Costume Crazy

I Moved!

2012-03-05T21:26:00.001-07:00

Hello all! I moved my blog to Wordpress due to a few unfortunate privacy changes. I greatly enjoyed my stay here but look forward to moving on. You can find me here from now on. http://costumecrazy.wordpress.com/

Thank you all for reading this blog. I invite you to continue participating at the new site. I look forward to seeing you there! ^_^ Thank you all. It’s been a great experience.

More Beading and Progress

2012-02-17T16:00:00.001-07:00

Over the past month, I’ve been beading like crazy in preparation for Sakura Con. The obi for Amano Yuna is over half way complete though I haven’t started on the skirt or bow beading. Hopefully, I can finish the obi and bow in time, but the skirt beading may have to debut at a later con. I am very happy with how much I’ve accomplished over the past month and a half with Yuna’s beading and can’t wait to finish it. I never thought I would enjoy beading so much nor did I expect my patience to last quite this long. The life skills cosplay can teach you and help improve are great. I have a picture of my progress to share as well.

Beading Over Halfway Complete

Fortunately, Yuna has not been the only project I’ve worked on in the past month. I started work on Child Rydia earlier this month and have accomplished a fair amount of progress. The leotard is all but finished. I have to fix a seam and finish the legs as well as finish the beading. Unfortunately, I found out that my machine hates sewing knit fabric so sewing the leotard has been quite the experience. Thankfully, the rest of the outfit has been quite simple and less of a hassle. The cape and tie are finished, the skirt is over halfway done, and the shoes are started. I have a few more things I want to make (hair ornament, bracelets, and other accessories) and details to add before she’s done, but Child Rydia is coming along quite well. I have a few pictures to share for Child Rydia as well.

Cape and Tie Complete

I haven’t made much progress beyond the above sewing wise due to a few unfortunate happenings in my life recently. Nevertheless, I have been gathering fabric and materials for my other Sakura Con cosplays and working on a few smaller knitting projects. I have a good majority of the materials gathered for Dragon Kid, Amano Child Rydia, Amano Yuna, Chie, Akari, and Amano Tellah. I getting pretty excited to work on these projects since despite the occasional headache they are going to be fun.

Amano Yuna Version 2 – Beading 2

2012-01-17T09:42:00.001-07:00

Woot! More Amano Yuna beading progress! I'm about a fifth of the way done if not a bit more. It's been about a week and a half since I started and if I keep this pace the obi band will be done in time for Sakura Con. I really hope I get the bow beaded too, especially with the rest of the projects I'm planning.

(I apologize for the crappy picture. The camera hates most indoor lighting. If it gets warm enough, I'll take a few pictures in the sun once I get a bit more done.)

Pouting Time

2012-01-11T03:19:00.001-07:00

Grrrr! I’m a little, ok more than a little, miffed right now. It’s my third try to get Yuna’s skirt how I want it. (Luckily, I haven’t cut the fabric just yet since I have one chance to perfectly make it.) I’ve tried a circle skirt, but I don’t have enough fabric. I’ve tried a 10 gored skirt, but I don’t have enough paper for the pattern. I’ve tried a pleated skirt, but I’m not sure it’s going to lay like I want. Ho-hum, maybe I must make a pleated skirt since it’s the only skirt that theoretically would turn out well with out more fabric or paper. I hate sewing sometimes. >_< It’s so fun and rewarding yet so annoying at the same times. >_< I’m going to pout in a corner for a bit.

Finally, A Progress Update

2012-01-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

An hour of sketching the other day finalized my design for Amano Aerith. I loosely based my design off these two images.

I am really happy with the way my design turned out and can’t wait to start working on it. Pink, white, red, and possibly gold are the color scheme. The design is very pretty and elegant almost like something princess would wear. I think I have most of the fabric for it in my fabric bin, but I will wait till tomorrow to dig it out since I have other projects I need to finish first.
Speaking of which, the beading for my Amano Yuna obi belt is going really well. I found that beading four to five seed beads at a time produces a nice result and doesn’t take as long as the painstaking process of beading each individual bead. I cannot wait to see the finished result. I took a quick picture of my progress. I am so happy with how it looks.

Influx of Amano Based Cosplays

2012-01-05T13:38:00.001-07:00

The Amano bug has caught me again. I currently have at least three, possibly four or five, Amano cosplays either planned or in progress. I'll be redoing my Amano Yuna to look more like these artwork pieces.

I’m using a darker color scheme for her, mostly blues and blacks and silvers, to play off her name meaning moon. In addition, I’m using a flowy design to match the above artwork and logo for Final Fantasy X, and I’ll be incorporating numerous hibiscus motifs in the design as well. I might post a picture of the design later. I'm really excited to start working on her. So far I have most of the beads as well as the shirt and materials for the skirt and trims. I'm so excited!!!

