Winter is Coming: Making a Khaleesi Inspired Winter Coat

Hello December!

In the way of happy news, I have officially finished making a Khaleesi inspired Winter Coat from season 6 of Game of Thrones. It is nice and warm and so very soft. My hands are also very raw at this point but it's finished...

It was made from three diffreent faux fur fabrics and a silky grey lining. I have included all of the details below if you are interested in making one of your own but for now let us just scroll through and look at some of the photos. mmm, so soft!

As mentioned above, this coat was made from a variety of faux fur. I used three different types, the first being a soft ivory printed fabric. The second faux fur had a chevron/burned pattern for the back center panel and the sleeves and I also used a 2" pile faux fur to detail the seams down the back, the bottom of the back center hem, and also around the peak of the shoulder blades.

I used foam for the shoulder blades and shoulder pads and a silvery grey lining that makes this coat just perfect in comfort and form. There was a lot of sewing involved though so just a heads up there. In the end I really liked the one I made but I would definitely take a look at some of the other coats that have recently been listed because those are absolutely phenomenal. Just incredible everyone!

The pattern I went with was Butterick B5401 and I just altered it a great deal. When looking for a pattern go with one that is a double breasted coat pattern. AND you're even better off if you can find one that has three panels for the front and three panels for the back. But even if you were to use a basic pattern with more straight lines, you can still alter it as needed for the purpose of your own Khaleesi coat. So, find yourself a pattern and the rest of the materials and I will lead you through the project!

Materials: 

Sewing pattern-a pattern for a double breasted coat will be fine. I went with the Butterick B5401 and altered it.

3.5 yards of a base faux fur in white or ivory

1.25 yards of a white/ ivory colored faux fur with a pattern to it such as the chevron fabric I used

1/2 yards of high pile faux fur in white

4.5 yards of lining fabric

4 large white hook and eyes (2 packs as they usually come 2 / pack)

2-3/4"-1" round buttons

1/2 yard of a non-elastic trim (something about 1/8"-1/4" width, rather slim and strong but not slippery like a satin trim)

2/3-1 yard of 1/4" thick foam-this is pretty narrow in width, you will need two pieces for large shoulder pieces. You should find this type of foam on the bolt in the interfacing section of your store. It's usually $2-3/ yard

1" shoulder pads

2 spools of cream colored thread (I used two spools, if you're lucky you might be able to get away with one large spool).

1 spool of grey thread-optional-used mostly for the lining but you can use it throughout

1 pack of polydye in the color gun metal

paint brush (I found that a 2" wide paint brush worked best).

gloves, protective eye wear, a bucket, a smaller cup, and a dash of salt & vinegar-basically all of the things it says you will need on the pack of dye. Follow those directions.

a sewing needle for the machine for extra heavy materials

a large sewing needle for the sewing you will be doing by hand

 a skein of grey/ chrome thick and thin yarn. This is a wool/ acrylic blend and varied in thickness and in color from an off white to a darker steel color.

You will also need a space to dye the coat. This project gets messy so you will want to find an appropriate work space (and make sure to cover any places safely as the dye stains bathroom areas easily. You don't want your light colored tub to be gun metal grey in the end. You might end up with an awesome coat, but that's not a necessary sacrifice for a forever stained grey tub).

*And finally, I am going to put a low impact tape on the list, like a masking tape. This is optional but I find it very useful so that you can cut and mark all of the panel pieces after you cut them. Bring a pen with you too :)

Note: The sewing machine I used is a tipmatic/ triptonic and it is really great for sewing heavier items such as this. If you have a general sewing machine and still want to make this coat I understand and I do think it is possible. You are most definitely going to want to switch to a heavier sewing needle and assume you will have quite a bit of hand sewing to do, but that is true regardless. I would say for good measure (and by that I mean in order to NOT break your sewing machine) just sew as far as you can on the machine and hand stitch areas the rest that is too difficult for the machine to sew.

Making the Coat: To start make sure that you cut all of your pattern pieces slightly wider as you will be warping the fabrics quite a bit and a little bigger is better. You will be bringing it down to size but it's better to have a smidge more than less to start out. If your coat pattern is a shorter version you will want to extend the fabric you cut so your coat will be longer as well.

