How-To : Cut a Wig

Today's tutorial is about one of the most basic skill in wig styling: cutting your wig. This can be tricky business, and a nice cut requires patience and a little bit of know-how.

Today I'll be going over the three techniques that require one of the most basic of tools: a sharp pair of scissors.

New Costume!

Italy is that doofus in the middle.

I decided at the last minute to swap out one of my costumes this year. I was originally going to go as Horo, from Spice and Wolf, but now I'm going as Italy from Hetalia!
I'm holding my other costumes close to the vest at the moment, as one of them I'm entering in the costume contest and the other... well, its done and I don't have any pictures. so there.

Helpful Creatures

In the course of any project, I have creatures that want to help. Normally, they are my cats; small and easily removed.

Cat helps with laundry!

Cat helps with ironing!

However, I have been recently plagued with a new round of less.. removable obstacles.

Helpful dogs.

Pants!

I have pants! They actually fit! and they are ridiculously poofy, and I haven't even let out the pleats yet.

I had forgotten a) how long it takes to gather something and b) how annoying it is to pick out a machine-baste. Pics to follow, after I finish picking out that baste and installing the buttons.

I've returned!

Its been over two weeks since I last posted and man, I finished a lot of stuff while I've been away. (Literally actually, I went to visit a friend for extended sewing-times.) I didn't finish nearly enough though, and with less than two weeks until the convention beigns I've decided to launch...

The Daily Cosplay Countdown!

(Watch my slow descent into madness!)

Every day I'll post what I did the day before, as well as some catch-up posts to show what I've done during these weeks I've been away.

Progress Report 3/22/2011

I took a week off from posting, but now I'm back with... not a lot to show for it. I'm trying to clear the thief out of my schedule, and its taking a an amazing length of time to do all the finishing touches.

However! Stuff has been done! Even stuff I'm not posting today.

First off: I finally finished the jacket!

Fully lined and everything, I am terribly proud of myself.

 And I knocked these bad boys out in a afternoon break from stitching the hem on that jacket.

Progress Report 3/8/2011

I did not get much done in the last week. Why? This thing:

Because all of the blanket stitching on this jacket took 3x longer than I expected. I burned through 6 episodes of Castle, three podcasts and more working on this! it wouldn't have been so bad if not for all of those key patterns adding twice to the circumference of the shape.

I also got the last pieces to an old cosplay; hopefully I'll get some nice pictures of it soon!

Ku hu hu hu hu.

And to conclude, have a kitty picture:

Cosplay Basics: Boots

One item that is necessary at some point for most any cosplayer is a good pair of boots. There are boots in all sorts of costumes: ankle boots, knee-high boots, calf-high boots, brown boots, rain boots, thigh high, armored, the list goes on and on.

from thumbuki on Flickr.

Fortunately, there are plenty of boot-cover tutorials out there to help you modify your shoes, and a lot or them are even completely removable so you can use the same base shoe for multiple cosplays.

But if you're only going to get one pair of boots, there are some things to look for the get the most bang for your buck.

1. Black or dark brown: these are the most common colors.
2. Rounded toe: also a common design, and you can even wear them under your pants instead of a dress shoe or sneaker.
3. Mid-calf: this style is used extensively in military-style uniforms, and you can make a boot taller with a cover.
4. Simple Details: its easier to modify a boot without laces or buckles, but sometimes you want to add some interesting details to your costume. Your mileage may vary, so go smaller rather than larger.
5. Think about a small heel, definitely a chunky one so that the silhouette of the shoe can go masculine or feminine.

These ones look pretty good, except for the suede. These gogo boots are perfect for a lot of cosplays, and can even be stripped of their varnish and painted. They're also fairly cheap, although the sizing isn't great. These ones look great; I'd even wear those outside of cosplay. (Speaking of which, endless.com is a great resource not only to buy your shoes, but just to look around at what is available at the time.) Doc Martens are a classic for a reason, but tend to be too expensive for my tastes.

Take a look around, and find something that works for you!

