Did stuff

Bought thread, pulled apart costume for zip for Maleficent, sewed a row of ribbon on my verdugardos, tidied channels along seams on the inside of verdugardos, covered and inserted shoulder pads in my spring jacket (also reshaped the shoulders), dyed fabric for farthingale hem (firm cotton and fulled wool) trimmed Valois skirt (tore skirt, fixed skirt) reassembled skirt pinned in full silk lining.

Now I think I can have a break, but I may wind up trying to do more of my Cleves hem trimming.

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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.

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A weekend of amazing :)

I had spent the week spring cleaning- well winter cleaning, and I have finally made progress on actual projects this weekend 🙂 get the bulk of the grunt work going on the remake of my Cleves gown 🙂

In the decade since I last wore my gown I have tried to better my understanding and on the whole not much has changed. I have however wanted to add what i thought was a more authentic flourish in my plush border and to add a border of my crimson velvet at all edged of the gown.

I finally have been able to find good evidence that I can do a wide border on my skirt and have the base fabric show at all edged before the fur/plush lining peeks out.

As I was trying to be as thrifty as a tailor, I did not apply the silk guarding over a crimson velvet base, but instead only used velvet where it was seen. this saved me a good two yards of fabric! In the time I am looking at stitching was very lowly considered, the price of the fabric was the lead, and 2 yards, or just over 2 els was a huge saving!

The tailor could not melt velvet down for precious metals (as they could cloth of gold or silver) so the tailor did not nave any real motivation to save the tiny off cuts that would be left over. They may be able to use larger pieces for pouches but not much more.

Apprentices were often minors or slowly working their way to journeyman so were not well paid. It made sense to piece ever smaller pieces of precious fabric as sittching was cheap.

So my gown has a hem made from narrow scraps of crimson velveteen mounted to white plush. The top edge by machine the edge that is seen is sewn using a beading needle and by hand:

 

 

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Once assembled all the handsewing through layers folded back will create depth, so that the silk looks as though it is indeed mounted straight to the crimson velveteen.

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Of course I am also on a budget and this gown has many sentimental connections so I wanted to use only fabrics I already owned. So I had a very limited amount of guarding fabric. This lead to some piecing in my sleeves but also at the very sides of my skirt.

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Once assembled this is completely hidden.

And I love the really subtle difference the tiny crimson hem makes. But it is about a week of extra work on top of everything I needed to do to make this gown.

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more hemming

My cleves gown really needs to play catch up with my Saya Entera and Vasquina y Ropa. So this gown is using all the resources at the moment 🙂 I need to decide on adding to my embroidery pattern so that means sorting out pearls by size.

Shower time, and then hemming. It is well worth it just tough!

 

 

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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.

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Fresh start!

I was not sure that I would actually restart my blog, however with fixing my phone so it can take photos, and all that has happened in the last month I think it is now time 🙂

I will stick to health and costume updates alone.

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This shows the newly secured vinyl floor in place (just boot weight until I can get hold of firmer) and the old floor (that is all resin splash over or paint on the floor! Not worth getting it cleaned but it may be worth replacing the flooring anyway as the fibres are brittle.

Back left corner is now tidier!

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Maleficent is back on my to finish this season pile 🙂 I got excited about finally finding products I want to make the wings and then I realised I need to bring this project back from the UFO pile 🙂

Made all of that from 8.5m of fabric! In two pieces at that!

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Both of these are remake projects- the red gown with black borders a remake of my CLeves gown 🙂 I have the wool and linen dresses in good condition so really wanted the fancy dress to match 🙂

 

The construction and shaping are both so very different that I am enjoying the challenge of going from one to the other, and is even inspiring me to work on a project I had also left alone for many years 🙂

 

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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.

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bestofcosplay:

Cleves Blue 1 by ~glittersweet

I’m surprised this got even one note 😉 Seriously, I’m flattered as this is a style that doesn’t really fit in with the modern aesthetic 🙂 It’s accurate, right down to pinned on sleeves (okay that is my conjecture based on woodcuts of the time as well as written documents of the time) and silly cloak hanging from the head.

The cloak is a heuke and it is about 2kg, maybe three (more than five pounds) and is carefully held in place using mainly a little engineering trickery:

Hair is plaited and pinned (bobby pins) around the crown.

A fitted cap (guldhaube) is pinned (sewing pins) to the hair in front and behind the plaits with florists pins.

A shaped cap (sticklechen) is pinned over the cap and pinned also just in front of the plaits. There is a velvet lappet pinned around the front on the underside which adds tension to hold it balanced at the back of the head.

Then the heuke collar is pinned to the fitted cap (guldhaube) and the fabric hangs over the back.

My original stickelchen had pearls and goldtone bezants all over it but the sequins were ruined by a house fire and I have never managed to redo the base frame to fit. The base is buckram and felt steamed to shape.

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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.

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Ummm… I have another cunning plan. I will probably be doing my Worth Gown this year. *hangs head* But I know now how quickly I can pearl so it shouldn’t be too bad. As a refresher:
http://costumes.glittersweet.com/historical/sunburst.htm Direct to the actual dress: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haut/hob_C.I.49.3.25a,b.htm

I actually have just over 6m of the silk faced satin which will be pleanty as I can top and tail the skirt sections, the bodice has no shoulders or peplum or sleeves so I shoould be able to get the train out of it as well.

Help. *is obsessed*

Oh further to the Operation Clean Up, the soot is proving stubborn in the sleeve linings so I may wind up replacing them with silk charmeuse I bought for an Ever After gown. It’s currently a very pale pink but I may get more colour out with another round of Dye-Gon (previously known as Pre-Dye) and so be able to use that without an interlining.

Do I now unpick the sleeves from my Cleves gown? And maybe the lining? I was shaking quite hard as I was unpicking the valois sleeves as it was. This is rather a bigger step so I’m not sure how I’ll do. So I was right in making something new for Coronation. It was stressful but the stresses were indirectly related to the fire. Unpicking past work and confronting the very direct effects of the fire would just have been too much at that time. It’s hard enough now. But I can do it.

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