My hot glue gun is evil (Day 25)

I serious hate this thing. It's broke so the glue comes down and gets stuck in the trigger so hot, very hot glue gets all over my hands. Which is funny, not because it gets on me, but because the glue that comes out the top is normally not very hot. The thing is so messed up. But hey, that's what I get for getting one at Fred Myers and not the art store. Cheeeeep.


Any way.

I wasn't going to write a post today but I thought, hey why not? I'm bored any way. Today has been a very slow day. My mom and I have been so frustrated with the lower part of the coat we really got no work done on it today. I did however work on the under skirt for my Yuuko outfit, since the opening was too high I wanted to give myself some comfort. I worked on the front slit. The hem looks a bit odd. I think I need to hem it again and work on that more. Right now I'm working on Oz's matching top hat, which is why I was ranting about the hot glue gun.


Tomorrow is...

PACKAGE DAY!

Well. The first of many. We're due to get six or so packages this week and next week. Most are coming this week it seems. Then we have three more items to order in the next few weeks. But those items are all in the states and should arrive before con. Those items are my new wig for Caterina, white gloves for Oz and roll on stuff to keep my gloves up and my leg brace on.

I have the faith that this coat will be finished. I'm REALLY hoping the bottom will go on tomorrow so I can start focusing on the details. I'm also going to fix the collar and sew on the black fabric. It's stressful since it's so close to con. I'm starting to lose my excitement. I hate saying it but my friend hasn't updated me, there are so many issues with the coat and I keep finding myself making more mistakes. It's just annoying.I think this con I will focus on my attention on my fiance and make it about him. I'm going to try to let lose, let him take control so I can relax and have fun. I'm so happy he's mine. I'm not sure what I would do without him. He even got me a snack and some Mike's hard yummyness.

So anyway. Enough ranting and raving. I wont be doing a review on the package that comes tomorrow mainly because it's undergarments, a bra, shorts to wear under my dresses since I wont be able to wear my bloomers and a waist clincher. So nothing anyone needs to see. I'll only be doing reviews on the wigs and stuff. So stayed tuned!


Tomorrow is....

DAY 24!!!!!

Little update

Today I didn't get as much as I would have liked done. Due to the heat I couldn't work very long. Hopefully the air gets turned on tomorrow so I don't melt. Today I did, however make a underskirt for Yuuko's kimono. The kimono's opening shows too much so this way, once I cut the slit in the front I can cover what needs to be covered but still show a little leg. It's the same chiffon that I used for Alice's dress. It matches pretty well with the red on the outer kimono and will match my lipstick. I'll post a picture of it all done later on. I made the skirt with no pattern! It's the first time I've done something like that and it turned out pretty well. So I'm really happy about it. Hopefully I wont be too hot. I'm really worried about that. But now I'll feel better about taking off the outer kimono since I wont have to worry about showing my shorts.

If Yuuko's outfit becomes too hot I will just change into Alice or take a break and get into my lolita dress, if it comes on time. Alice's outfit will be the coolest, since taffeta is smooth and cold to the touch and there is less fabric than the kimono set it most likely will be my main cosplay. I love Alice's wig too. It's very fun and i wont need to worry about my eyebrows when wearing it!


I did get the sleeves on the coat as well today. I tried using the iron on stuff with the trim but it did not take. I'll try again and if it doesn't work I'll have to hand sew it, which I wont be happy about. I already have to hand sew the button holes.


My to do list

~Fix collar (Sew black fabric over the red.)
~Button holes
~Sew lower section of the coat + lining
~Make and sew on ruffles
~Make matching top hat
~Make black band for Oz's pants
~Black leg piece for Alice
~RE-make scythe
~Finish Abel's armor plates


Buy

~Wrist length white gloves for Oz (I forgot all about these!)
~It Stays! Roll on body adhesive (For my gloves and brace.)
~Caterina's wig.


That's it. I can easily finish everything before con time. There is still three weeks left. Lots of time to get everything done. Hopefully. We had a bit of a scare today when the sewing machine decided to act up, luckily my mom got it to work. There are many things that could go wrong but I'm staying positive. I'm hoping to make Oz's coat the best I can. Right now it looks like a biker's jacket. LOL. I want to make it look elegant and nice. It's coming along, slowly but surely. I like details.