Another Amano cosplay I have in the works is Young Rydia. I'm really excited to cosplay the little summoner from Final Fantasy 4 as she is a longtime favorite of mine. I’m using a number of references for her design (see below) as I have yet to draw a final design of my own. I feel like I’m a kid in a candy store who is constantly pulling wants of the selves to add to the looming pile of candy within the cart when it comes to this cosplay. I just can’t decide on a final design because I keep adding to the concept in my head. If I finalize a design, I’ll post it along with my Yuna design (and subsequent amano based designs) if I get the nerve to post my designs online. Until then here are the references I’m using.

Back to cosplay…I’m using a variety of fun colors intermixed with earthier tones to add a youthful yet refined feel to her design while keeping with the overall feel that she is from a place called Mist. The colors range from deep purple to bright pink to subtle orange and gold with a wide range of intermixed greens. I have most of the fabrics and beads in possession with the wig on the way. The only major pieces of the cosplay I’m yet missing are the shoes. I have yet to find a pair that fit my ideal concept and may resort to making the desired pair if one is not found.

Third on my rather quickly increasing list is Serah Farron from Final Fantasy XIII. She is my favorite character from FF XIII and one of my favorite FF characters. I’m doing an Amano version of her because I love the piece Amano did of Snow and her watching the fireworks.

I don’t have a sketch of my design for her yet, but I know the color scheme. I often have colors worked out before designs. I’m using a slightly different palette from her original design, pinks and blues and whites, maybe a red, instead of whites and pinks and reds and blacks. The design on the other hand is going to be quite different while recognizable. I’ll post more on her as the costume progresses.

The final two cosplays on my current Amano list are Porom from Final Fantasy IV and possibly Aerith from Final Fantasy VII. I love Porom’s design and want to play off her amano artwork while possibly incorporating her sprite design. I have yet to design most of this cosplay. Aerith, on the other hand, is a longtime favorite of mine. I have wanted to cosplay since I started cosplaying (there’s even a post or two on her in the back files of this blog), but I have never completely decided on a version of her I want to do. Since she is a very popular character to cosplay, I want my rendition of her to stand out from the others that litter cosplay sites everywhere. Not that it’s a bad thing, she is an awesome character, it’s just hard to stand out among so large a crowd. Hence, why I’ve been leaning more toward an Amano version. She is another cosplay I have yet to design or even really think about doing so, but when and if I do I shall post more.

Sakura Con Cosplays

2012-01-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

It’s official! I’m going to Sakura-Con! Woot! It will be my first out-of-state con so I’m excited yet slightly nervous. Of course, I’m planning a few new cosplays. I would like to finish five or so before con. It would be great to get a lot of photos while there since the locations are so varied and often perfect for characters from larger cities/ metropolis settings.

For my list, I chose characters that I either enjoy or go with groups, often both. Even though the list is quite long, it is doable for the most part. As time goes one, I’m sure the list will dwindle, but for now here it is.

To start off, I would really like to finish my Amano Yuna. She’s been a dream of mine and it would be a great joy to cosplay her, especially at so large a con. If I conplete her on time, I may enter her in the cosplay contest. In addition to Yuna, I would really like to finish Amano Child Rydia. She is another character I have liked for a long time and would greatly enjoy cosplaying. Further more, there may be a few Final Fantasy 4 cosplayers with whom to take photos.

Next, I am finishing and taking Akari. Regardless of if I find a group or not, I would love to cosplay my favorite character and get photos of her by the sea. It would be a dream come true. Along with her, I want to make and take Toki from Princess Mononoke. There is going to be a good sized Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli group, and I have wanted to cosplay her for a long time.

Princess Mercury in her silver millennium dress from the Sailor Moon manga is another cosplay I really want to bring. Mercury has always been my favorite sailor scout and her silver millennium dress was one of the first cosplays I wanted to make. In league with Mercury is Chie from Persona 4. Chie was a character I loved even before I started playing the game and watching the anime. There are plans for a semi large scale Persona 4 group that I’m a part of which makes this cosplay even more exciting.

The list doesn’t stop there. Along with the above, I want to make and bring Dragon Kid from Tiger & Bunny. This cosplay would be a part of a planned group/photoshoot. If I have time, I would like to make her casual ending outfit as well. Also, I plan to make Shiemi’s school uniform for a Blue Exorcist group.

Hopefully, I will finish Kasumi’s loyalty outfit from Mass Effect 2 in time to bring. I greatly enjoyed her character in the game and would love to cosplay her there. If I finish her in time, she is another prospect for the cosplay contest. Susukihotaru from Otome Youkai Zakuro is another cosplay I would like to bring given enough time.

Finally, if I have time I would like to bring Kari from Digimon Adventures. She was my favorite character from the original series and there may be a small sized Digimon Adventures group. I may bring Saria from Ocarina of Time as well since she is one of my favorite Legend of Zelda characters. Ok. I promise that’s all. I told you the list was long. ^_^

In addition to making new cosplays, I’ll be bringing a few previous ones as well. These will mainly be for photoshoots and may or may not make appearances at con. So far it looks like I’ll be bringing Vorfeed, Sheryl’s snowman/premiere dress, Miwako’s pink and black sweater outfit, Nora (if I can find her shoes), Temari (if the wig still fits), and multiple steampunk outfits.

