Tacky glue to the rescue!

So I tired two things last night on a old wig, one was with teasing and hair spray which didn't look too good but stayed up overnight. The other spike was made with a mixture of Tacky glue and water. It worked amazingly! Not only did it stay up but its hard. It worked really well. So I think for Abel's wig (The reference picture is posted below.) will be coated in this mix of Tacky Glue and water then hung upside down. Hopefully this works. The wig won't be able to be washed afterwards but I wasn't excepted it to be. It wont be worn for very long anyway. Mainly for contests and photoshoots. Otherwise he'll be wearing his normal silver wig.

                                                   Think of all the detangler he has to use.

I'm happy I finally figured something out. I just need to finish sewing the welts in and buying a new bottle of Tacky glue. I'm pretty eager to get this wig done as I fear it may be a pain in our butts later. The earlier I get it done the better. This way we can fix the issues and make it ideal. Of course my main concern is making it comfortable and for it able to stay standing up even if walking. Since our hotel will be a few streets away from the convention center where Sakura-con is held. It has to stay up without breaking or tipping. So since we have lots of time we'll practice, make sure its at its best and everything stays up.


But I'm taking the night off from sewing in those welts. I've been very tired today. And damn, it has been stormy. Lots of people don't have power. So I'm glad I still have it. Although the lights are flickering a lot and who knows if it will go out tonight. I heard down at the coast there were reported winds of 59! Its pretty crazy out there. So I'm taking it easy, watching some shows that are starting up for their new season and maybe play some more Animal Crossing.

Tiring day

Man, styling wigs is so tiring. I'm beat! Last night I cut apart a wig to use for the welts. Today I started sewing them onto the other wig. So far its going great. I was a bit worried at first because the wig I tore up looked lighter but once I held the welt up to the wig I noticed it was just the light tricking me. They blend together well. I couldn't even find the welts I sewn in. They match perfectly.

I'm going over some ideas of how I'm going to get the wig to stick up. Since having a long wig standing up will be hard, I just have to use a foam core base to keep it up. But I'll go over my ideas in a minute. On my ruined Watanuki wig I'm testing two methods, 1.hair spray and teasing. 2.Tacky glue mixed in water painted on.  Teasing is rather messy. It'll be hard to make it neat but it does stick up pretty well. I'm not sure how the tacky glue mix will work as it is still wet and needs to dry overnight.

If I use a foam core base I will have to glue the welts onto the foam base I create int he shape of how I want the hair to raise. Then glue the base onto the wig and use the fibers on the wig to glue to the base to make it appear as one and not two pieces. This might make the wig very heavy and stressful to wear. I'm afraid of it falling backwards, pushing the wig off, even if its clipped down.

The other method would be to do what I'm doing now and sew in lots of welts and style it up with lots of teasing and hair spray. This might be the easiest way and may wind up looking better. I just don't know if it will work and stay up while walking at con.

I did message two cosplayers whom have mastered the crusnik wig. Hopefully they respond and give me some much needed advice. I would love some advice as I'm not the best with crazy wigs. Although I seem to be drawn to them. Lol.

I'll keep testing different methods and do more research. Luckily nowadays its super easy to find help and tutorials. Thank goodness for that. I'll need lots of advice if I want to make this wig stand up even when walking for a short period of time.

Any who, I'm tired. Its been a long day. And very stormy. I think I'll go settled down and read some manga or something. Night guys!

I'll be picking up stray wig fibers for weeks

Last night I started working on deconstructing the Arda wig that didn't fit my fiance. We'll be using this wig to add to our new Abel wig to create the gravity defying crusnik wig. It took me about an hour and half to get the welts and boy I was tired after wards. I did however take some pictures!

First I cut the wig out of its ponytail. I never noticed just how fluffy and full this wig was. It's so pretty! But I had to take it apart!

I never realized how thin welts are. It's sort of insane how full they can make wigs with thin welts. There weren't that many welts to began with. I guess I learned more about how wigs are made.

I wasn't sure if I should have started on the bottom or top so I started on the top since the bottom was a bit strange and I couldn't really see what was going on.

I sectioned the top part up, pinning it back. This part I haven't cut the welts out yet as they are sewn onto a skin top. Cutting the welts out was pretty easy. I'm glad I have the chance to learn how to cut them out and sew them into another wig. I have the feeling this will be very useful for the future.

See? It's pretty simple.

Arda wigs (At least this one.) had netting under. It was a bit confusing at first but once I got the first welt out I started to get the hang of it.

See my nice top knot? Lol. That is all the extra welts on the top. I haven't gotten to those yet. I might not need them. I'm very happy with my overall turn out.

Now I just need to start sewing the welts onto the other wig. Did I mention its very hard to do this sort of stuff since I have no wig head clamp? I use my desk drawer as a clamp. Lol.












I thought I had a picture of the welts in a box but I guess not. It was really dark in my basement last night and I was feeling pretty tired. So I'll have to take more picture later on before I start sewing them into the other wig. Besides working on the wig I'm also doing lots of research on the outfits, asking other cosplayers how they made the outfits and bookmarking lots of tutorials.

There is a bad storm coming over from Japan (Sorry about the typhoon you guys! I hope everyone is safe and there isn't much damage!) and it's pretty yucky over here. Hopefully our internet and lighting stays strong tomorrow as the bulk of the storm is coming tomorrow. I doubt much will happen as we're used to strong winds down here in Oregon. I'm more worried about the rain.

