London MCM Expo October 2011

Photos
Information
Comments (29)
Video
Journal (1)

Costume Photos

Red Queen

At EMS

Alice

Merry Christmas

Oh look!

Bring your own cups

You wanna be my VIP?

Swishy~

Strut much?

Rest you then, rest sad eyes

Costume Information

General
Cost :	£200
Awards :	London October Expo Parade Winners '11, Judges Award LFCC July Sunday '12, EMS '12 Masquerade 1st Place
Time Taken :	3 weeks

Description
After doing the blue artbook Will of the Abyss dress I swore I wouldn't do anymore Pandora Hearts costumes...honest I did. But I actually bought the red taffeta for this Alice dress shortly after making the blue WoA intending to make it for Jen so we could match and have photos and such and so forth. But then Ellen was working on the blue WoA for Expo and I said I had the fabric and she was like...do iiiiit so yeah... What was great about working on this costume is I had time so I really had fun with it. 12 metres of taffeta in total, 5 of which went into the lining of the trail and the 7 60 inche strips that were knife pleated along the bottom to give the ruffle trim. I modified a corset pattern for the top which is triple lined (lining and klona cotton) interfaced and fully boned with all seams overlocked. Then I made my own bias binding which sliced through over a metre of the fabric in it's need to be cut on the cross. That was machined stiched onto the outside along the edges of the bodice and whip stitched by hand on the inside. The pleating across the bodice was done by ironing a strip of fabric into half inch pleats. These were then pinned into place on the bodice. I used my manikin very liberally with this costume XD Then pinned some bias binding along the bottom and top stitched that into place. Also top stitched along the top. I had just enough bias left over to be that base of the chocker, rimmed in lace and hand stitched on the same small ribbon roses I used on my blue WoA as while making this Alice, although I was going to be cosplaying with Ellen I kept in mind I was also making it to match my own rendition. Hence the roses along the front of the bodice neckline. The referance I had wasn't very clear, but there appeared to be something there so I thought the flecks of green would help break up the sea of red. Puff sleeves where achieved by sewing some bias binding onto the inside which I looped elastic through. The hem was then pulled up and whip stitched to the top of the bias so that it couldn't be seen and I got a nice puffball edge going around the bottom of the sleeves. Gloves were bought but the lace was hand stitched around the top. I hand stitched the same lace around the bodice neckline and used it for the chocker as well. The skirt is a basic circle skirt, one panel each side with t he box pleated ruffle around the bottom also being made from circle skirt segments so I got maximum flare in the serge stitched hem. The trail was a last minute addition that I spent a whole day on. The red floral lace on the outside I actually bought to make a petticoat to match the white lace petticoat I have for my blue WoA however I ended up buying two cheap red petticoats on ebay and I didn't see the point in wasting this lovely lace (and it is lovely, very soft) where it couldn't be seen. Hence I decided to make a trail, it's fully detachable so I can wear it either way out or use it as a cape or a drape for photos 8D So I instead used the red lace and some twinkle organza to give a bit of contraste and make the back of the costume more interesting as I felt that it was lacking since the front was so interesting with all the pleating and roses and such. Leg oranments were made with black leatherette, silver studs on the leg cage are from this plastic trim I got from the local shop. When Emi and I were working on her white Oz coat, which has a run of silver studs down either side, we were cutting these off one by one and glueing them in quick succession at some god awful time in the morning before Hyper Japan XD Had a few left over so used them for this. The orange flower was bought from ebay and the shoes I already owned. I debated orderring a wig but then Jen said she had a brown clip on pigtails wig and said I could borrow it...the base wig was not in the bag. Hence why the pigtails were clipped to my actual hair at London Expo. Which was an absolute nightmare because I had really short layers in my hair that were refusing to be pinned back. When we took the pigtails out at the end of the day my hair had gone all curly and frizzy and mad XD Still, it was both a challenge and pleasure to make. Cosplaying with Ellen was super fun <3 Love you darling, even if you are too skinny for bearing sons XD

Description

After doing the blue artbook Will of the Abyss dress I swore I wouldn't do anymore Pandora Hearts costumes...honest I did. But I actually bought the red taffeta for this Alice dress shortly after making the blue WoA intending to make it for Jen so we could match and have photos and such and so forth. But then Ellen was working on the blue WoA for Expo and I said I had the fabric and she was like...do iiiiit so yeah...

What was great about working on this costume is I had time so I really had fun with it.

12 metres of taffeta in total, 5 of which went into the lining of the trail and the 7 60 inche strips that were knife pleated along the bottom to give the ruffle trim. I modified a corset pattern for the top which is triple lined (lining and klona cotton) interfaced and fully boned with all seams overlocked. Then I made my own bias binding which sliced through over a metre of the fabric in it's need to be cut on the cross. That was machined stiched onto the outside along the edges of the bodice and whip stitched by hand on the inside.

The pleating across the bodice was done by ironing a strip of fabric into half inch pleats. These were then pinned into place on the bodice. I used my manikin very liberally with this costume XD Then pinned some bias binding along the bottom and top stitched that into place. Also top stitched along the top. I had just enough bias left over to be that base of the chocker, rimmed in lace and hand stitched on the same small ribbon roses I used on my blue WoA as while making this Alice, although I was going to be cosplaying with Ellen I kept in mind I was also making it to match my own rendition. Hence the roses along the front of the bodice neckline. The referance I had wasn't very clear, but there appeared to be something there so I thought the flecks of green would help break up the sea of red.