I’ll be helping a few friends with their cosplays as well so needless to say I am going to be busy for a while. I really can’t wait to see how this whole ordeal turns out. It’s exciting to be going to new place yet the prep work is going to be crazy. ~_~ Here’s hoping it’s worth it. ^_^

I’ll be posting more in depth posts about the cosplays mentioned here as time allows. Hopefully, I’ll have some progress to report as well! Until next time!

A Very Long but Needed Update

2011-12-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

It’s been so long since I posted last that I don’t know where to start. I’ll start with the most recent happenings. I apologize if this post seems scattered and hectic or random. I’m trying to fit a lot of information into a sufferable post length. Please bear with me and don’t judge the blog just by this post. I have more succinct posts and updates. I assure you.

My last con for the year (Tomodachi Fest) was this past weekend. I debuted three new cosplays (Nora from Spice and Wolf, Sheryl Nome, and Miwako from Paradise Kiss) and hosted a sewing panel. It was my first panel, and I am very pleased with how it went. I saw a bunch of friends and made a few new ones. I even entered the cosplay contest though I didn’t win. Sadly, I missed a few events I wanted to go to but am looking forward to catching a few at the next con. Overall, it was a very fun con even though it was the smallest one to which I’ve been. There were about 100 attendees at most. Most likely, I will go back next year I look forward to seeing how it changes in the next year.

I’m going to play reverse for the rest of the post and briefly explain what happened since August to November. Again, please bear with me. I’m trying to make this post the best it can be for how fragmented the information is.

June and July were pretty uneventful, except for a small cavy (guinea pig) show for 4-H in July. The months mostly consisted of me sewing like a maniac while trying to haul my sewing machine and projects with me everywhere due to unforeseen events. I wasn’t able to get a lot done, but I did debut a few new cosplays and attended a couple photo shoots. They were very exhausting months yet not totally unenjoyable. There were moments and people that helped brighten those dark months.

August was very interesting to say the least. It started with Fandemonium which was amazing as usual. I worked help desk again this year and absolutely loved it. I’m very excited to try for the position next year. This year, I didn’t debut any new cosplays due to lack of time and funds. Instead I wore Fire Nation Toph with a newly styled wig and an original steampunk design. Both were very well received for which I am glad. The con mostly consisted of me working help desk, but I met a few new friends and saw many old ones. I love how cons bring friends together. I also entered the costume contest as Toph but didn’t win. Overall, I am very, very pleased with this con. It is a favorite of mine for a reason. I can’t wait to see what next year is like.

4-H exhibits and fair, along with the new semester, closed August. Fair was disappointing yet somehow enjoyable to say the least. Due to my not having a reliable sewing location or printer, I was unable to finish all but three of my intended twelve projects and those were barely completed on time. Despite my utter disappointment for the first few days, fair overall was enjoyable. The projects I did enter all received blue ribbons and my two cavies (guinea pigs) did very well despite the stressful fair environment. In addition, I received best of breed for my white crested cavy and top showman for my age division. I also did well in the fashion review and earned a blue ribbon. Graduating 4-H was bittersweet. I’m happy to move one yet sad to see it go.

The next couple months were pretty unexciting sewing wise. School continued as normal and I moved out of my mom’s house. There were a couple small yet fun photo shoots in September, and I was able to debut a few new cosplays and costumes for both. October was a bit more exciting. I received a commission and worked on a costume for Halloween while helping various friends with costumes and cosplays of their own.

The past few months have been interesting to say the least. I was able to make and throw together a few cosplays, most which were mediocre. Looking back, I can see some growth in learning how to make and draft costumes and explain the process to others. There was a lot of personal growth as well. I’ve seen a small taste of how hard yet rewarding it is to live on your own. There is definitely a fine line to walk in order to avoid lots of pitfalls and personal struggles. Yet the character it gives it so rewarding. These past months have shown me that I have a lot to improve and a long way to go before I’m any better of a person or seamstress or cosplayer than I am today. It will take a lot more hard work and determination to reach my dreams and goals. Nevertheless, I’m content and please to have struggled through the past months and year no matter many or how hard the dark and challenging times were. I look forward to what the new year brings with an unexpected fervor and joy.

I Return

2011-12-01T11:17:00.001-07:00

No, I am not dead. I apologize for the long wait and neglect of my blog. My computer’s been down since September due to a bad adaptor, and I never got around to updating manually because my schedule turned extremely busy and all my pictures and other blogging stuff were on my computer. Nevertheless, I’m back and plan to fill you in on all that’s happened so expect a flood of posts in the next week or two, especially since the semester is coming to a close.

A Little Bit of Progress

2011-09-11T12:03:00.001-06:00

School's been going well. The first month was really slow so I spent more time watching anime than studying because there was almost no studying assigned to begin with. It's started to pick up a bit, but I doubt the work load will be two heavy. After all I'm only taking a couple classes this semester.