But anyway. I am still pretty worried about these cosplays. But I think I'll be making mock patterns out of Muslin fabric since I might be making a pattern for Abel's cassock too. Which I'm more worried about than Seth's outfit. I'm trying to figure out how to close the front without using a zipper as my sewing machine hates zippers.

If you have any ideas, please message me or comment on this post. I'd love to hear your ideas how to close the front. It closes a little bit above the knee. I'm thinking about using closures but not sure what kind as they will need to be small but strong.


Thanks for reading! I'll have lots more to update later on! My goal this time around is to take a ton of progress pictures so check back soon!

A big change, 7 Months and one huge hat.

If the "and one huge hat" didn't give it away we will be starting on our big Trinity Blood cosplays next month. Nicolas decided he would rather cosplay Abel all weekend for Sakura-con than Break. And of course I couldn't be more excited and nervous since Seth is my dream cosplay. This means there will be a lot more to do and focus on.

Some of the things we'll be doing soon are as such...

~Making stencils 

~Practicing styling Abel's air defying wig

~Start testing out how to make patterns (For Seth's top.)

 ~Starting to make the foam templates
~Sketching out the armor pieces as well as the outfits
~Make a list of all materials we need
~ Get our portfolio set up (I'll explain this in a minute.)
~Researching how to make patterns, more armor techniques
~Ask for advice from other cosplayers


See? There is a lot we can do now. Today we're going to sit down and talk about the finer details. As mentioned above we are making a portfolio for our bigger cosplay projects. The cosplays we plan on entering into a contest will be in the portfolio. It will mainly be filled with progress pictures, explaining in full detail how we did this and that, ref pictures and notes about our plans. I'm mainly making one to keep me organized while working on two major cosplays. We'll do it for the wings and the props as well. It'll include the patterns we used as well.

I hope I can get my paws on some tracing paper soon so I can start working on the designs for the armor and for the costumes. I'm nervous to be starting such a big project but it would be a lot of fun to wonder around as our favorite characters at Sakura-con instead of waiting until fall. We don't know if we'll enter them into the contest or not. It depends on how well the costumes are going and if the wings are done on time. So I won't know or not until later on.

I will upload some pictures of the "portfolio" we're making later. Nicolas has already printed off the pictures we will be using for our references. Thanks for reading! We'll update often as there is a lot to work on with these cosplays.

Fall has arrived

Fall has arrived. And I don't know about you guys but the weather here has changed so much within a few days. It's chilly and dark and very obvious winter is on its way. I am waiting to hear back from one place to hopefully get a interview. I love fall. There is this feeling I get. It's hard to explain. But I have always loved fall and winter. Its the ending of the year, the trees are going to sleep, leaves are falling, pumpkins on people's front door steps and it's almost time for Halloween. I love it. Ever since I was a child I've loved fall and winter. It inspires me. 

I'm working hard on finishing up my novel and figuring out if my next one will be third or first person. There is a lot of work to do with that. But my mind is already on cosplay. I really miss sewing and its only been a month since I finished our last cosplay. Our new Pandora Hearts cosplay, which we decided to bring back after we had people at the panel ask where the characters were, will be my way to improve myself. I'm using them as my chance to practice my skills and make my work much cleaner. So when I start on our Trinity Blood cosplays I will feel very comfortable making them. Those will also be testing me with new challenges such as....

~Making my own patterns

~Styling a gravity deifying wig

~Making wings

~Using fabric paint

~Making armor out of Wonderflex or Worbla

And lots more.

I should be nervous but I'm excited.  I like challenges which is way I want to work hard and fix the problems I have. I know I'm still new with sewing. I've only made four cosplays but I want to strive to be the best I can. I'm not afraid to push myself. Luckily the local cosplay community is great! I've had lots of people tell me they'll help when I have any questions which is awesome since I'll need some advice when I start making my own patterns. 

I will be starting on a few Trinity Blood projects soon.

~Abel's wig (I'll be working with two of my old wigs so I can get some practice before tearing apart the silver wigs we have.)

~Molds (For the armor pieces. I'll start by cutting out some of the armor pieces and seeing if making those in clay would be easier than making 3d craft foam molds. )

~Seth's pattern (I'll be using a pattern I have for the lower half but will be making the upper half by scratch.) 

So I do have some things to work on. We could also start by cutting out a template for Seth's tuning forks. Which I have decided to make! I will be doing something very special for them too! But that's a secret  for now. There is a lot to do and I am so glad I have a LOT of time to finish everything. 

We will be starting on Break very soon. I'll post a ton of pictures when I do so just look for the post that says PICTURES! Lol.

Outfit break down

Getting ready to start sewing. This is my way to keep track of what I will be needing. As you will see there is a lot to making one outfit. I'll also make a list later one about what materials we're going to get and how much everything will cost.

Break

• Navy blue or dark purple fabric 
• Light purple fabric (For hat /jabot.)
• Four buttons on each sleeve (Eight.)
• Three-four buttons on front
• Coat is fitted, tight around waist.
• Flairs at bottom.
• Torn and ripped at bottom (Two circles shown.)
• Piece of paper with written words in hat
• Aged yellow/gold flowers on hat
• Black shoes (Oxford?)

Sharon

• Stripped fabric for gown (Darker color, light strips.)
• Light colored fabric (Cape, Bows, wrap skirt.)
• Light colored lace and trim
• Light colored roses (x2)
• Matching non stripped fabric for headdress 
• White fabric for underskirt (If I don't use the one I made for Caterina.)
• Low heeled shoes
• Three-four buttons on front of dress
• Thin trim on sleeves
• Corset (Will also use this for Seth.)

