Completed For: Animagic 2001
Worn At: Animagic 2001, A-kon 2002
Awards Won: Novice Craftsmanship at Animagic 2001, Hall Costuming Judges'sAward at A-kon 2002

Why I Chose This Costume:
This was it, sports fans, my first attempt at a "cute" costume.Well, for myself as a non-seven year old, anway. What attracted me tothis costume was that it was an opportunity to do a flouncy, cutesy costumethat was not Sakura. For some reason, I am not the most believable fourth grader  :)   This costume is Hand Maid May, from the animeseries of the same title. May, a Cyberdoll from the Cyberdyne Corporation,is a robot that has been programmed to perform maid duties (and to flashher panties a lot.) Her ability to do these duties is severly hamperedby her 8" height. While the series does fall into a rather routineplot of a bevy of beautiful women chasing an engineering student (happensall the time, I know), May's sincerity and her struggle to overcome her perceived shortcomings (hey, I made a punny!) made her instantly likable.And she's short. Just like me.

How I Made This Costume:
My first concern with the construction of this costume (other than where to find the appropriate shade of pink) was to create the proper May silouette. This wasaccomplished by two things. One, a victorian corset (comfy, let me tell you, especially after 10 straight hours). The second element was a ruffled petticoat. I was under the sadly mistaken impression that it would be quick and easy to make. To accomplish the appropriate level of "fluffy," I used 20 yards of voile (a thin, gauzy cotton fabric) and cut it into four-inch strips. I now had 220 yards of fabric, which was then starched so it could be sewn with ease. Each strip was then roll-hemmed on both sides and then ruffled (and ruffled and ruffled and ruffled). Pretty easy putting three weeks of work into a single sentence! The top row of each row consisted of roughly 3 yards of fabric, the bottom row about 80 yards. I am *so* not going to make another one of these again, ever.

The rest of the costume is rather straightforward. The skirt is a circle skirt, with increased diameter to allow for the eight box pleats. The bottom edge is piped with a small finishing ruffle. The bodice was drafted using an 1880's bodice pattern, cut into about 60 bajillion pieces to allow for the shoulder yoke, the black detailing, the tux shirt, zipper facings, the fake collar, etc. The sleeves are cartwheel sleeves with eyelet lace cuffs. The plug is foam core board, with painted barbeque skewers for the prongs.

My Thoughts on This Costume:
Well. It definately was a flouncycostume. And then some. Because of the sheer amount of layers worn (Let's see: Camisole, undies, hose, spankies, garter belt, stockings, corset, petticoat, plug, dress, apron...) Well, it was a mite confining.  It was actually a good thing I decided prior to take itsey bitesy cute steps, because frankly, that was all I was capable of. Every step was accompanied, of course, with the whack of the plug into the back of my legs. Other than a complete lack of mobility and a rather extended dressing time, the costume was a lot of fun. All the other cosplay costumes I have attempted have been a little more known or popular costumes to do.