status: Sketched out.

worn: Who knows when?

how it will be made: Note how the original costume on the previous page has a lot of problems with it. Many of them are due to not sketching out exactly how I was going to make it, which I have now done. The thumbnails above link to larger versions.

I'll use the same Simplicity pattern (forgot the number, but the picture on the pattern has it in red with frogs closing it in front) that I used to make the first version. If you go to the cape plan I did, notice the seam placement. This particular Simplicity pattern has a high collar and seams in the exact same place as Meryl's cape, so that makes it perfect. I'll do much the same thing -- sew up the opening in front, leaving enough of the seam open at the neck to get my head through and close it with a hook-and-eye, covered by the black bow. Originally, to get around the problem of seams in the shirtfront part, I cut out two each of those pieces of the pattern, sewed them together inside out, then pulled the while shebang rightside out and topstitched around the edge. This made it nice and stiff and had no visible hems. It worked very well. The shirtfront shape I cut by messing about with those pieces of the cape patter. It was too long originally -- it should just touch her waist at its lowest points -- so I'll have to mess around a bit more with that.

For the gun holsters on the original cape, I cut out and sewed a vinyl capelet that went from my shoulders to just above my elbows and sewed that to the inside. I then cut out long strips of vinyl and sewed them to the capelet at the top and tacked them down to the cape at the bottom and the sides. This wasn't enough. They needed to be backed with something much stiffer to prevent rippling. I also didn't line the cape, due to time constraints. For the new, improved version, I plan on lining the cape with black and sewing the holster strips to it all the way around. If I can back them with canvas or something stiff, all the better. Meryl has guns on holsters all the way around her cape, but I opted to just put two strips on either side, because I wished to be able to sit down while wearing the thing.

The suit is simple. Straight skirt with elastic in the waistband, which should be set in a little bit higher than the natural waistline to fake longer legs and anime proportions. For the first version, since I was going to have the cape on and it covered the shirt, I just made a simple undecorated tunic. The new version will have a long-sleeved shirt with a Nehru or a band collar, probably Velcroed or snapped down the front, with piping sewn on to imitate Meryl's fastenings.