princesse updated.

Yep, the stand is padded because I want the idealised figure and while I am from the neck up and the ribs down, it’s that middle section that needs period accurate help 😉

 

Yes. This is good. Might not work with the princesse as I hoped but well it was probably a bit much to hope for too many multi-purpose uses out of a thing with a train!

 

So nice to get back to this era 🙂

 

2008? (not even going to say how old the other one is)

 

2004?

2009?

 

Spot the totally ridiculous mistake(s) to have made on the Sunburst. 2009 and I was a bit heartbroken so it got put away. I have salvaged a lot of the silk though. It’s still quite gold but not much can be changed about that 🙂

This section of my portfolio is lacking as I really need to find the original photos and tweak them to look good and in higher res.

 

|      

The next few months

Not hectic, but a lot of planning 🙂 And not in order of importance.

!) Spanish work. I have texts and physical costume to finish. They are both at the personally satisfying stage but not at all ready for public viewing. But the two have been working together. And I do now have my physical project stored in a way I can work on what needs to be worked on.

2) Cleves/Cologne wardrobe. Finally got my “sunt” kirtle made. This is so that I can do all the finishing work on my gown and accessories while I work on the undergarments proper. I know I am bang on in fit and contruction of my outer gear (making a new heuke though) but the undergarments are taking a little more time.

3) Marie Antoinette. This is possibly my last media recreation costume for a while, so it’s going to be a delicate but ultimately workable project. There are elements I can bang out quickly, there are going to be small hand worked elements. And I finally decided how to tackle the lace. It’s not the first time I have hunted for real metal lace so I know how and where to look.

4) Mina. I need that corset made.

5) Maleficent. The gown is fitted and assembled, I need to figure out the machine sewing stage as pressure and thread and everything will affect the hang of the seams. Hand sewing might be my best bet. This is bias cutting and it is only mildly less difficult than with charmeuse satin.

6) Sunburst. It’s been ridiculously long time coming, and I am still not sure I have enough supplies. I think I missed out on the last lot of beads that match so I’m going to have to carry a swatch with me.

7) Workshops- waiting to hear back what is going to be the best match. But I now have a frame work to make these totally portable. But I also have to make it clear I do not do easy techniques, they are not shortcuts, what I teach is a way to look at a project with a different eye. I do teach some basic principles but they are not easy. Once you get it though, oh it makes everything else make sense.

8) Showcase. Yep I’m having a showcase of my work, and so I need to tailor that to the audience, so I will be promoting that as soon as it pops up.

9) Other workshops. These are going to be limited and I am struggling with the self promotion aspect. Had way too many knocks. Not valid ones, they come from misunderstanding but it still has decentered me enough to not be in marketing headspace. Marketing is not about being self assured it’s about promotion. I don’t do that!

10) children’s charity events- got a few planned. I need to confirm a few.

11) Elsa. I need a new cape. My cape is literally too beautiful for this world- it’s so delicate that I want to preserve it. This is not a flaw, this is me making art in a format that is not really intended for durability. Oh it’s going strong, but repeatedly handling it is going to break it down eventually.

12) Website. It’s 13 years since I self hosted so maybe this year is just feeling worse because of that number. I don’t believe it is unlucky, but rather it was Friday the 13th that we had the house fire, so it’s just there in my mind. So coincidences stand out. Confirmation bias or whatever, I still just feel the need to do better.

And my site has really changed from what I wanted due to interference of others, but I do need to play catch up and do this asap. My archive of what I have done has been lost and it’s no use me saying “but I did that in year x” if I don’t have my work up then it’s meaningless.

