Hey all, I'm thinking about making this cosplay
Koumajou Remilia.

> I would really like help on what kind of make up to wear for this, as she has a kinda gothic look, here eyes look kinda black in the picture. I never wear make up apart from a bit of eye liner now and again so help would really be appreciated. Thankies~



I was looking at the it and I really couldn't figure how the intricate designs would be put onto the costume.
Is it paint, transfer, pens, glued on, sewn on or something else. I'm really at a loss and would like some help on the best way to do this.
Here is a picture of the parts I'm talking about and also a photo of an ebay sellers costume to show how it has been done by others. How did the ebay seller do it?




I was also wondering the best way to make the top, with the collars and everything, and how to make them stiff to stick up like that.

It can be personal preference how you do those details. I would say painting or transfers would be easiest to use, paint being the first choice if you're confident in your painting.
You could sew, but the level of detailing would properly mean you're making more work then is needed to get a neat result.

As for the collars, if you buy interfacing which comes in various thickness's, they can be sewn between you lining and outter fabric and will add a stiffness to support themselves.

You can get this stuff which I only know as Heat 'n' Bond because that's what the US call it. You wouldn't need to sew it, but just iron it together and give you those sharp curves which would be almost impossible to sew neatly down.

I'm not sure what the UK name is, but if you go to your local fabric shop and ask them for something you iron fabric onto, then iron the other side to another patch of fabric. They should know what it is.

And as said, interfacing is what you want for that. Again, asking at your local shop and they'll be able to supply one they think will be tough enough.

Not sure about painting as I'm not sure if the lines would look that crisp and last time I tried to do stencils it didn't turn out the best. Transfers sound good, would you just use normal t-shirt type transfers or is there some better tougher version? XD


Also interfacing sounds good, will defiantly get some of that.



Heat and bond sounds like a good idea. I think I used similar stuff to hem a cape before =p only problem is I need a material which doesn't fray or look weird when cut. Any suggestions?

Also interfacing seems defiantly the way to go ;3

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Anyone got any suggestions on the best material to use for the whole outfit? Cotton and polycotton always seems to thin. Maybe Cotton Drill? Or is there something better?

It's called Bondaweb or Wundaweb here in the UK. You can do it like that, using something that doesn't fray e.g. stretch fabric or felt, but for the neatest and nicest finish (although most timeconsuming result), you could applique the edges in black, then you don't have to worry about what fabric you use. You can applique intricate designs like that, see the Ibis costume in my profile as I did a similar thing with the butterfly detailings on that. I had only done some really basic straight line applique prior to doing Ibis and found it does come with practice - reduce the stitch width as you get to the ends of points so the applique tapers, and it'll look really nice

P.S. Avoid using thick fabrics for your shapes if you're appliqueing as it'll get stuck under the foot and cause big lumps!

Ahhh Bondaweb, I think I've used that before actually XD

wow the appliqué on your Ibis cosplay is beautiful I've never done it myself though so I'm not sure how to do it >.< know any good tutorials which will help me start?

It's all to do with the settings on your machine You need to have it set to zig-zag stitch, and when it's set to that, the stitch length dial will set how far apart your stitches are (so you need to set it as low as possible - every machine is different, there's a sweet spot between so short that it starts to lump up, and just too long that gaps show between stitches.) And the stitch width setting (which also usually determines where your needle sits i.e. left, middle or right) needs to be at the widest. It's this that you change if you want to make your band of applique narrower e.g. when you're coming up to an edge.

All the usual things with setting thread tension apply as well, if the tension is too tight then it'll bunch up and go all lumpy, if too loose you'll have loose threads that get caught in the feed dog.

The only other advice I can give you is that when you're turning a corner, pivot the fabric when the needle is on the same side as the direction you're pivoting. What I mean by this is if you're coming up to a corner, and you have to swivel the fabric to your right to present the new edge to sew down, make sure the needle is down on the right. This makes a nice neat corner, whereas if you do it with the needle on the left there'll be a gap. Same applies for curves too!

Other than that, it's just practice. Applique is horrendously monotonous but space out for a few moments and you've got a lump or you've run out of bobbin thread or some other dumb thing. So it's quite tiring to do for long periods. I would suggest a number of practice shapes first till you get the hang of it. I figure you're not wanting to rush this costume anyway, not with that level of detail You will need a metric ton of thread, I went through four or five regular Gutermann cotton reels making Ibis, and you've got far more to do than that if you decide to go for it! Make sure you bondaweb your shapes down prior to sewing too, makes it so much less hassle!

Here's a sample tutorial but you'll want your stitch length to be much shorter than hers so there's no obvious zig-zag going on:
http://sewlikemymom.com/applique-tutorial/

Thanks madmazda86, that was super helpful ^.^ I'll defiantly practice appliqué and if I get the hang of it I might do it for my costume, as it looks pretty neat ^.^ Thankies~

BUMP

What Material is non-fraying and is best for making patterns to attach using bondaweb?

Usually when you use heat n' bond, the glue when ironing it onto the fabric of choice stops it from fraying.
You would usually go over it in a zig zag stitch anyway.

I normally use plain cotton/cotton drill or duchess satin (or PVC at one point \o/) for applique. But if you want a non-fraying fabric, then usually something like leatherette can look really nice as detail as it gives it a bit of a sheen when light is reflecting off it.

Unfortunately I don't know many non-fraying fabrics but figured I'd throw in the leatherette suggestion anyway.

Depending on how much time you have, you could use satin and burn the edges to seal it so that it doesn't fray. But you'll have to be really careful, I've set the fabric on fire before when trying to make satin flowers XD;;;

Thanks ^_^

lol I'm also planning to make satin flowers soon. I must take extra care XD

Depending on the absorbancy of the fabric you wish to applique with, HeatnBond doesn't always stop fraying.
Surprisingly, the least fraying fabric that is handy for applique is lycra.
I'd also suggest suedette as it doesn't fray much but it is quite a heavy fabric though good if you want slightly raised 3D patterns.

I'm just going to add that bonda web and heat n bond are vastly different in my experience. I've used both but used the no sew heat n bond for the appliqué on my twinrova and it was fabulous, I'd originally planned to applique properly but it just worked so well. You can get it in John Lewis but it is generally a bit more expensive than bondaweb

Thanks guys ^_^

might want to put the make-up question as a new response, i scrolled up to see if there was stuff there, but others would have hit [x].

you can actually buy white powder foundation. i think that would be best for her skin tone. i imagine just putting a primer down first would work.

however, you may need to put down liquid foundation too, to stop blemishes etc on your skin showing through. you can't get this in white, but you can get some really light ones - go a lot lighter than your skin - this is just to make your skin tone 'flat'.

and you want a lot of eyeliner around your eyes. i'd go with gel eyeliner - it's like liquid but it's thicker, less smudgey and easier to control. although liquid would give you a better definition.

though... i don't know that much about applying make-up. i'm suggesting gel because i rarely wear make-up and i found that easier than eyeliner. it's like an eye pencil, but better.

Thanks, I'll give that a try ^_^

I was thinking about making a topic, but I didn't want to seem spammy. I might make one tomorrow ^^
Thanks~