The Blog In Which I Attempt To Organize Thoughts.

With the cancellation of Katsucon and travel restrictions back in place I find myself missing my people more and more. Photos of @dreams_in_the_noct and me were taken by @houseplantwashere. For every serious take there were a million silly moments. These two bring out the best in me and I feel it shows in pictures. Summoner Yuna from FFX is @dreams_in_the_noct Black mage Lulu is me @aimiecosplay Ballgown inspired outfits by me. Photo by @houseplantwashere #cosplay #cosplayer #finalfantasy #finalfantasyx #ffx #ff10 #yuna #lulu #summoneryuna #blackmagelulu #yunabraska #finalfantasycosplay #enbycosplayer #plussizedcosplayer #cosplaysewist (at Wickham Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHeNsUvjha_/?igshid=iw4hpqypywid

A super sneak peak of my Halloween costume!! I’m a leaf pile! #halloween #selfmadecostume #handmadewithjoanns https://www.instagram.com/p/CG-wtdyjSoH/?igshid=wvlizcedg29x

#shepropchallenge day 30!!! “Cosplay I swear I will finish some day!” Lolita Aziraphale! My take on Good Omens. I just need to attach more wings put in a lining and make a new blouse.... ONE DAY I SWEAR!!! (Perhaps before the apocalypse??) #wipcosplay #cosplaysewing #cosplaysewist #goodimens #amazonprimegoodomens #aziraphale #goodomens https://www.instagram.com/p/CGALYFrDHZp/?igshid=16oyz46bi8xye

#shepropchallenge day 29 “out of the comfort zone.” I usually control heavily what I cosplay. I don’t join groups that I’m not deeply interested in and I always put my own twist on things. For CTcon 18 it was my last year of conning with my sister before she completely adulterous and turned no fun. She really really wanted to cosplay Sophie from Howls Moving Castle. Now I have 0 problems with Ghibli movies I love them as much as the next weeb. How ever the character designs are a bit to simplistic for me cosplay wise and a lot of people who cosplay Sophie wear the same dress. So I decided to steampunk things. I still haven’t decided if I succeeded. Kat had a blast and that’s what truely mattered but I felt a bit stuffed in my Howl cosplay. In the future I’d love to do Hannah Alexander’s version of this couple (she drew them after I finished this) Photos by @nightlightphotograph #steampunkcosplay #cosplay #howlsmovingcastle https://www.instagram.com/p/CF7ghNqjk3H/?igshid=13apupb46m43j

#shepropchallenge day 28 “comfort zone” Have I ever said how much I like making bomber jackets? When I first so Noctis’s trendy racket I knew I had to make one. And while I was getting the behemoth patches commissioned I also snagged some custom chocobos for @houseplantwashere ! Last year I made my dragon jacket using appliqués cut from quilting fabric. I also designed and cut two other jackets, a carbuncle themed one and one for my OC Angel. Both of those I had to set aside for commission work but I’m hoping to return to them soon! CTcon photo and photo of @houseplantwashere by @nightlightphotograph. The rest are selfies or studio shots. https://www.instagram.com/p/CF5odcrjYLQ/?igshid=hpy6yuqz4puw

Day 27 of #shepropchallenge “cosplay that made you feel confident” Lettie Lutz or the Bearded Lady from “The Greatest Showman” I LOVE THIS COSTUME I LOVE THIS CHARACTER so much she means the world for me. She’s about being confident in your own skin and fearless. I’m a AFAB Non-Binary person. I’ve had a strange relationship with feminity for most of my life. I’ve always been a bit of a Tom boy but at the same time I’ve always loved pretty things even when I thought I wasn’t good enough to wear dresses. I used to use cosplay as a way of showing of my masculine side but I still was not confident. It was only when I fully embraced my love of big poofy frills that I totally felt safe and confident in my cosplay. I feel like myself at last. And what better way to fuck with gender than to play a woman with a beard who finds herself on the strange embracing what makes her different? “I am brave, I am bruised I am who I'm meant to be, this is me!” A link to the video of my Genericon 19 skit is on my linktree. I had such a wonderful time performing. I designed my skit for maximum audience participation and everyone delivered. This brought me back to my highschool days character acting for my ballet troupe. I didn’t even care that the zipper on my dress burst. And the peak for me was stepping out on the floor at katsucon and having someone approach me crying because I was her favorite character and the movie ment so much to her. #cosplay #thegreatestshowman #lettielutz #beardedlady #lettielutzcosplay #greatestshowmancosplay #beardedladycosplay #cosplaysewist #enbycosplayer #nonbinarycosplayer #autisiccosplayer https://www.instagram.com/p/CFzKrOTDsep/?igshid=1cqllfm7kj0ld

