Celestial Siren Cosplay 🌠

Cosplay Tip:

Sheila’s Tips for Finishing stuff FAST™

-Think in terms of waiting vs not waiting. A lot of the cosplay process is waiting. Usually waiting for something to dry, waiting for the iron to hit up. Etc. Set up your wait times to align with other tasks. EXMP. I usually make all my foam armor first, so that way once I set it aside to seal and paint, I can pattern and draft while its drying, in between reapplying coats. Or I throw the glue gun on to get hot and while I wait, I cut and style a wig. 

If you start doing this, you’ll get used to thinking ahead in terms of “what will I need to do later, and what can I do now to set up for it.” 

-When something gets frustrating, move on. Yesterday I tried making my leggings and nearly started screaming with how annoying the machine was being. So I dropped it, and started doing the dress details instead. Its funner, easier, and it doesnt make me want to QUIT. There are tons of tasks we hate doing enough that it makes us work slower, or stop working altogether. Instead, drop the hard thing, do some easy things, come back to it later when youve had time to mull over how youll tackle it. Ie. I tried sewing my leggings, but it was hard, so i worked on the dress and during that I decided to buy leggings and paint them instead. :) 

-Try to buy everything you know youll need now. Nothing takes more time then a “quick” trip to walmart for paint brushes. Cause then your hungry, then you also need groceries, then you shoud also— no. Make your whole list before your build. AND if you want to wait on supply stocking cause your trying to budget, then create a 2nd shopping trip to closer when 50% of the costume is done. I.E. One shopping trip for all the armor and fabric, 2nd trip for all the attachments of the armor. And if you find you do need that one thing, think about everything that still needs to be done. Can you do any of it without that one thing? Then work on that instead of going out. GO OUT LAST. 

-Don’t watch anything new. I love playing movies in the background, because the progression and narrative of that movie makes time seem to go faster AND I can measure my time. One more is about 2 hrs. One episode is a half hour, etc. But they key is to, DONT WATCH NEW STUFF. Cause then youll find yourself stopping and watching. You gotta rewatch stuff youve seen a million times. Or just throw on music. 

-Put your phone in a different roomJust avoid the distraction. 

-BREAKS ARE OKAY.They are! Especially when you need a motivator. Lunchtime or dinner is a great one. Cause you can sit, eat, watch something or play a game. Usually I try to make it correlate to the costume. I play overwatch on a break if Im working on mercy. I watch Convenion Cosplay videos on youtube if its something like Miku. Anything to keep my excitement of wanting to finish my build. AND SET A TIMER to go off after an hour or so. Dont let yourself get sucked in. Unplug the thing and put it in the closet if you need to. 

-It doesnt have to be hard to be good. Yeah, worbla is great. And cutting plexiglass is impressive. But if you have 4 days till the con, remember what your working with and remind yourself that using foam can be just as good. Don’t set yourself up for failure by starting to fiberglass a pepakura armor build 3 days before the con. Its just not gonna happen and youll be dissapointed when it does. And accept that its okay to have some things shortcut for the finish. Maybe you dont get the gloves done. Oh well! Thats okay! At least its finished aside from that, and then you have months to get and make them the way you want after for the next con cause everything else is already done. 

Cosplay Tip:

Someone asked that this be rebloggable so HURR YOU GO

Some patterns are really dumb in telling you to finish the body of an outfit, then finish the sleeve, then attach a circle to a circle. It’s possible to do, and once in a while it’s necessary, don’t get me wrong, but unless you have a lot of experience it’s sometimes very aggravating trying to evenly distribute the sleeve around the “hole” cut out for it and match up the seams under the armpit!

(Please note…some patterns, especially to achieve tailored looks, require you to do it the traditional way. Don’t use this method for fashion school assignments or super-complex garments as it will probably screw up the way it ends up fitting in the end. This is mostly for the use of cosplayers to make their job a little easier.)

EDIT:// thevvioletprince, a fashion student, says she’s been taught this method in school so HAVE FUN, NEVER MIND

EDIT DEUX:// If you are doing a traditional garment of some kind, for instance, something that has a multi-piece sleeve or that requires gathers, you may need to do it the “old-fashioned way”!

ANYWAY SO THIS IS WHAT I DO.

How to make custom lace appliques – the “Frankenlace” method

A lot of people asked for more info on how I made the appliques that decorate the bottom of Zelda’s gown. Here’s my tutorial for the whole process! This method can be used to make all kinds of applique shapes and designs if you get creative with it.

These lace appliques are made out of other lace – hence the nickname. To get started, you’ll need to collect a few lace trims to use as raw material. Look for styles that are similar or complement each other, because you’ll be combining them. This is some, but not all, of the trims I used. I bought these in the LA fabric district, but most are available at trimexpoonline.com.