3/01/2011 Progress Report

I got a lot of stuff done this past weekend, even though I spent a good deal of Saturday and Sunday laid up like this:

I', starting to develop some RSI in my wrist from computer work and knitting. This particular flare-up was brought to you courtesy of knitting for six hours on Tuesday. =(

Anyway, I took the opportunity this presented to use my sewing machine instead, sewing up 75% of the Thief costume I'm working on and getting started on the embroidery that I want to add to it.

Blanket stitch courtesy of Stitch School, done in variegated yellow DMC floss.

Since I've had some problems in the past with ironed-on applique, I decided to stitch down all of the applique on this particular project. I like the look so much that I'm looking for other places to add it, especially for my Adell project. Large stitches like this just make it look kinda rustic, like it comes from the countryside that the game takes place in.

I also started receiving the packages that I ordered last week. I'm done to some last-minutes items and the wigs to order and then I'll have all of my supplies!

Enormous Shoes

2/22/2011 Progress Report

Last week I was quite productive, although not nearly enough in the cosplay department.

I started some up-cycling projects

Finished and in-progress t-shirt yarn

Cosplay How To - Coloring Eyebrows

I picked up this technique a while ago on the cosplay.com forums and I still refer some of my dark-haired friends to it. However, I've never actually done it myself! So I'm putting my money where my mouth is and my prop-making supplies all over my face.

So this technique is especially helpful for people with dark hair that want to go lighter without bleaching their eyebrows. Its also just generally helpful for all hair colors if you want something that is long-lasting and cheap.

So first you'll want to gather your supplies. I used:

• Washable school glue.
• Acrylic paint
• A small paintbrush. ( I chose a stiff, flat brush. I think an angled brush would work even better.)
• A wig, and other necessary stuff for putting it on my head. (I mean, the whole point is for my eyebrows to match my wig!)

Wig Color Reference - Light Blondes

I made this up for a friend of mine: hopefully it can be useful for someone else!

#24B, LG26, #613, #22, #24, #16 from the New Look line of wigs.

There are many, many, many different wig colors available. How do you choose the right one?

Well, it really helps to have a swatch ring, because you can line them up under all sorts of light and choose the one you like the best! My favorite for a lot of costumes is #24B, because its a bright blond that looks close to a yellow color but slightly more natural.

What's you preferred wig color?

Striped Thigh Highs Step-by-Step

I'm doing a costume for a friend of mine so she can join our Disgaea 2 group.

Its a super cute costume, and I'm excited about lots of different parts about it. But, you see those thigh-highs? There's nothing like them on the market. So, I'll be using RIT's spot-dying technique to put those gold stripes on them.

Progress Report 2/7/2011

I got these done this weekend!

They're not for me, but I am pretty excited nonetheless! Look for more in a day or two!

So close!

Augh I'm almost done with it!

How-To : Natuski's Bunny Ears

To start, I used a paper pattern to cut out two pieces each of the pink flannel and the black velvet. After some experimentation with a couple different types of wire and threading systems, I realized I had some styrene plastic in the back of the closet, so I cut another piece in that shape.

I sewed the fabric together, right sides together, turned them right-side out and then stuffed them with the stiff plastic.

The pieces still looked a little sloppy, so I pressed them with an iron. Because the plastic is thin, it became a little malleable when heated so I was able to shape the ears into a lovely curved shape.

 Then I glued the bottom of the fabric closed and then attached them to the headband.

 And here's the finished product!

 The ears are just glued carefully to the headband, so they've still got a little movement in them when I move my head. I haven't completely decided if I like it but I don't think I can make it any better.

 

Progress Report - 2/01/2011

11 weeks to go, four costumes (+1 secret costume) to make, and what did I get done last weekend?

Eh, not much. At least I finished up Horo's anklets! They're made of memory wire and glass blue beads.

And there's not much I'm going to get done this weekend: my sewing station has been packed up to make room for visiting relatives. However, I do have some plans involving a friend's costume that I need to get done, so hopefully I'll have something more interesting to report.

Here's a sneak peek at something that should see completion in the coming months:

Cosplay Basics : White Button-up Shirt

Photo by Stuart Conner

There are some skills and pieces that get used in cosplay over and over again. This segment highlights what some of these are and, in some cases shows you how to do them.