Abel

• Light-Medium weight black fabric (Cape +cassock robes.)
• White fabric (long scarf.)
• Red fabric (For cross details on scarf + pads under armor plates.)
• Gold/silver trim (depending on which version we do.)
• Long armor plate on collar
• 12 silver pieces each side of cape (12 together. No idea what to call these!)
• Armor plates on both cuffs
• Shoulder armor
• Two wide belts
• Armor plates on shoes
• Feathery black wings

Seth

• Hat "crown" with two beaded strands +gold armor piece
• Shoulder armor
• Green fabric/white fabric
• Black fabric or trim
• Gold trim
• Red fabric/blue fabric or fabric paint
• White lace
• White boots with gold buttons/gold armor tips
• Corset (Important! This is what the wings will clip onto.)
• Wings
• Black wig

As you can see there is a LOT to do. It will cost about $200 for two costumes. Abel and Seth may cost a bit more if we can't find the fabric at Joann's. But $200 is our normal ending price not including wigs and shoes, ect. Or prop stuff. Which will be a whole different post.

I'll be making the costumes in order. Since Break and Sharon are going to be our main cosplays for Sakura-con we want those done first. Otherwise they would mainly be used for Kumori-con for the panel but we decided we missed cosplaying them. Right after Sakura-con or when I finish the other two cosplays I'll start on Abel. Then Seth. We might just do all the armor at the same time depending on how much I will be involved as I'll be busy with sewing. I have decided if I have extra time I'll make Seth's tuning forks. And yes, they will glow! Green just like her "lightening" as seen in the manga. I'm so excited! 

Things are looking up.

Sounds like I may get the job. I'm going in today to do a test. Which I guess it isn't uncommon. I am liking the idea the more I think about it. It really cuts down on all those questions on a normal app. I'm nervous but my drive to get a stable job is much more intense and I don't feel too bad. Which is pretty surprising to me because I'm normally a bundle of nerves at this point but I'm trying my best to stay calm and have a clear mind. No stress, no fuss this time around. I really want this job so I'm going to work hard for it.

One thing I hope to buy myself is an embroidery machine. I'm hoping to buy one that is also a sewing machine so I can finally have my own machine. I'd rather it be a two in one but if I can't find one that isn't computerized I'm going to have to buy a embroidery machine first as I want to practice with it for Seth's outfit.

But first of all I need to start on Break's Mad Hatter outfit. The fun part will be working on my wedding gown while working on four cosplays. What a work load. It's going to be insane. I might just buy a wedding gown from a thrift store then cut it up and make it my own. Which might save me a lot of time and be under my goal of $100. Yup, I'm a cheap bride! Lol. Our wedding will be a small gathering in my parents' backyard, just like they did when they got married. Seeing as our anniversaries are very close, it just seemed fitting.

And no. Being married will not stop us from cosplaying. If anything it will make us want to cosplay more. We'll still go to Kumori-con in the summer and Sakura-con in the spring with our friend just like always. Nothing will change really. Cosplaying has become a part of our lives. It's not a hobby anymore. It's a lifestyle. I really look forward to cosplaying with our children in the future.


Lots of things will change. But I'm excited. There is a lot to do for 2014 but I'm just happy it will be a good year. We'll just take things one step at a time. I'll be starting on Xerxes Break's Mad Hatter outfit within a few weeks. I miss sewing. I can't wait to start on it. I want to focus on improving my sewing skill so I'm hoping to make it neat and will be doing full lining, expect in the sleeves.

So there is a lot to look forward to. 2014 will be busy as heck.

Hope

I may have a job offer. The bad part is they called last week about it and our phone did not ring when they called, which it has done before. My mom is calling the phone service on Monday. I am pissed. But at the same time I am hopeful I may still have a chance at getting this job. I'm calling tomorrow which I doubt the hiring manger is in but I'm not willing to let this job, like the last one slip from my grasp. It's nerve racking. But I'm motivated.

If it goes well and I get the job my fiance and I will be married next April! Which means I'll be planning a wedding, making a wedding gown, searching for a townhouse or rental house, and making four cosplays. That's a lot. But I'm looking forward to the nonstop work. I like being busy so this will be a ton of fun for me.

I have a lot to look forward to. But I am nervous as heck right now. I was going to write tonight but I'm too on edge so I'm skipping working tonight to try and stay calm. In a few weeks we'll be starting Break's mad hatter outfit. I'm so excited to start sewing again! We decided to do the new Pandora Hearts cosplays now instead of next year due to the big Trinity Blood cosplays that will need all our attention on.


So that's it for now. I hope I have good news to share soon! Wish me luck!

Our plan -Break,Abel's wig and molds-

As I said a few days ago we'll be starting on Xerxes Break's Mad Hatter outfit very soon. Which marks the first of the four cosplays I'll be making for 2014. All our new cosplays are meant for Kumori-con 2014. But I am hoping to have Break and Sharon done by Sakura-con in the spring so we have comfortable cosplays to wear in case we are unable to buy a new kimono for Yuuko. Hopefully we can sell some old cosplays to make some extra money for a new kimono since I'm unable to make one.

As soon as we are finished with Break and Sharon we are starting construction on Seth and Abel. Those cosplays have a lot to them and we really want them done by Kumori-con. I'm guessing that our Pandora Hearts cosplays will take about two-three months since they are fairly simple. That means we will have 8-9 months to finish our Trinity Blood cosplays. Which is perfect. Lots of time to focus and try out the new methods we'll be using. I wish we could get them done by Sakura-con but I don't think I have it in me.

