Written by Kelly from www.ilovexena.com
Current as of 24 June 2012.
NOTES:
This Xena: Warrior Princess corset dress pattern is free for anyone to download.
This was constructed by a Xena fan for other Xena fans to enjoy! No copyright infringement is
intended; nor should this document ever be reproduced by anyone and sold for profit. I apologise
for the instruction drawings, I only have MS paint on my computer but if you have any problems
please email me.
If you are successful in making a dress please send any progress or photos finished photos to
[email protected]
I would love to see your final product!
Battle on!
Table of Contents
Materials Required ................................................................................................................................. 1
Measurements required for the bodice ................................................................................................. 2
Measurements for the cups .................................................................................................................... 4
How to make the bodice pattern ............................................................................................................ 6
How to make the bra cup pattern .......................................................................................................... 8
How to make the strap pattern ............................................................................................................ 10
How to make the skirt petals and flaps ................................................................................................ 12
How to trace the bodice pattern .......................................................................................................... 13
How to trace the bra cup pattern ......................................................................................................... 15
How to trace the strap pattern ............................................................................................................. 15
How to trace the skirt petals and flaps ................................................................................................. 16
How to sew the bodice together .......................................................................................................... 16
Joining the skirt petals and joining them to the skirt flap piece ........................................................... 23
Adding the edging ................................................................................................................................. 25
Attaching the modesty panel ................................................................................................................ 26
Attaching the Skirt to the Bodice .......................................................................................................... 26
Attaching the eyelets ............................................................................................................................ 26
Attaching the straps .............................................................................................................................. 28
Congratulations! ................................................................................................................................... 31
Materials Required
To make the “Warrior Princess” dress you will need the following items:
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2 meters ( yards) of leather or faux leather
2 meters ( yards) of cotton drill fabric or whatever you wish for the lining material (note:
choosing a thin fabric such as cotton will make the dress a lot easier to sew and put less
pressure on your machine and needles)
1 – 2 spools of brown thread (sew-all or upholstery variety, thread that is thicker than
normal)
Size 14-16 leatherworking/ jean needle for your sewing machine
Same as above in embroidery needles for parts which you hand sew
Spray Adhesive in a can (this will stick the lining to the back of the leather material so you
don’t itch when you wear it, also saves a lot of time not having to sew it to every piece).
4x “D” or “O” shape rings (antique brass colour is preferred. If you cannot find them in this
colour you can also buy a different colour and paint them this colour).*
1 packet of eyelets (around 30 are needed. antique brass gold preferred but again can be
painted to colour) *
1 Packet of antique brass gold rivets (around 150 are needed). *
A long brown shoe lace or cord (around 120cm)
Hammer
Scissors
Pencil and eraser
Measuring Tape
Chalk
Large poster piece of cardboard or piece of paper to trace the pattern onto
Protractor
A pair of bra underwires in your size (you can salvage these from an old bra or buy them
from a fabric store)
Note: Items marked with an * can also be purchased together in a hardware kit available from
www.toddscostumes.com
Written by Kelly from www.ilovexena.com
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Measurements required for the bodice
You will need to take and note down the following measurements of yourself (all in inches):
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Bust (also ensure you are wearing a comfortable bra while doing this to give the best fit)
Waist
Hips
Centre of in between your bust to desired pant line
Underarm to waist
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To help with making the bodice you will need to do some small calculations with your measurements
first. To figure which calculation goes where on the pattern, you will associate the following
calculations below with the letter next to it on the left hand side. All answers are automatically in
inches so you do not need to convert these any further. Spaces have been provided to write the
answers.
A = (Bust / 2) / 2.6 = _________ inches
B = (Bust / 2) / 9 = _________ inches
@ = (A + B) /10 =________ inches
C = Centre of in between your bust to desired pant line = __________ inches
D = Underarm to waist =________ inches
E = Centre of in between your bust to desired pant line = __________ inches
F = B + @ = ________ inches
G = A - @ = ________ inches
H = D / 2 = ________ inches
I = D + @ = ________ inches
J = H =_______ inches
$ = Desired gap at the back / 2 =________ inches (note: recommended desired gap is 4 inches or
smaller)
K = D – ( H+ $) =________ inches
L = K =________ inches
M = I= ________ inches
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Measurements for the cups
You need two measurements to make the cups for the dress:
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A quarter of the underwire circumference
A quarter of the breast circumference. (If the sizes of your breasts are different then take a
separate measurement for each and label them right and left.
To get the quarter underwire circumference:
Grab a ruler and measure the distance between the two sides of the underwire.
Multiply this number by pi (3.14) to get the circumference, then divide in four to get the quartercircumference.
