the unofficial 2009 cosplay progress thread :3

[nikkiolie]

I'm going to start putting the sequins on my masks today. I'll make sure to take some progress pictures. I also need to get a formal outfit together =/

[DemonSpawn]

My only mask issue is it doesn't really go with either of my costumes, but it's sooooo pretty!
I'm excited to finally wear it to something where it's relevant. XD

[nikkiolie]

Mine is just going to be covered in silver sequins. I also need to learn how to do a dance....I may start on that today XD

[DemonSpawn]

me + dancing is dangerous. XD
I do know how to swing dance though.

[EveofAbyss]

Kahlan and I tried working on her Princess Guard yesterday and the day before, painting some pieces for the prop, but the heat destroyed that idea. The paint would not dry. Pretty bad situation, heh.

Maybe today, in the shade we will try again. Fun to have stuff to work on though!

[nikkiolie]

me + dancing is dangerous. XD
I do know how to swing dance though.

We have a plan. It won't be a great match but it will be close enough XD

[Kagome219]

Hi, guys~  I'm just stopping in to ask for some advice for my Espeon costume. I've tried a few Goodwills and Value Villages along with Fred Meyers around my area and can not for the life of me find lavender colored purple shorts/skirt and a lavender camisole/tank top. Where would be a good place to find these?

[EveofAbyss]

Is shopping online an option for you? I'm sure you could find those items if you shopped around online.

If not, though, I would think maybe K-Mart or Target might have some items like that. It would make sense to have those colors and styles since we are in the throes of Summer and they are definitely Summer clothing items.

Good luck finding something! If anything else comes to mind, I will post it.

[nyahaha]

If you can't find lavendar colored clothes, then you could find some white clothes to dye. Thats usually what I do if I can't find a specific color. I had to dye Rhyme's shirt.

Red's belt is now a forth of the way done! yay. but my fingers really hurt. One of my commisions is just about done, and another is halfway there. I also attempted to resew the frog clasps on Red's shirt, but the collar is still a little crooked. I think I'm just gonna sew a snap on. that's about it for progress.

[nikkiolie]

Alright so the paint has dried on the masks. This is what it looks like now.

It was white now it has silver glitter spray paint on it. And now I am going to start putting on sequins. That is going to take a long time. x.x

[EveofAbyss]

Is that for the Masquerade Ball at Kumoricon, Nikki? Part of one of your costumes?

[nikkiolie]

Its for the ball.

[~boogiepop~]

@ Kagome- Agreeing with Nyahaha, if you want them to be the same lavender color, dye would be the way to go.
I've said it before but Rit dye is pretty ballin' you can get it at Joann's and other craft stores.

[DemonSpawn]

Its cheaper at Fredmeyer's though, look in the crafts section. I don't know if they have it at every location, but I saw it at the fred Meyers on Mcgloughlin and Oak Grove Blvd. today. (They have that but no face paint or tempura paint, wth?! XDD)

[nikkiolie]

Alright I got one of the masks about half way covered. I think I am going to have to add some feathers or something

[veraca]

Perhaps a general hardware-clothing store will have it near you. The local Dennis & Co. around here in the peninsula has RIT dye and things. I'm not sure what they have completely, cause I've never actually looked for fabric type stuff... but Dennis & Co. usually sells toys, construction, pet stuff (like cages), some appliances & there's a clothing section too... Lots of misc stuff- basically it's like a mini Freddy without being a Freddy xD;

Anyway, I'm debating doing Daisuke or Soul, either of which do need red pants that fit- so I'm off to Dennis (it's about 30min closer than JoAnn) to see if they have RIT Dye remover. The clerk I called said yes they have it, so I'm off to see what else.

Great job on the mask so far Nikki~ ^_^ Maybe some blue or white or metallic feathers would look cool. Wow that could almost work for Kuja lol XD

[~boogiepop~]

I think I need some help guys.

So these are my ass leaves (They look kinda sucky on the back, but my body will cover it up). I'm trying to paint a line on them to make them look more leaf like, I tried to do it with a lighter green and it ended up looking really weird, then I used black as you can see here, and I'm not really liking it. I'm not really sure what I can do with them now though. Do you guys think if I buy a green that is darker then the colors of my leaves that it might look better? Or if not, any other ideas that you think I could do. If it's designs or leave things, could you ms paint them to explain. I'm better visually. Thanks~

[nikkiolie]

Well if I put any feathers on them they will be black ones.

I personally like the black on the leaves but if you don't try getting a darker green.

[pencil]

@boogiepop -

I think the black lines look good too, but its hard to tell with out it on you. A green thats just a few shades darker would look good too!

[~boogiepop~]

Mmmm, ok. It might be just me then. I paint them on black and post a picture tonight or later tomorrow for opinions. It's not like I can't go over them again if they look bad anyways

[kuri_chan]

wow. everyone's doing so well on their costumes. It's so cool and everything looks so good.

Here's an image of the Zero mask I'm working on.
Please don't mind how the inside looks.



I just need to make a vacuum form box and get the transparent acrylic sheet to make the dome for the center.

