Favorite part of the costuming process

Making a costume is a process. It involves several phases, from coming up with the idea to the finished thing. My favorite parts of this process are actually the early parts. The planning, when you set out to research what you need to do in order to make the costume. Now this can be a very frustrating thing. Historical costuming is easier, but for cosplay projects when you want something to look exactly like something else, then it can be annoying.

When you have gathered your supplies, then it's time to start making the costume. The first cutting out of the fabric is usually daunting, after that there's no turning back, especially if you have started working in something that's expensive and you won't have a second chance if you mess something up.

My Lady Poe is right now at my favorite stage of making a costume.

The main pieces are cut out, but they are not all sewn together, the skirts and sleeves are just draped on to the dressform. Still you can see that it's starting to look like a gown, and it is possible to imagine what the end result will look like. What I like with this stage is that it's so early in the process, I haven't made any big mistakes yet. If you don't count having to redo one of the skirt seams because I sewed it wrong side out and had to redo it, but that's not a mistake that will affect the end result.

Since nothing is totally sewn together there are also no problems with the fit, and my dressform is much more symmetrical than me and doesn't need to move, so everything just hangs the way I want it to.

I also haven't had to skimp on details yet, neither because I'm out of time nor material. I'm still not stressed about if I will be able to finish the gown or not, or not fulfill my expectations of it.

Will it end up as the gown I see in my head right now? Probably not, but at this moment I can just sit and look at it and imagine it.