Oh man, am I actually making a post? Yeah. Don't fall out of your seat.

Life is nuts right now. Really. Here's a costume-related update.

• Connecticon is this weekend! Yay! Since I already ordered the wig from limebarb.com (I just can't do wigs, at least not now >_>), I decided to bring out my Pokemon Gijinka costume for the occasion. I only have a few days to fix it up. I did a test run the other night with what I have done, and, well... it makes me look fat! D: Let's just say it needs a little help. Additionally, everything still needs fasteners and the like. I'm going to try to fix up the vest to give a little more waist definition. The nice thing about this costume is since it's based on someone's interpretation of a Pokemon, I can modify it however I please! I'm thinking of a lower vest neckline, and maybe ribbon or some other kind of tie around the waist. The shoes are also a bit problematic, but they will likely stay as they are, unless I find some kind of miracle solution at the craft store today. The stores in this state are awful, though, so I'm not holding my breath.


• My job future is a bit uncertain, so I've had to stop production on my WoW Druid costume. However, I've already bought lots of planning materials and books, so the planning will continue. Patterns will be made! Techniques will be learned (in theory at least)! Horray. Horrah. In this vein, I'll be making one or more posts about leatherworking techniques in the future, so look out for that.


• I ended up with no photos from Anime Boston this year, as I broke my camera about half an hour into the event. Boo! It was a complete whirlwind this year, anyway... so strange...


• And, finally, once I DO have some certain money again, I will be posting a list of upcoming projects. It seems I won't have anything done for Blizzcon this year (again >_>), but hopefully I can still pull off a costume for the Harry Potter premier!

That's my world right now... a bit all over the place, but the costumes are finding their way into the shuffle. Hopefully things will stabilize for me soon. I also have some tutorials in the works, which I know I always talk about and rarely post. But they're in progress. Truthies.

Leave a comment if you're going to be at CTcon next weekend... we'll look for each other!

Yay, slacking...

Yeah, I totally slacked off on the creation of this costume. But, I'm working my butt off to finish it to wear on Saturday. I'll be damned if I don't get to carry around a big shiny pair of scissors for a day. In a top hat. I'm just saying.

I'm going to wait on dumping progress shots (what of them I've managed to take in the rush) until after the con, along with pics from said con. I'm REALLY excited about the weekend... Nobou Uematsu, AGH. I'm completely geeking out about it.

Scissors are just about ready for paint. I still have a fair bit of sewing to do. I'm going to be up late, but I think things will get done. It's all part of the magic of cosplay...

Leave a comment if you'll be at the con! I'll be hard to miss on Saturday with my prop, so stop me if you see me, oh 5-or-so readers of my blog.

I'm going to try to find a few more at the con... I have cute cards! Bring yours to share!

Scissors are Progressing...

I finally had some time to really crack down on working on the scissors for my Souseiseki costume! The first step was making a pattern, which has involved a lot of sketching, erasing, measuring, and pencil lead (as it were) on hands. I measured a small picture I have of the scissors, then scaled it up to figure out the appropriate ratios. I think they're maybe even a little bigger than I had planned, but I think they look good this way. Giant props are fun!

I'm nervous about cutting out the foamcore, because I know it is going to be tedious. Since it's thick, I'll have to make several passes with the knife, and I have a lot of pieces to cut out. But, such is the plight of prop creation. Large amounts of effort are usually expended upon it. I think the results are worth it, though, ne?

I've been being lazy about the shopping post. It'll get up here some time this week, along with some progress shots of my costume. Hope everyone else's are going well. I'm starting to really feel the crunch... this is the last free weekend before BAMBAM two cons in a row! Agh. My wig isn't here yet. I don't have shoes. Aaagh...

... ._. I'll be fine! Do your best!

Haruhi Costume Progress

Just a quick update on my Space Commander Haruhi costume. I spent today taking apart and then reassembling my costume, because I wasn't happy with the fit. Sometimes it's better just to bite the bullet, as it were, and spend a day fixing things, rather than just let it go and have the problem become worse over time.

So I'm back where I started, but in a much better way:



I think it's looking pretty good... the stripes on the sleeves don't match up exactexact with the shoulder, but I did my best, and there will be other stuff on the shoulders, anyway.

It's getting close to the con, so I've made up a costume schedule... just gotta stick to it now!

Commissions and Updates

I recently received a commission for another Ashitaka hood, which I'm pleased to say I just finished yesterday:


(I know, I look really cool >_>)

It's a bit different than the one I made for Mike a few years ago. I think there are some improvements, and some things that I wish would be different. That's the thing about homemade cosplay... every piece is unique!

Things I like about this new version:

- The mask! It's pretty awesome. It's attached on one side with stitches, and the other side has red velcro so you can take it on and off easily. I put in three pieces of velcro spaced a bit apart on the inside for adjustability. This also makes for an easier time keeping it securely up over the nose, or letting it hang down under the chin.

- I like the fact that I was able to attach all of the under pieces to the lining first, so there are no stitches on the outside from the velcro, mask, etc.

- The client wanted another flap underneath at the back of the neck so that he could slide the straw cape in between the pieces of fabric, so it wouldn't scratch his neck. I thought that was a pretty good idea.

Things I wish I had done better:

-The shape of the top ended up being a bit strange. I think it looks alright but it's not ideal.

- The white shapes. The client wanted them sewn on, which I did, but in hindsight I probably could've done it differently to make it look a little better.


Overall, I think the hood looks pretty great. I hope the client is happy with it!

I've also been working on my Space Commander Haruhi/Kyon costumes for me and my friend Mike for Anime Boston (it's soon! horray!). I think they're coming along... I'll have some pictures posted later.

How are your costumes going? Is your convention coming up? Are you going to AB? Hope everything is working out!

Pokemon costume progress

My sister's wedding is over, so I've finally had time to get back to costumes and putting up my portfolio site, which I just finished today (finally!).

I've been working on my Gijinka costume. I decided on Gabite. Here's what I've got so far:



I still have to sew the sleeves on the shirt, and put fasteners on the shirt and skirt.

This was my first time making a "proper" collar. I did my best, but it didn't turn out that great. It's passable, though. It's one of those things that I would only redo if I found myself with a bunch of spare time before the con (read: not gonna happen) but I won't be too disappointed if I don't.

For the skirt, I used a pattern I had from high school. The skirt is simple with a waistband, and isn't too full. I modified the pattern by (1) making it shorter, and (2) making the skirt even less full, though only slightly. I just folded on of the pattern pieces down to about half its width, effectively removing about a foot of fullness.

Instead of installing a zipper, I elected to leave a slit and close the skirt using velcro. I wanted more flexibility to adjust the waist size so the shirt would sty tucked in and lay flat. I also just wanted something that was just fast and easy to sew and to use. I left the slit where the zipper would have been installed, then folded under and finished the edges.

On a side note, I keep all of my patterns in their own plastic bag, which I label with the pattern brand, number, and sizes. Then I can keep everything organized without having to worry about fitting the pattern pieces back into the little envelope. :<

If you're planning on modifying a pattern, read the directions for the pattern first, especially if you aren't very familiar with garment construction. It will teach you more about the way clothes are put together, and can save you a lot of time and trouble. You can see what pieces are unnecessary and, therefore, you don't have to waste fabric cutting out. You can also look ahead to see what steps are skippable and what steps are a good idea that you may not have thought of.

I hope everyone else's costumes are going well!