You are also going to want to alter your pattern a bit. Make sure you cut your pieces for the front fold over area much higher than the pattern, and again, it is better to have it higher and cut away the excess later on. Mark each piece with the low impact tape after you cut them out so you don't get lost in a sea of faux fur all the same color. You may want to draw out and alter a copy pattern instead of chopping up or adding to a current pattern, whichever you think will be most helpful.

Here is a list of each of the pattern pieces you will need:

* Make sure when you cut these pieces for both the front and back side panels that you match up the pattern if you have selected a faux fur with any type of pattern to it. Do this both for the front panels and the back side panels throughout.

*When cutting the lining pieces make sure to cut them bigger by about 1.5" minimum to compensate later on for fitting.

*Mark each pattern piece with tape once cut. I find putting tape on the top of each piece helpful but it depends on the fabric and tape you plan to use. If your tape will leave any sticky residue you can add the tape to the back panels. Either way marking the fabric facing up panels for the lining is really helpful before you begin to sew.

(Front of the coat)

Front Right and Left Side Panels-Cut 1 out on the fold of the base faux fur selected, cut the same for the lining. (You will end up with a right and left side panel in faux fur and a right and left side panel for the lining).

Front Left and Right Center Panels-Cut 1 panel of faux fur out for the left side, flip the pattern piece over and cut 1 lining panel for the inside of the coat. For the right side of the front coat panel you will want 2 pieces of faux fur, one for the outside and another for the inside lining so you will want to lay a big piece of fabric out on a fold and cut 2 panels. (You will end up with a right and left center panel in faux fur and and left center panel for the lining).

(Back of the Coat)

Back Right and Left Side Panels-As you did with the front of the coat, you will also want 2 side panels for the back. Lay a panel of fabric out folded and lay the side panel pieces on top of the fabric and cut out two side panels. Cut out the 2 lining panels in the same manner. (You will end up with a right and left side panel in faux fur and a right and left side panel for the lining).

Back Center Panel-The center panel that runs down the back is a bit oddly shaped and will need a bit of attention to get it right on your part. I would use photos of the original as reference. Once you have determined the shape and length of this piece lay the fabric out folded and cut one panel out. Do the same for the lining. (You will end up with a center faux fur panel in faux fur and a panel for the lining).

(Additional pieces)

Sleeves- Lay out your fabric on a fold and cut out two sleeve panels. Do the same for the lining. (You will end up with a right and left sleeve panel in faux fur and a right and left sleeve panel for the lining-make sure to mark the right and left of both the outer and lining fabrics with the tape so you get the right sleeve on the right arm).

Pockets-You will cut out a set of pockets. I went with the base faux fur. I originally thought they would be too bulky but they fall just fine at the sides. (You will end up with four pocket pieces)

Collar- For the neckline you will need about a 2" high collar. Cut 2 rectangular pieces that are 2.5" in width and the measurement around your neck, assume about 14" with the seam allowance. (You will end up with two pattern pieces).

Shoulder Panels-The shoulder panels are difficult to determine until you have the rest of the coat made. I cut the fabric pieces for these ahead of time but then trimmed as needed later on. You will need three pieces for each shoulder piece-1 outer base faux fur piece that you see on the outside, one piece of foam in the same size, and then a half faux fur piece for the underside. Cut your shoulder blade panel out big and top stitch to the matching piece of foam. (You will end up with 2 outer faux fur pieces, 2 foam pieces and 2 half moon inside faux fur pieces).

Sewing the coat: Once you have cut and marked each piece you will want to sew long vertical lines to each base faux fur panel. Just start sewing big chunky zigzag stitches vertically. You will do this for all of the pieces in which you used the regular faux fur (the front sides and fold over panels + the bask side panels, all but the front underside fur panel for the left front and the pockets. Those don't need zigzag stitches.

The marked areas are where I added long vertical stitches

The pattern I selected consisted of two side panels and two overlapping front panels for the front of the coat. The front left is lined in the grey lining but the right side is lined in the faux fur used for the front outer pieces. Out of your base faux fur you will cut out a right and left side panel and then a fur panel for the front fold over panel on the left and then a top and an underside panel for the right front fold over piece.

Cut these pieces out, mark with the tape and sew long zigzag stitches to each piece. Then sew the right side panel to the front panel as instructed -there may be additional details in the directions such as a pleat around the bodice-follow those instructions. Sew the other side of the coat the same way. Alight the faux fur lining piece that will go on the right underside to the matching outer facing piece so they are fabrics facing in and sew around the edges vertically. Add a few stitches throughout to flatten this into a stiffer piece. Put it aside so you can work on the back of the coat.