Which is okay! I have made only four cosplays as of yet. I'm still learning and I would rather be more comfortable as well as fix a few of my craftsmanship issues. But before then we'll be starting on some of the things that we can do now without buying any other materials.

Such as...

~Abel's wig

Gravity defining wig! I've been learning how to make this and now I finally am comfortable that I can make it without needing to put a foam core on it. Luckily we have two silver wigs. I also have some old wigs that I'll be using to do a test run before we us any of our silver wigs. We'll have to buy a third silver wig because our Trinity Blood cosplays will have a non-crusnik version and a crusnik version for the contest. But the two silver wigs we have aren't the best so they'll make up the the crusnilk version wig.

The wig lifts up. If hair products and teasing doesn't work we'll have to stick it up with glue. I may do a few tests to see if using a foam core and or wire would be easier. We have to do a few tests with our older wigs. Beside Abel's wig we also are going to start playing around with clay and craft foam to start making molds for Abel's armor. My fiance will be in charge of making all our armor. We really want to make it good this time around since he'll be using Wonderflex.

So those are our plans for now. There will be a lot to do to make these costumes but I'm excited to make two large cosplays. It'll be a great experience.

Thoughts about four day cons.

At the end of Kumori-con they announced next year it will be a four day con!

                                                     Kumori-con's 2014 mascot! (So cute!)

The first one in the Oregon-Washington area. The con also reached it's highest attendance record with 5,000 +. It may not have been the best year for me but I still adore Kumori-con very much as it was the first con I cosplayed at. We met friends there, reconnected with old friends and where our love of cosplay bloomed. This con is our home con, it's very close and has a family vibe to it.


This will be our first four day con that we have ever attended and I will admit I do have my doubts about it going smoothly. But before I get to the cons of a four day event I'll explain what I'm excited about. As to every con there is a pro. So here we go!

Pros

• Three full days to cosplay

-Day three is always such a drag. We have to pack, check out of the hotel and head home. There really isn't much going on beside cosplay chess. Shopping ends early. And there barely anyone around. It's dead. So having three full days to cosplay without having to worry about packing up and leaving will be amazing. Three full days and three cosplays. It's awesome!

• More time with friends

-Cons are our break from work and stress, we can get together, share some drinks and make some memories and let loose. We also cosplay from two series together (They are doing xxxHolic with us next year!) so that is always more fun, hanging out in matching cosplays!

• More time to go out and take pictures

-I never have any time to do this! Between cosplaying big cosplays and the contest there wasn't much time to stop and go around to take pictures of the many awesome cosplayers. I really wanted to but due to the heat and my very heavy cosplays I really couldn't go out and take any pictures. Next year I'm planning to go out in the evening and take some pictures, maybe even do a few mini shoots!

• The contest

-More time to focus on the contest. Kumori-con's contest takes up the full second day. Between the judging, the tech rehearsal and contest, there really isn't much time to do much the day of the contest. With another day we'll have more free time. We love the contest so this gives us the chance to give all our attention on the contest during that day. 

• More panels and guests

-Hopefully the con adds more guest and allows more panels. Some people were complaining about the lack of anime/manga related panels (Hellllllo! You should have gone to our Pandora Hearts panel! It was amazing!) so this give the con the chance to allow more panels. Our friend is hoping to get us a Pandora Hearts 18+ panel! 

• More time to enjoy the full con experience. 

Three full days plus half a day (day four.) What's better than that? There is down side to this but I'll explain that below.

Cons

• Not enough to do.

One of the reasons we grew so bored during con. We couldn't go shopping due to low funds. My fiance had just lost his job. Shopping and window shopping is one of our favorite things to do so when we couldn't do it, we found ourselves hanging out in our hotel room for hours on end. It didn't help most of the panels we wanted to go to we had to attend either judging or the pre-meet. Sitting in a hotel room is not fun. We were bored, I was restless making myself sick. It was not fun. If they don't add more panels and invite more guests and dealers, it could be quite awful.

• Price increase

-More food. Four nights at a hotel. Price increase of tickets. Price of  parking for Hilton (Parking garage has reg and dealer's hall in it.) Not fun. Will it be worth it? I hope so.

• Out growing the con space (Spike in numbers.)

-The con was packed. It was obvious to us the con had out grown the site it is at. The long lines, stuffed halls and packed hotels. It was horrible. The elevators took up to ten minutes to go down, some times up as well. How will it be during the hotels' renovations? Worse.

• Not enough people.

-This is where you might become confused. Yes, the con grew in numbers. It was packed and over crowded. BUT there are not enough people for a four day con. It needs to move back to Portland where the venue will be much larger. This gives the con a chance to grow not be squished at a small venue it has over grown.

• They don't take full advantage of both hotels.

-There are two main hotels that the con is at. The Red Lion and the Hilton. Expect there was nothing but gaming located at the Red Lion. Rarely anyone was there. At least from what I saw. If they moved the dealer's hall back to the RL it would create less traffic at the Hilton. 

Over all I have mixed feelings. We will be bringing two very large cosplays (Seth and Abel from Trinity Blood) with large wings. It will be very hard but we won't give up on the con as it's dear to us.  I am keeping positive by thinking about how awesome our cosplays will be. If we get them done on time. I am glad that we will have a full extra day to prance around in our new cosplays. I hope the con will be better than it was this year. I have high hopes. And the biggest pro of all is.... At least it isn't Sakura-con who added on another day! Boy, that would cost a ton of money.... 

Break- Mad Hatter

Our first project for 2014!

