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details
CHARACTER: Dr. Girlfriend
VARIANT: Dr. Mrs. The Monarch
Series: Venture Brothers
CONSTRUCTION TIME: 5 Days
DEBUT: P:hoenix Comic Con 2014
Status: Retired // Thoughts on Reviving
Thoughts: This lady had been on my dream list since college. Dr Girlfriend is a damn strong lady who knows exactly how much power she can hold over people. Except I never knew how to achieve the deep V neck which is the centerfold of this costume. After making Dr Mrs, it’s become one of my favorite costumes because of all the enthusiastic Venture fans I’ve met so far!
fun zone
info
I found a pattern I liked from Vogue and created a mock of the entire thing. I decided I wanted to have a false front and have the zipper in the back so I had to re-design it a bit to suit my needs. In my carelessness, I picked a non-stretchy fabric for the base of the costume. I later found this was not the best choice as the bottom does not do well once sitting.
So much time had passed that I had to take the dress in once I began the project again as I had lost weight. I added a bias to the front, cheap but decorative fake buttons to the front and created thigh high boot covers. I’m not 100% happy with them but I’m very pleased that the bottoms look pretty good to me. I had kept an old military-style hat from Party City for years. I had no idea if I would ever use it but I kept it because it was big enough to fit with a wig. Finally, I used extra bias tape for the red and found extra gold trimmings that I used to decorate the hat.
If I were to re-do it, I would use a different pattern, fabric and different bias tape for the front to make it more user-friendly and appear more militaristic.
So much time had passed that I had to take the dress in once I began the project again as I had lost weight. I added a bias to the front, cheap but decorative fake buttons to the front and created thigh high boot covers. I’m not 100% happy with them but I’m very pleased that the bottoms look pretty good to me. I had kept an old military-style hat from Party City for years. I had no idea if I would ever use it but I kept it because it was big enough to fit with a wig. Finally, I used extra bias tape for the red and found extra gold trimmings that I used to decorate the hat.
If I were to re-do it, I would use a different pattern, fabric and different bias tape for the front to make it more user-friendly and appear more militaristic.
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write up
2014 work in progress notes
This was an easy project but I wanted to focus on correct fabric types that Miku would have worn in the videos environment.
This was an easy project but I wanted to focus on correct fabric types that Miku would have worn in the videos environment.
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I altered a pattern from Green Pepper and knocked out the leotard in a night. Using left over fabric from my Ironette costume, I used the wrong side of the fabric and heat bonded the design on to make for a cleaner look. I created the boots by doing a boot cover method over a pair of cheap Ross heels and quickly sewed up the gloves within the same day. The wings (which were made long and act like a light train) were heat sealed on the edges and velcro was attached to the top for easy removal. The crown and neck piece were made of craft foam and earrings were bought from YesStyle.
The V cut was the real and final issue. If I didn’t get it right, I would never be able to wear the costume. I researched other cosplayes who had done her before and the only one that stuck out with a great idea was Riddle. She had created the deep V by finding a stores mannequin that was her size and cutting out the bust. I have no chance of finding something like that for cheap so I went a different route.
I ordered worbla for the first time, a thermoplastic that can easily be molded by heat and cut out the desired pattern to make the worbla fit to my body. After a lot of trial and error (first timer!), I successfully made a bodice out of the material. The back acts like a corset. Notions were attached to the back so that it ties together and holds everything in place. Elastic straps were attached to the top so that the bodice would never fall down and velcro was glued to the edges of the worbla. Velcro was also attached to the suit and inside the worbla so that when the leotard comes on, the velcro will attach to the corresponding pieces and everything stays in place (the wings also attach to the worbla from the back. They were made to be removable simply for cleaning reasons).
This time I was learning to be patient and mocking an entire cosplay versus just doing it in pieces.
With the jacket, I lined it with a light blue fabric, made a fake pocket for the front then worked on the jackets cuffs. This was one of the reasons the old jacket failed. The cuffs were awful and held no shape. This time, I used two pieces of interfacing for both cuffs and used an invisible stitch to attach the lower part of the jacket to the upper part of the cuff. Because of the invisible stitch, the cuff looks like it floats on its own and holds it’s shape perfectly!
I was again strapped for time. During the construction of Rain, I had moved apartments, gotten a new job and suddenly it was time for PCC. The only other thing left to do was make the collar and the pouch. I made the pouch using faux white leather and again alternated it so that the only thing it could honestly hold was my phone and business cards. I used a magnet to keep the pouch snapped closed at all times. Finally, I sloppily did the neck piece by creating it out of worbla. I have plans to re-do the piece since it’s pretty awful but overall, I’m incredibly happy with my remake of Rain!
The V cut was the real and final issue. If I didn’t get it right, I would never be able to wear the costume. I researched other cosplayes who had done her before and the only one that stuck out with a great idea was Riddle. She had created the deep V by finding a stores mannequin that was her size and cutting out the bust. I have no chance of finding something like that for cheap so I went a different route.
I ordered worbla for the first time, a thermoplastic that can easily be molded by heat and cut out the desired pattern to make the worbla fit to my body. After a lot of trial and error (first timer!), I successfully made a bodice out of the material. The back acts like a corset. Notions were attached to the back so that it ties together and holds everything in place. Elastic straps were attached to the top so that the bodice would never fall down and velcro was glued to the edges of the worbla. Velcro was also attached to the suit and inside the worbla so that when the leotard comes on, the velcro will attach to the corresponding pieces and everything stays in place (the wings also attach to the worbla from the back. They were made to be removable simply for cleaning reasons).
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With the jacket, I lined it with a light blue fabric, made a fake pocket for the front then worked on the jackets cuffs. This was one of the reasons the old jacket failed. The cuffs were awful and held no shape. This time, I used two pieces of interfacing for both cuffs and used an invisible stitch to attach the lower part of the jacket to the upper part of the cuff. Because of the invisible stitch, the cuff looks like it floats on its own and holds it’s shape perfectly!
I was again strapped for time. During the construction of Rain, I had moved apartments, gotten a new job and suddenly it was time for PCC. The only other thing left to do was make the collar and the pouch. I made the pouch using faux white leather and again alternated it so that the only thing it could honestly hold was my phone and business cards. I used a magnet to keep the pouch snapped closed at all times. Finally, I sloppily did the neck piece by creating it out of worbla. I have plans to re-do the piece since it’s pretty awful but overall, I’m incredibly happy with my remake of Rain!