Babydoll | 2011

Babydoll | Sucker Punch

Made for : Auckland Armageddon Expo 2011

Awards : Technical Award – Wellington Armageddon Expo 2013

Background : I saw the trailer for Sucker Punch on TV one day and it was love at first sight. I mean badass babes kicking ass while looking smoking hot, what’s not to love? This costume was originally made for the cosplay contest at Auckland Armageddon 2011 but due to a bus never showing, I missed my judging slot time. I did however enter it in to the Wellington contest two years

Things used :

I just want to start off by saying, although Simplicity 3689 was used as the base for this costume, it might as well not have been. It was altered so heavily in parts that it doesn’t resemble itself by the end.

Wig/headband : This wig was a step up from the last wig I had brought (see Leeloo), but it still wasn’t great. I purchased it off of Trademe (New Zealand’s answer to eBay). It was super shiny, too curly and too short and I was yet to discover how to take the shine out or how to style wigs using heat. So I tied it in two pigtails and called it a day.
The headband was a tie taken from my black cardigan. It did the job and the massive bow with all the excess length in the back hid the disaster of the back of the wig nicely.
I think in 2012 was when I upgraded to the wig you see in the photos from Dragoncon and the ones taken by Anna Terwiel Photography. I purchased it from someone in the old Cosplay New Zealand forums. It was in this moment I realized the difference a half decent wig could make to a whole costume.

Top : This was made using Simplicity 3689 view B as the base. The fabric used was a navy poly cotton only because I didn’t buy enough yardage of the random velveteen mystery fabric and because I’d brought the last of that roll, I was unable to get more.
Alright, things that were changed from the original pattern –
1. The sleeves were shortened and a wider cuff was added.
2. The hem was raised and a waistband with belt loops was added.
3. A fake front closure was created by top stitching a line in a contrasting thread colour down the center and three buttons added along the side.
4. A pocket was added on the left breast.
5. A sailor collar made from grey poly cotton and navy bias for the stripes was drafted and added by my mum.

Skirt : I know mum and I went in to this with plans to use view A for the skirt until I decided it wasn’t accurate enough, as in there weren’t enough pleats. So I figured out some maths, (please don’t ask me to repeat it. It hurts my brain every time I have to do this) and did some box pleats.
This is also how I used up all the mystery velvet fabric. See I’d brought enough to make the cheerleader uniform that the Simplicity pattern called for. By doing all the box pleats, it ate up all the fabric and I had to find a substitute for the top.
From memory, I think the waistband of the pattern stayed mostly the same. Just changing it to be a button closure off center in the front.
I made bias tape for the stripes and sewed two sets of them along the bottom edge of the skirt.

Weapons : My dad made these for me. They’re all carved from wood and the katana handle is wrapped in leather. Originally I had brought a broken bb gun for the gun which was black so dad sanded it back to metal for me and added the wooden grips, but then I found out my convention had recently put a ban on metal weapons so he made a whole one from wood instead.
I did the painting and etched the carvings along the barrel of the gun and the katana blade by using a mechanical pencil.
I made the gun charms from oven bake clay.
Dad made the holster for the guns and ammo and the katana sheath from faux leather.

Accessories : The scarf was made from a strip of georgette fabric cut to shape on the bias so the edges wouldn’t fray.
The socks were thigh-high sheer stockings brought from Farmers and the shoes were high-heeled Mary- Janes brought from Number One Shoes.

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