Day 26 of #shepropchallenge “a cosplay I plan on redoing. “ Ok so some real talk here I am INSANELY proud of my Bearded Lady cosplay. I love Lettie I love my dress BUT From the get go of making the dress I had a huge #timgunn #MakeItWork moment when I opened my silk for the over dress. Due to the ‘magic’ of the internet my beautiful silk turned out to be the wrong color. It’s lilac instead of magenta. While it does take on a different iridescence under light it still is not that scrumptious plummy magenta of the screen dress. Also I ran out of silk and had to go with out her big statement collar. I learned so much making this dress and I’m continuing to learn so this is a dress I would love to make again especially after the reception I got at Katsu. Photo and edit by Kevin at @imodelzone_photography https://www.instagram.com/p/CFxyleeDYDW/?igshid=nm6kfxvsvml5

I’m a bit behind on #shepropchallenge again but here goes Day 25 “favorite cosplay accessory” MOG THE MOOGLE Lulu needed her “weapon” and we were going to a ball in gowns so I tracked down some two way sequin fabrics and made a moogle back pack from a #simplicity teddy bear pattern. He has a zipper in his belly and d rings on his back so I can wear him as a back or strap him to my walker (as seen in a photo). It’s a damn shame I keep forgetting to bring him to shoots but for now he sits on my bed with his pal Squeaky the carbuncle. For people who ask I am willing to make these to sell. Dm me for details. Hall photo from #kupoconthebigerpom by @nightlightphotograph FFX Ballgown group featuring @dreams_in_the_noct and @houseplantwashere dresses by me. Photo by @cerberus_fotos #handmadeplush #cosplayprops #moogle #squareenix #finalffantasy #ffx #ff10 #kupocon #kupo https://www.instagram.com/p/CFuBDm3D9BJ/?igshid=1icqt8hndbpo2

#shepropchallenge day 24 “favorite wig” Ok so I don’t really style my own wigs I mostly either wear them out of the bag or have someone style them for me. Admittedly my bearded lady wig is an @ardawigs Victoria in Spanish brown right out of the package but the stying on the Victoria was so perfect for Lettie that I just finessed the curls a bit and then hand sewed the flowers into the hairline. My beard is a lace stage beard from a local vendor called @the.costumer and it’s amazing in its look and texture. I hate wearing it because it’s scratchy like a course beard but I’m so glad I went the route I did. First photo by @thenerdymonkey All the rest are by @nightlightphotograph #cosplay #cosplayer #thegreatestshowman #thegreatestshowmancosplay #beardedladycosplay #lettielutzcosplay #lettielutz #enbycosplayer #cosplaysewist https://www.instagram.com/p/CFhts53jkpQ/?igshid=80rutvktgr5b

Day 21 of #shepropchallenge “cosplay(s) I need better photos of” A few of my earlier cosplays from before I met lani and Sam need some love. Amaterasu and Kabigami !!! (Kabi is my sister) Space Fairy OC (tho I think some of the lights are dead) Tigeress Courtesan OC #cosplay #cosplayer #okamicosplay #okami #okamiamaterasu #kabigami #occosplay #steampunkcosplay #enbycosplayer #nonbinarycosplayer #plussizedcosplayer #cosplaysewist https://www.instagram.com/p/CFb7kXKjy3D/?igshid=11j25m0xpd54

#shepropchallenge day 21 “favorite photo” All the credit for this magic moment goes to @nightlightphotograph I chose this picture of the Thirteenth Doctor from Doctor Who for a few reasons. The first one is just how much of a portrait of me this is. I’m not wearing makeup, and it’s a complete candid shot. I’m not staring at the camera. It’s a moment caught in between Lani and I goofing around. I also love the background with the Christmas wreaths which is quintessential Dr Who. Finally this was taken at one of my favorite places in the world- a five minute drive away from where I lived most of my life. It’s a municipal water supply facility but if you see this ‘castle’ and didn’t know there was a hydroelectric damn underneath it almost looks like a portal to another world. And it was in my backyard. There is a reason that this shot has not been moved from its place as my user icon. #doctorwho #bbcdoctorwho #thirteenthdoctor #13thdoctor #TARDIS #doctorwhocosplay #thirteenthdoctorcosplay #cosplay #cosplayer #enbycosplayer #autisticcosplayer #spaceforall https://www.instagram.com/p/CFaQWW_Dn9B/?igshid=784u2ehm5b80