My fiance and I were talking about what we want to cosplay after our big 2014 plans and so far our top two ideas are...

Lace and Levi- Pandora Hearts

Yuuko and Watanuki- xxxHolic.

To-do list

Today I have some set goals I would like to finish before the end of the day. Here are my goals.

1. Sew sleeves onto torso of the coat

2. Finish Alice's leg brace

3. Start on sewing the bottom pieces of the coat on

4. Start trim work (Maybe)

Then at night I hope to finish Abel's armor plates. Although I doubt that will be done today, there is a lot to do to it now that all the pieces have been glued together. It looks great though. It just needs some Mod Podge to clean some edges and some paint touch ups. Otherwise it should be ready for it's final coat of M.P and the clips to be glued on very soon.

We are re-doing the scythe blade today as well. But my fiance and dad will be working on that while I am busy with the coat and the other props.

It's going to be a long day....


At least my packages should start coming tomorrow! YAY.

Picture update

Holysmok'ncowonapickle.

Wait. What? Picture time! I got a lot done today, made some mistakes, fixed some mistakes and started tore apart a prop. What a day. I didn't mention earlier that I woke up really sick this morning. Thanks to a migraine I went to bed with and woke up with I felt rather crappy. My migraines are really bad and the only medicine that doctor can offer that is cheap makes me sicker than a dog so I have to make do with Advil and coffee. Which did the trick and made me feel better. Thank you coffee! 

We went shopping after my fiance got off work to spend a coupon that was about to run out. We got black buttons, black ribbon and red ribbon plus fabric for Alice's leg...thing. Also the gold trim for Oz's coat. This means....the only thing we need are the new Trinity Blood wigs! YAY. We're int he home run. Last con we were rushing, literary getting packages right before con and sadly...some after. So I'm really happy we're still three weeks away from the con. We'll be able to get all those packages on time. 

And in case your wondering why I sound so happy or hyper is because I had coffee with four shots of espresso. I'm hyper as hell. But I don't think you'll notice. Maybe.

Less stress for me! That's always a good thing. So let's get to the pictures!

The kitchen table is no longer for eating.

As you can see I've taken over the dining room. Not that we normally eat there anyway. Only my fiance and I do during diner so it's not usually used often. This is my work space for the most part. And it's getting crazier and crazier by the day. This is pretty clean for it. I clean it up at night and get it messy during the day. I had fabric and sleeves draped all over the table but removed them long before taking this. Thought some people might be interested to see where I do most of my work during the day.

This is the coat so far. Although it really doesn't look like much. This pattern is super confusing. The collar is supposed to be black....my bad. I have to cover it with black fabric tomorrow. The seams will be covered by the gold trim we got today.

The collar hasn't been ironed yet either. Sorry it looks weird. I hate this pattern so far. But we had to use it because of how the front is. Tomorrow the sleeves will be sewn on then we will start on the lining and bottom parts. After I fix that ugly collar. 

It will be round and short in the front, showing the pants and longer around the hips and back. 

As you can see on the cuff....I did the same mistake I did with the collar. I forgot it was supposed to be black. But that's easily fixed. I pinned the black fabric after I cut out two pieces of the same pattern and sewed it on.

I did have to hand sew a part of each cuff but the seam which is red thread will be covered by gold trim. Otherwise I would be in deep trouble because the seams look icky.

The cuffs have both been fixed. They looks pretty good now. I like the black and red fabric together. It will look even better when the white pieces are on. I really love red, black and white together. 

I think it will look amazing once finished. I serious am in love with the black fabric. It's light and airy. Sort of like chiffon but thicker and not see through. 

I will be putting on the gold trim once I am done with the sewing of the coat. It will be ironed on.

This is how the fabric looked after I cut out the piece of the pattern. I made sure it was slightly larger than the patter so I had extra to work with. The insides of the cuff are hemmed in case anyone sees inside. 

Sorry I didn't take a picture of the finished piece. I had just finished both before seeing my fiance out and cleaning up. I'll post them tomorrow so everyone can see the red thread before it is covered with trim.