My fiance picked out this outfit. He's been wanting me to make this one for a while now. We were going to start with this one, using the same pattern we used for Abel's white coat. Sadly we never got any pictures of our TB cosplays. I'm thinking about using a heavy weight fabric, something with a soft texture.But if we can't find the right purple-blue shade I'll switch and use whatever fabric we can find that is the right color.

The pattern I'll be using again.

Like I had to do with Abel's coat I'll be using a different collar. Most likely the same one I used for Abel's but slightly smaller in size. The bottom of the coat will be the most fun to create. With all those holes and tears, it'll be something new for me but it'll be lots of fun to create. 

We'll be buying a hat at the local Halloween store for the base of the top hat, since making them are a pain in my ass. I'm going to use this as a chance to improve on my neatness and hemming. Since the coat is fairly simple it should be a good chance for me to focus on my skill. I also want to make the inside much cleaner. That means full lining. 

So I'm pretty excited to start this so I can improve as much as I can before we start on Seth and Abel. As our goal is to enter those into few contests. So I really am aiming to improve as much as I can before we start on those. 

I'll be updating more about Break once we start collecting materials. 

Jobs, good news, project start date.

I hate starting this post out in a negative light but I feel this is a part of being a cosplayer. Finding work in my city is hard. Especially a stable non-seasonal job. Obviously cosplay is a expensive hobby. You need money, for supplies, for fabric, for a sewing machine and of course to make props. Or to buy costumes. I am doing everything I can. Sending out multiple apps a day, calling, asking questions, I go to GoodWill's job connection, get advice. Yet no job. It's very stressful. I want do my best. I want to work and make a living. Those who are in the same shoes, please be strong. Keep filling out apps. Don't give up. I hate having moment of doubt. I want to stay happy and positive. So please, try your best. Do everything you can. I know you can do it!

The good news, and reason I felt like I needed to say that was because my fiance got a new good! I'm so happy for him! He's very happy too. I seriously am so proud of him, trying hard and getting a job after being let go of his job of three years.

This also means we can start on his Break cosplay later this month. Most likely around the end of the month or the start of next month. I decided to start on Break first because I felt last time I did Nic's cosplay last I rushed it too much. I really want to focus on improving this time around so I want to really try my best on making Break's coat clean and as close to the ref picture as I can. So I'm going to take my time, focus on each part one at a time, doing the details before finishing up the whole piece.

I normally wait until the very end of the costume to do the details (buttons, trim,ect.) and wind up rushing it. So this time, for example when I finish the sleeves I will do all the trim and details on them before attaching them onto the torso piece. That way I can take my time and focus on that part. It's something I need to improve.

These new Pandora Hearts cosplays will not be made for contests. We will be skipping out on the Sakura-con 2014 contest so I can improve and focus on Seth and Abel right after we finish with Break and Sharon. Abel and Seth are our big contest cosplays (We are making these so we can change little details and make them more comfortable wearing.) Sharon and Break are mainly for the panel. They will be our main cosplays for Sakura-con as well.

Sharon's outfit (dress, cape, bloomers, underskirt.) will not be made until later. They both don't need to be done until April so we have lots of time. Although my fiance did say he wanted to go fabric shopping soon. He's very excited about doing two of his dream cosplays. I'm very excited to make them for him. I just hope he wears them with pride and enjoys them.

Hopefully I find a job soon or get my novel published. It's almost done guys! I'm almost to 70,000 words! I'm so happy how it is going and I hope it is done soon so I can take all next month to edit it. Wish me luck guys, I really need it.

Things I am looking forward to learning.

One of my favorite things about cosplaying is learning new things. And as you can image our planned Trinity Blood cosplays will be pushing me to learn new things. These will be two HUGE cosplays so I really want o focus on improving myself and using new techniques. So here is a list how what I am going to be learning.

~Hand Embroidery

~ Colored resin jewel making

~ Using EVA foam to create a breastplate

~Using molds to create 3d details for the breastplate

~Making feathered and fairy wings

~Making a corset (MAYBE)

~Using fabric paint

My fiance is in charge of making all our armor, expect the breastplate for Seth. It'll be something new for him. I told him if he chose to do Abel's priest outfit he had to do all the armor and he agreed. Which is going to help me a ton. 

He will be learning how to

~Make armor out of foam 

~Making armor out of Worbla or Wonderflex

~Making resin gems

~Casting resin

Hand embroidery is going well. I'm making mistakes but am learning from them and am doing much better than my first try. It is challenging but I think if I keep up with practicing I can get much better by the time I need to use it for Seth's outfit. If not, there is always trim I can use.

The next post will be about details on Abel's outfit. But it may take me a while. I'm getting some of our old cosplays and stuff cleaned up to sell so that'll be my focus for the next week. Thanks for reading!

Tomorrow's plans

Obviously not too much money coming in so we aren't starting on our cosplays for next year yet. But I do have the supplies to start practicing something I have been wanting to do for a while now. Hand embroidery! I don't have money for a embroidery machine and I'm starting to think I don't really want one anyway. My sewing machine gives me hell as it is. I don't need something else to yell at. Lol.

Luckily for me my mother knows a a bit about how to do embroidery by hand. She did quite a few projects herself when she was younger so I'm happy she's willing to lend me her hoops and help me get started. I think I'll enjoy doing it by hand. Beading by hand was a ton of fun. I did it while watching a movie and had a blast with it. So I think doing it by hand will give me something to do when I'm sitting. Plus I think any judge would be impressed by me doing it by hand. It takes a lot more to do it by hand. So hopefully I can get comfortable doing it so I can practice a lot to get good so I can embroider parts of Seth's outfit.