Eg: For example, my wire diameter is 16cm.
Circumference=16 x 3.14 =50.24
Quarter-circumference= 50.24 / 4=12.56cm
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To get the quarter breast circumference of the breast
You then need to get the circumference of your breast by holding the underwire against your chest and going
across the breast at the fullest point.
You then need to again multiply this by pi (3.14) and divide by 4 to get the quarter circumference.
Eg: Circumference = 27cm x 3.14 = 84.78
Quarter Circumference= 84.78 / 4 = 21.195cm
Written by Kelly from www.ilovexena.com
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How to make the bodice pattern
The basic bodice pattern for the “Warrior Princess Dress” looks like this:
As you can see it is made of 4 pieces labelled R1, R2, R3 and R4 (R stands for right – including a
modesty panel at the back is optional).
As the bodice is a mirrored image, to make the left side pieces of the bodice pattern you just need to
flip and trace the corresponding right hand piece. (E.g = R1 flipped and traced = L1).
In total there are 8 pieces as seen below for the bodice (9 if you choose to make include a modesty
panel):
It is a good idea when plotting the measurements down to do draw it all as one piece and then cut
them into their separate pieces afterward.
Here are the patterns for each piece (R1-R4 and modesty panel if desired). The letters correspond
with each of the measurements you took earlier in section 2.
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To make L1 – L4 (and other modesty panel) simply cut out each of the pieces from R1-R4 (and
modesty panel) and trace them onto cardboard or paper (whatever you are choosing to use) and
then flip them over to create the mirror image pattern for your left side. You can then label these L1L4 (and modesty panel).
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How to make the bra cup pattern
To make the longer sides of the triangle you need to first divide the quarter breast circumference by
4.
Eg:
Then on your paper you need to start by drawing two lines the length of the new breast
circumference measurement at right angles to one another.
You then need to grab your protractor and draw another line with the same measurement at 10
degrees inward to where the last line finished. Repeat this so there are 4 lines on each side.
To make the bottom line of the cup you draw the line in the same method as above (drawing the
first the adding 10 degrees, the draw the second) only this time you divide the quarter underwire
circumference by 4 and use that measurement instead (sorry my third line is a bit long looking but
the lines should all be the same length).
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You should now end up with a basic looking triangle that has curved sides. This will help create the
hemisphere shape of the cup.
You then need to trace and cut 4 of these curved triangles out to make one bra cup. Stick two of the
cut out triangles side by side and cut off the top 2/3 following the curve of the lower edge. This will
make the top of the bra cup pattern.
The two remaining triangles shall then be placed underneath the cut piece to ensure that the ends
of the new cut piece line up with the ends of the triangles.
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If you have two different cup sizes make sure to repeat all the steps above for each cup and write
down which cup is which.
How to make the strap pattern
You may need a friend to help you do this or you can follow the line if your bra strap as a guide.
You need to place the measurement tape over your shoulder to where you wish for the strap to end
and lay it flat across the front of your chest where you wish for the strap to start. Write down this
measurement in inches.
You then need to measure how wide you would like the strap to be and write down this
measurement in inches. Usually around 1.5” is good but can be more if desired.
You then need to draw a rectangle shape using these two measurements. If you wish for the bra
strap to have a more angled shaped the you need to mark the half-way point down the length and
add .25” to each side to made the shape wider at this point as shown below.
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How to make the skirt petals and flaps
How to make skirt petals
The skirt petals should each be shaped like a “U”.
They can be as big or as small as you like to cater for your costume. As a rule of thumb, the petals I
make are cm across and cm down.
To make the pattern for the petal you draw the desired width line across. You then find the middle
of the width line and draw the depth line down from this which creates a “T”.
All you then need to do is draw one wide curved line on each side joining the bottom with the top.
Now you have your petal pattern.
How to make the skirt flaps.
The skirt flaps are wider than the petals. They also vary in length. In order to make the best fit
possible we are going to trace all of the skirt flaps to the same shape. NOTE: The skirt flaps are not to
be cut out individually; they are traced side by side and cut out as one whole piece.
When it comes to stitching the flaps to the corset, you can then decide how they best sit to your
body and make the size adjustments from there.
The width of the flap should be 2x the width measurement you chose for the petal. The depth of the
flap is decided by how long or short you wish them to be (a few inches above the knee is
recommended but it is up to you what you are most comfortable with).
The best way to find them out is to see where your measurement “E” from section 1 finishes at your
pant line and measure down from that.
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You then repeat the same as before with the skirt petals, joining the top of the “T” shape to the
bottom with curved lines.
