You can be a magical girl!

a blog to collect tips, advice, inspiration, tutorials, and anything else that might be helpful for puella magi madoka magica cosplayers. always accepting submissions! (header, icon credit)

[pmmmcosplayhelp]

Hii! I really need some advice on my madoka cosplay.

i have a big project to make a transforming dress, that goes from Madoka's Normal magical girl outfit, to her Goddess outfit.

my idea is to make a dress where the goddess dress is under the normal one, with the skirt tucked into the top. then I'm able to easily take off the top part and the skirt falls down revealing the bigger dress

Any advice? sorry if its a big ask

(A lil ref video below)

https://youtu.be/x9B-A7WjMYA

hi, thanks for reaching out! it's been a couple years since i dusted off this blog but i'm still happy to help.

this sounds like a really neat project and wish you the best of luck with it. admittedly i'm not an expert in transformation dresses, but i know a few people that are and can show you how they did it.

i'm going to direct you to this video by hazariel costumes. she and her partner made a mind boggling nine quick changes in three minutes to cosplay all the sailor scouts in one skit for wcs this year, and this is the video where she walks through each and every transformation! i love this video because it goes over a bunch of different strategies for different transformations depending on how long each costume needed to be onstage, the level of detail, and logistics of each transformation. she also talks about the materials and modifications she made to the costumes to make sure they could safely be layered and not get stuck!

based on this video, i'd suggest using the ribbon loop method they used to go from their sailor moon and chibi moon to princess serenity and black lady. that looks to be like the best method for going from one robustly built costume to another.

another person i can direct you to is lizard leigh's pink diamond build thread for their entry into her universe fashion show. this goes through their process of independently building both costumes and then attaching them to create the transformation part. this i think will be especially useful because it shows the process of putting a big long dress into a small poofy dress.

i do think these outfits are a good choice for a transformation!! madoka's weird lil donut skirt can hide the huge voluminous godoka skirt. i think your biggest challenge is going to be getting support for the godoka skirt if you do want to get hoops in there somehow. built in hoopskirt somehow? from experience packing them, they do a good job of holding their shape when clamped together and then kind of exploding out when you let them go, so you could probably use that to your advantage for the transformation somehow.

i hope this is a good starting point for you and i wish you luck!

[pmmmcosplayhelp]

This blog is a life saver. I've saved a bunch of stuff for when I remake my Madoka cosplay, but before that I'm actually going to make her school uniform. I'm having a hard time with the shirt, and drafting a pattern from scratch isn't something I want to do. Do you know of anything close to what I would need?

hello!! it's been like... six years or something stupid since i've posted on this blog lol but i do still check the inbox!! i can definitely help.

starting by linking this blog post since it's got a bunch of awesome references and we love references on this blog.

the landscape of cosplay resources has changed a lot since last time i posted on this blog. there are actually people selling like, dedicated cosplay patterns which is super cool! i did a little digging to see if someone had released madoka patterns and did not see anything on a cursory google search, which actually surprised me a little. however, i am gonna recommend you a cosplay pattern, specifically indigo jinjo's emperor edelgard pattern.

like. yes this is a pattern for a completely different cosplay. but hear me out.

the shapes are actually remarkably close where it matters. the seamlines, the tapered bodice, and the weird sleeves are all there. this pattern includes two sleeve versions, a lantern sleeve and a puff sleeve, depending on how crazy you want to go with it. the lantern is more complicated but pretty cool. either would work for the madoka school uniform imo, but the puff is a little cuter. it also includes a version without the weird back cutout that edelgard's, so you don't have to worry about reconstructing the back. you could probably even move the keyhole design from the front to the back to get the uniform's weird little back closure.

the major changes you'd have to make would be changing the neckline and the bottom hem, which are both pretty superficial. the best way to do that is to make a mock-up of the pattern (which you should always be doing anyway!), draw where you want your new seam lines to be, then take apart your mock-up so you can see the shape of the new pieces.

my recommendation would be to make a separate jacket and blouse- you could actually use the edelgard pattern for both. for the blouse, swap out the sleeves for a basic sleeve pattern. for the jacket, add the square collar. or you could do it as one piece if you did some funky color blocking at the neckline. i wouldn't. but you could. (color blocking tutorial)

so yeah, that's my official recommendation! beyond just being a good pattern that's weirdly dead-on shape wise, kirsty is also a fantastic independent maker in the cosplay community that's working her ass off to make cosplay more accessible and beginner friendly. her patterns are incredibly user friendly and she makes herself super available for people that need to troubleshoot. so you can feel good knowing you're supporting a great, cosplayer-owned small business!

