Walpurgisnacht

Description

This has basically been my dream cosplay since 2011, I never thought I'd be able to actually do it. But, in planning my cosplays for ACEN 2019 (which I usually do right after ACEN 2018 lmao), I seriously looked at the costume and examined each piece individually. Once I looked at it, I came to realize that it actually wasn't as difficult as it had seemed.
It was very busy for me around this time, and I didn't actually get to devote as much time as I'd like tot the costume, so there are definitely some things I'd change or re-do. But overall, I'm very pleased with the result.

WIG: Hana in white from AnimeStuffStore. This part was really open to my choice, so I deliberated for awhile. A lot of other Walpurgisnacht cosplays use longer hair, which looks amazing, but I didn't want to lose the bare shoulders of the corset. I also went with a wavy wig to keep a sense of elegance.

HEADPIECE: I made paper cones out of a thick type of poster paper, and made a fabric cover to go over it. I bought a church veil online, and sewed that & the cones to a white headband. I bought a veil with a scallop edge to reference the sharper scalloped lace, and just because i think it looks very regal. I sewed a simple rectangle veil out of chiffon, and then attached it to the cones w/ golden keychain rings.

CORSET: I used M7764 for the base. I altered the shape of the bottom, and the sleeves. I used a basic Medieval sleeve pattern from LauraMarshDesigns on Etsy, and lengthened it. Then, I attached all trims by hand (I didn't plan ahead XD). I don't particularly care for the basic white ruffle on the top & bottom of the corset, but I didn't want to bring in another contrasting lace texture and confuse the design. I also needed to make sure it could stand up & not flop over. The white sleeve ruffle is just gathered white fabric. This is the part I really wish I'd had more time to spend on. I hate that you can see the raw edge of the ruffle on the inside of the sleeve. There is a white lining, but It was the wrong length, and I didn't have enough time to recut & reattach it. With more time, I'd correct the white lining to hide the edge & probably add more ruffles/layers to the inside for dramatic effect.
The front decorations are gold cord with a decorative button in the middle to hide the raw edges. I bought 2 large red resin gems from CindersAndGlitters on Etsy, and hot glued them directly on the fabric. I lined them with the rest of the gold cord from the front.

UNDERSKIRT: It's a basic white paneled skirt (M6097, and theres a large notch cut from the bottom of the front to make room for the gears), with 4" gathered trim layered all the way around the skirt. I did a very basic white ruffle for most of it, and a more lacy trim over every 4th row. I bought the trim from Laceking on Etsy. It took 45 yds of the main trim, and about 10 yds of the lacy trim. This part was quite tedious and took up a large chunk of the time I spent. I briefly considered only sewing the trim layers on the front part of the skirt, since most won't be seen. However, i think it would've definitely looked uneven underneath the overskirt, and this way it also doubles as a petticoat for the hoop skirt.

OVERSKIRT: This was also from M7764. It's a pretty basic overskirt, with trim added. I used B6113 for the upper tier. I attached a contrasting lace trim. I LOVE this scallop lace, and I wanted something especially elegant and beautiful, since it would be seen very clearly. I also brought it into the cones & the overskirt opening.

GEARS: I made a cage-style hoop skirt, then attached the gears to the front of it. The gears are a series of small cardboard rectangles, hot glued together into shape, then covered with craft foam, gesso, glue, & spray paint. The "inner" rectangles are long on top, so I was able to fold them down and glue them shut over the hoop.

Photos