How to trace the bodice pattern
To prepare the fabric to be sewn you need to first spray the back of the leather/pleather material
with the spray adhesive and then lay the lining fabric on top. Let this then sit for a minute or so that
fabrics have a chance to stick to one another.
Once this is done you need to then grab your chalk and begin tracing each of the pieces. For the
bodice you will need to first trace the piece then add 1.5” to both the left and right sides to create a
seam allowance as shown below.
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On pieces R1 and L1 you will also need to trace where the cups shall be sewn in by placing the
underwire where desired on the top of each piece. Ideally you will want the cups to be 10 cm apart,
unless you have a longer chest. You can check what distance would suit you best by measuring the
centre joining band of your bra.
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How to trace the bra cup pattern
To trace the bra cup pattern you will need to place your pieces together as shown below and add 1”
to each of the sides to again create a seam allowance.
How to trace the strap pattern
To trace the strap pattern you need to place it on the material and then add 1” to each of the sides
create a seam allowance as shown below.
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How to trace the skirt petals and flaps
You can directly trace the skirt petals onto the fabric as no seam allowance is needed. The average
dress needs 150 petals (give or take depending on the size and 12 flaps –WARNING: this is probably
the most time consuming part of the dress but the detail is worth it in the end I promise!)
Once you have traced the required amount of skirt flaps, you then need to add a 3cm allowance to
the top of each flap. This ensures that when you cut out the skirt flaps the tops are still joined
together.
How to sew the cups together.
Sewing the cups together can be a little tricky. You may need to have a few copies of the shapes
handy if this is your first time sewing.
First you need to grab the two triangles and place them face together so that the lining is showing
outward on both sides.
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You then need to sew a line across where the allowance starts on one side only.
When you open the cup it should look something like this:
You then need to lay the cup face down again and sew the edges of the inside allowance sides flat.
When you flip this over you should see it has created a nice sewing line on the outside.
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You now need to attach the top piece to the bottom piece. This will require you to sew on a curve so
you may want to hand stitch this then go over it with a machine.
Following the same method for joining the two triangles together, you need to have the bottom of
the long piece’s allowance meeting with the side allowances of the triangle. You then need to sew
along the inside allowance line. This line should then make the cup start to curve and take shape.
You then need to sew along the outer edge of the allowance edges to create like before to create
the nice “sewn” look. You should end up with something like this:
Repeat the same process for the other cup.
How to sew the bodice together
You will need to sew the bodice together from the centre pieces outward. However before this you
first need to sew the cups into place.
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Be warned: sewing the cups into place can be a little bit tricky and may take a couple of attempts. (It
took me 3 attempts the first time! So don’t worry!)
To do this you need to get piece R1 as well as one of the cut out bra cups (choose the right side bra
cup if you made different ones).
Flip the two triangles of the cut out bra so that the lining is facing upward. You then need to sew
along the inside line of the centre seam.
Once this is completed you need to sew the left hand excess from the centre down, followed by the
right hand side. If you flip the bra cup over you can see that it creates a nice stitch effect on the
outside of the fabric and will also help reinforce the cup.
You then need to sew the top piece of the bra pattern to the two triangles. You do this following the
same steps as the triangles, sew along the seam and then sew and the left and right sides down.
You should end up with something looking like this.
You then need to grab and flip R1 over so that the lining is on the top and place the bra cup inside.
Make sure that the seam allowance runs past the cut area on the bodice.
This is the tricky bit! You then need to pinch the edge of the cup edge of the bodice and pin the
seam allowance from the cup to the bodice. You then need to sew as close as possible following the
curve of where these two pieces join. If you are not an expert sewer you may then want to hand sew
this step.
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Once the cup is in place you then sew along the cup allowance making sure to leave enough space to
be able to slide the underwire in. It should look something like this.
You then need to grab piece L1 and repeat the steps to attach the second cup.
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If you have finished this step give yourself a pat on the back!!! That is the hardest part of the dress
to sew! The rest is downhill from here!
You now take pieces R1 and L1 with the leather facing inward and the lining facing outward and sew
along the inside line on the straight side of the two pieces as shown below.
You then need to lay the now sewn together piece down flat (lining side up) and fold the left excess
flap of where you just stitched to the side and sew it down. Make sure to sew it across enough so
that the boning will be able to slide in the gap.
Repeat the same step for the other flap. Once you have stitched both the flaps down the outside
should look like this:
As you can see it leaves a very nice stitch look on the dress while also being support for the boning
which shall be added later.
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Now you will need to grab piece R2. This time you will place the angled side of R1 in line with the
angled side of R2 and as before you will sew along the inside line and then along the side of the
allowance giving enough room to insert boning.
Follow the same process with joining R1 to R2 andR3 to R3.
