Idolized Job Kotori Minami - Love Live!
Worn:
Otakuthon 2017 (Montreal, QC)
Status: Hiatus
Why Job/Baker Kotori?
This is another outfit of hers that I love. It's super cute and I had wanted to make a baker outfit for a character for a long while. This is one of my most comfortable and cutest costumes I have ever made.
The main fabric for this is elise crepe (white and lettuce green).
I didn't use a pattern for my skirt, just made sure that it fit over the petticoat. The ribbon is hand sewn onto the skirt, and the strawberries are iron-on appliques that I bought at Fabricland (used also on the hair bow and earrings). The apron is just a rectangle sewn over itself and hand sewn onto the skirt. The apron was pressed before being attached to the skirt, and ironed again after this piece was completed. The hearts are done using a heart stencil I made myself and traced around using my green prisma marker.
The shirt I made a pattern for, even making the pattern for the collar and sleeves. I hemmed the bottom of the shirt before anything. I attached the collar, pressed, and then carefully machine sewed the bias tape along the entire edge of the collar. The collar is finished with hooks and eyes as closures. The sleeves have elastic attached a few inches in from the edge and to secure them in used a zig-zag stitch. I've never done this before for a sleeve. Finished the sleeves off with bias tape like the collar. The front panel was done with an extra piece of the material, sewn on, and then carefully going around the edge with ribbon (this took so freaking long!). Finished my shirt off with the buttons, carefully measuring the distances so they were even.
Ribbon is the width of the fabric twice. I wanted to make sure I'd have enough material to tie around me and make a nice big bow, the full length is 120". I wish I could say this was the longest seam I'd ever sewn, but it's not. It's the longest straight one though! I sewed both pieces together in the middle, hemmed each side with a double fold hem. I carefully machine sewed the three ribbons on. I sewed that 120" length 7 times... that was too much. I finished the pointed ends off with the bias tape. The bias tape is a different shade from the material of the rest, but I found it gave a nice contrast.
The hair bow was the fastest piece. I just sewed a small rectangle, turned it inside out, pressed it and whip stitched the one end shut. I tied it into a knot in the middle and pressed two of the applique strawberries onto it. A bit of hot glue and attached it to a barrette to secure it into the wig.
The tie was pretty simple, a long rectangle turned the right way out and pressed. Simple.
The oven mitt I used solari for the inside to give it substance - and I could actually use it as an oven mitt with this in it! The green is broadcloth I bought at Steadmans at my cottage. I did the white heart with applique techniques. And finished the edge with white bias tape.
I had to look up a tutorial for making the chef hat. I found one for making one for a child, and just made it on a much smaller scale. To get the bias tape on, I admittedly hot glued it onto the hat. And only because it's so tiny.
For the earrings I just hot glued two strawberry applique patches to earring hooks. It works.
I bought the socks and shoes for this cosplay at Ardene.
At current, I only have selfies. I plan to get a photoshoot eventually.
Otakuthon 2017 (Montreal, QC)
Status: Hiatus
Why Job/Baker Kotori?
This is another outfit of hers that I love. It's super cute and I had wanted to make a baker outfit for a character for a long while. This is one of my most comfortable and cutest costumes I have ever made.
The main fabric for this is elise crepe (white and lettuce green).
I didn't use a pattern for my skirt, just made sure that it fit over the petticoat. The ribbon is hand sewn onto the skirt, and the strawberries are iron-on appliques that I bought at Fabricland (used also on the hair bow and earrings). The apron is just a rectangle sewn over itself and hand sewn onto the skirt. The apron was pressed before being attached to the skirt, and ironed again after this piece was completed. The hearts are done using a heart stencil I made myself and traced around using my green prisma marker.
The shirt I made a pattern for, even making the pattern for the collar and sleeves. I hemmed the bottom of the shirt before anything. I attached the collar, pressed, and then carefully machine sewed the bias tape along the entire edge of the collar. The collar is finished with hooks and eyes as closures. The sleeves have elastic attached a few inches in from the edge and to secure them in used a zig-zag stitch. I've never done this before for a sleeve. Finished the sleeves off with bias tape like the collar. The front panel was done with an extra piece of the material, sewn on, and then carefully going around the edge with ribbon (this took so freaking long!). Finished my shirt off with the buttons, carefully measuring the distances so they were even.
Ribbon is the width of the fabric twice. I wanted to make sure I'd have enough material to tie around me and make a nice big bow, the full length is 120". I wish I could say this was the longest seam I'd ever sewn, but it's not. It's the longest straight one though! I sewed both pieces together in the middle, hemmed each side with a double fold hem. I carefully machine sewed the three ribbons on. I sewed that 120" length 7 times... that was too much. I finished the pointed ends off with the bias tape. The bias tape is a different shade from the material of the rest, but I found it gave a nice contrast.
The hair bow was the fastest piece. I just sewed a small rectangle, turned it inside out, pressed it and whip stitched the one end shut. I tied it into a knot in the middle and pressed two of the applique strawberries onto it. A bit of hot glue and attached it to a barrette to secure it into the wig.
The tie was pretty simple, a long rectangle turned the right way out and pressed. Simple.
The oven mitt I used solari for the inside to give it substance - and I could actually use it as an oven mitt with this in it! The green is broadcloth I bought at Steadmans at my cottage. I did the white heart with applique techniques. And finished the edge with white bias tape.
I had to look up a tutorial for making the chef hat. I found one for making one for a child, and just made it on a much smaller scale. To get the bias tape on, I admittedly hot glued it onto the hat. And only because it's so tiny.
For the earrings I just hot glued two strawberry applique patches to earring hooks. It works.
I bought the socks and shoes for this cosplay at Ardene.
At current, I only have selfies. I plan to get a photoshoot eventually.