This is the gold trim we chose. And our garden potatoes my dad grew, they are so yummy! 

It was hard finding gold trim that wasn't metallic or cheap, costume-y looking.  Yes I am making costumes but I don't like them looking cheap and cheesy. 

This was perfect. Sort of aged and very nice looking in person. It will look great on the black fabric!

 Oops. Sorry this picture blurred. This is the sheer black fabric for Alice's leg piece which I will add a picture of at the bottom of this post so everyone can see what I'm talking about. It's on her left leg. 

I'm going to try and hand sew it. Not sure how it will go but I'm lazy and don't want to remove the red thread on the sewing machine since it's a bitch to get back on.

Alice's finished choker!!!!

I love it! I was a bit upset with how the bow turned out since I had to re-do it twice. But it looks okay all together. I'm very happy with the outcome. I had to re do the ruffles as well as I made them too big and I wound up with no neck.

It took me about....five hours to make it. Fits so well too. Very comfortable. 

The black leg thing I was speaking about above is shown on Alice's left leg. It's a sheer piece of black fabric. I plan on using ribbon on the top. It will be kept on by two or three snaps on the back as well as by the red ribbon. 

The leg brace on the right is what I'm working on tonight. I'm hoping it will be finished today so I can move onto the other leg piece. 

The black brace is made out of ribbon as metal didn't work out and I don't have the time or patience to deal with. It will be kept on by snaps. Each piece will be kept on to the middle piece by black buttons.

Hard to explain. I'll show you guys a picture once it's finished.

Our packages should start coming next week. Our gold Pandora Hearts watch has been shipped. It was the only item that wasn't supposed to come early next week but I'm pretty sure it will be coming early next week as well. I haven't gotten my tracking number for my custom made lolita replica dress but that should take about two-three weeks to ship. It should be the last item to come. I'm so excited! I love getting packages. It's so exciting. 

Once we get more contact solution I can finally try on my red contacts for Yuuko. Our contacts should also be coming next week. I'll be doing lots of reviews on all that stuff later.

Now for the bad news...

My father tried his best along with my fiance's help to try and get the scythe to work but it didn't. The clay got weak due to the heat and ripped. We have to re-do the blade to the scythe. My fiance scrapped off the two outer layers of cardboard and all the clay and saved the middle piece. We will be getting more cardboard and adding two more layers. But no more clay. The scythe blade will be made out of cardboard only. I really didn't want to do this but we have to at this point. I will be using Gesso and Mod Podge to fix it all. It should work pretty well. My dad and fiance are in charge of making it while I work my arse off on the coat. I'm happy they are taking charge and are bonding over it. It's nice to see and great for me so I don't have more to do. It took a lot of work to get that scythe where it was but I'm okay with the change because the only thing I have to do is paint it. 

Thank goodness. I'm really glad my dad is so willing and into helping us with our prop. He's very creative and talented with tools we aren't. I'm a seamstress after all not a tool person. So I'll leave that to them. 

So with all this being said I better go and get some work done. I really want to get Abel's armor plates glued together and the brace finished so I can finally have a few hours to write my novel. I'm so behind. But I'm really focusing all my attention on getting all this done. These costumes will be in the contest and I want them to be the best that I can make them. I hope they look good to you guys. I'm pretty pleased with them. It was a test. Next two projects are going to be twice as hard...

Update: Nevermind, guess my fiance just bought his new Abel wig. One more thing to buy. LOL.

Which is why they are the only ones we are doing next year (Starting them in November.)

Trinity Blood 2014. Be ready for them. They're coming.....

28 days until con.

HolycowHolycowHolyCow.


TWENTY EIGHT MORE DAYS!!!!!



It's crunch time! I'm so pumped right now its crazy. I have my dad helping my fiance with the scythe, hopefully they figure out how to it get attached and able to make it detachable.; If not I will have to start on re-making it tomorrow. Which is a shame since we put so much money and time into making it but I want it right so if I have to I will let my fiance do all that while I'm busy with his coat.