Fold the end of the side of R3 over and sew straight down to give the end of the bodice a nice finish.
Make sure not to sew it a little inward so there is room for the eyelets.
You then need to then repeat the same steps as above, this time joining L1 to L2, L2 to L3 and L3 to
L4.
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Now you need to grab the boning and cut it so that each piece will slide down the pre-stitched gaps
you made earlier on the lining side of the corset. Make sure to cut each length of boning so that
there is a small gap on each end (you will need this gap for the next step to sew the edging).
You do not need to put boning on the ends of the bodice as this is where we shall attach the eyelets.
Joining the skirt petals and joining them to the skirt flap piece
Your line of skirt petals need to be the same length as your skirt flaps. To do this you need to cut a
rectangular piece of fabric (whatever the petal is made from) which is the same depth measurement
as the skirt flap but is only half (or less if desired) of the width measurement of the skirt petal.
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Once you have cut this out you will attach the petals one by one to the fabric strip (starting from the
bottom). Whether you choose to sew these on or attach them by hammering rivets is up to
you.
Make sure to take breaks when doing this as your hand may start to cramp and get a little sore.
Once you have each of the petal strips completed they need to be attached to the skirt flaps. To do
this you need to sew them onto the skirt flaps first (you can choose to sew them over or tack them
into place first before sewing over them. You need to sew petal strap in between each of the skirt
flaps. You may choose to sew a strap on each of the ends as well but it is not necessary.
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Adding the edging
You will now need to add the edging of the bodice to give it a nice finished look. Measure your
bodice (top first, bottom second) against the fabric and cut to length making sure it is 1” wide.
Place the top edging piece along the top of the bodice so that half the piece is hanging (the hanging
part is coloured light blue in the picture below). Sew and attach this piece on the bodice. You can
now fold the top hanging piece over the edge and stitch in place creating a nice rounded edge.
You should have no problems sewing the edging on. If you find you are sewing over boning then you
may not have left enough of a gap and will need to trim the boning shorter (also the stitching
between the hanging and folded steps wouldn’t normally be so far apart, its just because of MS
paint I couldn’t draw the stitches closer together, they should really only be 1 or 2mm apart and not
a few cms as it looks like in the drawing.><).
Hanging
Hanging Part Folded and sewn into place.
Do the same hanging and folding steps as above with the bottom edging piece. You should end up
with something looking like the picture below.
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Attaching the modesty panel
If you are choosing to have a modesty panel then you simply grab the panel piece and sew it to one
of the sides of the end pieces. Ensure that the stitch close to the stitch on the inward side.
Attaching the Skirt to the Bodice
Now you need to grab you skirt piece and lay it under the bodice. You will sew in the same way as
you did before, sewing the skirt to the bodice just above where you just sewed the edging following
the bottom edge. You should ensure to sew along the gap piece you left on your skirt (although you
may have to sew over a petal in the mid as sewing through the top petal may break your needle.
Attaching the eyelets
The bodice is now ready for the eyelets to be attached at the back. To do this you will need to grab
your eyelets and hammer follow the instructions that came with the eyelets. You will hammer an
even number of eyelets on each side. It may be helpful to mark our where you wish to place your
eyelets before hammering them into place.
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Attaching the straps
To attach the straps you need to grab a “O” or “D” ring (whichever you chose) and cut out a piece of
fabric that is long enough to fold over the end of the ring and have a little allowance edge remaining.
You then need to grab your bodice and place once edge of the piece on the front, the other on the
back and sew the piece to the bodice along the allowance edge.
You then need to attach rings to the other front piece and back 2 pieces following the same method.
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Following the same process you then sew the back of the straps to the back hooks.
Your dress should now look almost complete!
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All that’s left to do is attatch the chakram hook! The best way to do this is find a piece of bendable
metal and glue the material over it. The all you need to do is bend it into shape or you can attach it
with a screw (I am unsure how to do this however) or if you don’t want to put a hole in the dress you
can buy some strong magnets and stick one magnet to the hook and then place the other magnet on
the inside of the dress.
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Congratulations!
Your Xena: Warrior Princess dress should now be assembled! You should be proud of your work as
making this dress is no easy feat! All you need to do now is place the cording in the back, pull to fit
and you’re done!
If you complete the dress please send me photos as I would love to see how it turns out! Also if you
can recommend any changes to this pattern for future revision please let me know 
References:
Anatomy sketch used from:
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs27/f/2008/072/6/9/female_anatomy_study_by_Joshimaru.jpg
Guide to making custom cups used from:
http://abigailscraftshowto.com/2010/08/how-to-make-a-bra-part-1-drafting-the-pattern/
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