Poe Dameron Build (The Force Awakens)

Photo: @captain.m.photography (Instagram)

It's been a tragically long time since I posted on here, so I decided it was time to finally write the walk-through of my TFA Poe cosplay. Never mind the fact it's been like half a year since I finished it. It's a fairly easy build, especially considering I didn't make the jacket myself (which would have made this cosplay twenty times harder, and the jacket probably wouldn't be nearly as beautiful, because leather).

Jacket
Arguably the most important piece of this cosplay. Certainly my favorite. As previously mentioned, I didn't make it myself. I purchased this one from fjackets.com; it also comes in men's sizes, for those of you who are actually cosplaying your own gender, just go to the Star Wars section of the website for all the options.

Wig

My wig is a Benny from Arda Wigs, in the color that was previously Natural Black. Which I think has now been changed to Deep Brown. I didn't do any styling, I just have to wrangle the curls every time to make them go the directions I want.

Shirt
I used McCalls M7291 View B with a few simple modifications. I left off the front patch pockets, replaced the fold-down collar with a mandarin collar from a different pattern, and left out the lacing up the front. The front V goes a bit low, so I put a hidden hook-and-eye closure to keep the shirt closed. My fabric was a natural/beige linen from Joanns.

Pants
I used Simplicity 4110, View A, which is an out of print pattern so you'll need to do a little hunting to find it. I got mine on Etsy. I left much of it the same, but I left off the back pockets, side pocket, all the little loop things, and I doubled the width of the belt loops to make them more screen accurate. I had a hard time finding a fabric that was the right weight and shade of brown (all his scenes in this costume are dimly lit and it's a whacky shade of brown as it is). I finally found this twill on fabric.com.


Belt
I got a belt blank and a two inch rectangle buckle blank from Tandy Leather. I used a dark brown leather stain (also from Tandy) to dye both sides of the belt, then attached the buckle once it was dry. I then measured the length and cut the belt down to size, then punched a hole for the buckle closure.

Boots
The screen accurate boots are from Pozu, but they only come in men's sizes and I have tiny feet, so I found a similar pair on Ebay and modified them by removing some buckles and straps to make them more accurate.

Blaster Rifle
Poe's blaster from the beginning of the movie is a bit complicated because no one ever made a toy of it and there aren't many people who sell them on Etsy. Also I'm very small so the ones on Etsy are definitely not to scale to my size. However, the blaster is a rifle version of the blaster Finn uses through much of the movie, which they did make toys of, so I bought the Finn blaster, painted it up, then used thick craft foam and paper mache to make the rifle stock.

Makeup
I contour my face to make my features a bit more like Poe's, then for the five o'clock shadow, I use black cake makeup and a dry stipple sponge (wetting the sponge gives it a darker pigment, and since I'm going for shadow, not full beard, the dry sponge technique keeps it a bit faded). I also use a little bit of the black makeup and an eyeshadow applicator sponge to fill in my eyebrows so they match the dark wig.

Map Piece
This was just a fun little piece I made that I haven't really gotten to use in any shoots yet, just because it's tiny and hard to utilize. After a great deal of hunting for decent references, I made my map to Luke Skywalker out of thick craft foam (leftovers of the same stuff I used for the rifle stock) and paper mache, then I painted and weathered it. I then made a little sack out of some scrap fabric from the pants and some twine for a drawstring closure. I've actually made quite a few extras of this prop that I plan to sell on my Etsy store when I eventually have time to reopen it.

And there you have it! Poe is honestly one of my favorite characters, so getting to cosplay him has been a dream, and this costume was fun and pretty easy to make. I've got a couple other Poe costumes in the works so keep an eye out on my Instagram for those, and keep checking back here for more build walk-throughs! I also plan to get back to the cosplayer interviews I started at the beginning of the year. Until then... May the Force be with you!

Photo: @russell_photography_pnw (Instagram)

Resistance Rey Build Walk Thru

I've been meaning to write this walk thru for a while, but the fact that I finally am getting around to it the week The Last Jedi comes out is much more fitting than any other time I could have posted it. I made Resistance Rey over the course of about five months, and considering I patterned the vest myself, I'm pretty impressed with that. Before I get into the walk thru, I should mention that not everything about this costume is Rebel Legion approvable so if you're looking for some assistance making your RL cosplay, you'll need to make some adjustments. I'll make note of instances of things I know that would need changing, for easy reference. You can also find their full guidelines here.

Boots
Starting with the easy stuff, I decided to upgrade since the last time I made Rey and splurged for the screen accurate Po-zu boots. They are so worth the money, they're super comfortable (even all day at a con) and high quality, and they're sustainably made too. Po-zu recently released an official Star Wars line, which includes the Rey boots.

Belt
I used the same belt as from my scavenger Rey cosplay, the instructions for which you can find on my post for that build.

Blaster
There are lots of options for getting Rey's blaster (Etsy, Nerf, making it yourself, etc), but I bought this 3D printed one on Etsy.

