Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - FINISHED PG 3

[TONKA1675]

Here's my first WIP thread on the RPF: Baby Doll from Sucker Punch

Obviously since I'm male, this will be for my wife. Most of the planning has already been done by talking with other RPF members in the main Sucker Punch thread, but I felt I needed my own thread so I didn't flood that one with progress pics. Anyways, here's the costume I hope to replicate.

I feel it's the perfect costume for her since she's 4'10", blonde, and I trained her in Korean martial arts for a few years so she can handle a sword.

 

[TONKA1675]

re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Step one: Tracking down supplies

So far I have:
1911 airsoft pistol that will need to be modded
T-strap mary jane pumps that will need to be modded
Silk noil fabric in "Ink"
Silk Noil fabric in "Grey"
Pattern from Japan for Sailor Fuku Uniform
Buttons for the skirt
Waterslide decals ordered from epilepticsquirrel for the 1911

**edit -- these are things that I have picked up since originally writing this post
smaller buttons for top
Wooden sword and sheath w/strap (though I need to figure out what to make the strap from)
hand wrap

Still need:
Headband
Nylons
gun holster
gun charms
grey scarf

 

[TONKA1675]

re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

making the skirt pattern:

The skirt is a box pleated mini skirt (10 boxes), so I started by measuring my wife where the top of the pleats would fall on her hips. I then tripled that number to find out how long I would need to cut the fabric. I then took the original measurement and devided by 10 so that I knew how big each box would need to be to keep the correct number of pleats. with this info I made a paper pattern and assembled it into a paper BD skirt and found it fit my wife perfectly. I cut it back apart and used it to cut my fabric pieces.

 

[TONKA1675]

re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

The first step was to cut an 8" strip of blue to the tripled length measurement. I then hemmed 1 long edge in 1/2". This will be used later to help guide sewing on the grey bias strips. I created 1/2" grey biased strips by cutting 1" strips and ironing 1/4" inch back under on each side. These were sewn on 1/2" away from the edge and 1/2" apart. because I didn't buy the same length in grey as I did blue, the bias strips have a seam 2/3 of the way down. I used the pleat pattern I made to make sure this seam falls inside a pleat to hide it. After sewing on the bias' I hemmed my starting side so that I could start the box pleats.

 

[TONKA1675]

re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Box pleats are actually pretty easy, but very slow moving as you have to be very precise and have to do a ton of ironing as you go. Luckily, I've sewn a few kilts so I'm fairly experienced at it.

When I divided the original measurement by 10, I got 3.5". This will be the mesurement of the outside and inside pleats, the the inbetween ones being 1.75". basically, the first pleat comes in 1.75", doubles back 1.75", then continues in the original direction for 3.5". From that point on it just keeps swapping between 3.5" out, 1.75" back, 3.5" out, 1.75" back, etc. This causes there to be 3 layers of fabric at any and all points, which is why I needed to triple the fabric length, plus add seam/hem allowances. These pics are what I ended up with by the end of the night.

The starting edge is in the middle of her left thigh, and continues around the back side and will eventually end in the middle of the left thigh again.

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Looking good, I've been reading the other Thread and some of those costumes are amazing. Keep us updated.

 

[u2ecila]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Great progress already! Thanks for sharing the skirt design methodology.

 

[TONKA1675]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Progress at the end of last night. Didn't have much time, but made it to the end of the 9th pleat. Just have to finish the 10th and end it the same way I started the first pleat. Then I'll run a line of stitching across the top to keep everything in place for sewing it to the waist of the skirt when that gets done.

 

[iycis]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Good work, Jordan!

 

[TONKA1675]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Thanks Natasha!

 

[TONKA1675]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Last update for about 1.5 weeks because I'm going on vacation:

All pleats are done and are finally stiched at the top. The stitching took me 2 nights because it was really hard to get fabric this light to stay where it was supposed to for pins, sewing machine, etc. I'm used to way heavier materials for kilts. After trying 5 times the first day and giving up in frustration, I figured out to pin and sew one pleat at a time so I could keep the edges together. Ate up a lot of time, but not nearly as much as restarting over and over again.

The green paper in the pics are the pattern pieces for the top of the skirt, and the black drawn buttons are actually where the button holes will go. The button will go on the overhanging side, which will allow it to button closed, but leave a slit in the skirt in the middle of the left leg.

I also got my waterslide transfers in the mail from epilepticsquirell, and they look awesome. Look for me to start on the gun when I get back!

 

[epilepticsquirl]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Looking forward to the finished costume!

 

[teamhero]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

This is super awesome!!! i simply cannot wait to see more! DD
gosh you make it look so easy

 

[TONKA1675]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Thanks for the compliments! Got back into town last night, so I'll have pics tonight of the finished skirt (minus the weathering/distressing) as long as the Gears of War 3 beta dosen't pull me away for too long!

 

[Teakeeper]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

I can't wait to see how this works out, it looks awesome already.
I plan on making this outfit too.

 

[TONKA1675]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Sooo...... why did all your teachers tell you to check your work? Because if you don't, you might make each of the pleats 1/4" too big. Stupid mistake cost a few days of ironing out pleats and putting them back in. Here's the skirt, all it needs now is the distressing that I'll add after the top is done so they are consistant.

 

[Teakeeper]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Great job!

 

[Geniepants]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Jade will make an excellent Babydoll, Jordan. I look forward to seeing it done.

 

[TONKA1675]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

Thanks Chris!

 

[JJ9437]

Re: Sucker Punch - Babydoll Costume - WIP

That skirt looks amazing. Great job!