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.