Holster
Using the same roll of suede I used for the belt, I used this tutorial as a guide. I didn't really make any changes to their instructions and pattern, and the pattern fit perfectly around my blaster as is, no trimming necessary.

Lightsaber
I just got the Disney Store Rey lightsaber, but it's not RL approvable, and there's also plenty of other fancier options (Black Series, Etsy, etc).

Bag/Satchel
I used this tutorial (but got canvas fabric at Joanns instead of taking apart a bag). The fabric I bought was a little too green instead of olive drab, so I tea dyed it. Like a lot.

Pants
I bought a pair of olive drab jeans at the thrift store, cut them off below the knees, and used the extra fabric and some batting to make the knee pads. I vaguely followed this tutorial, though mostly I just used it for the knee pad pattern because I didn't do the extra part with the seam above the knees.

Shirt

I used this pattern, making the tank top version with the mandarin collar. I used a slightly heavy white stretch knit fabric from Joanns that had a similar texture to a closeup I found of Rey's shirt.
There is some confusion with the direction of the wrap, which is supposed to be right over left (the RL page says left over right I believe, but that could just be a mix up that never got revised because all the RL approved cosplayers I've seen have right over left).
As for the collar, it's not easy to see just from stills of TFA because she's wearing the vest, but promo stills we've gotten from TLJ show the mandarin collar.
You'll also want to keep all the edges raw (this includes leaving out the neck band piece from the pattern) and use a zigzag/overlay stitch on the edges (you'll probably want to iron the edges too because if your fabric acts like mine, it'll get very squiggly).

Arm Wraps and Gauntlets
For the grey under wraps, I used the same pattern as I did for the scavenger Rey wraps (instructions once again in the previous post), which I also sell in both colors on my Etsy store (as of right now (12/13), my store is temporarily on vacation while I cram too many cosplays before ECCC but as soon as I'm able, I'll be opening it again).
The gauntlets were a little harder. I used parts of this tutorial as a general guide/reference, but mostly I made things up as I went along. I used a gauntlet pattern from an old Legolas costume, traced it out on butcher paper, and added on the flared bottom part that goes over the hands. Once I had made a couple mockups to test my pattern, I cut it out on the same material as my vest (I'll get to that later). I also patterned out the pieces for the elbow pads and cut that from the same material and from a few layers of batting (you'll need lots of reference pictures because I eyeballed a lot of this and didn't take progress shots).
For the hole details on the wrist, I used this pattern and two different sized punches on a screw punch (you can find these for pretty cheap on Amazon and they are truly a blessing, I highly recommend getting yourself one). Once I'd punched out the holes, I used Fray Check to keep them from getting messed up.
The scalloped edges at the bottom are about a finger width each, so I used a nickel and traced out the scallops, then cut them and locked it in with Fray check.
When you go to sew up the seam, keep in mind that the flared bottom part around the hands is open along the edge (so zigzag stitch your edges, because everything is raw edges with Rey). So make your seam only to the wrist, and make a clip in the seam allowance to allow the flared part to flare properly (if that makes any sense. If not, feel free to comment and I'll try to make more sense).

Vest
Arguably the hardest and most important part of this costume is the vest. I made my pattern myself, using another vest pattern as a guide, and because I didn't really take progress pictures, giving you a real walk thru of my process would be messy. So I'm just going to give you a basic overview, give you some tips, tell you the changes that need to be made for RL, and point you in the right direction for some resources.
So first of all, the fabric I used was a grey herringbone wool from Dorr Mill. The exact one I bought is sold out currently, but they have a few different shades and their customer service is very helpful so you can always shoot them an email and find out if/when they'll get certain products back. I got two yards so I'd have enough for both the vest and the gauntlets (and have extra in case of screw ups).
For the pattern, basically I took the pattern pieces I already had and traced them onto butcher paper, making adjustments so the front wouldn't have princess seams, and slicing everything at the waist for the peplum. I made the back all one piece and cut out the extremely curved princess seam pieces. I made the peplum pattern myself (and had to adjust it a bit to add more flare). Before you go and cut up your expensive wool, definitely do a mock up on some muslin or scrap fabric so you know your pattern will actually work (this is how I learned I needed to make adjustments on the peplum).
Before I move on to the next part of the vest, I need to point out the adjustments that needs to be made to my method in order to be approved for the Rebel Legion. The collar is supposed to be all one piece with the body of the vest, with a side seam that matches up to the shoulder seam. My collar is a separate piece (and doesn't have the side seams). You'll also need to have ladder stitching on the back princess seams and the collar side seams (as detailed in this tutorial).
Once again, all the edges on Rey's costumes are always raw, so you'll need to have a zigzag stitch.
Finally, the shoulder pads. I used an actual shoulder pad to make my pattern, cut out a couple layers of batting and a layer of wool for each piece (make sure to have about an inch extra around the edges to fold under the batting). I used pretty much the same method as I did for the knee pads on the pants and the elbow pads on the gauntlets, sewing the wool over the batting around the edges, then sewing the topstiching details (I totally freehanded those ridges and I'm still amazed that it worked out perfectly). Then you just sew them onto the shoulders of the vest.

