the Phantom

Ever since I made Christine's and the Phantom's costumes four years ago, ​I've wanted to make more for the series.

Most notably the Phantom as the Red Death in the New Year's Eve Masquerade scene.  It was going to be my project for this year, to make the Red Death and several of the other Masquerade costumes for an eventual huge photo shoot. But life got in the way.

I did make his mask way back in early spring, using Baron's head for the model since he was going away for a repaint anyways.  I'd made a Red Death mask way back when I made the first Phantom mask, but it was molded on Lawrence's head before he was painted, and I decided that even thought it looked good, it would fit too snug on anyone's face and I'd risk scratching their faceup.

So I needed to make a new mask and this time I decided to consider faceup protection. The mask would need a felt lining to protect the doll's faceup. I couldn't just make a mask on a plastic wrapped head and add the felt afterwards since it would end up too small on the inside, so I needed to account for it when I sculpted the mask. So I covered Baron's head with a double layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of felt which had been trimmed so there would just be a single layer with no overlapping, and then I covered the felt with another double layer of plastic wrap. I tied it all down with strong thread....

...and drew on where the eyes and mouth should be...

As much as I love the strength and durability of Apoxie after it cures, it can be a challenge to work with, so I first built uf the basic mask shape...

Then after adding the final layer, and letting it cure, I painted it. Then after removing the plastic wrap and felt from Baron's head, I glued the felt inside the mask...

Then the mask lay around for several months. My sister and I were working on a new book to feature photos of all my Fantasy Doll costumes, and the spreads with the earlier Phantom costumes seriously needed something. It needed a photo of the Red Death!  Finally, the push I needed to make the costume. So I printed out the original costume sketches for the Phantom stage production, and gathered every red satin and brocade fabric I had...

First, and easiest to make, was his big red hat...

I was going to use Rex as my model and he'd need shoes before I could continue with the costume. I sewed some red stocking, then I removed Rex's feet, and inserted them into the stockings. I used Monica's shoe as the model for the Phantom's shoe, building the uppers out of leather. Then I covered them with a double layer of plastic wrap so I could make the soles out of Apoxie...

After the soles cured it took considerable sanding to make them nice and smooth. Then they were glued onto their respective shoe.

After the shoe soles were painted and varnished, I gave Rex his feet back, and I was ready to start on the pants. I chose a bright red and a darker brocade for the stripes of the pants, adding them in layers to a cotton base.

After stitching down all the fabric strips, gold trim was sewn over the edges, and finally the pants back opening was stitched. I did the back first so I could make a nice neat overlapping opening while the fabric was still flat.

The pants with codpiece are now almost done.

Next is the top, which needs to be built up in layers, along with some very elaborate sleeves. So that's what I need to start on today.