As for cosplay, it's been going well...ish. I had gone almost a month without working on any of my projects and now they're catching up to me along with their deadlines. As nice as it was to breeze through five or six seasons in two to three weeks, I see now that it would have been better to focus more on cosplaying instead of watching anime. Oh well, might as well add this to my long list of what-cosplay-has-taught-me, finish your most important assignments first and on time. I believe the next two weeks will be very difficult. Because of my little mistake, I'll be juggling a 2-5 page paper, two vocab and verb tense and usage quizzes, and at least the partial construction of seven cosplays, four of which must be done by this coming Saturday. Ah, the joys of youth with all it's chances to learn. I shall remember this lesson for later.

River Tam Cosplay and Prop

2011-09-06T18:34:00.001-06:00

Yes, I will admit it. I am somewhat of a … ok a major geek. I was sorting through Firefly (the series not the bug) patterns on Ravelry the other day and I ran across two amazing projects that simply must be done in the next few months. The first is a nigh perfect replica of the crocheted shrug River wears in “Jaynestown” and “Objects in Space” (reference below) and the second is a Serenity (the ship from the Firefly series) plushie.

I’ve been wanting to cosplay River when I first say the series back in high school before I even knew what cosplay was. She is such a complex character and her wardrobe is amazing. I really can’t wait to actually get to cosplay her. Hopefully, I can get a full group together as well. That would just make the event even more awesome.

The Serenity plushie is an added bonus I found. I would love to use it as a prop for River, especially since she pretended to be Serenity in “Objects in Space”. Both look to be relatively easy projects, though I might have to modify the shrug to fit perfectly. I’m hoping to get both projects done before the new year at the earliest and by my favorite con in August for sure. Hopefully, I’ll be able to start these projects soon and post progress pictures as I go.

Major Sigh

2011-08-10T23:20:00.000-06:00

It’s only about a week until fair, which means I’ll have to have all my 4-H projects done and ready for exhibit. I’ve spend the past three days trying to recuperate from Fandemonium, which went wonderfully, and haven’t got much done 4-H wise at all. Cons are exhausting!

At this rate I won’t have half of my projects done in time for fair. I really hope this week goes well and is very productive. I really want to get all my projects done since it’s my last year, but I might have to shave more off my list. It makes me both sad and happy this year is almost over. To be honest, I'll be very happy to be rid of the paperwork and project manuals, yet I find myself wondering what I would do without 4-H. I really enjoyed my four years in the program and couldn’t imagine high school and part of junior high without it. It helped me make a lot of friends and grow as a person, friend, and leader. I learned a lot of helpful, useful skills as well. Even though I do have mixed feelings about leaving 4-H and this part of my life, I’m very excited to see where the next chapter of life will take me. Life is an exciting adventure all the time.

New Crafting Blog

2011-07-28T14:40:00.001-06:00

Since I’ve been doing more craft related projects lately, I’ve decided to start a crafting blog called Craftiness Craziness. It will be a place where I discuss my progress and updates for any sewing and or crafting I do that is not cosplay/costuming related. It will very similar to this one in style and set up though I will be discussing such things as quilting, knitting, practical sewing (such as sewing for the home and everyday wear), and other related type interests. I figure it would be much easy to separate the two subjects than to lump them into one blog and thus possibly confuse the reader.

If you are at all interested in crafting related projects and updates, then please subscribe to the new blog. The same applies to this current blog, though instead of crafting interests it is cosplaying/costuming. I will still update this blog as regularly as possible and will do my best to update both as often as possible with progress, news and hopefully pictures. Please subscribe to both blogs, if you are so inclined, and comment if you wish. It would be a pleasure to hear from my readers, so long as you are cordial and polite. Please continue to read this blog as well as the new one. It is a pleasure to keep this Costume Crazy going. I hope it is a pleasure to read as well. As always, have a good day and an even better week. ^_^

Nimiar Progress

2011-07-27T22:57:00.001-06:00

I have been able to get quite a bit of work done on Nimiar in the past few weeks since I started her. Both skirts are all but completed except for hook closures, the bodice is almost entirely button holed, and half of the under dress is cut out and awaiting sewing. I have been able to get a lot done, but there is still more to do. I still have to finish the closures for the skirts and bodice, make the under dress with beaded detachable over sleeves, make the hat, get and style the wig, fix the shoes if need be, make the necklace, and add any finishing touches that arise. She should be mostly, if not completely done for Fandemonium if I continue at this pace though I have other pressing sewing projects to focus on as well.

I have pictures to share! The first two pictures are of the skirts and bodice while the second two pictures are of the other side of the bodice. I made the bodice completely reversible to add for more versatility and design options. The the third picture is the shoes I’ll be using while the fourth picture is the fabric for the under dress with detachable over sleeves (the pink is the under dress fabric and the white/cream is the detachable over sleeve). The fifth are the rest of the notions (the gold is the cording for the bodice, the purple is a cuff accent for the over sleeve, the beads are for the over sleeve, and the pendent is for the necklace). Finally, the last picture is a close up of the pendent I’ll be using for the necklace.

