PRP Cos Play Challenge

It's week 2 of Project Run and Play Season 11. This week's theme is:

Cos Play Challenge:  Since Cos Play is all the rage we thought it would be fun to have an entire challenge devoted to it!  So for this challenge create and outfit INSPIRED by by the cos play craze. (But not a costume!)

I will admit I panicked a little bit when I started reading the description, but breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the words "inspired" and "not a costume."

I love sewing practical clothing. Although I could have sewn a costume if Project Run and Play insisted, I am happy that I don't have to.

My first thought when it comes to Cos Play was superheroes. There seem to be a lot of superhero conventions here and there and my second daughter Eve, is superhero obsessed. She even had a Justice League birthday party for her last birthday when she turned six. (She is a Justice League girl all the way, no Marvel/Avengers love from her.)

But I wasn't feeling an strong inspiration. As I started thinking of other themes, Star Wars kept popping up in my head. And I couldn't stop thinking of a furry Chewbacca inspired vest.

I googled Star Wars Cos Play to make sure it was a thing. Of course it is, it is insanely popular right now.

Here are the three main characters I drew my inspiration from, in Cos Play form of course:

Source: http://masimage.deviantart.com/art/Chewbacca-Cosplay-4-543581924

Source: http://akemi--hoshi.deviantart.com/art/Darth-Vader-Star-Wars-335966594

Source: http://geektyrant.com/news/princess-leia-best-of-cosplay-collection

And with that inspiration, I give you the outfit I made for Eve:

She loves it! And her big sister is already asking when she can borrow her vest. Eve said never. I consider that a success, although I will have Eve share her vest at least once with her sister.

The vest was made with a tutorial from Sew Pony and some very helpful tips from instructables. Click on the links to learn more. 

I did alter the pattern a little bit from the Sew Pony one. I made the front opening rounder and straightened the side seams (they were curved in her pattern.) I forgot to take pictures of the pattern I drafted, oops!

The main takeaways I learned from working with fur:

-Do not cut the fur with scissors and do not cut on the fold. Rather cut with a sharp knife or fabric blade on the wrong side of the fabric and only cutting the backing, not the fur! This helps keep all the fur attached to the piece you are using.

-Tuck in all the fur as you sew. You don't want it to get caught up in the seam allowance. Use a slightly longer stitch so you can pull out furs that got stuck anyways.

It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be and it was a very rewarding and quick project. All the seams are enclosed so no seam finishing, bonus!

Here are some more shots of the vest in all it's furry glory:

90s glamour shot alert!

You can't even see the side seam with all that fur covering it up. This is also a great shot of the fun tunic hemline and of Eve's goofy personality.

Next up, the tunic.

I used the Origami Tunic by Love Notions and a slinky ivory bamboo rayon from Joann Fabrics. Princess Leia rocks the turtle neck and flowy garment, both of which are achieved in this pattern. There are also a cowl and a regular neckline options included in the pattern, but I went with the turtleneck.

It looks beautiful even without the vest. It's a tad bit thin, so she will probably wear a tank top under it if she wears it alone. But it is oh so soft, drapes well, and worth it being a little bit sheer. 

I love the handkerchief hemline.

Look at that crazy... hemline! Wait, what did you think I was going to say?

I'm loving the turtleneck more than I thought I would. I have never been able to pull them off, but it looks adorable on Eve.

Last up, the pants.

I used the same pattern that I used in week 1 of Project Run and Play, the Moto Maxx by Love Notions, once again the plain front leg version and once again in Ponte de Roma fabric.

I wanted a basic pair of pants for her since she has recently put holes in so many of her pants. But I also wanted to evoke a bit of Darth Vader-ness, so I settled on a pin tuck down the center front. I noticed a lot of the Cos Play Darth Vader Pants had a textured stripe. 

She will hopefully get a lot of use out of these pants. 

What a fun challenge! I leave you with a few more pictures of my Star Wars loving daughter. She asked me if I would join the Dark Side with her. How can I say no to this sweet girl? 

It also helps that she has a light saber. I'm a bit scared.