Cosplay by McCAlls Accessorize! Becoming Emelie, Hand-Eye Coordination, Foot Fetish: Gilded

Cosplay accessories! And these are absolutely not going to stay in the cosplay closet. They are begging to be put into service for all sorts of special occasions.

Hand-Eye Coordination (M2096 sizes: XS-S-M-L all in one envelope) is a fabulous set of gloves with claws, bracers and three eye patches. I know they look complicated, but the pattern is rated “very easy,” so don’t shy away from it. I’m so over-the-moon about the gloves with finger armor claws that I am going to completely ignore the eye patches. For sure they are innovative and wonderful. But. Those. Gloves. Red armor Dracula-inspired articulated-finger-armor-claws. Yes!

The gloves themselves are for moderate stretch knits, but the thumb does have the gusset you’d see for leather or kid gloves. This is a bonus, and makes for a better fit than thumbs without. It also has the finger gussets, mercifully free from the seam at the base of the finger.

The odd thing about these gloves is the placement of the seam. It’s usually found along the pinky finger, but here it has been moved to the top of the hand. This also serves to control the excess fullness on the top of the glove that is usually addressed with the three pin tucks that run from the fingers to the wrist. This simplifies and cleans up the look, making it an interesting sew.

As someone who has made her fair share of leather gloves, I will advise you to make a paper mock up of this (or any) glove pattern. Hands are complicated, and even though you can buy gloves off-the-rack, I guarantee that you will wish you made some small changes to the pattern if you do not look closely before you cut. If you are building them, they may as well fit perfectly, with each finger length exactly right.

One of your tips for this envelope discusses the use of the blanket stitch, which figures prominently in this pattern. It’s a key element in the look of the bracers. It’s a nice touch. In fact, I’d prefer to see it made up in an 1/8″ velvet ribbon for a more finished and professional look than the thread that was used in the pics, but that may require you to pre-punch the holes. A larger silk ribbon, of the kind meant for ribbon embroidery, would really make a statement and still “sew” as thread.

The other tip is how to paint elastic, which I touched on in my review for “Ribbon Candy“. It’s a necessary skill. McCalls advises the use of sharpies, which is a fabulous solution. Sharpies come in a huge array of colors. You’ll be able to get a great match for literally any project, cheaply and with no fuss.

Foot Fetish: Gilded (M2097 One Size) is a set of three boot or shoe covers, labelled “very easy”. I adore view A—the filigree version. They are more like shoe jewelry, and would be great in so many settings beyond the Steampunk and Lolita for which they are so perfectly suited. I’d love to see them completely beaded. They’d be a work of art. Pop them over a pair of plain pumps and you’d be dazzling. Indeed, this whole set is a great way to use up broken jewelry and flea market finds to make a big statement on a project with small “real estate”. In other words, you can afford to use the best, and most expensive fabrics, leather, and trims because you don’t need much of any of it to complete the project. You can make something extraordinary without needing an outrageous budget.

Your pattern tips talk about embellishments, and urge you to expand your skill set with the use of topstitching and application of beaded trims. There are tips for how to make what you have on hand work for your project by way of painting with acrylics.

Becoming Émelie (M2098 Sizes: XS-S-M-L all in one envelope) was meant to go with M2035 Manikin, the Lolita pattern. The skill level is easy, and it includes a beautifully shaped capelet, a bonnet, a circular hand bag, and some flowers to apply onto them all.
The lined capelet would work well for Victorian through Edwardian projects, as well as Steampunk and Lolita. It has a fitted shoulder yoke with stand collar, The cape portion is almost a full circle. It results in a dramatic look, while being simple to build. This would work up well in anything from Harris tweed to silk velvet. The quilted yoke provides another opportunity for extravagance while staying in budget.
The hat/bonnet is supported with sew-in interfacing (yeah! not fusible!) and the costumer’s go-to, the coat hanger, at the outer edge between the lining and fashion fabric. It has applied trim over that, which serves to further support the outer edge. The construction method is sound, though I might suggest cutting the length a little long on the coat hanger so you could bend back the ends on themselves to keep the cut ends of the metal out of the way. You can also use that as an anchor point for sewing, much like a hook and eye is sewn on. Sew a few stitches from it to the ribbon tie for a more secure tie.
You will find the purse to be timeless. A simple disk, with a zipper closure, makes for a quick sew and gives you an opportunity to use up all manner of leftover fabrics. They’d make really great bridesmaids gifts. Try this in leather for a retro punk look. Add gears to make it tilt even more retro into steampunk.
The flowers are the simple gathered style, but the pattern has a petal shape on the outer edge. They are sewn and turned so any fabric will work–even the most heinous metallic fraying lamé. For leather, pleather or Ultraseude, just use one layer. Apply them everywhere.
The pattern tips expand on the embellishments theme for this set: Flowers, repurposed broken jewelry, buttons, bows, and trims are encouraged and given a platform in this pattern.
Cosplay by McCalls continues to impress. The line is very adaptable, size-inclusive, and has fabulous large sturdy envelopes that will hold project notes, sketches, and swatches. There will never be that fight to get the pattern back in that tiny envelope again. Offered online only, it’s never out-of-stock, and you never have to brave the lines at JoAnn’s. They ship world-wide. Get them at http://cosplay.mccall.com

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