What you up to this weekend?

Have a fun and safe weekend!

Seth- The designing process pt.1 The hat.

I have started the designing process for my up-coming Seth cosplay. This cosplay won't be made until later in 2014 but since it is so detailed I want to make sure I don't overlook any part of it. This will be the last cosplay I make for the year of 2014, I'll be making Break and Sharon and Abel first. In that order too! But starting early never hurts! Since this is a HUGE cosplay I've decided to even make a binder with all this einfo about how I made it, from researching to crafting it to show to the judges for future contests.

So I'm starting with the 'crown' hat Seth is famous for wearing.

This is the design I am doing. I may mix it up and add together two different designs but this is the main one I am going off of. I will not be making the golden piece on her back. Instead I'll be making wings.

The hat pictured here is the one I will be trying to make.










Step one: Gather many images.

The first steps of figuring out how I am going to make it is by viewing different shots of the hat. So I zoomed and cut pictures of the hat to show certain details. The most important part right now if figuring out the shape and how it will stay on without tearing off my wig.

The shape is the same as pictured above. The golden piece isn't as detailed but does have the same symbol as the one above (It is the Empire's symbol so of course the Empress would wear it on her "crown")

The thing I noticed about this one is the color of the circles. Most show red, this one is purple. The gold trim remains the same.

Things that are the same:

• Circles
• Trim
• Colors (Besides the inner circles.)

The main picture I am going off of. This will be the base color I will be aiming for. Colors are sage green, gold, white, red and blue. Beading on the ends of the hat.

• Two large circles on each side, four on the white outer trim, four surrounding the Empire symbol with a red circle within the blue "moon" Four gold spikes outside the symbol, two arrow shaped pieces on the side.

The only full back view I could find. It appears flat, not stuffed. The patterns of course are meant to match the outfit in the picture so I will be doing it differently. 

• Again, red inside the circles, gold trim around the circles.
• Sharp angles, simple yet elegant. 
• Same type of beading shown here as on the one I will be basing off of, but there are four instead of two.

The top appears to be slightly smaller and shorter than the ones above. The ends are perfect lines, no curves. No red circles. Again the hat matches the outfit and is very different.

• Gold trim is back, as well as white trim outlining the hat.
• Clearer details on the golden center piece. 
• Corner pieces on the ends of the hat are gold, matching the main center piece.

Sorry for the blurriness. This picture was very small. The hat details are very simple. The shape also appears different. More of a point like a pyramid. Could be because of the angle. 

• Center of the gold center piece appears to have a different pattern to it.
• Can't see any gold trim, appears to be all white.

Very simple compared to the others.

Most detailed picture. This is from the novel. The pattern is clearer. The gold center piece has the same design as the one I am doing.

I noticed there are two circles on the center piece, near the points on the left and right. Those most likely are gems. So I will be adding those onto mine so it looks cleaner.

The center piece is larger, rising up and taking up almost the full front. The colors are back again but with no blue. The green replaces it. With the blue it pops more. I will be adding the blue to the center symbol.

The beading is clear in this picture.

It looks like the beads are green and red and gold. I think pearls would look awesome at the ends since the last bead appears white.

This design is spot on with the one I am doing. I'm pretty sure it is the same outfit. I love how her hair is sticking up out of the hat on top. The center piece again is hard to make out.

The sharp angles that make the sides are back! I'm liking them more and more every time I see them. 

Step Two: Figuring out how to make the hat.

Luckily for me, some kind people have posting how they have made theirs. So I won't be walking int he dark with my eyes closed. I've never made a hat before (Just a mini top hat. And that was HARD.) so I am very thankful that these people have posted some tutorials/discussed how they made it.

http://muralu.deviantart.com/art/Seth-Hat-cosplay-tutorial-277307031
http://decemberwynn.deviantart.com/art/Seth-Nightroad-Workmanship-Discussion-326885851



These are the two I will be using to help me. For the base I am planning on using craft foam or as the top one showed a yoga mat (Seriously that is such a great idea!) The foam will be used for crafting the part that will be on my head. For the center gold piece that will either be made out of craft foam or Worbla or Wonderflex. I plan on using resin on the details on the hat, such as the main symbol in the middle. The red circles will be resin gems. I'm not sure how to put those on without sewing them, I'm guessing glue will have to do. Good glue. Strong glue. No hot glue.

So that's it for now. I do have some drawing but I'll upload those in another post.

2014 cosplays (Official line up.)

Sakura-con 2014- Sharon and Break (Pandora Hearts)

Kumori-con 2014/Sakura-con 2015

We talked. Nicolas chose. It's official. Our 2014 cosplays will include two of our dream cosplays (Top row.) and will also be our biggest project as of yet. After we get jobs (Hopefully soon!) I'll be starting on Sharon and Break. Those are mainly going to be for the second Pandora Hearts panel during Kumori-con 2014 but I am hoping to bring them to Sakura-con as we have retired four cosplays and I miss wearing a hoop skirt. I find Sharon's outfits much more comfortable to wear so this will be my main cosplay for Sakura-con.


Abel and Seth from Trinity Blood will be our big project. These are both eye popping, detailed and have huge wings. We may skip out on props for now and put all our focus onto the wings and costumes. They have enough detail anyway. These costumes will give us both new challenges to face and hopefully conquer. Nicolas will be in charge of making all armor pieces this time around as he chose the cosplays.

Such as..