The back center of the coat is going to need a long oddly shaped panel made out of the chevron/ designed fabric, and the side panels for the back will be the same fabric used for the front of the coat. It doesn't matter if your sewing pattern offers one, two or three panels for the back. I found it easiest to pull up a picture of the original and cut the pattern pieces for the back side panels first and then cut an independent center piece similar to what I saw online for the center chevron material.

The outlined area is the shape you want for the most part. Sorry my photoshop isn't the best but you get the idea? :/

*If your sewing pattern offers 1-2 panels for the back of the coat you may find it easiest to cut those pieces out of the faux fur used for the front and then cut out a center panel out of the chevron fabric (in the shape as shown in your original images-you are going to want those on hand for reference). Then you can pin and sew down the center panel to the base fur and cut away the underside. That is one way to do that and it's not a terrible way since you will then cut strips of the last faux fur selected and top stitch it to the seams around where the first fur and chevron fur meet. Just make sure that you add those long zigzag stitches to the back side panels of the base faux fur before you add the chevron center panel.

You should have two front panels for the right and left side and one back panel at this point.

If your pattern offered pocket pattern pieces cut those out of the base fur and sew the front and backs together. Mark with tape on the side of the coat where you would like your pockets to fall-the pattern usually offers a good location but if not then determine what is comfortable-you can alter slightly as needed later on. Mark the area on the right and left side of the front with tape and then put the back and front right side panel together and sew down the center seams for all but the slot opening for the pockets to fit. Do this to the other side as well and now your project just might start looking like it could someday be a coat! It's exciting isn't it?

Now you will want to add your pockets. Position these so the are in a good location for the coat. You can try this sleeveless coat on if needed and determine for sure where you want the pockets to fall. Place them with pins and sew them in on the underside. Once your sleeves have been added you may find you would like to close up those seams below where you have sewn the pockets-check to make sure, if needed add a small stitching to seal them up.

Once this is finished you will want to add your sleeves. Turn the pieces right side out and sew lengthwise down each outer sleeve. Do the same to the lining pieces. Align the outer faux fur sleeves correctly to the coat so the sleeve seam aligns to the lower side seam of the coat itself, pin and sew them in.

Now we're going to work on that cropped neckline. This piece will wrap around the upper neckline where it begins to dip inward near the center front as the front of the coat closes. If you do not have a pattern piece in your pattern you can easily make one. You will measure around the collar area once you have sewn the front and back panels together. Measure the length needed, cut two 2.5" width x about 17" or so for the length. Turn the pieces so the backside of the fabrics is facing outward and sew the short ends and one long side, flip it right side out. Align it so that the open end is tucked in and lined up with the back neckline and then sew it down around the collar.

The neckline is pretty small and falls about 2" in height. If you find it gaps at the back then you can pinch and add stitching to have it conform to the back neck more. 

You're still missing those beautiful peaked shoulders so now that everything else for the outer coat is finished you will want to try this on a sewing doll if you have one, or even just a large coat hanger-I find something like a mens suit hanger works ok, just something to offer a bit of structure while you pin the shoulder panels on.

Take this piece and lay it out so the outer fur panel is facing down (the foam will be on the top now) and cut out a half moon shape of faux fur-I say half the piece because you only need the fur to cover the underside before the top outer piece of the sleeve meets the underside of the blade. You will want to cut out the same pieces for the other shoulder blade as well. Then align the pieces so they are fabrics facing inward and sew around the edges so that when you turn the blade right side out it forms a nice rounded blade shape. Do the same with the other blade. Once you turn the blades right side out then you want to add strips of the 2" pile faux fur to the outer edges of the shoulder blades.

I realize that this is a big blade and you might not trust that we're going to bring this down to size but we are so don't worry so much. I want you to take one of your blades and position it so it's up by the shoulder of the coat and I want you to fold the edge of the blade under and align it with the outward seams near the upper back shoulder of the coat. You're going to want to stitch this in place by hand. Do the same with the other shoulder blade and if you can, carefully reinforce these areas with the sewing machine. Sew around the collar as well so the blades lye flat. You may or may not have success with this on the sewing machine, it is a bit thick with the folded foam. If you cannot sew it on the machine then reinforce the areas really well by hand.