I think that’s it. Enough to try and get a handle on anyway 🙂

 

Today is tidying up after the sewing and organising so it’s going to be a day of rest, then tidy, rest, then tidy.

|       

Early start to what should be a good day

First a shower, I am online with a coffee to wake up. Then removing some clothing from my project workboxes, and then I can work on my real passion projects:

  1. Vasquina y ropa y manga redonda. It still needs a jubon y manga justa. That will require my embroidery frame set up to lay the miles of trim on!
  2. Maleficent Christening Gown- so close to finished, and then I can work out how much leather I really want. Also I have a date for this one now 🙂
  3. Mina Red Gown- well I need my corset finished to refit the bodice. My new mannequin is amazing so should be much easier.
  4. Marie Antoinette silver gown- I had some fail with finding enough colour remover, I have it now and can press it all tidy.
  5.  Worth Sunburst gown- I need to transfer the cutwork, so it’ll be a case of machining the detail and then beading on the frame and finally cutting.
  6. Cleves festkleid, I am facing tiny narrow strips and scarps for the hem as spotlight no longer sells vibrant red velveteen (crimson- it’s crimson)

So that is a lot, but I’m able to put the projects in different project boxes so I can use the machine and frame.

The neighbours are also working early- so this is great. I’ll put All The Musicals on! To the CD storage box.

|         

Victorian skirt guides!

http://www.arrayedindreams.com/tutorials-guides-and-articles/sewingpatterning/victorian-skirt-cutting-without-markings/

A large sample:

Materials and tools needed:

150cmwide (60″) cotton twill- approximately 3yards or just shy of 3m or more

115cm (45″) wide rayon crepe- approx 4 1/2 yards or just shy of 4m or more

long glass headed quilting pins (any pills but these are the easiest for this yardage)

shears or scissors (able to cut through two layers of fabric at least)

tape measure (optional)

Cutting 60″ fabric

Start with the fabric laid out folded in half, selvage to selvage

sm_DSC_5609

If you prefer an intuitive method start by holding the fabric to your waist and let it hand to floor unimpeeded and mark the hem- add a comfortable seam allowance to both waist and hem.

sm_WIN_20151011_15_03_36_Pro

If you prefer use a tape measure to mark the length you desire for the side gores. This will be the length from where the waist sits, over the hip and down the side. Include shoe height plus an inch or two at hem and waist depending on your comfort. There are many ways to hem a skirt that is too short or too long.

I used 115cm (45″.)

sm_DSC_5611 sm_DSC_5612

Cats make excellent weights until they decide to play.

Cut across the fabric through both layers.

sm_DSC_5615

Next mark the width of the upper portion of the panels on opposite corners of the fabric (I place one at upper right along the cut across the fabric, and one at lower left ditto.) Then fold the fabric from mark to mark, making sure to keep all layers smooth and aligned.
sm_DSC_5618

I used 8″ or 20cm as I will be added pleats at the waist of these panels.

This is to go with the pattern layout guide 🙂
http://www.arrayedindreams.com/tutorials-guides-and-articles/sewingpatterning/late-historic-skirt-guides/
(Another large selection)

Pattern A:

Regency (1810s): waist; flat in front panel, lightly pleated/eased at side panels, gathered or pleated at CB panel. Gore angles steep. Cut waist and hem curves after trying on. The deeper the dip at the CF waist the straighter the side seams will fall.

skirtregency1

Romantic (1820s-30s): lower waist slightly for 1820s and add ease to CF and side gores. Lower waist further for 1830s and gather/pleat from CF through all side panels while directing CB panel gathers/pleats towards the back.

No pattern, straight widths:

Mid century (1840s-50s): waist; increasingly gathered all around evenly. Panels become straight with little or no shaping. Gauging is most common though pleats and reverse pleats can be found.

Pattern B: Heavily gored skirts:

First Bustle (early 1870s): waist is flat at CF panel, eased at side panels, gathered/pleated in CB panel.

skirtgored

Crinoline (1860s): widen tops of each skirt panel to allow for more ease at the front and sides, this will straighten the side gores somewhat. Allow for some ease towards the sides and front, or create inverse pleats at each seam.

End of century (1890s): narrow tops as much as possible and replace straight CB panel with a panel cut like the CF panel and either slashed for the CB closure or cut straight down the CB. Towards 1900 cut the diagonals in curves (this will create a narrow ellipse shaped scrap on each diagonal) to create a trumpet hem.