Thus conclude this cosplay report. Thank you so much for reading. Have a good day and an even better week. ^_^

Steampunk Engineer/Mechanic Pictures

2011-07-27T17:49:00.001-06:00

I finally was able to get pictures of my newest updates to my steampunk engineer/mechanic character, Clara. I finished the skirt except for a few new tares. All but the goggles done. I even found a new pair of boots at Goodwill for $9, at total bargain as they are real leather, have a beautiful design on the outside facing of the boots, lace and zip close, and fit both my feet and calves (something that almost never happens). Pictures! The first three are the outfit I made entirely by myself, the fourth is with a corset made by my first sewing teacher and a belt from the second hand store, and the final picture is my new boots (aren’t they the coolest).

I’m really rushed to get everything done in time for Fandemonium in 9 days and fair right afterward. Not to mention, I have a cavy show on Thursday too. >_< It’s my first one so I’m super nervous and very stressed about everything else. @_@ I’m not going to get much sleep.

Nevertheless, thank you so much for reading. ^_^ Have a great day and even better week! Don’t forget to keep reading to find out what happens as con closes in and occurs. I’m really hoping to get a prize in the costume contest this year.

Wigs, Wigs, and More Wigs

2011-07-24T21:52:00.001-06:00

It’s been a while since I updated my wig progress so I figured I might as well do so. I was able to get a hold of a camera today so there will be pictures to accompany these descriptions. It’s a wig extravaganza!

First on my list of wigs is Vorfeed. I styled her wig a while ago for a cosplay photoshoot contest at near the beginning of July (you can read more here). It was a very easy wig to style as I only had to cut the bangs and brush the wig. It was a very good, though somewhat nerve-racking at first, choice for first wig styling project. I’m very happy with the way it turned out. ^_^

Second on my list of wigs is Temari. I was finally able to make my Temari wig for a cosplay photoshoot mid July. For my third wig, it turned out extremely well. I am very happy with it and proud of it. I almost can’t believe I made it! ^_^

Third on the list is my new Akari wig. It can as a almost prestyled wig. I say almost because everything but the bangs were prestyled. Nevertheless, I love this wig and can’t wait to wear it. It is one of the ones I ordered via the batch order from C.C. Kids. It is very smooth and photographs the perfect color.

Fourth on the list of wigs is Luka. This wig is my absolute favorite wig out of my whole collection. I love it! It’s so pretty and soft and curly and the perfect pink color ever. I’m surprised how little it tangles as well. This is another of the wigs I ordered through the batch order. This is how it looks after wearing it around con all day, even to a dance, and putting it in a ponytail and a messy bun. I adore this wig!

Sadly, I did get any pictures of my brown wig, but the list doesn’t end there. My friend, Stephanie, was getting rid of some of her old wigs, nd I was able to get a few. I got a long curly light blond one that would work perfectly for Tamara, another character from Crown Duel that I hope to cosplay soon, and a short green one that would work perfectly for a Chikorita or Bellossom gijinka and/or Ranka cosplay. I would just have to make clip extensions for Ranka which would be perfect since her hair is curly for one of her new songs in Macross F: On the Wings of Goodbye (which comes out in Oct!). Here are the wigs. The blond one is first, it does need a bit of brushing, and the green is second.

That sums it up for wigs. I’ll be reporting soon when I start working on the wig for Nee. Until then, thank you for reading! Have a good day and an even better week. ^_^

Toph Update

2011-07-24T21:52:00.000-06:00

The wig is done!!!! I finally finished Toph’s wig. ^_^ After three modifications, I finally decided on making her wig closer to how it would be in reality instead of the ostentatiously large bun in the show. I chose this because as you know funds are almost nonexistent and I only had a black wig, bobby pins, a hair net, and hairspray at my disposal. Nevertheless, the wig looks fantastic, especially for my second or third wig styling projects. ^_^ I ma very pleased with how the wig turned out. It definitely looks like Toph’s hair in more realistic proportions. Even the bangs, which have been styled and hair sprayed into place for ease of photography, look fantastic! I am so incredibly happy with it! *^_^* I can’t stop smiling enough.

Needless to say, I am very excited to debut her again in 12 days. Yep, 12 days till con. I don’t have much to fix before she’s ready which is a relief. I ended up not needing to resize the main red part of her outfit, the jumper/shirt/pants thing, and can wear it as is to the con though I might fix up the front of it a bit so the fabric is tighter and not as bunchy looking if I get the chance. If not, I can always work on it for next time. I have to fix her over-the-shoulder-thing which shouldn’t take too long. I originally made it in a matter of minutes so I have to go back and case the seams so the underside has a nice clean finish. Other than that there’s not much to do except figure out how to make her misconstrued belt thing which shouldn’t be too hard as it’s pretty much thrown together in the first place.

I do actually have pictures this time! I was able to use a camera for a brief period of time to take pictures of my projects thus far. Expect another post or two or three with pictures. Photo spam time! (I have to fix the bangs a bit since they curled a bit since I styled it.)