In this photo you can see small x marks on either side of the arms. This is the point where you will sew the shoulder blade panel to the front side of the coat. This area is also where your 2" pile faux fur trim strips were sewn on. 

The blades at this point will be unstitched still and you will want to position these so they stand up a bit on their own. Align the blades so they are going to stand upright a bit but not too much-get it just right-and pin it and sew a variety of stitches as shown in the image below. You should find the cut marks you made to these areas originally will help fan out the blades so they stand up rather straight.

You will find the cuts will vary in length, longer closer toward the center of the neckline ans shorter cuts toward the shoulders but this way you can prop your blades up perfect. Tack the area down with a needle and thread and do the same with the other side in the same manner. If you are able, reinforce these areas on the machine as well, stitching downward with wide zigzag stitching so it blends in with the base fabric well.

At this point I took a look and decided to add a little bit more form to the bodice and hips so I pinched and stitched to tailor it a bit more. I reinforced these areas with the sewing machine.

Hand sew the shoulder blades so they cause the sleeves to peak outward about 1/2" or so.

Now you are going to want to prepare your dye and the area to work and mix up a dark colored batch of the dye. Add some to an additional container and add a bit of water to lighten it up and paint large streaks of the dye onto the coat. Brush the back as you like it and the sleeves. Allow it to dry, make any additional touch ups and then take the darker dye lot you originally prepared and make narrower, darker streaks throughout the base faux fur areas. Allow this to dry. Rinse it out and allow it to dry once more.

While you are waiting for it to fully dry once rinsed you can prepare the lining. The lining consists of the front and back side panels, the left front center panel, the back side and center panel and the sleeves. Sew all of these pieces together in the same manner as you did the coat itself.

It is time to add the chrome yarn for darker detail and I had hoped to add it on my machine but ended up adding it by hand at the end here (and yes, it took a really really long time but I was really happy with the results because it looked even throughout as opposed to some hand stitched and some on the machine). You are simply going to hand stitch the yarn down, mixing in, you just need a little detail really. Reinforce all of those stitches at least two more time for security.

Now you will add the lining. Pin the lining and the outer coat together fabrics facing so that they align at the back center neckline and pin outward from each side. Sew all the way around the edges once aligned and then turn your coat right side out and see how it hangs. Once you have determined the correct length for your coat you can turn it inside out once more and sew inward from the side seams, leaving about 12" or so of an opening. The bottom hem in the center back gets a little weird because you have used a different fabric and a weird cut, and you added all those vertical stitches, and you dyed it. So it's going to get a little weird so you want to determine the length with pins starting from the center hem outward, and then turn it inside out and sew from the outer seams inward. Turn the coat right side out, fold up the bottom hem and hand sew it closed. *Make sure when you go to hem the lower front hem you hold the inside front panel up accordingly or it will fall too low in relation to the front panel.

You are almost finished, just a tiny few more details. You are going to want to make small loops that fit well over the buttons you purchased and use those on the right inside hip. Find a good place for the loops at the side and the buttons on the fold over panel and hand sew them in. Next get those big white hook and eyes and both at the upper right and left shoulder you will want to add one at each side. The two others will be added on the left side, slightly lower so they hug the bodice well.

Grab that sewing needle and thread because you're going to want to make a small stitch on the inside cuff of each sleeve. This will keep the sleeves from pulling in when you go to remove the coat.

You are now officially finished! How's it look? Pretty good huh? Sure, it might have taken a bit of forever and you might still have some faux fur in your lungs but you might also have a marvelous coat and that's what this is all about!

I am off to list this coat on etsy. It is a womens size 10-12 and falls 44" from the shoulder downt he front to the bottom hem. It is of course ready to ship! I am considering making a few more but that will really depend on all of you and your interest. I might make a few more and I will offer it in Ivory, the Chrome colored version as shown with the colored yarn and dye detail, and also in a Jet Black as I can get the 2" pile faux fur in black as well. Alright well I think that wraps this post up. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Happy Crafting & Happy Holidays!

Lindsay :)

Making a Jon Snow Season 6 Inspired Costume Set

It's finally done and ready wear! 

Which is great because we all know that Halloween and Winter are coming ever so soon. 

This costume set was a lot of fun to put together. It took a few weeks to make and consists of a jet black jersey knit Riding Tunic, a studded black vinyl Battle Vest, a long black vinyl Belt and matching Body Straps, a Scabbard with a 41" plastic Sword, a black Cape with a (faux) wolf fur around the neckline and a matching pair of (faux) fur lined Gauntlets. Everything you need really but the pants and perhaps a pair of boots.

