Construction Details:

I'll start at the top and work my way down; I made both Rynn's crown for Rue, and my own for Mytho, so that they would match when we got them to Japan. They are made from craft foam, puffy paints, and a few well-placed rhinestones for a bit of added depth. The entire thing was painted in resin (unneccessary in hindsight, and could have achieved the same effect with a normal sealant) and then spray painted gold, with a gold sponge-paint over top. The wig is actually TWO wigs in #60, with one being dis-assembled and sewn into the second one. The tunic is made from a purple brocade that I got an excellent deal on, from a fabric store in Portland. I started with a commercial pattern but modified it so much, that I may as well have drafted it from scratch (including changing the shape of the neckline, lengthening it, and adding the jagged edges). The sleeves are three layers -- the outer purple shell with the gold trim, the hand-dyed silk dupioni inserts, and the lining of the entire tunic. At each 'point' on the diamond cut-out, I sewed a small cluster of gold beads and a single pearl, to give it a little something extra without detracting from the design. All the gold pieces are made of silk dupioni, and satin-stitched with a combination of rayon thread, and then a wide zig-zag of metalic gold thread. It's also then trimmed in a gold braid, even though I wasn't able to put it all on for Japan (I did, however, get it added on for SakuraCon 2011). The collar was heavily modified, and snaps into the tunic -- it's covered in tea-dyed turkey feathers, all of which I acquired from the leftovers after Rynn made her ear-wings for Miaka. The cape is a bridal acetate, lined in a dyed crepe-back satin, and is sewn to the shoulder and snaps at the waist (even though it came unsnapped during the performance). The tights are real men's ballet tights, and the slippers were also purchased. The sword was made by my friend Mandy, and painted by my other friend, Kayla. It's probably my favorite thing about this costume.

Personal Thoughts:

I made this costume for our final presentation for 2010's "World Cosplay Summit" in Japan. Unfortunately, there was a lot at the time that I wanted to fix, and so much more that I wanted it to be. Also, my cape came unsnapped on one side. DANGIT. Since fixing it up for SakuraCon though, I love it, and am extremely proud of it, even though it isn't perfect.

Sorry, you must be a registered user of and logged in to view and add comments. Either log in or register now!