Newbie Needing Help for a Selphie costume

Shadowcat · Post by **Shadowcat** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 5:44 pm

Hi there!
I'll be attending my first convention (of any kind ever) in May and since everyone I was going with was cosplaying (all veterans) I decided to go along as well.
I figured I'd go easy on myself and go as Selphie from FF8. Understanding that I don't play much video games, let alone own a PS2, and know very little about anime....the things we do for love.
In any case, enough of my babbling, but if there's a kind soul could help me out and pass along any pattern/material suggestions for Selphie's yellow dress it would be appreciated. I have winter boots that will do and a professional costume maker is doing my nunchucks. Hair is appropriate, but dress....oooh boy!
I'm a novice at sewing, so an easy pattern is prefered.
Thank you!

Laura92 · Post by **Laura92** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 10:54 am

ok, I can try to help you out.

If I'm not mistaken, Selphie is just a yellow dress with straps, correct? ok.

Go to a sewing store/fabric store (or just order online www.joannfabrics.com if there's no stores near you) and buy a few yards of yellow fabric. I would recommend 4 yards, but I have no idea what your measurements are or anything. 4 yards are usually good enough for me and im 5'4, kinda pudgy, i dunno....but anyway!

Get this yellow fabric home, buy some matching thread. Unroll all of this fabric and just simply wrap it around yourself to see hom much you need for the width and such. Measure that and cut the fabric you wrapped around yourself away from the other big big big amount of fabric. Now, you'll have a narrow rectangle (Cloth bolts are usually 44" wide). The 44" will be the length of the dress...depending on how tall you are I'd assume that'd be an okay length. Hey, you can always cut it shorter.

Now, with the smaller piece of cloth you just cut off (the 'dress' part), sew the two ends together so that it is a circle-kindof like a tube dress or something. (make sure you sew it LENGTHWISE and not Widthwise...you dont want a 44" dress across!) You should probably try it on so its not too tight. It will look funny at first because its just a straight thing, but that will be fixed. It should look kinda like a paper towel tube at this point.

Next, make some strips of fabric that will be used as the straps on the dress. Dont make them too thin though, because you will have to 'hem' in the raggedy edges of the straps so it doesnt look weird. Simply sew the straps on the top of the dress, make sure they are in the right place. (I reccomend that you safety pin them in place until you sew them permanently). Sew those on, and if theyre too long, you can just bunch them up a little at the end (where you attached them) and sew them to the right length.

Now that you have the straps, get to fixing the shape of the dress.
Take the main body part of the dress and just pin in the sides a little. That way, it will fit your shape and you can sew it that way later...be careful though because if you cinch the middle too tight, you may not be able to get it on!

There's more to this, but its basically detail work. I dont know for sure iof Selphie has a zipper down the middle front of her dress...if she does, just go back to that fabric store and buy a 44'' (more or less) zipper. When you get home, cut a straight line down the middle of the dress front and then place the zipper in the middle. make sure that the black fabric-y part of the zipper (on the sides of the metal teeth) is underneath the ends of the dress. Pin it this way and then sew the zipper in. You should only be able to see the metal teeth part of the zipper. (Also, make sure the zipper is on the right end, you dont want the zipper pull at your knees!).

I hope this can help you, this is how I make my costumes anyway, and people like mine a lot! Hopefully yours will come out wonderfully. Sorry I dont have any patterns for you, but im sure you could find one at the fabric store ^_^

Good Luck!!!

-Laura-

Hemuloki-sama · Post by **Hemuloki-sama** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 1:00 pm

Wow, suddenly I don't feel so weird for giving people how-to tutorials on the forums! Great job, Laura, that will really help her out.

Laura92 · Post by **Laura92** » Mon Feb 23, 2004 6:04 pm

Thanks Hemuloki! :glomp:

I hope it does!

+seraphim+ · Post by **+seraphim+** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 4:51 pm

Wow, she might as well open up a tutorial site with that info. I think I would use like yellow raincoat material for Selphie's outfit. ^_^

Hemuloki-sama · Post by **Hemuloki-sama** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 10:23 am

I probably should but then everyone would just ask me for "How-to" tutorials rather than styling their wigs or making their outfits! I have a business to think about!

Haha, but as for the raincoat material: It's a great idea because it's interesting but it's not what Selphie would've worn and will receive a bad reaction when critiqued.

Shadowcat · Post by **Shadowcat** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 5:42 pm

Thank you so much! Wow, can't wait to get started. Heading to the new fabric store in town. I hear they have everything imagineable.

Laura92 · Post by **Laura92** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 7:22 pm

Im glad I could help! ^^

ACParadise Forums

Newbie Needing Help for a Selphie costume

Newbie Needing Help for a Selphie costume

:D

^_^

yay!