This photo shows the complete costume set here except for the Gauntlets. The Scabbard is adjustable at either hip or on the upper part of the back. The Cape has a drawstring neckline, a big hidden hood with a drawstring of its own and the (faux) wolf fur at the neckline. The fur around the neck is removable if you would like. There is also a (faux) wolf tooth that hangs from the fur.

This photo shows the riding tunic and the battle vest belted. I also have the sword pulled out from the scabbard. The plastic sword is 41" in total length and has a 3d printed wolf hilt. My sweetie printed it and he did a really great job! I cleaned it up a bit with a dremmel tool, painted it a few times to give it some really great coloring (including a bit of glow in the dark paint to the eyes) and then a bit of gloss before attaching it to the hilt of the sword. 

I ordered the plastic sword and cut the hilt off with a miter saw. I covered the hilt with the vinyl used to make the battle vest and a strip of  black leather twine 3 yards in length. The blade of the sword has been treated with glow in the dark paint. 

These photos show the front and back of the Riding Tunic. It was made longer with a slit down the front and back for easy riding/ fighting. The size is a mens xl and made out a soft black jersey knit fabric. The neckline is a crew styled neckline with a small opening at the back. 

I really really like the fabric I selected. I went over to the black knit fabric section and closed my eyes and selected the fabric based on softness. It turned out that it was the most expensive fabric per yard but it was..even after testing once more with eyes closed..the best. So, you win some and you spend some? Something like that... 

This is what the Battle Vest looks like before you have added the belt and body straps.

This photos shows the brackets that appear on the sides of the vest. 

Here is a photo of the riding tunic, the battle vest and the long Belt.

The Battle Vest is pretty long, falling about 4" shorter than the cape (cape falls 51" from the upper neckline). There are two sets of brackets on each shoulder and again at the sides so the front and back panels really hold well together but can be adjusted tighter or looser as needed.

This is the back the costume with the tunic, battle vest, belt and Body Straps. Under the arms of the tunic you will see adjustable parachute snaps and hidden velcro for size adjustment.

This shows the set with the sword in the scabbard.

I left the belt really long so you can cut it off after you have wrapped it up the way you like it.

You can adjust the body straps to fit. 

The Scabbard can be latched at either hip depending on if you are right or left handed or latched at the upper back (at the metal ring in the back of the body strap).

This photo shows the back view of the tunic, battle vest, belt, body straps and the scabbard without the sword.

This photo shows the tunic, the battle vest, the belt, the leather straps and the scabbard attached to the leather straps on the left side hip. You can also attach the scabbard to the belt if you find that more comfortable than the body straps.

This photo shows the riding tunic (arms tucked in so you can see a bit more the vest), the battle vest, the belt, the leather straps, the scabbard & sword, and the matching (faux) fur lined gauntlets resting at the shoulder. 

The Cape is a very full cape and you can wear it either hooked closed at the front center or left open. The neckline of the cape has a drawstring. In this photo the (faux) wolf fur has been unsnapped at the neckline but is still hooked to the cape towards the back. The (faux) fur panel falls backward so that you can see a bit of the costume. The cape also has a hidden hood with a drawstring. The underside of the fur piece has a mini pocket to hold the cape if you do not want to have it out and it slips up and out from under the fur so you can have the fur on and the hood up at the same time.

This photo shows the parachute snap that holds the front of the wolf fur together at the neckline. You can unsnap this and still have the fur around the neckline as it has hidden elastic and buttons towards the back. The front fur pieces come together and cover the parachute snaps. 

This photo shows the inside of the Gauntlets (the studs you see are actually the battle vest, not the gauntlets themselves). The gauntlets are laced with leather twine around the edges but the gloves were purchased in a size men's xl and are leather. 

The gauntlets are made of the black vinyl fabric used to make the battle vest. I purchased a pair of xl mens leather gloves and made the wrist guards (which are adjustable with hidden velcro). I then attached those to the gloves. If you decide you would like to wear the gloves without the wrist guards you can snip the binding that holds them together (you will find extra binding materials in the small notions/ repair kit I am including with the set to reattach again).

This photo shows the (faux) wolf tooth that hangs off the fur panel. I made that out of polymer clay. 