(while i'm on the subject of wonderful cosplay businesses that deserve your support, i can't go without plugging the dangerous ladies!! they offer resin cast soul gems in both egg and gem form.)

as for other pattern options, this is a tricky one because the shape is so specific, and it's specific in ways that's hard to modify.

when i made my own edelgard dress, i used butterick b6400 and i do think that could work for this too!

ispros to using this one are the bottom hem is already the right shape and version B has a really cute bow in the back that, while not 100% accurate, is (as previously stated) re, which se and could make a fun interpretation. it would need the same square neck modification. the big cons are you would have to figure out the sleeve puff yourself and you'd need to do some surgery to make the front one piece and add a back or side zip. from experience, both of those are tricky modifications that will require some iterating. i do talk a little bit about how i made that happen on my twitter if you're interested in that process.

i considered going looking for a square neck jacket pattern for you so you don't have to do that mod, but honestly?? it's such a simple fix, and you need a mandarin collar anyway for the blouse, that i really think you're better off just starting with a pattern that already has a mandarin collar. that way you only need to buy one pattern.

if for some reason you're desperate to buy a second pattern for your blouse, cut/sew (another small business that is cosplayer owned and beginner friendly!) has a gakuran pattern, which is the shape the uniform blouses are based on.

the school uniform tag of this blog already has a couple good tutorials on making fluffy bows and making puff sleeves, so if you need instruction on that, take a scroll through the tag. if you need further clarification, send another ask.

hope that was helpful!!! thanks for making me dust off this super old blog and happy cosplaying. 💖

[pmmmcosplayhelp]

Hi everyone!

I’ve gotten a few new followers lately so I just wanted to let everyone know that I do still get noficiations for this blog and check it, I just don’t reblog things to it much. If you have any questions you need answered, please don’t hesitate to send an ask! I am still happy to answer.

[shikuseishiro]

Me as Sakyra Kyoko from Puella Magi Madoka Magica

[treyner-blog]

i had to make one of these a jpeg so tumblr would upload it :-/

my baby at megacon 2014

[scattered-sparks]

HI!!! :D I just wanted to know how did you made the fabric to do that wavy-thing at the end on your twillight dress? Cuz its not the first time that I see a dress doing that and I've always been facinated by it. Btw, that dress is a-may-fucking-zing!

First of all thank you!! I achieved the wavy effect using two different methods, depending on which fabric type I was working with: horsehair braid for the top layer of lavender satin, and beading thread (or fishing line) + a rolled him for the lower layer of dark purple chiffon.

Top layer: Horsehair braid – This can be bought at most fabric stores and is amazing for getting clean hems on circle skirts. If the circle has a lot of fabric in it, you end up with that wavy effect when it drapes! It’s better for medium/heavy fabric like satins, cottons, etc., and not good for lightweight or sheer fabrics. I used this tutorial to learn how to install it properly.

Bottom layer: rolled hem with beading thread or fishing line – For lightweight fabrics like the dark purple chiffon I used here, a rolled hem is the way to go! Do yourself a favor and pick up a rolled hem foot for your machine, since folding and pinning the chiffon manually is a nightmare. You have a few options with the hem, depending on how dramatic of a wave you want:

Rolled hem with no wire or line = soft drape with minimal structure and will lie more flatly against your skirt

Rolled hem with beading thread = soft waves without a ton of structure (this is what I did!)