[Mei Long]

You're making a vacuum form box?? If that's what I think it is then I am sooooo not planning to 'borrow' it... <_< >_> .... =D;

But seriously, your Zero mask is lookin' awesome so far!

On a side note that I swear is related - It's too hot. x_X Literally, can't paint anything 'cause it's too hot outside, gaaah! So, I am currently embarking on the one thing I hate the most in the cosplay world: pinning patterns to fabric. I greeeaaaatly dislike pinning. Most likely because it's time consuming, unbearably precise... and I suck at it.

But those hoodies aren't gonna sew themselves. I'm actually working on two - the one I'll be wearing with Bulbasaur and one that isn't cosplay but is soooooooo nerdy it almost hurts. I will post pics when it's done because I will most likely be insanely proud of the contraption. B)

Back to the pinning/cutting board!

[kuri_chan]

@Mei Long  Yes it is exactly what you think it is. and yes you can borrow it provided the darn thing actually works once I make it. Only time will tell. The problem is finding clear purple acrylic plastic.

[~boogiepop~]

Well, found out why the from of my leaves looked weird. I made the lines too long. Nothing much I can do about that though.

Waiting for the lines to dry on my ass and head leaves and then....

I'M DONE~! With Victreebel at least. Still, one costume down the hole. I'm hoping to finish White Mages socks today still, but I need to clean, do homework, and all that other lovely stuff. I still hope that I can get Cassandra done in time for con!

[DemonSpawn]

I got a...

<.<


>.>

*whispers*
Cosplay item in the mail!
Its the second to last thing I need for my secret cosplay #1.
(Which is barely a secret, a lot of people know about it. XD)

[LtCommanderRichie]

MAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I fixed my problems with eBay and got my boots for Lavi and gloves for Maria. > I'm good at what I do. Yes I am.

[lychee-twist]

Hi, guys~  I'm just stopping in to ask for some advice for my Espeon costume. I've tried a few Goodwills and Value Villages along with Fred Meyers around my area and can not for the life of me find lavender colored purple shorts/skirt and a lavender camisole/tank top. Where would be a good place to find these?

Americal Apparel might be a good place to go. They always have a ton of tights, leggings, shirts, etc. on display that are usually always a block color. I wouldn't be surprised if you could find what you're looking for there.

Worst comes to worst you can buy white stuff and dye it lavender.

[soundninja12]

Epic Zero mask!

I found this wig ( http://cgi.ebay.com/28-Light-brown-Bangs-Cosplay-Long-Wigs-Thick-L-124_W0QQitemZ110417481015QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_CSA_MWA_Wigs_Extensions?hash=item19b5650d37&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 ) and I think it would be perfect for Renge. I'm just not sure whether I should get it, or live with the really bad wig I have?
Any advice?

[nyahaha]

wow...that looks like a really nice wig. do you have pics of the one you already have?


I finished the belt for Red, and I have progress pictures

here is the front. consisting of the tail, shirt, and pants


here is the back. one of the pants legs doesn't have the elastic in it.


And here is the tail fire


sorry for all the pictures...

[~boogiepop~]

Baw, I got all of my triangles cut out for my White Mage socks and I was sewing them together, when suddenly something happened to my sewing machine and it ate the fabric. I tried to pull it out and ripped them in half. I'm too pooped to do anything cosplay related now. White Mage will get done next weekend I suppose.

I'm kind of expecting Cassandra to not get done now. I'm still going to try my hardest but I don't want to rush anything. I would like to have it for Kumoricon but I'm going to be going to Akicon 2 months later so it's no biggie.

[soundninja12]

(Sorry I look kinda stoned, I wasn't expecting the picture then)

It's super itchy.... and uncomfy.

(nice belt, tail, and stuffles)
(Poor boogie. You should ground your sewing machine)

[~boogiepop~]

I would but she worked hard today, getting Victreebel done and all. I'll let her rest until Friday.

[DemonSpawn]

[PICTURE]
(Sorry I look kinda stoned, I wasn't expecting the picture then)

It's super itchy.... and uncomfy.

(nice belt, tail, and stuffles)
(Poor boogie. You should ground your sewing machine)

If you have the resources, I say go for the new one, it looks really great.

[nyahaha]

[img]
(Sorry I look kinda stoned, I wasn't expecting the picture then)

It's super itchy.... and uncomfy.

(nice belt, tail, and stuffles)
(Poor boogie. You should ground your sewing machine)

I agree. if you can afford it, go for it.

and thank you!

[veraca]

Attempt to remove color from jeans today - kinda failed. Got a good portion of the dye out but it's still very blue.

I'm gonna try this RIT fade stuff & color remover again tomorrow. And let it sit longer than just 1hr... xD Maybe using only half the packages at first to get the start of it out and let that sit for an hour and then do the next bit... Hmmm... I've never actually tried to remove color, but it's working oddly a lot like dying oO;

[EveofAbyss]

And here is the tail fire

The costume looks great so far, Nyahaha! I really like the colors of fabric you've used and the way you're envisioning an anthropomorphic  Red XIII. I like your choice in costume and clothing better than any other Red XIII I've seen so far. It seems like it will work really well. Can't wait to see the finished product!