Pattern C: Natural Form

Natural form (late 1870s-early 1880s): waist; flat all around front and sides, narrow gathered section at the very centre back. Front can be cut as a complete tube, back gores cut in steep angles.

skirtnaturalform

Second bustle (mid to late 1880s): cut the side gores wider in general with similar angles, this may mean cutting only two gores where there are four above and using the blue area for the other side gores. make note which sides have been cut.

I basically used the 1870s and 1890s pattern but with straighter diagnonals as this skirt is fairly straight up and down.

Oh I used my Phantom of the Opera wedding dress fabrics 🙂 I’ve actually started to tackle my wall of projects! It only took about.. 9 months to actually do this! I was supposed to take my step down as a chance to make stuff for me, but I mostly wound up spending the year recovering from the last eight! So, a delay is understandable!

Anyway so the lace is all back in a box of lace trimmings but now that I’ve put scissors to fabric I’ll be able to take it out and get it all sorted again. I have a ridiculous amount of vintage lace so I really wanted a good fabric foundation. And now I have.

the Australian wedding dresses had a crepey texture when I saw them in person so this is perfect 🙂 just have to iron it all a few times while handling.

And then, or at the same time, I’ll start work on.. THE SUNBURST GOWN!!!!!! I have to stop waiting for an event to wear it to and just make it. So that is what I’m doing 🙂

|    

PLANS FOR THE NEXT YEAR :)

PLANS FOR THE NEXT YEAR 🙂

by admin, December 9, 2014

I will include the end of the month because well, half finished project is half finished 🙂

 

Elsa

Tissot ruffly dress of doom. I have books on Tissot as well as research folders of sheer 1870s dresses from my first few days online :)- Heavy lace braid and cotton tulle

Diana Masked ball gown. Also re-purposed as the “Star Princess” Dress for Christine Daae, but in the original portrait is clearly Diana/Artemis- Cotton tulle

1887 Sunburst gown

 

Finish/redo parts:

Mina (new bodice, add thread bars for leaf vines)

Spanish- decided on rescuing white fabric or transfering braid to my Valois and cut the sleeves down to manga redonda shaped.

 

But that is the base plan. Also I need to get photos of most projects and get new webpages for them!

|  

Very Victorian wishes

I started lookig through my historic folders again and I think I have a start, a list of costumes that will see me through the next few years.

The photo of me in my Elsa wig shows how very baby faced I can still be so it seems appropriate to try and ultilise that a bit more. I was a bit puffy from the infusion yesterday, only a few grams of the anibodies but in a full litre of saline. I managed to… well de puff from all that excess water but want to read up on standard means.

I recently wore my Lucy dress and looked like a fairtail character enough little girls were pulling their parents to me but were ignored (the parents were interested in what they were fans of.

So the current must does are:

Elsa, Maleficent wings, Worth Sunburst Gown, taffeta manteu (or adaptable bustle a la Arnold), fluffy lace and cotton net something… Tissot-esque?

Also I fell in love with a bodice style that sort of influenced the Lucy dress. I can’t find my illustration but it is from the very start of the straight fronted corset era- before the tilt forward, and more of a push up. So a long torso with long tapered waist.

Anyway, i have a few examples saved from auction sites 🙂 Once Elsa has been made as a base I can start hunting for files in the great receces of my historic folder. It’s more frightening than the Pop culture one as I saved pages as complete to have a record of where they came from. Very very very much concerned with credit on serious research that has implications for our wider understanding of costume as dress/fashion/industry.

|     

Wow, I have been away a long time…..

Or at least it feels like it. I am still rehabilitating my body after the last six months of inactivity due to the sinus infection. I am not sure if I have cleared it but I am able to sit up, look at a monitor for more than five minutes. Except today. Today I am zombiefied because of the two steps forward one step back pattern I am currently in.

But I have had a chance to clear out several projects I felt hampered by, knowing I would never finish them or lost the desire to finish and so felt a bit disloyal to part with them.

