Solas Aka Fen'Harel DAV

by ThermoAZ in Craft > Costumes & Cosplay

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Solas Aka Fen'Harel DAV

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Solas aka The Dreadwolf aka Fen'Harel has always been a character of interest for me. When Dragon Age Veilguard released his new costume design I knew that I HAD to make it. This is my first attempt. I did learn some lessons and I plan to redo this entire costume using ethically source deer skin and recycled leather. For now, have a look at a less expensive option for creating the Dreadwolf!

Supplies

  1. Sewing Machine
  2. Leather and Jean Needles
  3. Microtex Needles
  4. Polyester thread (gold, black and navy)
  5. Tailor's Chalk and/or Tailor's Pencil
  6. Yard stick
  7. Measuring Tape
  8. Recycled Fabric and/or Muslin for pattern drafting
  9. Character reference images (I used the art book)
  10. Fabric Clips
  11. Fabric Pins
  12. Fabric Adhesive
  13. Leather Adhesive
  14. Fabric Markers (brown, copper and black)
  15. 2 mm craft foam (any color)
  16. 5 yards of Upholstery Vinyl in Navy Blue (acquired from SAS Fabrics)
  17. Gold Leather Paint (I used Angelus)
  18. 5-8 yards of gold piping (acquired from SAS Fabrics)
  19. Gold Leaf Metal Filigree Styled Embellishments
  20. Original seller stopped making them but here is their competitor with equally great quality:
  21. Leaf Embellishments
  22. 3 yards of Rigid Gold Vinyl (acquired from SAS Fabrics)
  23. Grommet Snaps
  24. Grommeter
  25. Hole Puncher (for leather)
  26. Grommets
  27. Lacing (I used some spare ribbon)
  28. Leather Shears
  29. Fabric Scissors
  30. Scissor Sharpener (important as leather adjacent materials dull scissors)
  31. Belt (upcycled)
  32. Belt #2 with pouch (used one I had for Ren Faire but you can use this tutorial to make one: https://www.instructables.com/Leather-Pouch-Tutorial-Intro-to-Basic-Leather-Work/)
  33. Elf Ears (I am allergic to latex so I purchased polypropylene ears from https://www.aradanicostumes.com/)
  34. Adhesive for ears (I used Pros-Aide)
  35. 5-8 Yards of Gold Vinyl Bias Tape (I used a narrow, single fold)
  36. Teflon Sewing Foot (it's the ONLY way to keep the vinyl moving)
  37. 2.5 yards of mock Chainmail Fabric (acquired from SAS Fabrics)
  38. 1 yard of Waistband Elastic (3 inches wide on mine)
  39. Fingerless gloves (I used an existing pair but I recommend upcycling OR using this glove tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dcilRgoD58 )
  40. Hand Needled for leather (there will be some hand stitching involved)
  41. Garments for patterning (pair of pants, button up shirt and/or long jacket)...or you can buy patterns
  42. Glue Gun (hi temp)
  43. Hot Glue (gorilla glue)

Pattern Drafting

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Pattern drafting = every costumer's nightmare.

Ok, that is a little melodramatic. Pattern drafting can be relatively simple. Let's start with the easy way to draft...

EASY MODE DRAFTING

  1. So you don't actually draft here. Use one one of these patterns...or not...find your own if you want.
  2. Jacket Option 1
  3. Jacket Option 2
  4. Bolero (just remove the hood)
  5. Armor (chest)
  6. Pants


MID MODE DRAFTING

  1. Grab a comfortable pair of pants
  2. Flip them inside out (you want to see the seams)
  3. Lay your pants down on your fabric (preferably mockup fabric if you have any...or you can be overly confident like me and just draw onto the fashion fabric)
  4. Trace around the garment as closely as possible
  5. Remove the pants then add 2 inches of seam allowance to the pattern you have drawn
  6. Cut out two sides
  7. Pin the sides and sew down (y'know, so all your private bits will be covered with the garment)
  8. Attach a waistband (elastic preferred but it is up to you)
  9. Add zipper (or don't, some folks like to wiggle into their pants)
  10. Then try them on!

Mid mode does require a fair bit of tailoring as you are not getting any darting or other details a pattern would otherwise offer. You can repeat this with a shirt, a vest, a pair of underwear...ok, we're not going down the lewd road here. Keep your mind on track.