Day 20 of #shepropchallenge “cosplay you’ve learned the most from” Because I’m a sucker for punishment and couldn’t get enough of black pleather and zippers I made not one but TWO Noctis jackets. The second one of course going to @dreams_in_the_noct. But yes I learned much from making these two jackets. My first one I started about a week after I finished the game. I had not made a human sized costume in several years so I jumped in with out a life jacket and busted a sewing machine in the process but once I started I was back and hooked again. The second jacket I made a year later and learned how to use a walking foot. It came out so good I almost didn’t give it to lani. 😜 but she loved it so much I knew it was hers. So when I say we’re the Noct twins, double the Noct double the pleasure, this is why! #fellowshipofthenoctii #noctlife #noctisluciscaelum #ffxv https://www.instagram.com/p/CFYAjFzjBTk/?igshid=lx7fxwhycws0

Day 19 of #shepropchallenge “cosplay you are the most proud of.” My goal has always to be, not a great cosplayer, but to be a great cosplay sewist. My best creation is the Yuna Ballgown I made for @dreams_in_the_noct Since lani and I are pretty much the same size I made most of this dress with out a fitting so the first time I saw it all together was at KupoCon The Bigger Pom in our hotel room. I’m always really skeptical of my work. If you work with me I’ll send you tons of photos and ask for feed back and I don’t always feel confident till I’m done. When this dress was finally complete and on Lani it was a collective sigh of relief. I cried because she was so happy. This dress is a culmination of everything I want to become. First three photos by @lazzaro_studios #cosplay #coaplaysewist #cosplaycommission #summoneryuna #yunabraska #finalfantasyX #ffx #ff10 https://www.instagram.com/p/CFU07-MjrG_/?igshid=d1g2wa885v71

#shepropchallenge day 18 “cosplay reworked” RIKU! For being my fave character ever this boy has pretty much dogged me since I started cosplaying. My original KH2 Riku I made in college went through two vests and I still never finished the collar on it. I stopped wearing the pants I made because they were HUGE. And then the vest ended up with water damage mysteriously. When the first image of KH3 Riku surfaced I came up with my second version. I love this version. But sadly the final design turned out so different. My KH3 Riku was troubled from the beginning. I could not figure that jacket out and ended up using the wrong pleather. The pants are perfect tho. The only problem is I HATE THAT WHITE SHIRT. I’m tempted to do a Fem!Riku version with a corset to fix my hate of that shirt. KH2 Riku photos taken c. 2010 by my girlfriend. Self designed Riku shots are selfies. KH3 photos taken at CTcon 19 by @nightlightphotograph https://www.instagram.com/p/CFRvTfzD36d/?igshid=oowyh826brc2

Day 17 of #shepropchallenge “New Matterials!” This year for my personal cosplays I’ve started to work with more natural fibers like silk and wool! Being eco friendly is a bonus I just like the look, feel, and texture that they bring. I started this year mastering wool for my #AryaStark cosplay. I found it rich and forgiving and OMG was I warm for Katsucon standing in the direct wind! (Wool fabrics bought in person from @moodfabrics in NYC) And then the SILKS! Super shout out to @silkbaron for bringing my rainbow dreams to life as I slowly work on on my #disneyFantasia Iris cosplay in several scrumptious colors of Dupioni! The subtitle texture and iradecentence accents all the need work, smocking, and hand ruffling I have been doing. Photo credits to @nightlightphotograph and @misspixieicephotography https://www.instagram.com/p/CFQFgHPj8er/?igshid=14xdaes7ra97u

#shepropchallenge day 15 “Concrunch” I stayed up till 12 the wendsday before Katsu to finish my late 1700s inspired Into the Unknown Elsa and I still wasn’t happy with her or her wig styling. Plus by the time I did wear this to the con it was late and I got scared off the floor by a party starting. (I’m autistic and I am hypersensitive to sound.) we tried to move towards the gazebo area but it was too crowded. I will finish the shear drape to this dress one day! Joke photo taken by @dreams_in_the_noct #elsa #frozen2 #intotheunknown #elsacosplay #historybounding https://www.instagram.com/p/CFJ6KJDjrtQ/?igshid=12ns4yykiu3yb

Day 11 of #shepropchallenge “favorite character” From #finalfantasyXV we have his royal highness, avoider of vegetables and lover of fishing, Prince #NoctisLucisCaelum !!! He is the first cosplay I made upon returning to cosplay after a hiatus and the one I feel most comfortable in (which is why his highness has graced many UNY parties) Noctis is my soul bro one of the characters I keep close to my heart because we got so much in common. Most pics in this post were taken by @houseplantwashere a few might be from @nightlightphotograph (the three of us do so many shoots together sometimes I have a hard time telling where I get a pic from). The lovely Luna in the last one is my sister. #cosplay #cosplaysewist #ffxv #ff15 #finalfantasy15 #noctis #walktall #standbyme https://www.instagram.com/p/CFC_qa4DE2t/?igshid=rpqlk6cyuqmw