This has left me with a much more manageable pile of stash fabrics and in progress costumes. I am also going to clear out some more. I really do not “need” everything. I like having a rnage of costumes but I am at the point where I have so many to choose from I feel held down by the weight of them as well.

So this year I have decided to make a final list of Must Do/Finish?repair and they should fill the next five years nicely.

1) Think of Me Gown, the full kit from slave girl through to dressing gown. I have the dressing gown, pointe shoes (I want to soften them a little more to be able to wear them and strengthen my ankles back to the state they were when I first bought them) and most of the fabrics and trim to make the overgown.
Aim to finish this year for Auckland Armageddon.

2) Cleves gown overhaul. The gown was decimated by the dry cleaners so I have totally recut a new shell of maroon faille (perfect for a Cercei gown if I can bare to face that embroidery) and black silk duchesse satin. The bodice is still the came canvas and I will be able to line the sleeves in vintage bordering on antique tube rat. I never use new fur, and tend to buy seconds or recycled animal products and I hate the smell of tanned skin but for this gown I really do aim to make it as accurate in materials as I can.
Aim for possibly next year? Would love to get her finished for the Bloth/Baronial Anniversary but I really am having a very slow recovered back to good health and this is a project that will require a lot of handsewing.

3) Worth Sunburst gown. If I culd get this finished I would get my butt to the Oamaru Hertiage festival. If not I’m going to Howick and posing the plce up due to the beautiful atmostpheric lighting. This has a tablier of cutwork and beading. I am going for a blend of the two variations so I can use glass pearls for the clouds. The Met clouds are formed from cut glass beads. The Kyoto gown though is pink. So Met base colours and trim and shape, Kyoto beading. On hold for about 6 years. Time to actually transfer the pattern (currently on paper ready to pin and machine the pattern in place- I plan on machining the pattern to really stabilise the cut work) and then repair my stand up frame and get beading.

4) Silly spanish. This is actually the most doable as the linen thread to hold the trim is easy on my hands once waxed properly.
Again I’d love to get this done for BA, but I may wait until I have a Kingdom level event I can attend.

5) Nyreen. Luckily the pattern for the fabric parts are done. I have fabric I can use for the bodysuit but I may invest in a new can for my airbrush and airbrush the pattern to the bodysuit fabric. Then it’s a case of adapting footwear and making armour from foam- not fibreglass or leather!) simply because this is the first costume where I feel it an appropriate material that I have done.
Love to be done by WellyGeddon if I can.

6) Mon Mothma. I keep pushing this back but she is going to be a nice simple costume to wear even if no one recognises her. I just need to remold the brooches as the last set tore. I am avoiding epoxy though so this may take a while just to make sure I don’t trigger a big allergic reaction. I have some molds and costume pieces to repair so will save it all up for them.

7)c1600s Cleves style. So far just a swingy coat half made. All hand sewn though and fully lined so I have a reason for it to be held off 😉

8) super fine ruff and partlet. A hem of less and 2mm is still tough on my hands, but while my eyes are still good I’d like to attempt it!

9) Wedding Dress from Phantom. I have most pieces and have managed to salvage much of my original piece. I aim to make it hook up the front as per the very original and take elements from favourite versions from around the world. Including the super amazing bow trails from the Japanese production.

10) MLP inspired costume. Fluttershy is my totem (her reticence, surprising amount of understanding of things people assume she is ignorant of and her few glimpses of rage).

11) repair Shae, Talon and Shaak Ti, as well as redo the Mina bodice.

I also have my Tissot inspired dress to repair and the Green Spring dress to decide to finish or not. Both mid 1870s.

|        

Day 16-30

(Have collated days 1-15 in one post, once these are done will do the same for the rest)

30 Day Cosplay Challenge!

Day 16

Not locally because I’m the smelly judge 😉 No really. But I am part of one or two groups that not everyone can say they have been invited to be a part of 😉 I may one day get to meet another member if I am lucky. They all bloody live in the US! 😉

17. What events have you cosplayed to?

Again, costuming in general because it’s more what I do 😉

SCA events: Since 2004. They are semi-private in that you need to be a member to attend (though this does include “event” memberships).