So there you have it! I hope my tutorial is of some help, at least to get you started in the right direction. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to leave a comment, or you can message me on instagram! You can also find a ton more resources, including reference pictures and more tutorials, on my Rey cosplay Pinterest board.

Rey Build Walk-Thru

Rey's costume is, so far, one of the few where I've made almost the entire thing myself. There were only a few pieces that I actually bought and used as is (or almost as is).

To start off, I got the McCall's pattern set, which I used for all the pieces except the shirt and cuff. There were a few little adjustments I made to make certain pieces more accurate, but generally I followed the given instructions. So here's what I did.

Shirt

As I mentioned before, I didn't use the shirt included in the pattern. If I had, it probably would've been a little closer to screen accurate, but I bought my shirt before I even found the pattern. The shirt I got was a light tan basic v-neck tee, originally from Target (I already had the same shirt in a different color so I recognized it) though I got it at a thrift store. I cut off the sleeves to make it a tank (though looking back I probably should have just cut them a bit shorter to make them cap sleeves instead).

Pants

For the pants, I used the pattern pretty much as directed, I just lowered the waistline a little to my own taste. I used a lightweight linen-esque fabric in a shade of beige just a little darker than my other fabrics.

Wrap/Tabard

The wrap (referred to in the pattern as the tabard) was made out of a stretchy gauze fabric in a creamy beige. I followed the instructions pretty much directly for most of it, though if you want to be perfectly screen accurate, you should leave the edges raw instead of hemming like I did. When it was finished, I discovered that the width of the drapes made them all fan out into almost a dress, which wasn't right (some of this may have been because I'm so tiny). While trying to find a solution, I consulted my reference pictures and noticed that the left-side drapes are actually connected at the bottom in a loop, presumably because the original costume is made with all one piece of fabric. So I took the two left side drapes and sewed them together at the bottom to form a loop.

Arm wraps

Lots of people just use ace bandage wraps for the arm wraps, which works well enough but runs the risk of them coming loose halfway through a con or photoshoot and needing to be redone. The pattern's cheat for the wraps is one thing that I did exactly as instructed. I used a stretch knit fabric that had some light flecking in it, giving it more of a gauzy look without it being the same fabric and color as my wrap/tabard. If you're not using the McCall's pattern but still want to make your own wrap instead of using bandages, here is a similar tutorial online.

Cuff

I was originally going to use the pattern for making the cuff, but by chance I found a costume replica of it at Hot Topic among the jewelry. It's a bit stiff and might be slightly on the large side, but it works really well and saved me from having to sew suede any more than necessary. I have no idea if Hot Topic still carries this item, I tried with no luck to find it on the website, but you can always keep an eye out for it.

Belt

The way the pattern has you do the belt is kind of confusing and, while it works for being on a tighter budget, is not necessarily the sturdiest. So basically I just used the pattern piece for a guide. I got a roll of suede from Tandy Leather and scotch-taped the pattern piece onto it so I could cut it out. I used an Exacto knife for puncturing the center section so I could cut it out. I highly recommend doing a test run first on butcher paper just so you know what you're doing before cutting into your suede!

To close the belt, the pattern says to use velcro, but since I was using real suede, I didn't think that would be sturdy enough. So I got some snaps and attached two snaps at the right tightness for my size (I recommend measuring your belt around yourself while wearing the rest of the costume so you know it'll be the right tightness around the tabard). The fasteners should be on your left side.

Finally, I got some light brown twine and wrapped it around the front portion of the belt, between the fasteners and where the two tiers split off. I used Elmer's glue to tack it down on the inside of the belt.

Pouch

I bought this screen accurate bag off Amazon. It's great quality and holds up beautifully carrying your stuff around all day at a con. In order to attach it to my belt without it being permanently affixed, I undid the stitching on the bottom of the two straps on the back of the bag and sewed on velcro instead.

Boots

The shoes used in the movie are Po-Zu's piper v brown linen boots, but they're on the expensive side. Other people have made boot covers that look like po-zu's. I just got these boots off Amazon. They're not perfectly screen accurate and they were a little uncomfortable to walk around in all day at comicon, but they still work really great.

Staff

I used this tutorial that I found for adding the details to Rey's staff. I used a light wooden staff that I had lying around instead of PVC pipe, and for the grips I used scrap fabric from my wrap/tabard. For the sling strap, I used a spare luggage strap. To make the attachments for clipping the strap to the staff, I referenced this tutorial. I used some of the suede from my belt, snaps, D-rings, and some scrap fabric to back the cross sections (you put the D-rings between the suede cross section and the backing so it doesn't slid around and rub all the paint off your staff).  Fair warning, sewing suede is a pain.

And there you have it! That's how I made my Rey cosplay. I have lots of other resources in my Pinterest board if you're needing references, other tutorials, or want to branch out and try things differently. And now for the final results:

Happy cosplaying, and may the Force be with you!