The hilt of the sword was 3d printed, you can find details @ https://www.thingiverse.com/ 

Not only is it really full but it has a hidden hood that tucks into a little pocket when you don;t want it, or can be used while the wolf fur is on the neckline. The neckline has a latch so it will hold closed comfortably but it also  has a drawstring. The hood has a drawstring as well. The fur at the neckline has a parachute snap to hold it closed but it also has hidden elastic and buttons to hold the fur on. This allows for the fur to balance comfortably around your neck  but it can also be removed if you don't want to wear it and the cape still looks great. The inside of the cape has a hook at the side to attach the gauntlets when not in use, or even to attach your keys when you're not using them.

Below I have included the materials list and instructions if you're feeling daring enough to make your own costume set. I have broken it down by costume piece. Happy Crafting!

Costume Set Instructions:

Riding Tunic: 1.5 yards black fabric, black thread.

I just picked out an oversized t-shirt and used it as a pattern for this but if you feel more comfortable picking up a pattern follow the instructions that come with. The only differences I made to my t-shirt pattern is that I made the sleeves longer so the tunic would be long sleeved and I made the bottom potion longer with a vertical seam running about 8" up the center front and back to compensate for riding and fighting.

Once you have all of the pieces cut then you will turn the front and back panels inward towards each other and sew the shoulder blades and the sides. To finish up the base of the tunic you will want to turn in and sew the edges all the way around the bottom hem. Align the sleeve seams and sew, and then sew t he sleeves to the tunic. Finish the sleeves by folding over and sewing the ends of the sleeves.

Next I cut out a long folded over strip of fabric for the crew neck. This piece will be about 1/2" longer than the length around the neckline of your tunic x 3.5" in width. Fold the crew neck piece in half-fabrics facing inward-and sew the short ends. Trim the ends. Turn the piece right side out and align and pin the crew neck piece around the neckline, and sew them together.

Battle Vest: 3 yards of black vinyl fabric, 2.5 yards of lining fabric, 150-200 grommets, spray fabric glue, fabric glue (non spray kind-the squeeze kind), 3 yards of foam, 8 brackets (check the pack you buy-sometimes they come 2 to a pack), black thread, paper, pen/ pencil, masking tape. sewing needle.

*If you are also planning on making a belt from the same fabric then you will want to cut off a long strip from the bottom of this piece of fabric before you cut the panels for the vest. Cut a long strip off that is the width of the belt buckle selected.

For the vest I  started by making the pattern pieces out of paper and then I cut out the vinyl pieces once I was sure I got the right sizing and cut. Assume at least 1" seam allowance. I sewed the vinyl leg panels to the upper front on the slant in order to make one big panel. I did the same to the back pieces in the same way. Then I sewed the lining front and back the same way as I did the vinyl pieces *except that on one side seam between a leg and the breast panel I left a small opening about 4-5" in length. Make sure the seam opening is at least 3" inward from the center.

Next I added cut vinyl leather strips to the back vinyl panel. You want a total of eight of these small strips and they will be about 4" in length and narrow enough to fit through the brackets you have purchased (mine were slightly narrower than 1/2"). You will want to take a strip and slip it through the center of the bracket. Mark where you plan to sew your straps on the tunic with masking tape. Fold the piece with the bracket in half and sew down the vinyl strip twice for security to the front area of the tunic. Do this for the rest of the brackets. You will sew two bracket/ strap pieces to each shoulder and then two to each side panel.

On the front vinyl panel you will sew longer vinyl strips that will, once sewn on, fit into the brackets attached to the back panels. You will want a total of eight of these strips as well. They will be the same width as the back bracket strips you up and about 5-7" in length. You can always shorten them once you have tested them so a little longer is always better. You will want to hold the back panel up to the front and mark where you want your vinyl strips to be sewn with masking tape. Sew the strips down at the ends to the vinyl panel twice as you did for the back vinyl panel.

I added the grommets in the correct pattern to both the front and back vinyl panels. You will find it useful to make your grommet areas with small bits of masking tape. It might not have been necessary but just for good measure I added fabric glue to the back of each grommet and allowed the pieces to dry fully.

Then I cut out a TON of foam pieces to fit. I left about 3/4-1" around the side seams to help with sewing later on. I glued them down really well and allowed them to dry for another 24 hours. Check a little while after you have added the foam pieces to make sure you added enough glue. If not, add a little bit more at this point and allow to dry fully.

