Friday, October 28, 2016

DIY Harry Potter: Fleur Delacour Costume (FREE Collar/Cuff Patterns)


Okay, all you Harry Potter obsessed (including me). I'm writing this while wearing my Ravenclaw shirt and a lightning bolt necklace (thank you www.deliciousreads.com). Halloween is coming up (or your next Harry Potter Party). My friend is even going to a Harry Potter wedding soon. Don't we live in a lovely nerdy world! For our ten year anniversary of Delicious Reads, we decided to go all out and read all seven Harry Potter books and then have a huge weekend filled with book discussions, crafts, quizzes, an ultimate horcrux hunt and, of course, costumes! Since I was in charge of book #4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I decided it would be perfect to be Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic (see my post on our activities, decor, and food ideas for your next Harry Potter Party).


Well, it's lucky I know how to sew because I couldn't find a suitable costume anywhere and the few I found online were like $600 or more. Just the hat alone was close to $100. Well, being the frugal gal that I am, I decided I could do it on my own. I researched ideas, watched way too many videos on youtube, learned all about millinery (the art of making hats), and then visited my local fabric store and used clothing store. Below are my instruction for the dress and capelet. You can find my tutorial on the shoes here and the hat here.


Here's what you need to make your dress and capelet:

The Dress:
1.) Pattern: Simplicity 8050 - 1940s Vintage (Any empire waist, flared skirt dress will do, but I liked this one because it had a collar and was long-sleeved.)
2.) Cape Pattern: I modified a McCalls 4139 pattern. I would suggest just draping fabric over your shoulders and cutting it if you don't already have a pattern.
3.) FREE Collar and Sleeve Cuff Patterns (see below)
4.) 4 yds of 60" or 4.5 of 45" Blue Silky Fabric - the color of mine was called "cornflower blue". You don't have to use real silk and I honestly hate working with it. My fabric was a polyester blend that was a little thicker.
5.) For collar and cuffs: 1/2 yd of a textured blue fabric darker than dress (I found one with a marble-like effect in flannel)
6.) For collar and cuffs: 1/2 yd of plain blue fabric slightly darker than texture fabric
7.) Blue Thread (I used Coats 4250)
8.) 10 1/2" Buttons (mine were a light blue diamond-like one)
9.) 14" invisible zipper

I found a butterfly clip that reminded me of the butterflies that flew out of the Beauxbaton's hands when they arrived at Hogwarts.

How to Make the Fleur Delacour Beauxbatons Dress and Capelet:

Step 1: Cut out dress fabric. Though I did use the Simplicity 8050 - 1940s Vintage Dress Pattern, unless you are an experienced seamstress you might want to try an easier pattern. I ended up adjusting the front a bit because I couldn't get the lines to match up. I still think it turned out lovely and I would use the pattern again, but I'd probably get rid of the part in front where it darts to a point.
Simplicity Pattern 8050

Step 2: Sew the dress using the instructions that came with your pattern, with two exceptions. The first difference is that instead of using piece 7, substitute for my piece 7 below. Print each image below on 8.5 x 11" paper. Cut out the pattern below and use as described in pattern.

Just for fun, I added blue tinged crystal buttons to the front of the dress.

Step 3: Print the dress sleeve cuff pattern below and cut out using the instructions on the piece. Sew together coordinating pieces (there will be two complete cuffs per side, one in darker blue and one is marble blue.) Make sure to leave an opening on the side to turn the cuff right side out. Attach to sleeve edge as picture shows, making sure one of the cuffs is set slightly off from the other.

Wear you sew the cuffs to your dress, make sure to stagger the two different fabrics like I did here.
 

Step 4: Cut out and sew cape or caplet pattern. I modified this Cape Pattern: McCalls 4139 pattern



 Sew together the darker pieces of blue fabric you cut from piece #7 in Step 2 from above (Fleur Delacour Collar #1), making sure to leave an opening at the bottom (about 5 inches wide) to turn the collar right side out. Then cut out Fleur Delaour Collar #2 below (print on 8.5x11"):
by Author Robin King
Sew together collar #2, making sure to leave an opening at the bottom to turn the collar right side out. Iron collar #1 and #2 (don't worry about sewing the openings closed). Pin collars to the finished capelet so that the edge of collar #2 folds under the cape.






Add a hook and eyelet to close it and voila! You're done.

Sew a hook and eyelet to keep the cape closed.




TOTAL COSTUME COST: $36 Dress ($20 fabric, $10 pattern, $2 thread, $2 zipper, $2 buttons), $45 Hat ($30 hatshaper, $10 hood, $4 dye). $10 Shoes ($6 Used shoes, $2 blue paint, .50 leather fabric, $1.50 laces/cording) = $90





Make sure to wear a pair of black pantyhose with your dress. I hope you enjoy making your costume and geeking out with everything Harry Potter!