~Wings (Big feathery wings for Abel, Faerie wings for Seth.)
~ Abel's wig
~Details on Seth's dress
~Seth's breast plate
~Armor pieces made out of Wonderflex or Worbla
~Seth's large crown "hat"


There will be a lot to do. I'm very excited. I'll keep this updated as things change.

Blog to come... Finding the perfect wig.

I know from personal experience that finding the perfect wig, whether it be the right color or style or even length can be a very hard challenge. Especially if you are cosplaying a lesser known character. I'll be writing up a thread about where to search, how to find reviews, how to tell if a Ebay pictures is stolen and how to find the real seller, as well as some tips.

It may be split into two posts as I want to put as much as I can so it can help many people. I'll have to collect some reviews and some pictures so please be patient as it may take me a few days. I do want to do a a small tutorial about washing and caring for wigs as well. I do have wigs to put away and wash so that may come later on this month.

So I hope everyone will enjoy it.

Remember to comment if you have any questions!




Like our Facebook page here  

What I want to improve and learn.

There are a lot of things I've been thinking about. Last con may not have been the best (or beat the best con so far, Kumori-con 2012) but I think this is a great chance to really improve myself and my sewing. So here is a quick post about the top ten things I want to improve for our next projects.


1. Trim

-Sew the trim on more evenly, less rushed. Not waiting until the end to sew on all the trim.

2. Make the inside of the costume cleaner.

-No more craziness going on inside the garment. Oz's coat was...insane.

3.Over all neatness

-I want to make our costumes look much neater, more clean. I'm still new at sewing but if I take some extra time while making the costumes I'm sure I can work harder on doing this.

4. No rushing.

-When I get in the zone I go crazy, rushing and speed through whatever I'm doing. I get lazy and won't stop to fix my mistakes.

5. Better craft foam armor

-Not something I will be focusing on for our next projects but I will have to learn and improve before our big Trinity Blood cosplays next year.

6. Beading

-I love beading! It's a lot of fun and doesn't take a genius to do it. I really enjoy beading while watching TV or a movie. It's very relaxing and easy to fix mistakes. I will be trying new beading techniques for Sharon's new dress.

7.  Focusing more on what's under.

-Historical underwear! I love bloomers and I think by making the whole outfit, including what goes under it will be a lot of fun. I won't be doing if I don't have time (I.E. A week before con.) I do plan on making Sharon's nightgown and some bloomers at some point. These won't really be seen but will be fun to make!

8. Trying harder to make more friends.

-I love cosplay but it truly is more fun with friends. Our friends are joining in on the fun of our xxxHolic cosplays. I am so happy so there aren't many xxxHolic cosplayers at our local cons. I want friends who not only love cosplay for having fun and improving themselves but people who are willing to hang out outside of cons.

9. Create a original piece

-Not really something to improve but I would love to start working on my own lolita dream dress or a steampunk outfit for my fiance and I. I guess my first step is by making my wedding gown.

10. Going outside the box (Trying new things.)

-Embroidery, dying lace, dying fabric, fabric painting, are all things I want to do/improve my skills at. I find these things really fun. If we wind up doing the artbook versions of Yuuko and Watanuki we'll be needing to learn how to fabric paint, yay!


There are so many things cosplay as taught me. One, is more on and keep pushing forward. There are a lot of things I want to learn and improve that which I already know. Our big cosplay for fall next year is still undecided. We won't know 100% until we have stable jobs. They will be pretty costly, even with coupons. One things is for sure, I think cosplay will forever be a part of our lives.

What time is it?

Novel writing time!

Ha! How many of you said ADVENTURE TIME in your heads? I know I did. Any way, I'm posting this to explain that the next few months are going to be lacking in posts. I am putting all my attention on my novel and finding work. I am more than half way finished with my novel and am hoping to get it done by the end of the month so I can start editing and writing up a synopsis and query letter to get everything ready so I can start trying to get it published.

Sewing and cosplay are big parts of my life now, but writing will always come first. I do have a writing blog, which I will be posting on a lot more while I am finishing up the novel and going through the long process of sending out query letters. You can find the link at the bottom of this post. All support is very welcomed! I write young Adult novels, so many of you might be interested in what I write. At least I hope you would be.

My dream is to become published. It would not only be the best job in the world but I really want to inspire people. To give teens a break from reality and all the drama that comes with being a teen. I have a lot of ideas and plots. Once I finish this one, I have another novel I will be writing while I am editing the one I am writing now. There will be a lot to do but I like writing. It's fun work. Yes, it is hard. There are a lot of things you have to pay attention to and learn while you are writing. I cannot afford college. Which doesn't matter as there are no creative writing programs at the nearby college. Literary agents don't care about an English degree. So I am teaching myself, learning and improving as I go on.

I will keep this blog updated, maybe two or three posts per month or more if I have time or we start early on the new Pandora Hearts cosplays (Whhhhhat? I want to wear my hoop skirt again. ;_; ) We are already officially going as Sharon and Break for the next Pandora Hearts panel. Hopfully I can get both cosplays finished within three months so I can move onto our big cosplays.



You can check out my writing blog here  http://victorianmess.blogspot.com/

Kumori-con 2013 con report + 2014 plans

So we are back from Kumori-con! This year Kumori-con hit it's highest record ever during day one which was 9,000 attendees. That's a lot for a small con. And holy cow was it packed. The con is held between two hotels. I'll start by explaining the pros then go on and explain what I disliked about the con this year.


The pros.