Rolled hem with fishing line = dramatic waves, like the sort of thing you see on flamenco dresses

There are lots of great tutorials on YouTube for how to do the fishing line hem - essentially you just super carefully feed the line into the hem as you sew, so that the line is encased.

Hope that helps~!

[silencedrowns]

COLORFUL COSPLAY GEMS IN A SUPER HURRY!

I didn’t want to mess around with casting red gems for one of my costumes; I’m in a crunch and casting colored gems that look perfectly alike is a massive pain, and I actually LIKE resin casting! Enter a hunch of mine.

iDye Poly is a type of fabric dye easily available in the United States meant for dying synthetic fabric. I had a bunch of clear acrylic cabochons. Was it possible to dye them?

You’re looking at the results of five minutes of boiling clear acrylic cabochons from TAP Plastics in rather concentrated iDye Poly. They look nice and shiny just sitting on some white paper! Bonus: this is after they have been fully washed. With dish soap.

I just HAD to share this technique because I’m pretty sure someone else can get some use from it!

[pmmmcosplayhelp]

I'm looking for a Madoka petticoat that I can get by this Saturday. I was thinking about getting one on Amazon prime, but I'm not too sure.

Friend. It’s Tuesday. You’re out of luck for a nice one. Get like, two or three Leg Avenue ones and layer them. Anywhere that has overnight shipping should be fine, Amazon prime is a good idea, maybe SockDreams? There might also be costume stores in your area that stock costume petticoats. Good luck.

[pmmmcosplayhelp]

Actually Milanoo is a scam website. If you do a quick Google search, you'll find hundreds of horror stories concerning Milanoo.

Hmm. That's really unfortunate. I will add an addendum to the post mentioning that but I won't take it down because this isn't an anonymous story I found on the internet, this is a cosplay I saw in person and touched, examined the construction of, and talked about extensively with the cosplayer wearing it.

[pmmmcosplayhelp]

I ran into @sycamoreblossoms at AnimeNEXT and her Madoka was beautiful! She made the petticoat but the dress was bought from Milanoo. It seems really well made. The skirt has a ton of reenforcement in it to make it really fluffy and it looks great. She ended up buying two more because she had a great experience. Fast shipping and everything. It does run a little small though, but she got a stock size as opposed to a custom. She got it two years ago and it still looks great. So if anyone is looking for a Madoka to buy, I give this one my official seal of approval. (Won’t say the same about the shoes. Same website and they’re falling apart a little. But of course, it’s also been two years.)

UPDATE: I received a warning that this is a scam website, which is.... unfortunate, to say the least. I will leave this post up because this is a cosplay I saw with my own eyes, touched, examined the construction of, and talked extensively about with the cosplayer wearing it, but use at your own risk.

[pmmmcosplayhelp]

Instead of using bias tape for the edges of madoka's petal skirt, would it be alright to just paint the red on? Would it still look nice?

Depends. If you’re looking to just paint a raw edge, no, absolutely not. The thing is, though, that’s less about the red itself and more about the need to hem/finish your edges. Unless you’re using a fabric that doesn’t unravel or fray and you’ve cut very carefully, you always need to finish somehow. If you don’t want to use bias tape, it’s perfectly acceptable to just paint on, but bias tape is a good way to finish your edges and if you’re not going to do that you need to finish it some other way.

[pmmmcosplayhelp]

Madoka Cosplay Tutorials

By Yumi King:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpX0pAmQuZ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rknxlYOtP8

By AurumCosplay(Also Have Homura)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXSzzl7biVQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1erkEVzuw40

[pmmmcosplayhelp]

This is again the Mami anon! So I was thinking about buying the set of Mami Tomoe cosplay accessories from efunlive. It includes her gloves, armbands, hat,underskirt, and soul gem. Is it a good deal?

Unfortunately I’ve never bought a cosplay from there (or anywhere) so I can’t speak from personal experience, and I can’t even find the listing for just the accessories. However, the picture of the full costume looked like decent quality for not too bad of a price!