Today we got gold trim, it's really lovely. I'll post pictures of it later. We also got the supplies for the leg brace, which I will be making tonight and lots of red ribbon. As well as the fabric needed for the other leg thing for Alice. I'm really excited now. Not only because we have everything on it's way, but there are only two things we need to buy now, the Trinity Blood wigs. Which both are sold in the states so we're buying those on the next paycheck. We're in the clearing! Everything is coming along really well and I'm pumped up.

As I said before I changed the contest cosplays to our new Pandora Hearts cosplays in spirit of the first ever Pandora Hearts panel that will take place right after the contest. I am really proud of my dress and the necklace so far and can't wait to get the coat done.

I'll be posting some pictures tonight hopefully. So please stayed tuned!


Oh, and 59 views last night? That's crazy. Thank you so much!!!!

~Jessica

Our cosplay list (updated.)

Holy smokes. 59 views on the 31st. That's insane. Not sure what the highest view count is, but thank you! I think that's the third or fourth time I've started a blog. But it really means a lot to me. I'm glad to know people are viewing this and I'm not just ranting to myself.


Anyway, today was a crazy day. We got a lot done, shopping wise. Our list has become very small. I'm so excited! So here are some of the items we bought today. I'm also going to share where we got them so you happen to be looking for something similar you know where to find them. Remember to do your own research before buying.

And no, I was not paid (Or given anything.) to talk about these stores.

I will be doing a review on all these items as soon as they come. Our big cosplay haul should be coming in around August 6-19.


1. Ultra long red opera length gloves

Alice has long red gloves on so these are perfect. Not only are they long and above the elbow, which means more room for plus size girls but they are the perfect shade. I'll be adding on ruffles around the top once they come.

Online shop bought from: http://www.orchardcorset.com/

There are some online coupons for this site. We saved 20% which is $2 USD. So in total I spent only $14.95 with shipping. That's a pretty good deal.

I'm hoping these gloves are strong so they last a while. They look so silky and smooth I can't wait to wear them!

Stock photo belongs to Orchard Corset.com






2. Pandora Hearts gold pocket watch

What's a Pandora Hearts cosplay without the famous gold watch that was made by Jack? My fiance, who's cosplaying Oz had to have one. So I found one that happened to be a great price and had free shipping.

Online shop bought from: Ebay

Price was only $14.99 with free shipping!








3. Red ballerina flats

Another piece for Alice. I know the shoes she wears have small heels but I couldn't find a pair of shoes that were similar and were not above the price range I wanted to spend. I found these on sale and are really cute. It'll be a nice relief to wear flats for once.

Online shop bought from: Amazon 

Price was $9.99, originally $24.99.

Did you know it's very hard to find red flats? I've searched everywhere!!! Even locally....





4.  Green contacts (EOS Adult Green)

We gets contacts for our cosplays for many reasons. I'll get into that later on. These are perfect for Oz. Not only do they appear bright but they look clear and more emerald than grass green.

Online shop bought from: http://www.honeycolor.com

The prices are a bit high on this site but they really are the best. We adore these contacts and have bought from this site many times. We used express shipping so for three products we spent...$70. A lot I know. I feel bad but we need them quickly so we had to use the express shipping.

I can't wait to see what my fiance looks like with green eyes! I bet these will really pop on stage for the contest!


















5. Purple contacts (Super Pinky Violet)

Purple contacts for Alice! I watch the model below on FB and she posted a picture of these a while back and I few in love with the color. There are two colors I really wanted to have for contacts, red and purple. Now I have both.

Online shop bought from: http://www.honeycolor.com

Again, a bit high in price but I can't pass up the chance of having purple eyes! They cost $25.90. But this site worth the price. I have horrible eye sight and need a -5.75, not a lot of sites carry contacts with powers in these colors. I went with -6.00 since contacts are never as strong as glasses. Please make sure you talk to your eye doctor before picking out contacts. You need to know the right power from them first.





















6.  Rohto Lycee eye drops.

Recently my eyes get really dry when wearing contacts and the solution I normally use doesn't work anymore. There are some great reviews on HoneyColor.com for this product. I've heard a little about it. It helps with dry eye caused by contacts and helps produce more tears. One reviewer mentioned it helped even when in air conditioning which is another problem for me.  So we decided to go ahead and try out this product.