XoXo,

Robin

26 comments:

  1. I loved this so much I am trying to make it now but I am stuck where you had some trouble- where the bodice front darts to a point. How did you alter your bodice to "erase the dart"?

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    1. If I remember correctly, I did cut the pattern how it was instructed, but when I went to sew it, I ended up cutting straight across when I started to sew it. If you look closely at my dress, it is just a straight seam at the waist. Does that make sense?

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    2. Yes! Thanks! That's what I did too...dress is finished..now on to the cape! I'll send pictures when the whole cosplay is done! Love your blog!

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  2. Thank you for this post! My roommate and I used your blog to help us create our cosplay! It isn't identical but you were a BIG help! And the hatshaper company got us the shaper so quickly!! Thanks so much! I'd love to send a picture if you were curious.

    -Dakota.

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    Replies
    1. Yes! I would love to see it (I might even add it to this post too). Send it to authorrobinking@gmail.com

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  3. Replies
    1. TOTAL COSTUME COST: $36 Dress ($20 fabric, $10 pattern, $2 thread, $2 zipper, $2 buttons), $45 Hat ($30 hatshaper, $10 hood, $4 dye). $10 Shoes ($6 Used shoes, $2 blue paint, .50 leather fabric, $1.50 laces/cording) = $90

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  4. We are an online store which provide hand-made cosplay costume of high quality.

    After reading the articles on your website, we find it very interesting.

    We are now providing small gifts of Harry Potter like magic wand, scarf or tie. In return , we want a blog with our links in

    If you are interested in our gifts, please feel free to contact us: info@cosplaysky.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank for this diy. This helped a lot for making my own Fleur Delacour Cosplay. I took some advice from you and it helped a lot.
    You can see some pictures of it via my Facebook page Essie's Cosplay .

    Thank again

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  6. Wow! This looks so good!!! How long did it take you to sew the dress?

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    1. The dress took about 4 hours, but I did it over several days because of interruptions. I'd say the entire costume, including the cape and shoes and hat took around 20 hours.

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  7. Hello. I’m going to the Harry Potter convention in August (dallas texas) and I want to make this costume. May I ask what fabric you used? Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Hey Kat, I came here for the same reason! Maybe if we do both end up making costumes, we will see each other there! :)

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    2. Sorry. I just saw this. I actually just found the cheapest blue fabric at Joann Fabric. In the movie, the used silk, but I've never loved sewing with silk. I can't remember the actual fabric type I bought, but it was thicker than silk or satin, but had a sateen finish. Sorry, if that isn't much help. I have to admit that I held the fabric up in the store and made sure it would "swoosh" like it did in the movie ;)

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  8. This is beautiful! Might want to make one, but it will take a while (as I am buzzy with my quidditch costume) unfortunately I am from Belgium so the hat won’t Be for me... (as I am not willing to spend $30 on a plastic form) overall, LOVE , ADORE your work! Amazing! Can’t Wait to start mine <3

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    Replies
    1. I am in Aus and Hat Shaper was going to be over $45 for me. Instead I knitted and felted one myself. Happy to share pattern if you like.

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    2. I'm at lost with the hat after many try, can you share the pattern ? I would be so so grateful !

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    3. This is what I did for my hat: http://byrobinking.blogspot.com/2016/10/diy-harry-potter-beauxbatons-fleur.html?m=1

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  9. Thank you for your post. Made a simpler dress for my 12 yo, added sleeves from a tunic pattern, used a cape from a Star Wars pattern, and your collar and cuff pieces. I also knitted a hat and felted it using a pattern I found on Ravelry. Will be trying it out at Supanova Melbourne next weekend. My son is trying out his Newt Scamander Cosplay of an overcoat and vest with his own Picket and suitcase. Just need to do the buttons on the coat to finish.

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    1. Awesome! I'd love to see the finished product! Feel free to email me. I want to do a follow up post and include some of those people that used my pattern.

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  10. Thank you for this post. Did you use any interfacing for the dress bodice?

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    1. I didn't use any on the dress fabric because it was thicker than the silk they used in the movie. If you have a thin fabric, I would recommend using interfacing.

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  11. HI Robin - Wondering what the seam allowance is on the collar and cuffs? Mine seem pretty small. Not sure if I'm printing them at the correct size. Might you have a pdf or a length measurement for each? Thanks so much for the pattern!

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    1. I did a 3/8” seam, but you could do it a larger or smaller depending on the size of you’re costume. I mostly went by how it looked.

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  12. Thank you so much. I used the collar pattern and reduced it a bit to make the capelet for my granddaughter. We were able to purchase a dress, so I only had to make the cape. Your pattern helped so much.

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