[pmmmcosplayhelp]

I bought a Bodyline's Mami cosplay, and want to do her boots with paint, and want to make a prop. What base should I use for her shoe, and what prop should I make? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Cowboy boots are a great base for Mami shoes! I got mine on eBay for pretty cheap. Just look for a relatively unembellished pair in dark brown.

As for the prop, can you tell me a bit more about your time, skill level, and budget? The classic Mami prop would of course be her muskets, but those are more of an advanced build than a lot of people can do unless they specifically consider themselves prop makers. Something like a teacup or a little Bebe plush could also be very nice!

[pmmmcosplayhelp]

What kind of fabric would you recommend for Homura's magical girl outfit? Specifically the top half?

I’d recommend a thick cotton or synthetic. The coat thing she wears is pretty big and unfitted but it still holds its shape, it doesn’t drape over her body the way a thin fabric would, get something that can do that. If you have trouble finding something with enough thickness, get some fusible interfacing. It should be a woven, not a knit, and a tight enough weave that you don’t see the texture of it. It should be a true white- her color scheme would get thrown off by off white. It shouldn’t be shiny, but it can have a bit of a sheen to it if you like that look. There’s a specific type of fabric I’m thinking of and can’t remember the name of but it has a bit of stretch to it and almost a rubbery texture?? If you need to order online come back and I’ll do some more specific research, but I would advise you physically go to a fabric store and plan to spend at least half an hour feeling different fabrics until you find something you like.

[skyfishcosplay]

How to make puff sleeves

Making a puff sleeve is not so difficult as it may seem. There are different ways how you can make it but this is how I usually do it. You can use this technic on both short and long sleeves.

Start of with a normal pattern of a normal sleeve in your measurements and draw a cross across the pattern.

Cut among the lines and separate the four pieces so you get space between them.

With this pieces you can make different kinds of patterns depending what kind of puff sleeves you are going to make.

A) By separate the four pieces like this you will get a pattern of the classic puff sleeves. B) By connecting the upper tips of the pattern pieces you will get a sleeve that is only puffed on the lower part and normal (un-puffed) on the upper. C) By connecting the middle tips of the two lower pattern parts you will get a pattern that is puffed on your shoulder and normal (un-puffed) on the lower part of the sleeve.

Place your pieces on your fabric like you want them, draw it out and cut your sleeve out.

Zigzag around the edges and then sew the sides of the sleeve together.

To make the puff effect on the upper part of your sleeve take needle and thread and start to sew two set of lines among the markings with big stitches.

Pull the ends of the threads on both sides to get the sleeve wrinkled.

To make the lower part of the sleeve puffed I usually use elastic band. The elastic band will make it easier to take the sleeve on and off.

Measure your arm and make a ring out of the elastic band. Needle it to the lower part of the sleeve and sew it on. Remember to pull the elastic band as you sew.

Sew the sleeve on to your blouse and you are done!

~Firefly

[dangerous-ladies]

Practice good sewing habits, and you will see it in the final product [Part 2]

Backstitch.

So you’re sewing a seam, right? You pin your fabric pieces together, line them up under the presser foot, and push the pedal to start sewing. The feed dogs go forward, pulling the fabric towards them and under the needle. Sewing a stitch!

But did you backstitch it?

“What is backstitching it?” you whisper and I place my hand on my heart and smile because I love knowledge.

“When you use that button/level on your machine to make the stitch/feed dogs run backwards. You do that for a few steps,” I reply. “You do that at the start and end of every seam you sew.”

“But why,” you say. “Why?”

If you don’t backstitch your stitch lines, they will unravel. The pressure you put on your stitches with things like, I don’t know, wearing it, ends up at the ends of the stitch line. This causes the first and last stitches to come loose, and eventually break apart. Unless you’re making a mock-up to rip apart again, you want it to be secure.

By stitching backwards and then forwards an extra time, you reinforce that part of the seam so it is far, far less likely to pop/break.

“Yeah but Jenn,” you say, “that end is going to be attached to something else later so won’t it be secure then?”

No, it won’t. It can still pop, especially if you’re making something fitted.

Backstitch your seams. Do it until you can do it by rote, without even thinking about it.