Cut your lace down into smaller pieces that are more modular. Don’t cut up ALL your lace – this is just an experimentation stage, to practice rearranging the design.

Using a template of your desired shape (I made mine digitally, but you can hand draw one too) practice arranging your pieces until you find a design that suits your needs. This is not my final design in the picture – I went through several versions before I was totally happy with how it looked. You might discover that you need more lace, which is why planning and experimentation are so important. When you’re satisfied with how it looks, it’s time to start putting it all together.

You’ll need an embroidery hoop large enough to cover your whole template, plus some netting that is as close to transparent as you can find. Most generic tulle is NOT fine enough to do well with this technique – the holes are too large and the tulle stretches too much when handled. Look for netting that does not stretch or fray, if possible. Put some netting in your embroidery hoop, tightening the surface like a drum. I taped my template to a small sheet of masonite to give myself a portable work surface. I also ended up using clamps to hold the embroidery hoop to the masonite, but forgot to get a picture. This is optional, but really helps the design from shifting too much as you work.

Tools for the next step: fabric glue (other brands work too), a small paintbrush, and a water cup. I watered my glue down a little to make it easier to spread with the paintbrush. Be careful not to add TOO much water, or your glue will be too thin, not grip well, and take a long time to dry.

Working in small sections, begin gluing your lace pieces onto the netting. Start at the center and work outward, if possible. Continue until all your lace pieces are glued onto the netting.

Here’s what mine looked like with all the lace attached! At this point, I flipped the embroidery hoop over and applied a second coat of glue over the entire back of the work. The netting is so thin that you can continue to apply more glue from the backside to get a more secure grip.

Optional: add rhinestones to taste. I used E6000 for this step. Not every applique requires rhinestones, but in this case I wanted Zelda to sparkle as much as possible.

Repeat to create as many appliques as you need! Zelda has 8 along the bottom of her dress. Here’s part of my assembly line.

When you’re ready to attach the applique to your fashion fabric, trim away some of the netting along the outside, but leave any “interior” portions that help stabilize the design. I simply glued my appliques onto the silk, but I later went back and hand-stitched them down for a more secure hold. After they are properly attached to your fabric, you can VERY CAREFULLY trim away the “interior” pockets of plain netting using small scissors.

The final look of my gown, after all the appliques and trim were attached.

This method is very time consuming and requires a lot of patience and concentration – but I just love the results! I wanted to achieve the look of professionally-made applique, but without access to industrial equipment, this was the next best thing I could come up with. 

The white-on-white effect is subtle, but matches the look I was going for. Photo by Vontography.

Okay, so I’ve been doin this nonsense for about 8 years now and here are my 10 biggest tips for anyone else doing this sadistic hobby (This is a bit geared towards people who make costumes just FYI. I will post another more geared for beginners or those who buy later)

1) Remember Why You Do This.

Maybe you showed up to con and were 1 of 74 Jinx’s. Or maybe your costume wasn’t as accurate as someone else’s. Or maybe it feels like everyone else made theirs and you bought yours. So what? Did you have fun? Did you meet friends, and/or bond with the people you came with? Unless you’re in the contests, remember that it ISN’T a contest. And even the contests are meant to be fun. Alternatively, don’t let any elitist fans ruin your fun.

2) Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously.

Remember that being a cosplayer doesn’t make you ‘more’ of a fan than someone who doesn’t. Remember that you do this for your own enjoyment and that is all that matters. Spend as long or as little as you want on a costume, end a con with 20 silly selfies and some new friends, compliment that other cosplayer in the same outfit because you clearly both have something in common, don’t think of them as competition.

3) Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help.

Parents, siblings, teachers, friends, neighbors, craft store employees, theater teachers, art teachers, people online. There are tons of people who could offer help with even little things like what glue to use on foam that needs heatshaping(non-flammable x-treme elmers glue is nice) , what paint to use on leggings (apparently fabric paint stretches with it just fine), ask your grandma what stitch is best for rounded edges on cotton (idk), ask a JoAnn’s associate what thread to use. In my experience store associates are extremely helpful, even with things like a second opinion on matching colors.

4) Use Coupons.

Seriously. If you can, set up an email just for coupons. Going to Michaels for a 2 dollar little thing of paint? Use that coupon they emailed you and now it’s 75 cents and you have more money for other things like fancy fabric or idk food. Check if any stores have student or teacher or senior discounts if that’s applicable, then you’ll have a discount even without coupons. Especially good for big purchases. If you’re buying everything at once there is almost definitely some sort of 5 off of 30 type of coupon out there. If you are able, this is a good way to set up a savings for con or your next costume maybe, just look at the receipt, see how much you saved and set that much (or a part) aside for food/hotel/gas/merch.