New Cosplay – Nimiar Argaliar

2011-07-22T17:26:00.001-06:00

Crown Duel has been on of my favorite fantasy novels since I first read it back in 2008. I love the imagery, characters, story, and world of the book. It is very well written, easy to read, easy to follow, and overall enjoyable to read for the small amount of time it takes to do so. (It took me about a week or two.) Ever since I read the book, I’ve had a vivid imagery of the clothing worn by the characters, especially in the second half of the book aka Crown Duel, that I’ve wanted to bring into reality. Unfortunately, at the time I first read the book my sewing skills were very rough, as were my drawing skills, and I lacked confidence to actually make my ideas reality. So I put my ideas and Crown Duel back on my dusty bookshelf. Until now.

It’s been a dream of mine to make a dress from Crown Duel since 2008. Finally, I am working toward making that dream a reality by construction a series of outfits based on the main characters of Crown and Court Duel for my 20th birthday in just over 8 months. It will be an extensive projects as well as party, but I know it will be worth the time, effort, and funds. It is ultimately my goal to get every attendee at my party to portray a character from the series either from a self made or personally (aka me) made outfit. I hope and plan to make it an extravagant event like the parties held in the second half of the book.

As with every goal, the plan must start with a first step. This goal’s first step is Nee aka Nimiar Argaliar, the character I will be portraying at the party. I chose Nee over Mel (aka Meliara Astiar) for a number of reasons. Even though Mel is my favorite heroine (followed closely by Nee, Elenet, and Tamara), I do not resemble Mel in the least bit physically, which is a great draw back for me as I am trying to get each portrayal as close to the individual character as possible. Mel is short (about 5’2”), scrawny(about a size 2-3/3-4 in today’s sizes), and very petite. I, on the other, hand though short, am neither scrawny nor very petite. On the contrary, I’ve been compared to She-Hulk or Zena in a miniaturized form. In all reality, I am built more like Nee who is short (just taller than Mel), well built (about a 12-14/14-16 in today’s sizes), and very curvy. It just seemed fitting that I should portray a character I greatly enjoyed and fit physically. Therefore, I have started off my goal by beginning to create a party dress for Nee based on the very limited in book descriptions and very vivid out of book mental images produced from my reading.

For this project, I will be pulling design aspects from many different fashion eras (mainly medieval and Elizabethan with some hints from renaissance and regency), as well as my own imagination. For fabric and colors, I will be using some in-book descriptions as well as intuition to choose colors and textures that would most likely be worn by the characters for a reasonable price. I will probably have a budget of between four to five hundred dollars to pull the whole thing off. Costumes. Food. Rental/facilities. Decorations. Everything. I don’t have much money to play with nor room for many, if any, mistakes. Nevertheless, I am very excited to be able to do this project and greatly look forward to it’s completion. I will be making costumes for at least the main five or six characters with the possibility of a few minor/secondary characters.

I’ve already started on Nee. I have all of the fabric gathered, sketches drawn, patterns and minor designs chosen and at least half of the cosplay sewn (both skirts and most of the bodice). Hopefully, I will have her done in a few days as I greatly wish to debut her at Fandemonium for the costume contest. I’m really hoping that all the time, effort, and hard work I’ve put into this outfit with be rewarding beyond the feeling of accomplishment I will feel when she’s finally done.

I will get pictures up when I can and will work toward blogging and updating more regularly. As always, thank you for reading. Have a good day and an even better week. *^_^*

As Con Grows Near

2011-07-15T02:12:00.000-06:00

I am slowly realizing that I might just have overbooked myself a little. Ok, a lot. Right now I am trying to get three to four cosplays for myself, two to three cosplays for my friend, and one to two cosplays for my other friend and his daughter done for Fandemonium in about 21 days. Yeah, I overbooked myself just a little.

Nevertheless, the cosplay progress is coming along ok. Other than the fact that I lost my sewing machine foot and spent three hours looking for a new one while crying like a baby out of sheer agony and frustration only to find that my back up machine was hidden along with all my other sewing machine feet which took my another hour to find. All to say I wasted six precious hours looking for sewing machine feet and other miscellaneous cosplay items today. X_X I didn’t have a good day.

My personal cosplay progress is coming along well. I’ve added to and changed up my cosplay list to include two new cosplays and cut back, somewhat, one the amount of sewing I’ll have to do before con. At the moment I’m planning to cosplay Toph in her fire nation disguise, my original steampunk mechanic/engineer, Vorfeed from Lost Universe, and Nimiar Argaliar from Crown Duel in an original party/dinner gown based of the few gown descriptions in the book and fabric I could scrounge from my stash. I might also cosplay Maria Ross, but due to my lack of time and lack of progress on her (she’s only at 35%-40% complete max) I highly bought she will be done in time and will cease to mention her.