Now you are going to sew the vinyl and lining for the front panel together. Align the front pieces fabrics facing inward (make sure your brackets are tucked in) and sew all the way around the edges. Use the small opening in the upper slant to turn the piece right side out. Do the same to the back vinyl and lining piece.

Now you are either finished with your battle vest or you need to do one more step. I went with a medium weight fabric for the lining and it had a bit of a stretch to it. I found that it pulled the bottom legs up just a tiny bit so I took the piece outside and placed them on a board with plastic on top. I put gloves on, grabbed my spray glue and cut a hole in a corner of the garbage bag. Then I slipped my spray glue in and down the legs and sprayed the inside so that they would not pull at all. I wasn't sure it would work but it worked just fine. Spray inside anywhere you would like the be flatter and then allow the pieces to dry for a few hours. When fully dry sew the small opening closed with a sewing needle and a piece of black thread and you will be officially finished.

Belt: *You will want a strip of fabric a bit longer than your waist size and the width that will fit well into your belt buckle. Make sure to measure with the riding tunic and battle vest on. Take a belt buckle and sew one end of the belt to the center bar on the buckle. Mark with masking tape where you would like your holes to be and hammer or snip little holes. Tie up the belt as you like it and snip the end.

Body Straps: 1 yard black vinyl. You can use the same material used for the battle vest. I went with a heavier vinyl fabric for this portion, the same material used for the belt
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You need two strips of vinyl. I cut mine slightly wider around the bodice and shoulder areas. The ends on the other hand need to be narrow enough to slip through the parachute straps and the metal ring. The pieces start at the center back attached to a metal ring and extend across the bodice and down around the arms and meet either under the arms or a little lower down by the hips depending on what you find comfortable.

Sew the ends  ends toward the back to the metal ring. Then wrap them around in front-holding with masking tape works-and then the ends that fall around the hips need to have one side (The right side!) to each end.

Then you will want two more vinyl strips cut. These will extend from the lower half of the metal ring down by the sides and attach to the parachute snaps already sewn in. Sew the ends of the upper back area to the ring and attach the  correct parachute snap pieces to the ends.

Cut velcro pieces that are a few inches long and glue the velcro to the backside of the vinyl strips that extend from the lower metal ring. This way you can adjust the straps as you like them under the arm/ lower sides as you like them.

Scabbard: 1/4 yard vinyl fabric, 6 yards of black leather twine, 2 sets of Parachute snaps.

I laid the vinyl out flat and laid the sword on top. I left 2" seam allowance and cut out a narrow sleeve. I sewed it together fabrics facing in and then I turned it right side out. I added a few studs to the front and glued them Once dry I made small snips and laced the scabbard up the sides with the leather twine. I sewed w few small vinyl strips to the back and added the parachute snaps. This way you can adjust the scabbard as you like it, on the upper back or at either hip depending on if you are right or left handed.

Sword: I purchased a 41" sword.

I cut the hilt off it and my boyfriend was a sweetie and printed me a 3d wolf hilt. You can find the details @ www.Thingiverse.com. I cleaned it up a bit with a dremmel tool and then I sanded it with a coarse piece of sand paper. I painted it a few times with a white and gold paint, added a little glow in the dark paint to the eyes, and then attached the hilt to the sword. Depending on the sword and finished wolf hilt, you may need to hollow out the center and adding structure to the inside of the hilt. I put this together and tested it and it broke so I did it once more, this time it's as strong as can be so make sure to test it out.

I used a lot of gorrilla glue-the super glue kind, a few thin strips of black vinyl, 3 or so yards of leather twine, and a dowel possibly inside to keep the sword and hilt attached. I added a plastic piece that fit over the sword handle and the hilt and added a lot of glue. A LOT of glue. Let it dry fully. Make sure you allow for proper ventilation when gluing these pieces together. I also added some glow in the dark paint to the blade of the sword. It should show up in the dark but I would test it out by leaving it outside in the sun for a bit a few nights before Halloween. I am adding the rest of the glow in the dark glue with the 'extras pack' in case you want to add more.

Cape: 6.5-7 yards of fabric for the base cape, drawstring for neckline of the cape and for the hood., 1.5 yards of faux fur wolf fabric, 3 yards of fur trim, black fabric for the lining of the wolf fur panel, hook and eyes, sewing needle, thread, 4 buttons, 4-1/8" wide (very slim) x 8" black elastic, 2-1/2" wide x 1.5-2" long elastic set of parachute snaps, and a hook to attach your gauntlets to the inside of the cape, leather twine.