5) Look at your Source.

No matter how well you know your character or your design do not go very long without looking at the source. Working on a wig? Have a picture in front of you the whole time. Maybe sketch out the different angles beforehand. Going fabric shopping? Stare at the original. If you print out a reference pic know that it may be slightly off. If you’re doing a costume where the color seems different in every shot (like Rey from Star Wars) then pick the one you like. If you can, consider coloring or painting a swatch of the color on an index card and bringing it with you to compare. Seriously. Keep checking the source when working. It’s equivalent to “measure twice cut once”.

6) Measure Twice Cut Once.

Even in crunch. I know, it’s stressful and scary and frustrating but you know what is more frustrating and scary and stressful? It being 8pm the night before the con and you just cut that last bit of fabric too small. Or your wig too short. Seriously. Just double check yourself.

7) Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself.

Outdated meme but useful tip. If you’re getting anxious to a difficult level, or exhausted physically or mentally  address it. Take a break. Take a nap. Eat a meal. Go for a walk. Watch an episode of that show you’re trying to cosplay. Play that game. Watch cosplay videos if you’re scared of losing motivation. Just don’t push yourself too hard or you risk messing up parts of your costume and more importantly, you risk hurting yourself. Don’t work until you accidentally stab yourself with a hot iron and have a panic attack. Would you rather spend 15 minutes playing with your cat or crying and bandaging yourself?

8) Use It.

Found some fabric you love for that SnK skirt thing, but it’s infused with glitter?Who cares, use it. Every cosplay you have seen of Red Hood has a lot of leather and cargo pants but you want skinny jeans and suede? Use it. The costume is for you. Make it how you want. To quote the great Hilary Duff “Why Not?” Also, go listen to that song if you need encouragement. 

9) Enjoy The Whole Process.

Maybe it is redundant at this point but seriously. Have fun. Not just at the con, party, photoshoot, meetup etc. Have a wig styling party. You finished that jacket? Nice, wear it out shopping and be proud. Make a playlist for each character you work on or general motivational music. 8-tracks.com is great for this too. Test those seams/that hairgel/ those shoes/ flexibility by putting on your jam and dancing around. Send snapchats to your friends when you test your make up. Skype your aunt to show off that circle skirt. Put your hat on your dog. 

10) Procrastination isn’t Great.

Wig Hacks Wednesday #1 ! Need to quickly add length to your base wig without spending time sewing rolls and rolls of wefts? Want to use the same wig for that certain character who grew out their hair after timeskip arc? (I’m looking at you, Shonen Jump characters) Here’s a quick way to add some sturdy length to your base wig, but still easy to remove if needed, using the ponytail wrap from Arda Wigs (Base wig in pic is a Jareth in Baby Pink)

- Using the duckbill clips, section off the hair where you want to add length. Unwrap the ponytail wrap’s velcro top. (You can see many rows of wefts on it which makes it volumous) - Pull the small tail side through the spaces between the elastic band on the wig - Fold in the ponytail wrap’s main side and use the little comb to secure it to the base wig - Bring the small tail side over the main side of the ponytail wrap and press down the velcro parts to secure them to one another - Comb and straighten the wig hair as needed to blend the textures - She’s ready to rock hair-over-shoulder looks!

Hello! It may not be simple, but I’d recommend following this tutorial to add another hoop onto the bottom:

https://www.madman.com.au/news/cosplay-tutorial-series-chapter-1-basic-hoop-skirt/

It will be more difficult to sew onto the bottom since the hoops are already in the skirt. However, if you didn’t mind it taking a little while longer, you could open up the skirt, take the boning out, and add on another hoop that way! It would take longer, but it would might be easier than trying to sew another hoop onto an already boned hoop skirt.

I hope this helps!

How to Level Up Your Cosplay panel, as given at Krakencon F2016

You’ve made your first cosplays and know the basics, but have you ever wondered how to take your cosplays to the next level? Come get tips on how to improve your skills to create higher quality and more impressive costumes. Topics covered will include costume and material choice, finishing techniques, and creating eye-catching detail.

Old version of the panel contained here. This is the new and improved version.

This is just the bare bones of the panel, as many of the examples were elaborated on in-person, and it is just the slides, not any of my notes. It is not meant to be exhaustive or definitive, and is just meant for general advice and suggestion purposes only. If anyone has feedback they would like to give, feel free to do so. That said, I hope that people find this information useful.