DIFFCULT MODE DRAFTING

  1. Take your measurements. You will need...
  2. Neck Circumference
  3. Arm Length
  4. Bicep Circumference
  5. Fore arm circumference
  6. Torso Length
  7. Wrist Circumference
  8. Chest Circumference
  9. Waist Circumference
  10. Hip Circumference
  11. Leg Inseam Length
  12. Leg Outseam Length
  13. Shoulder Circumference
  14. Length from belly button to lower genital area (this is to ensure your pants fit right and you don't have fabric riding up in areas that are sensitive...ahem)
  15. Hand Trace out (for gloves, if you want to make them)
  16. Calf Circumference
  17. Thigh Circumference
  18. Here is an easy guide: MEASURING YOURSELF
  19. Once you have all of your measurements grab some muslin or an old sheet or fabric similar to what you will be using and begin drawing out the shapes you are interested in using.
  20. For the jacket I started with my chest/waist/hip and drew a silhouette of my shape.
  21. Next I drew a silhouette of my arms (make sure you round the top of the sleeve so you can rotate your shoulder)
  22. Finally, I began drawing the jacket skirt (flare it out a bit) then I remove the cut out section and did a test fit.
  23. After the test fit (using fabric clips to keep things together), I used tailor's chalk to define where I need concave/convex shapes and/or darts then I modified the pattern and test fit again
  24. This process repeats as many times as needed for a perfect fit
  25. NOTE: I highly recommend checking out "Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Sewing" if you want to master drafting patterns for cosplay and/or daily life.
  26. Once you have a mockup drafted you will want to trace it onto your fashion fabric. Be sure to add AT LEAST a half inch of seam allowance. It is much easier to take fabric in than to add fabric (aka a gusset).

Congratulations! You understand the three modes of pattern drafting! Guess I should start showing work now...

Jacket of the Dreadwolf

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For the jacket, I started off with an old button up shirt to ensure I had the concave shapes I needed at the waist. I drew the shapes I saw onto a piece of muslin (using measurements I collected during the drafting phase) and clipped the sections together so I could slowly adjust the shape until it fit me comfortably.

Once I had a mockup, I used a sleeve pattern I made by removing the sleeves from a damaged, button up, polyester shirt and tested the arm hole I created to ensure the space was going to allow me at least a moderate range of motion (range of motion is often affected when using leather and/or vinyl).

When I was certain that all patterns were drafted appropriately, I set them atop my fashion fabric and cut out two sides of the jacket (the pattern was just a front/back with a side seams only) and 2 sleeves. I then cut out lining using the same vinyl for the interior of the jacket skirt flaps (I wanted to colors to be identical so while this added significant weight, it made the fabric texture/appearance consistent - I recommend lining with spandex or cotton blends if you want to keep the jacket lighter). I recommend using a tight, zigzag stitch on the inside seams.

I made sure to fold down the seams and top stitch, this adds stability to the vinyl AND it ensured the sides lay flat against your hips (no puffy hips). On the edges of the jacket, I sewed single fold gold vinyl bias. I used a heavy weight microtex needle with my Teflon sewing foot and some metallic, gold thread. I used a zigzag stitch here as well since this stitch allows some flexibility and I needed that with how rigid the fabric was. I sewed the sleeves on with a straight stitch first then a backup overlock stitch on the edges.

Since this is vinyl I knew I would need to stretch the fabric to make it easy for me to bend my elbows. I placed a bent mannequin arm into the sleeve and let it set for days to stretch it. You can expedite this by slowly heating the fabric with a heat gun then placing the garment on your body and bending your elbows for several minutes to train the fabric to flex. NOTE: If you use a soft leather OR stretch vinyl this step is not necessary.

Next, I added gold detailing using some painter's tape and Angelus Leather paint. The leather paint does set in about an hour BUT it is not fully cured for 24 hours so be mindful how much you move the garment until the paint is cured.

Finally, I used a sew on grommet bias to create a lace up front and I custom drafted a collar that would could be folded or propped up. NOTE: I have some sensory issues around my face so I prefer collars that fold down but vinyl holds up well when propped up so make it your own!

UPDATE: Later on I replaced some of the grommets as my weight changed (woohoo) which resulted in my needing a tighter fit.

Vest of the Dreadwolf

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Yes, this was another one where I custom drafted the pattern. I have a bolero so I looked at it's construction and recreated the design on my fashion fabric using tailor's chalk. DON'T DO THIS! I should have used muslin and I was VERY lucky that my measurements were accurate. I made a mistake so you don't have to. Fashion fabric is expensive and this was literally the LAST roll of this vinyl at SAS Fabrics so I was walking along a knife's edge with this decision.

Once I had the vest mocked up I sewed the side seams, added some gold bias to the top layer then I sewed the second strip of vinyl on (since Solas has a layered vest effect) and added gold bias to the second edge as well. Whew, why was that sentence SOOO long?!

When I was certain the gold bias flexed correctly (I tried it on a couple times with a thick sweater on to emulate the jacket) I moved on to adding the gold leaf embellishments. First, I sewed them on with thick, gold, polyester thread then I used some Krazy glue to secure it better (since I was worried they could break). This worked very well and when one of the filigree DID snap it stayed in place thanks to the glue.

