Cosplay by McCall's: Calista Knight III, Nightfell Herbalist, & Hornery
The Patterns
For this report, we have three beautiful patterns, including the third in the Calista Knight series. Check this blog for my reviews of the previous two. These all work together to create a single, new-sew cosplay. We also have an elaborate dress and a magical hat/headpiece for your consideration.
Calista Knight III
Calista Knight I is for a new-sew Amazonian breastplate and circlet, Calista Knight II adds a shoulder pauldron and horned headpiece, and this pattern, Calista Knight III, adds a bracer, hand armor, wrist armor, and shin guards. Ready to branch out into Worbla and to make some metalic-looking cosplay pieces? This is a great place to start.
For this pattern, you'll again need some Worbla, a marking pen, sharp scissors or a craft night, plus a heat gun, plastic wrap, waxed paper, and other items covered on the pattern description. While heat-resistant gloves are optional, they're a good idea if you want to avoid burns.
These pieces provide some great areas to add some steampunk flare. You could attach a compass or poecte watch to the bracer, and perhaps some curving wires along the shin guards. As always, use your imagination.
Calista Knight III retails for $9.95 and was designed by Becka Noel for Cosplay by McCall's.
In addition, you can purchase the set of three in a bundle for just $24.
Nightfell Herbalist
For you advanced seamstresses and tailors, Cosplay by McCall's has Nightfell Herbalist, a dress in two parts: a jacket with mock corset and skirt with attached petticoat. The costume calls up images of haunted Victorian woods.
Giving this a steampunk look should be the easiest part of making it. Use brown fabric with golden highlights, add goggles and a top hat, or add black leather pouches to the belt. Recently I saw a Victorian tea set carried on a belt. Something like that would work great.
Nightfell Herbalist retails for $16.95, and was created by J. Hart Designs.
Hornery
If you're looking for a magical headdress, this may be for you. Hornery gives you two headdresses with horns, and an additional drape that can be worn either of the others to fill out the look.
The fabrics McCall's recommends for this include synthetic leather, iridescent crinkled organza, organza, and novelty sheers. You'll also need some notions, such as piping, sank buttons, and synthetic leather trim. The pattern includes all the details you need.
The right colors could immediately give this a steampunk vibe. Browns are always good in steampunk, but you could combine that with black, silver, gold, or purple.
Hornery sells for $14.95 and is considered an easy pattern.
New Indiegogo Backer Level
As you may know, I'm currently running an Indiegogo campaign to help with the publication of the next novel in my series, The Adventures of Bodacious Creed.
The first novel, Bodacious Creed: a Steampunk Zombie Western is doing great. Readers love it, and it's selling well on Amazon and Audible. The Indiegogo is for the second book in the series, Bodacious Creed and the Frisco Syndicate.
Several people have asked if they could back it and, for the physical rewards, get just the dice or poker cards. So, I created a tier just for that!
At the $25 pledge level, backers get the following:
Bodacious Creed: a Steampunk Zombie Western in ePub or Kindle format
Bodacious Creed and the Frisco Syndicate in ePub or Kindle format on publication
A full sized jpeg of the wrap-around cover for Bodacious Creed and the Frisco Syndicate on publication
Their name in the acknowledgements of the novel
The themed poker deck or a set of ten themed six-sided dice
For U.S. backers, the price includes shipping.
Now's a great time to support the campaign! It has 21 days go to, and the goal is to raise $1,500, which will help me pay for the final cover art, and editing.
Go here!
