Looking to add some 3 dimensional effects to your cosplay? Wondering how I created looks like the quilted portions of Breath of the Wild Zelda’s Royal Dress? Check out this guide!
In this tutorial I will show you how I use Flexfoam to add structure and texture to cosplay projects. FlexFoam is a product that is marketed for crafters to use to add rigidity to quilted bags and similar projects. You can find in in the interfacing and quilting batting section of crafting stores.
For this tutorial I am quilting the skirt details of one of my Breath of the Wild Zelda cosplay costumes. The pattern for this dress is available as a print-at-home digital download sewing pattern in my store!
Prefer video over blog posts? You can watch my video of this process here:
Like good old fashioned text and picture tutorials? Keep reading!
Start by cutting out pieces of FlexFoam with craft scissors. Cut the foam to be the same size as the fabric pattern you want to fill minus any seam allowance.
Insert the cut out FlexFoam into your fabric. You’ll need to create a pocket out of your fabric and stuff the foam inside it.
Follow this by pinning or clipping the fabric closed around the FlexFoam.
Sew closed the fabric piece with the FlexFoam inside it. Here I’m using a basting stitch to close up the opening because this piece will eventually be attached to the hem of my costume’s skirt.
Next, you’ll need water soluble stabilizer and a water soluble marker. Use stabilizer that is translucent- It’ll be used as an overlay to help guide you as you quilt through your fabric.
Trace the design on the stabilizer with the marker. You could skip this step and freehand your project, but if you want a clean, even look for your finished costume, this step is important.
Pin or clip the stabilizer over your fabric. I like to use big wonder clips for this.
Following the design lines, sew through all layers. Using a walking foot will make this step easier. Take your time with this step!
Clip loose threads and remove the stabilizer after you have finished sewing on your design.
FlexFoam creates dramatic dimension, but you can also use quilting batting or scuba knit for more subtle 3D effects. I used FlexFoam on the tabard and hem of this cosplay, and scuba knit to quilt the blouse. FlexFoam also came in useful for creating shoulder padding here! Thanks for reading!
Post Update:
This post has been relocated in its original form to my new website hosting in January 2021. Previous comments on the post were not migrated.