Theatre: when I did theatre I would regularly costume myself or others or do hair and make up.
Armageddon: recreation costumes.

Charity events: I got to be Peter Rabbit when I was at high school and just adored it. Since then I have used every excuse under the sun to do more.

18. What is your best cosplay memory?

Hmmm…. so many good ones 🙂

SCA: being laurelled for sure 🙂 While I didnt have all my friends I had a lot of good people. And the venue was amazing and the whole event. Sadly so many of those venues are gone due to the Christchurch Earthqaukes.

Theatre: performing at the Aotea Centre 🙂 Irish Dance spoof. It was fun.

Charity: Peter Rabbit at Starship and Ever After at Special CHildren’s Christmas Party (07)

 

19. What is your worst cosplay memory?

Hmmmm….. health issues have made a number of events really pretty horrid. Home burning down made one pretty shocking too.

 

20. Have you won any cosplay awards?

Yep 🙂 1st at Armageddon Auckland 03, 04 and 3rd 04 Welly Geddon and Best Costume Auckland 06.

Also best costume Sydney Supanova 10 (saturday)

i’ve also helped others who have gone on to win contests here and overseas.

And in the SCA I was laurelled for my costume research.

And several audience participation awards in various places.

 

21. Show us your best cosplay derp photo!

derp as opposed to just sheer bloody awful? Hmmm…. how about a video instead?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDyOtvv9L3k

And like omg a fat comment. *eyeroll*

22. Have you worn cosplay in a regular situation? (eg. at school, to work)

No.

 

23. Your most expensive cosplay

Not yet finished. And costume as opposed to cosplay 🙂 Though weight/cost it’s probably not too bad…

Saya y Jubon y Galarilla (skirt with short train, doublet and semi fitted coat) c1600 Spanish.

Skirt and coat (and additional matching doublet to turn it into a Saya entera):

Silk/cotton brocade: 7m

silk dupioni lining: 7m

22m silver bullion trim (I need another 10 at least, so far 1.5kg of trim…. possibly silver plated definitely over copper wire)

Glass pearls, at least as many metres worth to be strung and couched.

Cotton muslin for interlining.

Doublet (jubon):

Silk satin for doublet

cotton sateen lining of doublet

hair canvas for interlining

linen canvas for interlining

14m silver ribbon for doublet

silver buttons for doublet and coat and sleeves.

Underskirt (faldalin):

1 silk saree

2m tabby linen

farthingale (verdugardos):

15m velvet ribbon

2.5m silk twill

2.5 starched cotton canvas

2.5m tabby linen

26m flat steel (will be using plumbers coil)

Corset (cuerpo baxo):

1m linen satin

1m fine linen

120 individually cut bones (probably cable ties)

I have not managed a total cost but even with good prices this is heading to $700 easily in raw materials alone. Half of that on trim.

 

24. Your most comfortable cosplay and most uncomfortable cosplay

Done and all respectively. Really. I don’t do comfy.

 

25. The cosplay you put the most effort into

It would have been easier to answer least effort as I do so very few that aren’t OMGWTF was I thinking????

My AvP Human Hunter sent me to hospital.

My Slave Leia almost did the same and I will be lucky if my new Bounty Hunter doesn’t do the same. Allergy to the world I haz it. But specifically epoxy allergy. And it is one of those repeat exposure= exponentially worse. i am a pink duckface is what I’m saying after three days.

My Historic stuff is based on a few decades of research and understanding of historical technique. Believe it or not what works for 16thC doesn’t work for 18th or 19th. And then the early 20thC.. SHEER BLOODY MADNESS!!!!!!!!!

But currently my Bounty Hunter. I am far better at organic shapes and styles when it comes to sculpting and working outside of fabric. But I am having great fun converting my hand drawn patterns into computer files (printable as gifs but lines were vectors originally 🙂 The files will be released once I have made my own gear. I think that is fair enough!