Puff sleeves where achieved by sewing some bias binding onto the inside which I looped elastic through. The hem was then pulled up and whip stitched to the top of the bias so that it couldn't be seen and I got a nice puffball edge going around the bottom of the sleeves.

Gloves were bought but the lace was hand stitched around the top. I hand stitched the same lace around the bodice neckline and used it for the chocker as well. The skirt is a basic circle skirt, one panel each side with t he box pleated ruffle around the bottom also being made from circle skirt segments so I got maximum flare in the serge stitched hem.

The trail was a last minute addition that I spent a whole day on. The red floral lace on the outside I actually bought to make a petticoat to match the white lace petticoat I have for my blue WoA however I ended up buying two cheap red petticoats on ebay and I didn't see the point in wasting this lovely lace (and it is lovely, very soft) where it couldn't be seen. Hence I decided to make a trail, it's fully detachable so I can wear it either way out or use it as a cape or a drape for photos 8D

So I instead used the red lace and some twinkle organza to give a bit of contraste and make the back of the costume more interesting as I felt that it was lacking since the front was so interesting with all the pleating and roses and such.

Leg oranments were made with black leatherette, silver studs on the leg cage are from this plastic trim I got from the local shop. When Emi and I were working on her white Oz coat, which has a run of silver studs down either side, we were cutting these off one by one and glueing them in quick succession at some god awful time in the morning before Hyper Japan XD Had a few left over so used them for this. The orange flower was bought from ebay and the shoes I already owned.

I debated orderring a wig but then Jen said she had a brown clip on pigtails wig and said I could borrow it...the base wig was not in the bag. Hence why the pigtails were clipped to my actual hair at London Expo. Which was an absolute nightmare because I had really short layers in my hair that were refusing to be pinned back. When we took the pigtails out at the end of the day my hair had gone all curly and frizzy and mad XD

Still, it was both a challenge and pleasure to make. Cosplaying with Ellen was super fun <3 Love you darling, even if you are too skinny for bearing sons XD

Comments

Love you too my dear!! It was amazing cosplaying with you!! All that extra detail looked super amazing and you looked so cute and gorgeous!! <3 <3 Hope to cosplay with you again - it was so much damn fun! x

by Pandora on Monday, 31 October, 2011 - 23:27

This looked amazing hun, you and ellen both completely deserved your win!! x.

by FusionRose on Monday, 31 October, 2011 - 23:51

Loved seeing you in this. :)

(Key staff - I looked for you after masq but couldnt see you anywhere, Im guessing the Excel staff hurried you all out the hall.)

by Ranma1-2 on Tuesday, 1 November, 2011 - 01:02

Fantastic. Absolutely stunning. i wish I could have had a closer look in person but it's still wonderful to see the details in the photos. Congrats on the win :)

by Nomes on Tuesday, 1 November, 2011 - 01:36

so so so so pretty both of you <3

by Emzone on Tuesday, 1 November, 2011 - 03:31

This dress is stunning. So beautiful and well made. The details really push it up a notch :D

by j_mercuryuk on Tuesday, 1 November, 2011 - 09:41

Beautiful dress! Really well-made and I'm very impressed with all your pleating and gathering work. I especially love your fabric choices (and the sheer volume of fabric!) I really liked your masquerade performance at Expo too, you showed off the costume nicely and had great stage presence.

by Angelphie on Tuesday, 1 November, 2011 - 20:58

GAh so gorgeous and well made as usual <3

by Solaria on Wednesday, 2 November, 2011 - 14:00

soooo gorgeous <333

by CGOPbleachbabe on Wednesday, 2 November, 2011 - 15:06

Beautifully done!

by Telly on Thursday, 3 November, 2011 - 16:47

This is just gorgeous! Seriously in love with that massive trail!!!

by CrystalNeko on Thursday, 3 November, 2011 - 19:49

Thank you for all the nice comments 8D
@CrystalNeko: It's lush right? I seem to have a thing for massive trails and skirts XD

by street-angel on Thursday, 3 November, 2011 - 19:55

Big trail skirts make everything a lot more epic! :D I was worried tripping over my own skirt or stepping over yours on stage... ^^;;

by Pandora on Thursday, 3 November, 2011 - 20:24

This looked so lovely!!! <3 Wonderful work ^w^

by x-Blade-x on Sunday, 6 November, 2011 - 14:20

You look so pretty <3 Shame I didn't get to see you in this, it looks fabulous!!

by Lady Bahamut on Sunday, 6 November, 2011 - 17:01

I love it! :D

by ToroSonyCat on Thursday, 15 December, 2011 - 18:58

This is amazing! You look so pretty and the costume is just... Ahhhh <3

by Fables on Friday, 2 March, 2012 - 11:35

Congrats on the showcase <3 it's about time you were awarded one!

by Sisceal on Sunday, 2 December, 2012 - 21:36

Congrats on the showcase...you look great ^_^

by SamanthaKaiba on Sunday, 2 December, 2012 - 21:50

Congratulations on the showcase. You look really lovely in this. Don't know owt about the character or series, but diggin't the fabric choices and excellent garment construction. Also all dat red. :D

by Pudding on Monday, 3 December, 2012 - 06:29