Just an update on the progress of my 21 costume...boot pouches, gauntlets and the finished top!  This whole thing is proving more complicated than I had foreseen, but it's worth it because the guy who asked for it is really impressed with it.  Getting positive feedback is always a welcome thing!!

Henchman 21 - in progress

I finally made the jump to men's costumes and I am making a Henchman 21 (post 24's death) costume for a friend in Illinois.  He's a big guy and I don't have any men around to model the costume on, so I'm flying by the seat of my pants on this one, but so far it's coming out well.  The chest plate wasn't difficult but the vinyl is hard to work with, so I only hemmed the front; it puckered too badly and I didn't want the back to have a puckered look as well.  The shorts were a lot of fun to make, and just knowing that they're part of the costume makes me happy.  How often do people get to wear yellow vinyl shorts?  I've also made black pants from a cotton-spandex blend and a top of the same, which looks like a big t-shirt.  Sure, I could have used an actual t-shirt and sweatpants, but the guy's paying me to make a costume, not buy stuff.  I take my costume making very seriously and would hate to think anything I do is substandard.  I'm going to Joann's tomorrow to get the rest of what I need for the costume, so watch this space for the completed article!

Dr Mrs The Monarch Cheerleader Outfit

Yeah!!  I started (and finished) the Dr Mrs The Monarch Cheerleader outfit this morning.  I'm really proud of this one.  The skirt and top are patterns of my own devising, and as I've never made a cheerleader skirt before, I'm really proud of how it turned out.  There are some slight discrepancies between the earlier photo and this outfit - I ran out of white bias tape so I couldn't finish the bottom of the top, but otherwise it's as it should be.  The top is based on my sports bra and closes with velcro in the back.  The skirt has a back zip and needs to be adjusted as it's too big.  This, like all my other creations, is for sale so please let me know if you want to own a rare piece of Dr Girlfriend's wardrobe!

Dr Mrs The Monarch

Now that the costume is complete, I'll post on Dr Mrs The Monarch.  The leotard was easy enough to find (thanks Amazon) but next time I'll get a long-sleeved one and cut the sleeves off at the elbow...I realised afterward that she doesn't wear a cap-sleeved outfit, but the gloves cover some of the black material on the leotard.  Oops, forgot the gloves in this photo...but I have them.  Cutting out the Monarch symbol wasn't too bad but the hardest part was putting the trim on the neckline and reverse neckline.  I kind of screwed up on that one, and this costume needs another go before it's perfect.  The collar was just recycled from my Queen Etherea outfit and the wings are strips of gossamer tulle (I think that's what it's called).  The crown isn't perfect either but it was a first attempt, and I need a more perfect wig.  Still, I've had a compliment on it on Cosplay.com so that's a start...I just can't wait to wear the boots!

Dr Mrs The Monarch Boots...yeah baby!!

Yes, they have finally arrived - my Dr Mrs The Monarch thigh-high yellow boots!  All the way from China.  They're extremely tight and unfortunately don't actually fit me at the moment...but when I lose weight they'll look FANTASTIC.  They're from Milanoo.com if anyone is interested....it's so hard to find thigh-high yellow boots, believe me, I've been looking for months!

New Project!

Okay...so my new project is going to be Dr Mrs The Monarch's cheerleader outfit.  I've printed this picture and am going to start work on the pattern tomorrow.  It will present a challenge as the skirt is comprised of lots of pleated black and yellow fabric, and I've never made a cheerleader's outfit before.  The top shouldn't present as much of a problem as it's basically a bandeau with a big 'M' (for Monarch!) on it.  What I'm wondering is whether the 'M' and red trim on the skirt are meant to be vinyl or the same woolly fabric that high school letters are made of...probably the latter.  But with her you never can tell...anyway, this is going into the planning phase tomorrow so watch this space for updates!

Dr Girlfriend - Sheila College Outfit

Who can forget Sheila's first encounter with Phantom Limb, or Professor Fantamos as he was known then?  Okay, I cheated a bit with this one - the top is from Victoria's Secret, but it was THE perfect top so I wasn't about to argue with it.  The skirt is based on earlier dresses I have made, and made from the same knit as the First Date Dress.  I've been able to source two of Sheila's accessories for this outfit - the yellow bangle and red alice band.  Plus the glasses, which are my own.