 

26. Any unfinished costumes?  Will you ever finish them?

Ahahahhahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahah

Ehem.

Just a few. No idea when any of them will be finished. Some yes, some will be finished to the point others can finish and wear them.

So…

Padme Fireside, Padme light blue, Codex, Shae Vizla, Mina Red dress, Lucy lilac dress (Both from Dracula), Satine Pink Diamonds, Dawn white corset, Poison Ivy, Dark Phoenix, Glinda bubble

Silly Spanish c1600, Cleves/Cologne Festkleid redo, ruff of doom

Worth Sunburst (c 1887), 1830s cotton, 1860s green velvet, 1890s Hunting, 1760s smocked gown, hanfu…

Actually it’s not that bad a UFO pile compared to what I was thinking… I just have a few other containers of fabric not even cut yet… Nor things I have thought of doing but haven’t even started buying fabric for.

27. How many wigs do you own? Which is your favourite?

Umm… Lets see:

Leia, Dreads, black goth.. I used to have more but got rid of them. I do have a few hair pieces and have just bought human hair wefts to make my own wig 🙂

fave is definitely the dreaded wig.It is a full wig but worn as a 3/4 so my own hairline blends into it. A lot of people were fooled into thinking it was my own hair.

http://articles.glittersweet.com/howto/recreations/bigwig.htm

28. Where do you work on your cosplays and where do you store them when they’re done?

I am very lucky to have a workroom 🙂 Ever since i have had access to a converted garage I have been able to get into the really mucky stuff (latex, resin, drilling, sanding etc.) so that is where I do most of my work. I do have to make sure my fabrics are stored in plastic containers with lids and that I keep the sewing machines cleaned regularly due to this dust and mucky stuff though.

Storage after… well I am trying to keep myself limited to the wire drawers I store my costumes in. I use wire drawers as Auckland is so muggy and where I live is really very damp (a lot of greenery) that my oak wardrobe and drawers are at risk of mildew. The wire drawers keep everything aired really well too.

So I try and limit to that (when I get too much I start giving stuff away). But my Togruta headpiece and my resin pieces are stored on top of my wardrobe.

I have far more storage for stuff to make costumes from than costumes and more costumes than clothes. Maybe not individual pieces (socks number many) but in volume yes.

I also build my costumes to be able to be stored as easily as they can. My Mina dress for instance will fold up- the fully pleated skirt as one piece, the drapery will also be able to be undone and folded and then the bodice over that will lay flat. The jewelery is stored in a cabinet and wigs and boots stored as much as possible with regular clothes.

It is just all very out of order right now due to post WellyGeddon mess. And due to poor health and lack of energy.

29. What is your favourite cosplay item? (eg. a pair of shoes, a wig)

My Togruta headpiece 😀 Even more fun than Samara though pretty much everything looks cooler with alien tentacles 😉

30. Describe cosplay in three words.  No more, no less.

Playing dress ups.

Really. You can do all sorts of other things with it like get involved in the community and social aspect, you can focus on the art side. But the second you wear the costume for fun it is dressing up. And there is nothing wrong with that. It has a very long history. Usually for the very rich rather than anyone else but still. Check out the fancy dress balls of the 1800s. Very speccy and silly.

|       

Day 1-15

30 Day Cosplay Challenge!

1. Your first cosplay.

Christine Daae. Funnily enough. Not a direct copy, an interpretation for a Song in Costume class for the North Shore Performing Arts Competition in 1994.

Can’t find my photo of it online. Ah well. I still have it. To remind myself of how far I have come but also what you can do with blind ambition 😉

I won that class by the way 😉

2. How many costumes have you done?

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm……………………………..

http://costumes.glittersweet.com/resume.htm

That’s most of them.

I count 92 there….. And that doesn’t include the ones this year…..  or last. Right. Okay.

3. Your most recent cosplay.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/newswirenz/5617674233/

Darth Tykhi. Sith Togruta.

4. Your cosplay communities, where do you go to talk about cosplay?

Livejournal, cosplay.com, CNZ, the RPF, SWNZ, Flagship Eclipse, Rebel Legion, Australian Costumer’s Guild.