With the metal embellishments sewn on I moved to painting the details. You could use gold piping for this as well. I just did not want to weaken the fabric with further stitching so I used more of the Angelus Leather paint to add the gold stripes on the vest.

Next I moved onto creating the petals that would form the shoulder armor. I used 2mm foam and folded it over the dress form shoulder so I could determine how much I needed to curve the top. I drew a flower petal shape and tested it on the dress form. With the pattern complete, I traced it onto the fashion fabric 4 times to create a vinyl pocket for the foam pieces. Foam inside vinyl behaves like interfacing on standard fabric and ensures the curved shape was maintained. There are also 2 pieces of rigid, gold vinyl sewn atop the pocket for more detailing. Bringing it all together I: sewed piping onto the edges, flipped the fabric about so the fashion side showed, stuffed in the foam then I sealed the top edge with a large zigzag stitch. I used clips to place the armor and hand stitched the pauldrons into place using gold, polyester thread and a hand leather needle.

Chest Armor

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The armor was relatively simple. I used my chest/waist circumferences and cut them in half then drew patterns (using a blue tailor's chalk) onto very rigid, gold vinyl. This vinyl is so rigid that, when folded, it maintains the crease. Since Fen'Harel has a crest on his armor this made life simple. I sewed the 3 layers together using a zigzag stitch then I began to add 2mm foam inside using a Hi Temp hot glue gun and Gorrilla Glue sticks. The foam was stretched to help the vinyl hold a more convex shape when worn. I clipped another, shorter piece of gold inside the chest armor then sewed the edges together. Next, I added grommet snaps to the jacket and the armor so I could easily add/remove the armor on my own. NOTE: I can dress in this outfit completely on my own which was a very important goal of mine.

Fen'Harel has a sort of loin cloth thing beneath his armor. Rather than making a belt to hold that, I decided to sew the triangular loin cloth/genital guard...whatever it is, onto the chest armor. I traced the bottom of the armor onto fabric and made each piece about 3" wide. I added gold piping to the edges and lined the back with more vinyl just in case it ever flipped up (if you don't want to line fabric I HIGHLY recommend painting the inside so you don't have starkly contrasting colors should the wind betray you).

That's it...pretty simple and VERY lightweight.

NOTE: Later on I added grommet snaps to the vest as well so the armor snapped at 6 points.

Pants...Yep, Pants

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Wow...already on step 5. Ok, let's get going...

This is fairly straight forward...

  1. I traced the outline from a new pair of jeans onto my fabric
  2. I created a 4 inch wide, 33" long waistband on my fabric
  3. I cut out a 33" long piece of waistband elastic
  4. I sewed the side seams and inner leg seams for the pants, after clipping them together with fabric clips, using a wide zigzag stitch
  5. I sewed a channel using the waistband fabric and inserted the elastic into it (keep your minds out of the gutter, I see you...)
  6. I attached the waist band to the pants

I had pants in about 30 minutes. The fabric I used was 4 way stretch so it allowed me to make the pattern smaller since it would stretch to fit me where needed (aka the booty).

Weathering

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The last step for creating this outfit was weathering the armor and clothing. I used fabric markers in black, copper and brown to achieve this. I stippled onto the armor then would wipe away excess with a dry paper towel. I repeated this process on the shoulders and in some section of the vest/jacket so the garments looked aged but remained elegantly refined.

You can watch the method I used here: SOLAS WEATHERING TECHNIQUE or you can read about weathering costumes/props here: Punished Props.

Accessories

I owned most of the accessories but here is where you can acquire them if you don't want to make them:

  1. NickCreatz - Belt and Pouch
  2. LesDebutantes - Gloves
  3. Solas's Lyrium Dagger

If you would like to make these items I recommend the following patterns:

  1. https://www.instructables.com/Leather-Pouch-Tutorial-Intro-to-Basic-Leather-Work/
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dcilRgoD58 (gloves)
  3. Lyrium Dagger Print Files (3d printing would be easiest)

For the ears: please do your research. I can make silicone ears and molds but I opted to support Aradani Studios with their new latex free ears. They worked wonders but it is easy enough to make elf ears using Foam Clay and/or Felt these days so don't be afraid to experiment within your budget and time constraints.

Final Look

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I am pleased with how this came out. I spent around 3 months intermittently working on it. There were a lot of firsts for me here (most were pattern based) but everything evolved into a version of Solas I saw myself as.

This leads me to remind you that you DO NOT have to be COMPLETELY accurate to the character. If you have sensory issues, disabilities and/or preferences that limit how you wear and/or create garments then do not be afraid to modify. Try to stick to the colors of the costume, the general theme, the general atmosphere and find things about the character that stands out to you as INHERENTLY that being. People will recognize you so enjoy the costume how you see fit.

Happy crafting!

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