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I love Merle! A long, long time ago, back in the dark ages, I had a friend who loved Escaflowne and I decided to make a Merle to go with her Van costume. It was one of my first experiences ever cosplaying with other people, and it was so much fun! She no longer cosplays, and this outfit was pushed to the back of my cosplay closet for a few years. A few months ago, Tokidoki Loki mentioned adoring Escaflowne and that she was doing a group at Otakon this year. I asked if she had/would like a Merle for her group, and she said yes! I dug my costume out of the closet and fixed it up a bit. The only new pieces for this costume are the wig, ears, and tail. Everything else is exactly as it was back in 2004 when I first made it. I'm so happy I held onto this costume for so long, it was so worth it to spend time with Tokidoki Loki, and I'm so happy and thrilled with the upgrades I've made to it! Back in 2004, there were two shades of pink wigs: baby pink and hot pink... Neither of which is exactly accurate for Merle, but with the birth of Arda's expanded color selection, I found a great color that I absolutely adore, and I'm super happy with it!

The wig is an Arda Inigo wig in Rose Pink, which I cut and styled. The ears and tail are made from minky fabric and some wire. The ears are attached to a custom headband which is worn underneath the wig, and the tail just pins onto the back of the spankies I wear under the dress.

The fur bits on the shoulders, wrists, and ankles are just craft fur I purchased from JoAnn and sewed/hot glued together.

The dress is a simple quilting cotton that I hand-painted the black circles onto. The pendant on the necklace is a night-light bulb that I painted and then used foamies for the little topper.

The sandals were purchased at Wal-Mart, and then the straps were painted brown.

Arguably the simplest costume I own, but by far one of my favorites of all time. Thank you so much Carleen for letting me be a part of your Escaflowne party! :)

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