I also have many yahoo groups I am still on, though many of them were from when they were called eGroups or were hosted elsewhere.

5. Blatant self plug! Link us to your cosplay page, be it dA, ACP, Coscom, whatever

Okay………

http://costumes.glittersweet.com

http://articles.glittersweet.com

http://glittersweet.deviantart.com

Not really sure I want to link to all my profiles online everywhere 🙂

6. Your favourite cosplay (that you have done)

Coooooo…… ummmm… I don’t have just one 🙂 I do way too many different things that I cannot fairly compare 🙂

(Added ‘cause I meant to originally say:)

Because of the pretty intense research and development of all of them. I really need to get more of that online. Whoops!

7. The character you have cosplayed that is most similar to you (if none that you have cosplayed, then one that you will cosplay)

Hmmmm…… I don’t think i chose characters because they are like me so I really can’t say any is most like me without it being “most like me out of a whole lot thataren’t like me at all.” 😉

I like to choose characters that have some story to them and mostly their stories are not the same as mine. I don’t think anyone could say I am like a character I have ever costumed from. I may share some strengths and some weaknesses.

 

8. Your cosplay plans for the rest of the year (if you have no more for this year, then do next year!)

 

Oooh, well I have been trying to scale back but these are the ones I need to do:
Shae Vizla: Bounty Hunter from the Deceived cinematic trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Mina: Red “absinthe” dress.

Glinda bubble dress: from Wicked, I can sing the part and I just reallyw ant to fluff around and eventually have a sparkly frock for child centric events:)

Then I also need to finish a few projects to get them out of the UFO pile:

Mystique: boots nearly made 🙂

Padme fireside: I love the fabric so much

Worth Sunburst gown: 1887 gown at the met Museum. I will be doing my own version seeing as Worth copied the gown at least once for another client and with different colours and pearls in place of faceted beads. So I have the pearls of one and the colour of the original

c1600 Stupid Spanish Gown: as the name suggests silly project of epic silliness. Ruff as wide as my shoulders, 2kg of bling trim and an entire 60L container of fabric.

1830s day dress: windowpane cotton dress.

And any work others may fling at me 🙂

 

 

9. The dream cosplay that might just happen

I have just about completed that list 😀

My dream costumes have all been from the artwork that inspired me from my early days. So they are:
Slave Leia: I saw the film at the theatre when it was first released. I collected all the cards i could as they were all I could afford. It was probably the first costume that inspired me as a costume and so it was a long time coming. Also girls can freaking make props and work with resin!

Catwoman: I didn’t see the film at the theatre I don’t think but fairly soon after. but I loved Catwoman growing up and this version is so wonderful for so many reasons, though as a stand alone.

Christine Blue Dress: I was 9 or 10 when I first heard music from Phantom and very soon after got the recording. Hooked.

So the ones left:

Mina Red Dress: Eiko is amazing her costumes are pure art. And this one is nearly finished.

ummm.. and I think that’s it. I have a lot of “want to make” but not so many Dream costumes left. A heck of a lot of “want to make” like several G worth of files…. But they don’t have the same connection to them that I have with these.

 

 

10. The dream cosplay that will never happen

Only because I am broken and don’t like getting help (pride, the fact that I have a valid reason makes it harder to accept help) The Elizabeth Armour in real metal. I do still want to make it but will probably do so with plastic.

 

 

11. Something cosplay-related that you will never do (eg. crossplay, cosplay from a certain series)

Hmmm…. probably cross play actually. Though no I have done that. I don’t make a very convincing boy. I’m okay being a Bob- clearly girl in boy clothes a la Bob from Blackadder II- but being a convincing boy?

So not for “moralistic” reasons just that I really would not do any justice. Though I do want to be The Kurgen one day. And I do want to Dress as Freddie For a Day.

So maybe that’s not really on point…

12. Your cosplay idol.

Animal X yo!

Not a cosplayer but costumer as artist and craftsman. She is amazing and was one of the very first to really elevate this dressing up lark.