1. Pandora Hearts Panel

It was a hit! People were lining up outside the room waiting for our panel. We ran upstairs after the contest, our Will got changed and we fixed ourselves up, then rushed downstairs to the panel room. We got everything ready and let them in. Every single host was amazing. Everyone stayed in character and laughed and joked, fought and had a great time. People were laughing and asking us questions, they really got into it and had lots of fun. We are now planning to do two Pandora Hearts panels next year, one of them being an 18+ panel. We will not be returning as Alice and Oz but as Sharon and Break again. We cannot wait! It was the best thing about the whole con.

2. The cosplay contest.

We didn't win anything but we met a lot of really awesome people, saw some awesome skits and saw some wonderful costumes. It was so much fun watching everyone. The half time show was funny as hell. It was much more fun sitting in the green room than out int he crowd. We don't care whether we won or not, yes it would have been nice but I had more fun meeting new people and walking on stage. I am so happy that the Trinity Blood cosplayer won! I was hoping she would, her costume was amazing! I really enjoyed it. The skits were very fun to watch as well. I think we will do this again next year if our Trinity Blood cosplays are finished.

3. Hanging out with friends

Our friends and us spent the night during day zero having so much fun. There are so many memories from that night I'll never forget. It was a ton of fun and was a great way for us all to let loose before the contest and panel. It's sort of become our tradition now and we'll be spending many more day zero nights drinking, playing games and laughing our butts off.


4. Our cosplays!

Both our Pandora Hearts and our xxxHolic cosplays were recognized! It made me so happy. All the hard work was paid off. These were our favorite cosplays to wear. I think our prop was pretty eye catching. Lots of people stopped to stare at it. It made me very happy.


The Cons.

1. The heat

Holy cow! It was hot. Not something we can control. Luckily the con made sure there was lots of free water for us around the con. The maid squad (Volunteers who dress in maid outfits.) served everyone in line water while they waited and the insides of the hotels were blasting the air conditioning which made it okay. Thank goodness they were kind enough to have lots of water for us as we often forgot to bring our water bottles with us.

2. Cosplays

Yes, it was a blessing and a curse. Our Trinity Blood cosplays were falling apart. Well, Abel's armor plates were. I have really improved because now, looking at the TB cosplays I'm a bit embarrassed by them. I'm glad I have improved. We wore them for less than an hour. My Yuuko cosplays was super hot. The kimonos did not want to stay closed. Although I did manage to walk back and forth to and from the hotels in my platform heels. I'm very proud of that. We'll be getting a new kimono for Yuuko later.

3. Long hours of nothing +Waiting.

There was much to do. Day one we walked a lot, sat a lot, talked a lot, waited even more. It was very boring. There weren't many panels that interested us, the ones we wanted to go to we couldn't due to the pre-meet for the cosplay contest. It was packed. The elevators had lines. They were so slow. At one point we waited about ten minutes for one. We couldn't use the stairs due to our large prop.

4. The rudeness

People pushed, shoved and stopped right in front us when they saw us coming with our large prop, yet they would stop and take a picture of another cosplayer right in the middle of a busy sidewalk pathway. It was crazy. Lots of new con goers were there this year and they did not understand the rules very well. Lots of people complained the rules were too forceful, I don't believe they were enough. We had people trying to touch our prop, cut in front of us. No one was kind enough to move out of the way ahead of time so we could hurry to our costume judging, even with me asking them to please move.



All cons have pros and cons. This con was not the best. I don't think we have had the worst yet. Hopefully we never do. There are many things we can do next time to stop this from happening, staying at the main hotel is one of those so we do not have to walk a long ways. I wish this con could have been better but I am so happy with how the panel turned out, that alone was enough to make the con worth the trip.

And because of all this talk of another PH panel for next year, we have come up with a firm plan for our 2014 plans!

As I have said before we will be doing two new Trinity Blood cosplays. Those will only happen if we both have jobs as it will be sort of costly. These will replace our old TB cosplays that are now retired. We will be focusing to finish two new Pandora Hearts (What? We're addicted!) cosplays first. These will be for the next panel and to replace our Alice and Oz cosplays.

We will be...


BRINGING BACK SHARON AND BREAK! I'm so excited. We talked it over and we feel most comfortable as Sharon and Break. Our personalities fit better. Alice and Oz were a lot of fun but I have to admit I like Sharon much better. Plus it will give me an excuse to make some new bloomers and wear my hoop skirt. Which I love wearing. It's a lot of fun to sit in. Plus Sharon is more girly and more modest. It suits me better. My fiance bought up the idea and I'm liking it a lot. He has already decided firmly to do Break's Mad Hatter outfit.

He's wanted to do this version for a while. Now that I know how to sew I can easily make it. We're hoping that we find good stable jobs within a month or two so after that we can pay off the bills and start on these. I'm hoping it will only take three months for both. It will help now that the computer room is now a sewing room. I'll have more space.

For Sharon I am thinking about this outfit but may change my mind. I will not know until I have money and go to a few fabric stores to see if I can find a light purple/ or bright pink fabric with white pin strips. If not I may changed my mind and do another dress.

I love this dress. Between the cape and the design of the dress I am very excited to make it. It's very Victorian. Yet simple enough that I could easily finish within a few weeks. I'm so excited to be able to be Sharon again. And for the panel, it should be a lot of fun.

So that means I will be making four new cosplays. Holy crap. Plus find a new kimono for Yuuko. Lots to do but there is a lot of time to finish things. Our next big con is in Spring, April I believe. Or late March. Either way I am guessing only the new Pandora cosplays will be finished. Our Trinity Blood cosplays will not be rushed. We want to add as much detail as possible. So if they are not done in time they will be worn for Kumori-con 2014.

So that's it for tonight. I am very tired and want to write. Toodles for now!