I don’t have much to do before I finish Toph. Earlier in the month I found, much to my dismay, that my Toph cosplay seemed to have shrunk in the hips (either that or I grew) so I have to let out the seams some and possibly add a bit of fabric. I also have to redo the wig as the previous bun dismantled thanks to my sister and my lovely cats. How they do love to play with my cosplay stuff. I still don’t have any foam or money for foam so her bun won’t be as big as it’s supposed to be this year either. *sigh* Maybe next year. Finally, if I so choose, I have to make her crown (which I think I’ll wait to make until after I finalize the bun), her meteorite armband (if I can find the materials in time), and her shoes (which I highly doubt will get made this year). Oh, I have to remake her waistband thing too since the last one failed and was turned into my sister’s candy bag for last year’s Halloween extravaganza. I have more to do before she’s finished than I thought.

Steampunk wise, my cosplay is coming along nicely. I already have most of the cosplay finished (bodice, waist cincher, skirt, belt #1, and hairpiece, gloves). Nevertheless, I still have more pieces to finish before the cosplay is considered finished, for the time being. I still have to make spats for find period shoes, find the materials for and make goggles, find or make a tool belt, find tools to use as props, and add all the finishing decals to everything. Yeah, I’ve got a lot to do on that one too.

Vorfeed, on the other, hand is almost done. I have the dress, cape, wig, one glove, and the jewels with feathered accents done (though I might touch up the jewels a bit). What’s left is I have to finish the boots and add a few finishing touches to the second glove. ^_^ Yay! She should be done for sure!

Finally, my Nimiar cosplay is proving to be more difficult than I expected. The under skirt and over skirt are done except for the waistband hooks and eyes, but other than that the rest of the outfit is not near finished. The corset is taking longer than I expected as I decided to make it reversible and have biased taped edges which I have to hand sew shut due to the reversal effect. I had to redo it twice as the first time I forgot about the reversible design and the second time I had to tailor it since the pattern was too large. Nevertheless, it is turning out beautifully and better than anticipated. I only wish it didn’t take so long to sew. But, it will be worth it in the end. The only other part of the outfit I have to make are the bodice/under dress and detachable over sleeves. According to my design, the over sleeves are going to be sheer and have a beaded, lattice type design on the top of the sleeve nearest the bodice and a beaded design on the two ribbon accents on the cuff and lower bicep. Finally, I plan to make a headdress type piece out of the skirt fabric to accent the dress. From what I imagine in my head, it will be gorgeous. I’m planning to enter this one in the cosplay contest so all my effort and time has been poured into it. I really hope I can get it done in time.

As for my friend’s cosplays, I have a lot to do. As part of our Avatar: The Last Airbender group this year, one of my friends (Theo) is going to be Iroh in his White Lotus outfit and the other (James) is going to be Aang in his Sozen’s Comet outfit while his daughter (Alyssa) plans to be Momo. They both are going to look amazing. I’m going to be doing all the sewing and, possibly, wig styling for my first friend’s Iroh cosplay which so far hasn’t been started much less touched. My other friend is scrounging for as much of the cosplay as he can find so I’ll probably end up sewing half or less of his if all goes well. I have no idea about what or if I’ll be helping with his daughter’s Momo cosplay (which will be awesome if/when it happens).

I am also organizing a steampunk group which I know for sure that my first two friends will be joining. I’ll be helping Theo put his outfit together which shouldn’t be to hard as steampunk is a rather easy dress type to cosplay and put together. James already has his cosplay done (which looks amazing) and I don’t know if his daughter will be joining or not. If she does, I will happily help her put something together.

I might make Theo another cosplay, but I sincerely doubt it for this con since I’m already short for time and scrambling to get the afore mentioned cosplays done (or at least, which I dearly hope does not end up happening, con worthy). Hopefully, this time I will have my cosplays done at least a day before the con since I also have staff responsibilities to tend to in the midst of this mixed up sewing mess and have school to prepare for, a job and apartment to find, and my last 4-H year to finish. Yeah, I know for sure that I over booked myself. Hello sleeplessness. You tend to be my ever beckoning friend.

As always, thank you for reading. ^_^ Have a wonderful day and an even better week. Ciao!

Back on Track

2011-07-14T19:22:00.000-06:00

I salvaged a few feet from my previous sewing machine, which thankfully fit perfectly, so I’m back to sewing now. Sadly, I had to spend around four hours searching for the replacement feet so I lost precious sewing time. That was honestly one of the biggest time wasters I have ever experienced. Nevertheless, I am very happy to finally be able to sew again. ^_^

Progress at a Halt

2011-07-14T16:59:00.000-06:00

Well progress is at a halt for me. I lost my sewing machine foot today, and as you know no sewing machine foot, no sewing. It is rather sad and angering. I was just about ready to finish sewing my corset for Nimiar today so I could wear her to the photoshoot on Saturday, and now this happens. Ugh! It’s just so frustrating, and so typical. ;_;

Third Place Winner!

