Steiner - Final Fantasy IX ( _SunsetDragon_ Design)
Why this costume:
Steiner is one of my favorite Final Fantasy characters. I truly love him and the character development he goes through in Final Fantasy IX. FF9 is my favorite in the Final Fantasy series and when I saw this artwork by _SunsetDragon_ I was in love. It provided me a design for Steiner with new challenges as I'd never made anything with armor in this capacity. Their use of the female guard designs with Steiner's aesthetic is truly amazing.
Details Construction:
Armor:
With the chest armor, I began by making a pattern using shrink wrap and duck tape on my body. The cut of this armor does not have any breast cups, so I wanted to try and recreate the same shape. Marking the duck tape I cut it off to supply my pieces. I then used these pieces to transfer the pattern to EVA Foam.
With the remaining armor, hips, knees, shoes, and hat, I used newspaper to design the pattern. Then placed it onto the appropriate body parts to ensure it was the size and scale I wanted.
My belts were also made of EVA foam. They were then covered with faux leather and secured with grosgrain ribbon for a clean interior. The belt loops and buckles were also EVA foam painted and detailed. The belts were attached to the armor with Velcro.
All the armor pieces were heat sealed with my heat gun. I also applied Plasti Dip in a few layers for a smooth finish. Finally I used the Krylon Metallic paint for the silver base layer. I had two levels of detail on this costume. The first time I made it I painted details onto the armor with Acrylic paint. However, I felt these details did not "pop" at all. So, I went back and added more details with hot glue. Using hot glue, I drew on the additional designs. This for a more "welded" look. I then used black acrylic paint to dry brush and added depth. Finally, I went back over the hot glue with silver acrylic paint to highlight the details. I used this method on all the armor pieces including the clasp details and shoes.
At this time I also used this same method on the chest armor immediately after inserting grommets into the back of the armor. I felt like this closure would have been more accurate to the time period of the character, over that of a zipper. The collar of my armor was also glued into place at this time. It was a duller shade, so I used a matte grey as the base with black acrylic for the details. Once glued into place I used fabric to secure it. The back was left opened and I installed magnets into the back to keep it shut during wear.
Fabric portions:
Bodysuit:
I drafted the pattern for the body suit by drawing the design on knit fabric. Once on I cut the hips to the proper arch I desired. I rolled the fabric and applied a stretch zigzag stitch to all seams and edges for a clean and secure finish. Finally I hand sewed snaps to the crotch for my closure.
Cape:
My cape was drafted by draping. Once the desired fabric flow was achieved I pinned it in place and sewed it to lock it down. I applied bias to the top to allow it to tie under my armor. Lace was added with a combo of machine and hand sewing to avoid the stitching being too visible.
Sleeves:
For the sleeves I used white Kona cotton. I followed the same pattern I had drafted for my Tavern Moxxi sleeves. The added gold details were actually printed and designed by my good friend Ann, MsValentine. She used her Cricut to provide me the design in heat transfer vinyl. I then ironed the design onto the sleeve in the place desired. The chainmail on the sleeves was created using EVA foam which was hand cut and then glued onto the sleeve. This to allow for movement and flexibility.
Hood/leggings:
The hood was drafted and mirrored, pretty straight forward. Lace and beading was sewn onto the hood to add details. The leggings were made with left over stretch fabric from my Velvet costume. It was then sewn onto my pantyhose to allow for them to stay up all day!
That's about it! As always, if you have questions or need clarification please let me know. I will be happy to help or clarify!
Huge thank you to Indra Rojas who allowed me to have her God Save the Queen from her Beatrix cosplay. This piece is one I will keep long after this costume.
Steiner is one of my favorite Final Fantasy characters. I truly love him and the character development he goes through in Final Fantasy IX. FF9 is my favorite in the Final Fantasy series and when I saw this artwork by _SunsetDragon_ I was in love. It provided me a design for Steiner with new challenges as I'd never made anything with armor in this capacity. Their use of the female guard designs with Steiner's aesthetic is truly amazing.
Details Construction:
Armor:
With the chest armor, I began by making a pattern using shrink wrap and duck tape on my body. The cut of this armor does not have any breast cups, so I wanted to try and recreate the same shape. Marking the duck tape I cut it off to supply my pieces. I then used these pieces to transfer the pattern to EVA Foam.
With the remaining armor, hips, knees, shoes, and hat, I used newspaper to design the pattern. Then placed it onto the appropriate body parts to ensure it was the size and scale I wanted.
My belts were also made of EVA foam. They were then covered with faux leather and secured with grosgrain ribbon for a clean interior. The belt loops and buckles were also EVA foam painted and detailed. The belts were attached to the armor with Velcro.
All the armor pieces were heat sealed with my heat gun. I also applied Plasti Dip in a few layers for a smooth finish. Finally I used the Krylon Metallic paint for the silver base layer. I had two levels of detail on this costume. The first time I made it I painted details onto the armor with Acrylic paint. However, I felt these details did not "pop" at all. So, I went back and added more details with hot glue. Using hot glue, I drew on the additional designs. This for a more "welded" look. I then used black acrylic paint to dry brush and added depth. Finally, I went back over the hot glue with silver acrylic paint to highlight the details. I used this method on all the armor pieces including the clasp details and shoes.
At this time I also used this same method on the chest armor immediately after inserting grommets into the back of the armor. I felt like this closure would have been more accurate to the time period of the character, over that of a zipper. The collar of my armor was also glued into place at this time. It was a duller shade, so I used a matte grey as the base with black acrylic for the details. Once glued into place I used fabric to secure it. The back was left opened and I installed magnets into the back to keep it shut during wear.
Fabric portions:
Bodysuit:
I drafted the pattern for the body suit by drawing the design on knit fabric. Once on I cut the hips to the proper arch I desired. I rolled the fabric and applied a stretch zigzag stitch to all seams and edges for a clean and secure finish. Finally I hand sewed snaps to the crotch for my closure.
Cape:
My cape was drafted by draping. Once the desired fabric flow was achieved I pinned it in place and sewed it to lock it down. I applied bias to the top to allow it to tie under my armor. Lace was added with a combo of machine and hand sewing to avoid the stitching being too visible.
Sleeves:
For the sleeves I used white Kona cotton. I followed the same pattern I had drafted for my Tavern Moxxi sleeves. The added gold details were actually printed and designed by my good friend Ann, MsValentine. She used her Cricut to provide me the design in heat transfer vinyl. I then ironed the design onto the sleeve in the place desired. The chainmail on the sleeves was created using EVA foam which was hand cut and then glued onto the sleeve. This to allow for movement and flexibility.
Hood/leggings:
The hood was drafted and mirrored, pretty straight forward. Lace and beading was sewn onto the hood to add details. The leggings were made with left over stretch fabric from my Velvet costume. It was then sewn onto my pantyhose to allow for them to stay up all day!
That's about it! As always, if you have questions or need clarification please let me know. I will be happy to help or clarify!
Huge thank you to Indra Rojas who allowed me to have her God Save the Queen from her Beatrix cosplay. This piece is one I will keep long after this costume.