Little Mermaid Gown Cosplay Progress: Part 2 - Design

Little Mermaid Gown Cosplay Progress: Part 2 - Design

While gathering ideas about the gown, I realized that this cosplay is going to to be a rather large endeavor. Luckily for me, I don't a specific event that I am intending to use it for so I don't have a deadline.

Pattern Selection

 For the base of the dress, I am plan on using the Simplicity 1728 pattern.

I have decided to use a combination of A and B in order to best match the Ariel's Park Gown. I will be using A's larger puff sleeves and then adding B's lower sleeves in a sheer fabric. I will document any additional changes along the way as I make the gown.

Material Selection

I am going to use the following image of Ariel's Park Gown to plan out my fabric selection. I haven't purchased any of the fabric, so my actual selection might change during the construction phase. 

From my reference pictures, I have gathered that the bodice and arm puffs are the same materials. The rest of the arms are a sheer material of the same color. For the skirt, it is broken up into three layers. The bottom layer is a sequin/glitter blue aqua fabric. The middle layer is fairly sheer and allows most of the sparkle to shine through. The middle layer is very close in color to the bottom layer. The top layer is a slightly darker aqua fabric which is also sheer. 

I haven't purchased any of the fabric, but I will document which fabric I use in the rest of my tutorials.

I checked out the back of the pattern in order to get the predicted quantity of each fabric.

Because of the differece in my fabric choices vs those of the pattern, I am going to need different quantities for the fabrics. I will list the actually used amount in the documentation of construction. 

Seashell Brooch

I decided to make the seashell brooch instead of buying it as well. I plan on making it out of InstaMorph, polymer clay or resin.

And that is my initial design. I am moving in the next week, so I will be holding off on starting the project until I have completed the move.

Little Mermaid Gown Cosplay Progress: Part 1 - Inspiration

Little Mermaid Gown Cosplay Progress: Part 1 - Inspiration 

Recently my library hosted an "Under the Sea" Story Time. One of our staff members came dressed up as Ariel from the Little Mermaid and I instantly was jealous of her outfit.

Her outfit was based on one of Ariel's Park Gown from Disney.

This isn't her. This is a picture of the Face Character from Disney which I found on the Web.

This dress, although very beautiful, didn't exactly float my boat. However, the newest Ariel Park Gown is just what I want. 

New Park Gown:

Initially, I had planned on just buying the dress from another seamstress. However, I got persnickety about things and decided to break down and construct the whole thing myself. Now I have a new project!

Coming Soon: Part 2 - Design

Frozen Story Time

Frozen Story Time

For my Youth Literature course, I was required to conduct a story time with a local group of children. Of course, I couldn't just present a regular story time. I HAD to make a costume for it. I am always a big fan of Disney so I decided to go with that. After a quick survey of the children I knew, I went with Elsa because she is apparently all little kiddos like this day.

So I made my costume and put together a winter themed story time. Below are the results!

Books or Stories Used
1. Keats, E.J. (1962). The Snowy Day. New York, New York: The Viking Press.
2. Hicks, B.J. & Mosqueda, O. (2014). Frozen: An Amazing Snowman. White Plains, New York: Disney Press.

Story Time Outline

• SONG: Fact Not Fiction
• Welcome
• Basically Stacy introduced me and we made some Frozen puns.
• PUPPET: Button Game
• For this game, a puppet "finds" a button that I had handed out to one of the kids. The puppet will hid and then I gave a child the button. The puppet comes out and asks several children if they have the button before we
• BOOK: The Snowy Day 
• Hand out snowflakes
• SONG: Snowflakes, Snowflakes Dance Around (sung to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
• Motions that go along with song are italicized. 
• Snowflakes, snowflakes dance around. (twirl around)
• Snowflakes, snowflakes touch the ground. (touch the ground)
• Snowflakes, snowflakes in the air. (arms up)
• Snowflakes, snowflakes everywhere. (wave arms around)
• Snowflakes, snowflakes dance around. (twirl around)
• Snowflakes, snowflakes touch the ground. (touch the ground)
• Collect snowflakes
• BOOK: An Amazing Snowman
• FELT BOARD: Building Olaf
• SONG: I’m a Little Snowman (sung to I’m a Little Teapot)
• I’m a little snowman, short and fat.
• Here are my buttons, here is my hat.
• When the sun comes out, I can’t play
• Or else I will slowly melt away.
• Goodbye Song

Optional Additional Song (if excess time): Snowy Pokey (sung to Hokey Pokey)
You put your right mitten in.
You put your right mitten out.
You put your right mitten in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Snowy Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!

Additional verses:

• You put your left mitten in…
• You put your right boot in…
• You put your left boot in…
• You put your long scarf in…
• You put your warm cap in…
• You put your snowself in…

How to make simple tulle snowflakes:

1. Get rolls of shiny white or blue tulle strips. 
2. Cut the tulle into foot long pieces. 
3. For each snowflake, you will need 3 pieces of tulle. Tie two pieces together
4. Tie the other piece of tulle around the knot of the first two pices.
5. TA DA! Simple snowflake.

Pictures!