The only suggestion I have is about the tail. I would imagine Red XIII's tail, the fur, should be more reddish, like the fabric of the costume. It just seems too brown to me. I don't know if you had any plans for that, to spray it, dye it, paint it, or something like that. It is just the one thing that stood out to me.

Other than that, though, it's all looking great!

[Mei Long]

YAY! So, I had my eye exam today and I'm in the clear to buy the contact lenses I want. =D

... Well, sorta. Haha. My eye doctor (who has been my eye doctor since I was pre-school age) is one of the nicest guys on the earth and is worrying about me buying them so he was all "when you get them just come on in and I'll make sure they're safe". Haha!

What was even more hilarious is after his lecture (seriously, gave me the Danger of Theatrical Contacts 101 speech), and he left, one of his colleagues who was also talking with me turns to me and she says "they should be just fine, just come in so he doesn't worry". XDDD

Soooo I am ordering contacts, yaaaaaaay! I am stoked.

[soundninja12]

WOOT!
Contact quest successful! (Congrats)

[nyahaha]

And here is the tail fire

The costume looks great so far, Nyahaha! I really like the colors of fabric you've used and the way you're envisioning an anthropomorphic  Red XIII. I like your choice in costume and clothing better than any other Red XIII I've seen so far. It seems like it will work really well. Can't wait to see the finished product!

The only suggestion I have is about the tail. I would imagine Red XIII's tail, the fur, should be more reddish, like the fabric of the costume. It just seems too brown to me. I don't know if you had any plans for that, to spray it, dye it, paint it, or something like that. It is just the one thing that stood out to me.

Other than that, though, it's all looking great!

thank you! oh, and it's possible to paint/dye/spray fur fabric? I had no idea. maybe I'll try all three on some scraps that I have...

[chelseahavoc]

you could probably dye it but paint would be bad unles you had a airbrush

[EveofAbyss]

Yeah, I was thinking spray paint, not sure how it would do on fur, but that was what I was thinking.

Or just get some of that temporary hair dye they sell at Hot Topic and other places. A lot of that is spray in stuff.

[LtCommanderRichie]

Fake fur is synthetic. It won't react to RIT dye or spray/comb-in hair dye.

However, Sharpie dyeing would probably work. 70% proof rubbing alcohol with the inkwells of Sharpies cut open and put in it, and put in a spray bottle. There are better tutorials for it, though.

[soundninja12]

I'm pinning my renge dress parts to the pattern.
T.T
I...Hate...Pinning.

But all will turn out well because the pattern is perfect!


ISN'T IT AMAZING!
I can't believe I found it. I'm so proud of myself.
All I have to do is add a neck to it, and it's happy.
WOOOOOOOOOT!

Back to pinning...
(URG!)

[chelseahavoc]

youd also need poofy sleeves!

[soundninja12]

OMG!
I almost forgot about the poofy sleeves.
(how in the hell am I going to make that. Whatever, my friends mom is amazing, she'll help me)

[lychee-twist]

Ok. I followed this pattern. I know it. WHY ISN'T IT EVEN CLOSE TO FITTING?! AAARGH!! *dartdartdart*

I hope the main pattern doesn't give me so much trouble. I'll have some problems if it does.

Sound, good luck with the poofy sleeves! The only fix I can think of is making a tube of fabric, loosely hand stitching a thread through it and gathering the fabric to smaller ends kind of how a curtain bunches on a curtain rod. :/ I hope that makes sense. I wish you the best with that. I think you're right. That pattern looks spot on for Renge other than the sleeves.

EDIT: I finally got the darn thing to fit remotely well (and really, I'm thanking everything alive that it's going under a kimono), and the freaking collar is sticking out in the absolute most awful way in the back. I can't fix it without either undoing everything or darting that, too, which would ruin the nice stitches.

I so hate this pattern and whomever made it. So long as the kimono pattern goes well. C'mon, pattern! Give me a break somewhere!!!

[veraca]

That's why I don't use patterns.. I use clothes that fit me and cut things similar to that and make them in those measurements...

Anyway since the pants I want red are jeans, I let them dry a bit then soaked them for about 20 hours in RIT jean fade stuff XD; Quick rinse than another hour in another box of color remover. Another rinse, and now I've got them sitting in the first batch of the color dye. We'll see what color they turn after a good hour or two... XD; They started off kinda pink, so maybe longer than an hour since my goal is a blood-red shade.

[soundninja12]

I think that I could probably make the sleeves have elastic in them, and have that keep them poofy. So I'm gonna sew elastic in to my sleeves, then sew the sleeves to the dress.
You think that'll work?

@ Lychee
Who are you cosplaying?

[nikkiolie]

I am going to try to finish my mask tonight.

[soundninja12]

Damn you and your time management skillz Nikkiolie!

I'll finish bleaching my corsola dress tonight. I THINK I CAN I THINK I CAN!

I got this.