B&S #34: McCall's Goes Down the Rabbit Hole with Cosplay Patterns Papillon & Manikin

Bodacious

Hard to believe we're less than a week from Christmas! Whatever holiday you celebrate during the winter, I hope it's a merry one!

Looking for new cosplay patterns for your next convention or photo shoot? McCall's has two fancy new ones for women. Both of these already have a steampunk aesthetic, but you can always add to them to push them more toward our favorite retro genre.

Papillon

Papillon is a lined coat pattern with two options: a swallowtail coat and a short coat. This would the the perfect central piece to a Victorian or Edwardian magician's costume. I could easily see this done in a classic black, but when you're looking over fabrics, you'll surely find other amazing possibilities.

The pattern uses princess seams, a notched collar, gathered sleeves, and two back tab variations. To complete the costume, add a top hat with goggles, a cane, slacks in a matching color, and high boots.

As with every McCall's pattern, you'll find tips to help you improve your craft. Papillon includes tips for sewing jackets, which includes making a muslin, selecting an interfacing, and choosing a lining. Designed by Seattle Cosplay, the pattern is for intermediate sewing skill level.

Manikin

This intermediate skill level pattern has nearly everything you need to cosplay a porcelain doll: dress, overskirt, blouse, and bow.

You can get extremely creative with Manikin. Choose a flowery fabric or something dark. Add zombie makeup for a great Halloween look. Or, add a belt with gadgets and a pocket watch for a steampunk look. Take inspiration from Steam Powered Giraffe and wear robot makeup to become a fancy, Victorian automaton.

The tips for Manikin will teach you how to sew better trim, including the use of beading lace and edging lace.