All you yungin’s need to get The Costume Maker’s Art. You need to. See what was being produced long before the internet and easy access to information from others and even easy contact with other people who share the same passion.

So:

http://www.costume-con.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=1373&g2_page=8

My favourite of her work.

And lighting up costumes since 1991!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJTdJ3DpcH0

the book:

http://biblioz.co.nz/lp25762225886.html

I read that very soon after it was published, it basically gave a name to what I wanted to do. At a time when there was nothing local it was very reassuring.

13. Your cosplay specialty (ie. something that seems to apply to a large amount of your cosplays, it could be a specific series, or a common feature in their appearance, such as glasses)

Ermm… I’m not sure. I don’t think there is a pattern:

http://costumes.glittersweet.com

Except I do have a liking for a lack of furbelows and overly ornate details. I like a bit of subtlety in that regard. So I like textures and manipulation of fabric (pleating, slashing quilting etc.) over lots of lace and embroidery. I love solid fields of colour as opposed to patterns. If there is a pattern I prefer woven in design over print and generally geometric over floral.

Heck even the bubble dress is a symphony of use of one colour in many diffferent materials and textures.

And I love a challenge! tailoring proper, historical patterning, casting and molding, sculpting… I love it all 🙂

14. Your cosplay-making habits (eg. singing while working on cosplay)

Hmmm… Making a great big mess! Atcually no I like to keep things as organised as possible but there are times I just can’t tidy due to not leaving enogh energy to do so. It can be hard figuring out that point at times.

I do though like to work to a few things:

~ BBC2 Pride and Prejudice. What can I say. Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle. And it’s 6 hours so I can pace myself fairly well.

~ Musicals!!!!! I generally cycle through the following: Phantom (Dutch and Canadian casts for preference), Wicked, Aida, Jane Eyre, Martin Guerre, Hey Mr Producer. I will also pop in the double CD of Jekyll and Hyde (Anthony Warlow, melt)

~Movies: Fifth Element, Space Balls and Ghost Busters usually. They are just fun to listen to and a tiny bit camp 😉

~TV: Big Bang Theory, IT Crowd.

Which of those depends on the weather and what I am doing as they play on my mood a lot. Generally though musicals during the day and movies at night or I wake the neighbours singing loudly. I sing. A lot. Oh yeah, and usually to Mozart and musicals. Mozart knew how to write for the voice, difficult in many areas but not straining or ruinous for the voice.
15. Your least favourite thing about cosplay

The same old.  The issues that arise in all groups! But on the personal journey aspect? Hmmm…. When I have spent too long too closely looking at my work that a 1mm difference in width of a 150mm wide strip becomes so freaking important!

|     

sunburst and mina

I am glad I made the decision to redo the skirt front for the Sunburst dress 🙂 I now have the design transfered to paper so I can neaten it and transfer it properly. I can now machine sew the rays and hand sew the clouds from the front. The mina leaves are going well 🙂 I may be able to machine some of the work- it’ll be neater and faster but for other parts of the process I’ll have to hand sew. It means busting out my Husquy as that can go really slow and the reverse is fully functional… I need to get inside the Janome again to work out what I did to the feed dog thingy.

I need to make more of the smallest leaves, the very narrowest are perfect for the neckline but I only have a few of them.

Still can’t believe what a score I got in my silk 🙂 $NZ10/m sigh. And being 150cm wide I have a fair amount to play with.

Meanwhile I have a grumpy cat sitting on the table and he is demanding attention.

No hedgehog tonight 🙁 The bunny was over yesterday too 🙂 I’m hoping the neighbours didn’t move after all. They were nice and quiet and hey.. have a bunny that roams free and safely in a street full of cats! Seriously there are two next door and three on the other side and another three on their other side…

And one final note to myself; don’t leave mugs of tea on the window pane. They are high and I can’t see inside and when that really funky smell starts up it’s hard to figure out where it comes from.

Mug is now outside hoping for some rain. Or a water blaster.

|