What is Muslin?

Phase 1 of costume design has begun. I have had ample amounts of tutorials online, especially on Cosplay.com and of course on Youtube, I mostly found myself going "I'm f*cked!". I've never been one for drawing or sewing, or any of the cool crafts, and now I was going to have to learn to make scale mail (which takes forever!) and carve insulation foam. The quitter in me wants to run and hide, but I know that once this is done it's going to be something amazing to have, so I stay the course!

I followed some suggestions I got from my tutorials and talking to some experienced cosplayers. I went last night with the Terrimonster and got a sketch book to help me map out my phases (so that I don't become overwhelmed with trying to do it all at the same time). I decided my first phase is going to be making the "dress" portion of my costume (I'm using quotations because it's more like a slip). I decided the best way to go about it is to make an asymmetrical slip dress with an empire waist line and one sleeve. The top of the dress will be a black bra with a red skirt hanging from it and a black sleeve attached to the left strap. Covering the sleeve and the cups of my bra will be the scale mail. And the hem of the skirt will eventually be weathered and "burnt".

I began purchasing the materials to get started. I don't know what scales will look best (or be easiest to work with) so I ordered from RingLord.com small and large scales, and a bag of rings to connect the scales. Also while I was at Joann's with the Terrimonster last night I purchased muslin. I thought I was going to get the fabric to make my costume, turns out you don't just buy the expensive stuff and just chop away at it... No you buy this bleak looking fabric called muslin and make a rough draft of it. And then once you screw that up a billion times and finally get the look you want, you use the muslin as pattern.

When I got home last night I started sketching the design of my "dress" and something hit me like a tone of bricks. I don't know how to draw at all! I think my six year old son could do better. But I understand it and it will be a good "go to" when I start piecing everything together. I'm hoping to start pinning the skirt to the bra this weekend and start to get my feel for what I'm doing.

Oh and on a final note, dress forms are damn expensive!