Jaime and Cersei Lannister | Game of Thrones

This project, quite fittingly, was a sibling collaboration. We set to work making the costumes together and updating as their characters developed on the television show. My brother wanted to give cosplay a try and he decided on Jaime Lannister, so naturally, I went for Cersei. Every joke you can think of we heard on convention floors, but we didn't mind -"let them laugh, they're so small I cannot even hear them" in the words of Cersei. And honestly, that is part of the fun of costuming right?

Jaime

Jaime's jacket was my first "real garment" sewing project. My sewing before had been haphazard and horribly shoddy. But for this, I knew I had to actually learn what all the bits-and-bobs on my machine were. I also drafted the pattern by hand, half by draping and half by actually drafting, a skill which I would use over and over again in future costumes. We used a heavyweight canvas instead of leather because it was much more economical and still gave a really good effect. It is lined with ribbed pleather and finished with red leather strapping for ties.  A non-accurate change we made was to secure the collar of the jack with a brass clasp much like the ones used in Tywin's costumes. It doesn't appear in the show, but we thought it was a nice compromise that still borrowed from the aesthetic and the story the costumes told, and solved the problem of the floppy collar.

His armor is made of worbla, and was a great way to learn to sculpt and make detailing really pop. we used the same leather strapping to secure the armor which made the whole costume nice and cohesive. The armor, jacket, and cloak were all distressed with a combination of acrylic paints, SFX dirt and various colours of shoe polish. One of my favourite things about this costume is how lived in it looks.

The most challenging aspect of Jaime's costume was the golden hand. We made a mold of my brother's hand, I sculpted and molded the design and the slush-cast a hollow polyurethane hand which he could wear like a glove. Still one of the coolest thing I have made, and a real crowd pleaser.

Photos by Murasaki Cosplay Photography.

Cersei

I have made two gowns for Cersei, and the improvement between the two is marked, nearly a year passed between making these garments, so I learned a lot.

Her red collared gown was my first experience sewing from a pattern - I used the McCalls pattern -  and it was a challenge to read and put together, and in hindsight the fit was terrible. If I made this again, I would probably make an entire support structure for the bodice because what the pattern recommends just doesn't cut the mustard in my opinion. But nevertheless, I love the gown and love how much it taught me. I made it from a really nice burgundy brocade silk that I purchased online, a gamble that paid off.  I made her necklace from worbla, and super sculpy, and surprisingly, get asked about this piece a shocking number of times.

Photos by Paula Kreba

For Cersie's season 4 mourning gown, I worked from the same pattern, but I learned a great deal in the year since I made her red gown, so it is HEAVILY modified. I moved seams, added fullness to the skirt, changed the collar and sleeve setting. It was a labor of love.  The gown is made of a black silk brocade which photographs like dream (no weird flashback). The crowning achievement of the mourning gown, however, was the stump embroidery on each shoulder. it took 120 hours of embroidery and beading, but the result is something I am still extremely proud of. I wish I had had more time because I would have embellished the gown even more, but alas I was in full con-crunch mode.

Photo by Marthonee Photography

I added her signature Lannister belt to my costume even though she does not wear it with this gown in the show because I loved the symbolism of the belt - wearing her family name like armor. For this mourning gown, I also commissioned the very talented artist Print my Props to make her necklace, to complete the look.

Photos by Paula Kreba

These two costumes really taught me the importance of costumes to storytelling, and how much a skilled designer can say with just a seam placement (no joke). To be honest, I became so consumed with the "language" of costuming in Game of Thrones that I could read a scene before I even watched the show - not so good for spoilers, but a fun party trick. Even though I haven't finished watching the show, I would love to tackle another costume from the series just to learn more not only about construction and sewing but about the philosophy of costume design.

Resources

The embroidery wizard for the show Michelle Carragher has an excellent blog and how to section.

The McCalls pattern I used 

My wig is from Wig is Fashion

Photos by Mursaki Cosplay Photography.