Online shop bought from: http://www.honeycolor.com

Price: $12.90



7. White slacks

Another item for Oz. These look nice, formal and elegant. We were a bit worried about find slacks in my fiance's size in white but found these on our first try. In his size which is awesome.

These wont be reviewed.

Online store bought from: http://www.amazon.com/Haggar-Gabardine-Plain-Front-White/dp/B003ABG2NU/ref=sr_1_3?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1375507386&sr=1-3

The price was only $25.62! That's a steal. Plus my fiance used his mom's account so there is free prime shipping. Awesome! I love Amazon!

I thought these would hard to find..Psh.





8. Silkies Control top pantyhose.

I need pantyhose for Yuuko's cosplay. Mainly because a lot of leg will be showing and I really don't feel comfortable showing my legs. So pantyhose was really the only option. I found these on sale and was so happy, not only because of the price but because of the sizing. They carry lots of plus sizes. They say they are sheer which is perfect. No one will notice I have them on. Plus they will smooth my legs.

Online store bought from: http://www.silkies.com

Since the price was so low I bought two pairs. Just in case. The price was $5.88 plus shipping which ended up being around $11. I believe. Could be less. We did find a coupon for another 20% off.






9. Fabric Roses

We need about tweleve roses for both Oz and Alice's outfits. These were the best I could find that I could sew on by hand. They are quite pretty and I can't wait to see them in person. They are made out of chiffon which is the same fabric used on Alice's dress. They sell these by a single yard. We bought two yards.

Cost: $4.98

Online store bought from: http://www.etsy.com/listing/118668820/1-yard-chiffon-rose-lace-trim-applique?ref=sr_gallery_42&ga_search_query=red+rose+appliques&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all




So all we need now is...

~Ribbon and buttons for Alice's leg brace
~Fabric for Alice's leg accessory (See through black fabric. Believe we found one that would work.)
~Rolls of red Ribbon (For Alice's legs and Oz's shoes.)
~Supplies for the scythe (PVC pipe, ect.)
~Gold trim for Oz's coat


And I think that's it! Not much. The items on the list can all be bought locally which is great! Things are going good with the coat. I've started on the sleeves today. There was some issues with the collar, the pattern is horrible and doesn't explain everything in detail nor show you how it should look so after fixing all that I finally started on the sleeves. Luckily sleeves are pretty basic so those should be finished tomorrow. I'm waking up early again to spend the morning sewing with the help of my mom. This pattern is way too hard to do without her help. Alice's was pretty straight forward and I did that all on my own. I was so happy to finish it. The petticoat and the dress were the first pieces I did 100% on my own. The coat is over 90% done by me. My mom has helped with pinning and fixing the collar. I don't know what I would do without her.



(We just hit 6,000 views! So here is a pictures of my sewing buddy!)

What's to come for the first week of August

August is a very....challenge month for me. I have a lot to think about during this month and having to get ready for con does help keep my mind off things. I may explain things later on but finding the words to explain it is very hard. It's still a very fresh wound. I may be posting very few posts during the last few weeks of August because of this.

But any way, here are a few things that I will be posting about  either this week or next week. Yes, I know I titled this post for the first week but I am still sewing a coat and writing a novel, sometimes I forget.

~A post about the completed cosplays and their props

This will be very detailed with many pictures. May take a while for me to post. May not be up loaded for a while depending on which camera I use and when I start styling the wigs (As they will be pictured worn.)

~A update on the Pandora Hearts cosplays

Props too. One with pictures. I promise.

~A post about styling and taking care of your wigs

Been wanting to do this for a while now. I've gotten quite good at taking care of wigs. But I've also damaged many wigs. I'll take lots of pictures with lots details about washing, drying, styling (I'm still new at this.) and storage. As well as what products I use, including brushes.





I'm really excited for the wig post, as I have three wigs that are ready for styling. It'll be a lot of fun. I'm really starting to love wigs and have been enjoying styling them. So it will most likely come quicker than the rest, although it will take me a few days to finish and take pictures.


So that's it for now. Thank you for stopping by and viewing my blog!