Behind The Yona Sword Dance Cosplay

This short blog post will go inside the pattern, fabric, and beads used in the making of my Yona Sword Dance cosplay. Laying out any issues I ran into while putting together the project, and explaining what I used to make parts of the cosplay.

The fabric I used for the cosplay included four different types. Lavender poplin was used for the main parts of the dress. For the cuffs, collar, hat, and hem I used a light weight navy denim fabric. The sash was made of a multicolored striped silk dupioni, and Iris colored chiffon was used for the top of the hat. There were also five different trims used in the cosplay. Two were purchased from JoAnn Fabrics and the rest were bought off of Etsy. The sash took two trims, then one for the dress, one for the hat, and the last coin trim was used to make the anklets.

For the main body of the cosplay I used McCalls Pattern # 6959 with the focus on Dress C. I created a mock up of the dress with muslin to decide on how long I wanted the body and sleeves to the cuffs to be. During the mock-up process , I extended the hem of the dress pattern by a foot and a half, while for the sleeves I measured 3.5 inches to leave for the cuffs.  I didn't need the mock up to be perfect and the full length necessary, since I knew I would be using a different fabric for the hem, collar, and cuffs.

This dress required the use of rolled hems for several parts, as well as the chiffon meant for the hat. I used a serger, but it can be done by hand or with special presser feet. 

One of the major issues I ran into making the dress was the hem. I almost didnt have enough fabric to do the hem because of how wide the hem was compared to the dress's fabric pieces. I am 5ft tall, so if you are taller and have a wider hem for the dress you might have to piece the blue denim into several strips.

Another major factor about this cosplay is that it featured many accessories. Two necklaces, a hat, and earrings played a huge role in the design. One of the biggest issues I ran into was not ordering enough beads for the necklaces and hat. I would recommend buying more than you think and order from the same seller. I discovered when ordering from a different seller that the bead colors did not match at all (which is common in beading suppliers). So PLEASE order more beads than you think and from the same seller. For each individual piece I will list what materials were used to make them.

- The Dress Necklace (4-tiered necklace)
  * Tan Wire Jewelry Cording (strong enough for the weight of the beads)
  * 8 Crimp Clamps
  * 1 set of Spacer Bars
  * 217 8mm Hematite Round Beads
  * 2 Lapis Lazuli Oval Connectors
  * 10 Gold Charm Pendants with Loops
  * 30 6mm Gold Metal Rondelle Beads
  * 60 Gold Seed Beads
  * 30 Gold Bar Pendants

- Sword Necklace
  * Same Tan Wire
  * A Closure
  * Tibetan Mosaic Pendant (This one found on Etsy)
  * 18 8mm Blue Dyed Jade Round Beads
  * 36 6mm Amethyst Round Beads
  * 18 Large Teal Apatite Nugget Beads

- Hat
  * Stiff Wire (for sewing on the inside of the hat to keep its shape)
  * Pellon Interfacing
  * Navy Denim and Iris Chiffon
  * 26 6mm Gold Metal Rondelle Beads
  * 156 4mm Hematite Round Beads
  * 26 10mm Amethyst Round Beads
  * 114 6mm Amethyst Round Beads
  * 18 Large Teal Apatite Nugget Beads
  * 32 Gold Seed Beads
  * 18 10mm White Crackle Agate Round Beads
  * 8 Gold Pendants (mine were made from resin)

- Earrings
  * Hook Earrings
  * 4mm Jump Rings
  * 2.5in Eye Pins
  * 2 12mmx16mm Lapis Lazuli Barrel Beads
  * 2 Gold Butterfly Spacer Beads
  * 2 Yellow Tassels

This cosplay was such a learning experience with beading and hat making. I love how the final outcome came out and I am looking forward to the photos I took in it. Below are progress to final result photos.