This cape is really great. I made it long so it falls 51" from the center front down to the bottom hem. The sides have faux wolf fur running down the front. It is made from a diamond design on it and the neckline has a drawstring. It also has hook and eyes to close at the center front. It has a hidden hood, nice and big and can be worn with the faux wolf fur or without. The hood has its own drawstring. The faux wolf fur at the neckline is attached at the center front with parachute snaps on the underside. It is also attached via elastic and buttons that latch from the underside of the neckline of the cape to buttons on the underside of the fur piece. The wolf fur has a polymer faux wolf fur hanging off the end with a piece of leather twine. The inside seam on the left side of the cape also has a hook so you can attach the gauntlets when not being worn, or your keys.

Follow the directions that come with your cape pattern. Sew the vertical side seams down. Attach and sew the hook for the gauntlets (*optional). For the faux fur strips that run vertically down the front I found I could sew them onto the cape with my machine but had to hand sew to seal the seams. It depends on how tough your machine is and how thick the fur strips are. Mine had bias tape added and it was still to heavy to run through the machine.

You will want to make the cape and add the drawstring inside. Next make the hood with the drawstring added. Then add the hood to the cape. Sew the hook and eyes to the center front opening of the cape. Add at least one set for closure, more if desired.

Lay your wolf fur fabric out and cut out a big piece that looks like an animal laying flat. Lay out the black lining fabric and cut out a piece the same shape and size only slightly smaller around 1/2" so the edges of the fur piece curl under just a tiny bit. Pin the fur and lining pieces together-fabrics facing in-and sew around the edges leaving only a few inches of an opening so you can slip the piece right side out.

Turn the piece right side out and add buttons to the bottom side of the fur piece. Add the slim elastic strips to the inside of the collar of the cape.

This is a good time to test it out so determine where is best for placement of the parachute snaps. You will want to take the wide elastic pieces and the parachute snap. Slip one piece of the elastic through the right end of the snap and hand sew it to the underside of the fur panel so it lays flat and is hidden from view. Sew the snap into place, making sure you sew both the lining and the fur piece so the fur piece won;t slide later on. DO the same with the other side. Test this area by trying it on. It should lay flat without being able to see the snap at all. Looks good? Sweet, now you're done! At this point I found I needed to tuck and sew the lining up just a tiny bit more so it wasn't visible.

Gauntlets:
mens leather gloves, velcro, fabric glue, thread, black vinyl, 1/8" wide slim elastic, leather twine.

I purchased a pair of mens black leather gloves in a size xl. I then made wrist guards out of the black vinyl I used for the battle tunic. I cut two pieces of vinyl out for each wrist. Before you sew the front and back of each wrist cuff together you will want to add vinyl strips to the inside of the wrist area on each. Mark the areas where you want your strips sewn with masking tape and then sewing the strips down. You will want to sew the pieces -fabric facing- around the edges, leaving a few inches of an opening so you can turn the piece right side out. Do the same with the other wrist cuff. Then make very small cuts around the edge that will be up toward your elbow and lace the edges with leather twine. Do the same with the other wrist piece.

Glue the extra faux fur left over to the inside of the wrist cuffs with fabric glue, making sure to allow the pieces to dry for 24 hrs. This glue takes a while to glue so depending on how much you use, you may need a solid 48 hrs for it to turn clear.

Make a small incision near the wrist of the gloves and the wrist cuffs and attached the glove to the cuff with a piece of 1/8" wide elastic. Tie together once more with leather twine.

To finish these gauntlets you will want to glue velcro strips to the wrist cuff area to each so the vinyl strips wrap around and hold closed to hold the cuffs closed around the wrist.

You are now completely finished with your Jon Snow Season 6 inspired costume set!

Happy Halloween! I am off to list this costume set on etsy. I only have one but I may find someone that still needs a costume. The size of the costume is a men's large-x-large.

This set can ship out as early as this coming Monday morning and is boxed in two boxes, one with the majority of the costume (sword, scabbard, body straps, belt, gauntlets, riding tunic, battle vest) and then the cape which is in a separate box. This set ships USPS Priority in the US. Any questions let me know! The best way to reach me is usually via etsy.

Lindsay :)