Dr Girlfriend - Sheila Dress

The inspiration for this dress was Sheila's first date with Phantom Limb, back when she still had a blonde streak in her hair, and long before she met The Monarch.  I used a modified New Look 0560 pattern for this dress, which is made from a stretchy orangey-peach knit.

Dr Girlfriend - Double Date Dress

This was more challenging to make than it should have been, and also one of the rare dresses that I had to buy a pattern for.  I used a Butterick pattern for a strapless evening gown, and I tried to build the interior 'scaffolding' for it but it just didn't look right...so I removed it and let the dress be.  It's made from pink satin with a back zip closure.  My only gripe is that it's not as long as it should be - it should ideally hit mid-calf, and this is something I will improve on in the next phase of it.  The necklace is costume jewelry from Joann's that, despite being silvertone, is pretty much what Dr Girlfriend wears in the episode 'Victor.  Echo.  November.' on her double date with Phantom Limb, The Monarch, and JollyRancher82.  The gloves are some I bought from Frederick's of Hollywood forever ago, and the shoes are from Walmart.  There is a long purple coat that goes with this outfit but I haven't been able to find the right fabric to make it, so I don't have it as yet, but watch this space...nothing has been able to keep me down so far!

Onwards and upwards

I posted some pics of Lady Au Pair, Dr Girlfriend, and the Dr Girlfriend Mall Dress on Cosplay.com and received this comment about the Lady Au Pair costume:  'Hell yeah!  I knew it was Lady Au Pair by the thumbnail.  Epic!'  I'm considering that a compliment :)  I've put some of the costumes on Etsy, and reposted Lady Au Pair on eBay so hopefully it will sell this time...I'm going back to Joann Fabrics on Tuesday to get more supplies and also some fabric for these knitting needle holders I've been making for family (so far) which I intend to sell at my uncle's restaurant/gift shop, the Freight House in Lyndonville, VT.  They're really neat little cases with pockets to hold all your knitting needles and even crochet hooks.  Look out for them!  I'll be posting pics of them soon...

Lady Au Pair Costume

Lady Au Pair was probably the most fun to make, and the most challenging to date (aside from Dr Mrs The Monarch, which is currently in the prototype phase).  Again, the body of the dress was adapted from the main Dr Girlfriend dress with a lower neckline cut in, and the sleeves are from a pattern I have for a 1920's costume dress.  It wasn't difficult to put the pieces together, and the different parts combined surprisingly well.  There are two tucks down the front and three buttons between them, leading us to the apron which is patterned after one of my grandmother's half-aprons.  There is a zipper in the back and the dress is made of a high quality purple broadcloth with white linen trim and apron.  The gloves are from my Dr Girlfriend outfit and the boots are from eBay, and it took me a long time to find perfect boots for this outfit.

The hat was my first attempt at millinery and came out surprisingly well.  It's patterened after my brother's fishing hat which gives it its floppy character, with a dark purple ribbon around the brim and purple fake flowers stuck in the right places.  I'd love to make this one again, so if you're interested, please just ask for details!!

Dr Girlfriend - The Mall Outfit

This is one of my favourite outfits.  It's the dress Sheila wears to the mall with Phantom Limb when she meets up with The Monarch in the food court.  This was a lot of fun to make.  I used the same basic pattern from my Dr Girlfriend dress and made it backless.  There is a back part that creates the skirt, a band across the bra-line, and a half-moon collar to hold it in place.  The fabric is a stretchy knit magenta from Joann's Fabrics and the polka-dots are made of pink and purple felt.  I used plates and bowls as templates to cut them out.  She wears her same white boots and pillbox hat with this outfit, and long white gloves, which I also got from Joann's in a Halloween sale.  I've already sold one of these on eBay; it's one of Sheila's more unusual outfits, but well worth having in your Dr Girlfriend collection!

Please forgive the fuzziness of this picture - the camera wasn't cooperating to take a clear shot.