Made back in 2008...I'm still not sure how I managed to crank this thing out so fast! It's very heavy and cumbersome to wear and even though the boots are death, It's still one of my favorites!
Costume specs:
18 yards of cream 200 thread count combed cotton sateen
15 yards of fleece back satin
15 yards black lining material
35 yards goldish colored ribbon
3 yards gold heavy decorator fabric
one hat (covered)
one parosal (Covered and appliqued)
3 1/2 yards gold faux silk
46 buttons to cover
12 hook and eyes
24 yards steele boning
19 yards canvas
17 yards white organdy
10 yards white crinoline
7 spools of coats and clark thread
one pair of boots (laces replaced)

With every cosplay I do, I try to ground it in historical sewing. This ourfit is actualy based on a victorian riding habit. With that in mind I researched victorian corsets, bustles, and clothing.
From the ground up the dress has three steel boned bustle structures. On mantua maker bustle and two side pocket hoops. Then a crinoline petticoat design specifically for the purpose of filling in the gap between he two bustles. I made a gibson wasp waisted corset for structure and shaping. I took a basic blouse pattern and added ruffles to the long sleeves as well as the neck. The skirt was based on the butterick gone with the wind pattern and then altered or length, drape, and shape in the front. All the ruffles where self lined and I machine stitched the yards of ribbon around the botton. I gathered the cream fabric as tight as it would go, so the ruffles would look as full as they could! The jacket was based on a victorian riding habit jacket, and the sleeves were basically made from scratch. The collar was from a vogue coat pattern. The hat was done by buying a hat base from party land, covering it in my fabric and E6000ing the ties and drapes to it. The drapes are just strips of my 118" wide cream sateen, cut to shape. The over, visable bustle, was done my draping the fabric on my dress dummy and understructuring. All of my ties/ ribbons on the dress were made from a faux silk that is lined with it's self and then tied using a bowdabra as a guide. The umbrella was originally a black parasol I bought at a local costume shop. I covered it with my fabric and the sat for a week hand appliqueing it. I stitched on the ruffles and then covered the underneath part of the umbrella.