2011-07-10T23:32:00.000-06:00

I won third place in a cosplay photoshoot contest today! Eeee! I am so happy! It’s my first time ever winning an actual prize/contest held by someone besides my friends! *^_^* Vorfeed was the lucky cosplay. I literally chose to cosplay her at the last minute when Toph fell through, but I am so glad I did, even though I was cramming to make her up until the last minute. A big thank you to all who helped me with finishing Vorfeed, getting me there, and being encouragers along the way. I couldn’t have done it without you. ^_^

Avatar: The Last Airbender Cosplays

2011-07-01T16:32:00.000-06:00

ATLA cosplays are back in session for me. I'm currently fixing my Fire Nation Toph cosplay. I have to remake her belt thing, add a backing to her other-the-shoulder-thing, remaking the wig, and making the crown. I might make shoes too if I have the time. I'm also working on my friend's White Lotus Iroh cosplay for Fandemonium in August. We're both going so it'll be awesome to cosplay Toph and Iroh together since their relationship was so dynamic.
If I have the time and money, I'd like to make Toph's Earth Kingdom/Book 2 outfit for the same con since her EK outfit would go better with Iroh's White Lotus cosplay. Also, I might be helping my other friend make his Aang cosplay for the same con. It's gonna be so awesome! There's even going to be a mid-sized ATLA group there, which is very good for a small con.

Steampunk Progress

2011-06-24T12:48:00.000-06:00

As you may know, I’m currently in the process of making a Steampunk Mechanic. I had originally hoped to have it completed by May, but alas time did not permit me so. Nevertheless, I am still working to complete this costume. At the moment, I would say it is between 50% to 60% complete as the main pieces of the costume are complete. I still have a few minor pieces, such the spats and goggles, to complete as well as adding details to some of the already completed, and to be completed, pieces.

I have a few pictures to share!

Full costume as is now

Shirt/Blouse

Waistcincher

Skirt Front

Shoes and accessories

Decal beads for goggles

Long Awaited Update

2011-06-24T02:39:00.000-06:00

I apologize for the lack of updates. I’m not dead, rather I’ve been extremely busy for the past month and nearly a half. I’ll catch up as best as possible on what has happened in my absence.

School is over, finally. The last few weeks of school was hell. I ended up having to drop a class due to the immense mental and emotional overload. I am definitely taking the next semester or two off from school. I need to focus more on getting a job and apartment at the moment.

In better news, I was able to go to Anime Oasis in May. It turned out to be a ton of fun, and I was able to meet new and old friends like. None of my costumes were done on time unfortunately. I was able to cosplay, just not the original line up. Thursday the convention started and even though I arrived really late I was able to cosplay a casual version of Luka with my new, gorgeous wig. Friday I ended up partially finishing and wearing Latias. She was only about 45%-50% complete, but a few people recognized her which makes me happy. I also cosplayed a formal version of Luka for a formal ball, which was very enjoyable. Saturday was the most fun of the four days. One of my cosplaying friends(Stephanie) let me borrow her Relm Arrownry cosplay for the day as she cosplayed Terra, both from Final Fantasy 6. It was a total blast to cosplay Relm. I definitely must add her to my cosplay list. Sunday was a very rushed day as the hotel wanted the room cleared by 1pm and I slept in until noon. I ended up cosplaying Latias again since I was not able to cosplay her much on Friday because I was working on her. Overall, the con was a great success. I was able to participate in some of the events, meet a lot of new people, make a few new friends, get a few things from the artist alley and vendor’s hall (plushy Azusa from K-On! *squee*), and have a good time. I definitely plan to return next year and possibly enter the cosplay contest. Next year though I will have the cosplays completed before the con. I would like to be able to sleep instead of sew. Another cosplay lesson learned. That and Mountain Dew is a cosplayers best friend. It’s better than coffee!

In cosplay news, I’ve started planning for my next con, Fandemonium in August. I’m hoping to debut two to three new cosplays there as well as revamp my Toph cosplay. I’m also planning three groups for the convention as well as helping a few of my friends with their cosplays and staffing for the con. I will be epically busy for the next month. It’s only 42 days (one month and one week) until the con! So far the cosplay lineup is Toph’s Fire Nation and hopefully Earth Kingdom outfits from Avatar: The Last Airbender, my original steampunk character, and Akari’s Summer Uniform from ARIA. I will be very happy to complete Toph’s Fire Nation outfit for the con. So far I just have the wig and waist thing/belt thing left to finish. I might back her over-the-shoulder-thing too. Oh, I have to make the crown too. I keep forgetting that one. As for the steampunk, I’ve been dying to make my steampunk character for over a year so I’m really excited to almost have her done. I’ll talk more about her in another post. Akari is nearly complete too, and I’ll have an ARIA this time! Sooo excited! I’m really looking forward to this con, in case you couldn’t tell.

I really don’t have much else to catch up on. To recap, school was hell. I need a job and apartment. The con was a total blast, and I was able to debut four new cosplays. I’m really busy working on cosplays and other con prep for the next month and a week or more. Yep, nothing else really to say except thank you so much for reading and taking your time to visit my blog. It means so very much to me. If you like my post(s) let me know. If not that’s ok, just don’t post it here. If you like the blog please follow it (right side there’s a follow button, please click it). Thank you again for reading. Have a great day and a wonderful week. ^_^ Signing off.