This week's cosplay basic is... the white button-up shirt!

This shirt can be used in hundreds of different cosplays, if only because of the proliferation of suited-up characters and the myriad animes that take place in schools with uniforms. I myself have used a white button-down in:

• Death the Kid (Soul Eater)
• Minori (Toradora!)
• Jack (Harvest Moon)
• Shinigami (Kyouran Kazoku Nikki)
• My steampunk costume

That is a lot of bang for you buck out of one purchase. So, what are some things you should think about when purchasing a white shirt for cosplay?

1. Go for shirt that is long-sleeved and buttons all the way up. This is the typical form that's shown in most costumes, so you'll get more milage out of it. Its easy to unbutton a shirt, its way more difficult to try and pin a shirt together. I speak from experience.
2. Go look at thrift stores! The big format stores like Goodwill and Value Village may have exactly what you need. Don't be afraid to make alterations like removing a pocket or some detailing. Also, if it looks dingy, just toss it in the wash, it will often lighten up. If it doesn't, try some whitening agents. I'm a big fan of RIT's White-Wash but bleach will work just as well.
3. Get one that fits: not too big, not too small. Check to see if it fits across the shoulders so that it will lay nicely, and make sure you aren't straining any buttons across the chest. 

That's all the advice I have for picking out a white button-up. Does anyone else have any thoughts? what are some basics in your closet?

Geek Accessories: On the Town

As I mentioned in my last post, and the reason I only posted once last week, was Video Games Live. Its a live symphony performance of classic and modern video games, and it hit Seattle on Saturday. I went with a group of fourteen people, and it was a total blast. Nothing is better than hearing lovely orchestral music accompanied by thousands of screaming fans.

But, to keep this blog on topic, I'm going to show you the geek gear I took for the concert.

First up is my first embroidery project:

Shadow of the Colossus is the best game ever.

I seem to have misplaced the tutorial I used for the bag, but this is the one I'm going to use next time. I did the embroidery myself by hand, and just sort of winged it. I used a combination of satin stitching and back stitching with a loop of two differently-colored threads. I used stabilizer on the backside, and traced the pattern onto the front with an embroidery pencil and a picture of the symbol I managed to find.

But what's that other thing in the picture?

Well, I guess I'll let you see....

The Super Mario 1-up mushroom!

Its the first project I've completed using my new membership! I've taken some classes at a local jewelry shop, and I bought some hours from them so I could use their shop during Open Studio. It was a bit of a rush to get into the shop before the concert, but I managed it! I am pretty pleased with myself. I didn't coat it with anything, so I'm looking forward to how it looks when the copper acquires a bit of patina, I think it will look quite nice.

Now you may be wondering where that pretty background came from. Well, the place I was staying had this nifty little set-up I spotted while I was using their sewing machine. I just had to take advantage of it for my photos!

I've seen something like it before, on the Strobist blog, but I hadn't managed to make one for myself that was sturdy enough or portable enough for my needs. Since they've left the bottom on this one its far more sturdy, which means you can store it more easily as well. Taking the top off also means that you can stick props in there more easily, like that lovely branch of flowers they had in there.

I may be taking apart a box this week to make myself one!

Monday Progress Report : 01/18/2011

I hoped that with this feature I'd be able to chronicle my progress throughout the quarter and have a reason to finish pieces of my projects over each weekend.

Unfortunately, this week is not only a day late (well, it was a three-day weekend) but I also don't have that much to report!

I'm hoping to get my Natsuki costume done in time to wear it to the movie's opening weekend down in Seattle in two weeks, but I didn't make much headway. What I did do was... this!

Her funny little bunny ears! I'll post some in-progress pictures later this week.

I also went out and bought the last piece of fabric, and when I was getting ready to start on the gi (the top) I realized I hadn't pre-washed any of the fabric, so.. that's what I did instead of actually sewing.

I also started some projects to take to Video Games Live this weekend.

I've still got more in the works, I'll have to show you later!