Here is a link to a pdf of the presentation. You may download for personal use, but please do not alter the presentation, repost without permission, or do any sort of other unauthorized use. (If you have a question about how you can use this presentation, please send me a message with your question and we can work it out. I promise I’m not scary. ;]) Feel free to reblog this post as much as you want, though. I do these panels and post them because I want the information to be shared.

Planning Your Cosplay panel, as given at SacAnime Winter 2017

Ever wanted to cosplay someone, but had no idea how to begin? Join cosplayer fabrickind to learn about how to take that first step! Topics covered will include costume choice, breaking down the parts of a costume, buying vs. making, researching materials and methods, and budgeting time and money.

This is just the bare bones of the panel, as many of the examples were elaborated on in-person, and it is just the slides, not any of my notes. It is not meant to be exhaustive or definitive, and is just meant for general advice and suggestion purposes only. If anyone has feedback they would like to give, feel free to do so. That said, I hope that people find this information useful.

Here is a link to a pdf of the presentation. You may download for personal use, but please do not alter the presentation, repost without permission, or do any sort of other unauthorized use. (If you have a question about how you can use this presentation, please send me a message with your question and we can work it out. I promise I’m not scary. ;]) Feel free to reblog this post as much as you want, though. I do these panels and post them because I want the information to be shared.

After much time finally got this done! I made this tutorial for those who want to cosplay w/ feathered wings but don’t have the money to buy professionally made ones. I’ve seen a few pairs online go for more than 100 dollars, so I’m here to show you how to make your own wings!

Ok so we’ll need some supplies before we start.

I bought all of the material (not including hot glue, scissors, and wire cutters) at my local craft store for under 30 dollars.

Be sure to get foam sheets, feathers, and ribbon in the same color. The size of you foam sheet should be big enough to fit one wing.

Also, don’t underestimate the amount of feathers you need!!! I’ve made this mistake and it’s not fun!

Also make sure you have a pattern of what you want your wing shape to be. I’ve sketched out some references, but you can find my printable templates here: http://tumblr-is-better.blogspot.com/2015/05/printable-wing-template.html

After figuring out what I would like, I drew the bigger pattern onto my foam. Trace and cut.

Pretty flimsy, right? Here’s how to add more stability:

I placed the wire on the edge of the foam sheet for one wing. Then I added hot glue over the top of the wire and cover it with the ribbon. This helps by covering up the wire so it doesn’t poke while being worn, and so that the wire stays put. It also makes for a nice place to glue feathers over.

It doesn’t have to be neat, since there will be feathers over it.

Save your scraps of foam.

From the scraps, I cut out two identical ovals. The length of each should be the same as the base of each wing. 

I attached them to the wing, and added wire and ribbon around the edge. This base for the wings works better than making the wings as one piece. The base should sit right on your shoulder blades, making the wings look a lot more realistic.

Make sure they are attached at a slant, ribbon facing the inside. The side with the ribbon will be the inside or the “front” of the wing.

If the area where the wing attaches to the oval is flimsy and doesn’t stay in place (which is totally normal) bend a piece of wire into an “L” shape and glue it onto the part of the wing that slants downwards. Don’t forget to cover it in ribbon as well! (Sorry for bad lighting)

Now the time consuming part.. Feathers! I used an assortment of different sized feathers. Always start from the bottom layers and work your way up to the top.

Don’t cover the base with feathers. That will be done later.

Bend the wire in the wings to shape them how ever you like!

As for attaching the wings together, you will need elastic. I used clear elastic so the bands in between the wings were not visible. It turned out pretty well, but you might want to find fabric elastic that fits the color of your costume (if you’re wearing one) because clear elastic tends to break easily and it never lays flat. 

I measured the distance between my shoulder blades. The wings do not have to rest on your shoulder blades, if they need be elsewhere, it will still work.

I cut two holes through the base using scissors and an exacto knife in the places that best fit my liking. Be sure that both holes on the first wing match up with the other wing. The holes should be directly through the ribbon, and behind the wire. 

I did the same for the arm bands, but I made the holes farther apart.

When stringing the elastic through, don’t underestimate how much it can stretch. It’s better to have it shorter in the place between wings, so don’t be afraid.

Once through, I secured the elastic like so. If you’re using clear elastic put a layer of glue over the top of it. Clear elastic doesn’t stick to hot glue by itself. :/

Before attaching the arm bands, I measure the distance from my shoulder blade, around my arm, and back to the shoulder blade.

After the elastic is in and attached, I continued to cover the base with feathers.

Largest wings that I’ve made with this technique had a six foot wingspan. You can make these as big as you’d like.

I also didn’t give exact measurements since everyone’s will be different!

And done!