The Purple Wind Ninja Ranger

And why I think his greatest fear is bigger than just "falling and getting hurt."

To start, I have thought far too much about the fears depicted for Tori and Dustin in "Eye of the Storm." On the surface, they might seem a bit shallow compared to Shane's fear of being the family disappointment (especially Tori's fear of having her hair cut, but I could go off for a bit about how many women tie their identity to their hair, and how Tori canonically struggles with having her femininity recognized amongst her friends who view her as more of a tomboy). But I really do think there's reason to believe that they're representative of something deeper. And for Dustin, it goes all the way back to the first episode.

I finally made the belt, and so this cosplay is finally officially done!

The belt buckle could definitely be better. Thought about trying again with foam, but I'm feeling too lazy to get that done before next Saturday. The belt has a buckle in the back to get it on and off, but I also used some hidden velcro to make it size adjustable, and I accidentally placed the velcro so that it only adjusts to a larger size. So I need to add more velcro if I want to be able to make the belt smaller. (Hopefully one day I'll need to... one day...)

I decided to try Spoonflower for some fabric. I ordered a couple swatches a week or so ago. The next morning, the whole site was 25% off.

The undershirt and pants, to be exact.

The first time I made them, I used a fabric I'd found at Joann's before they closed. For whatever reason, I was convinced I needed a patterned fabric for this part of the suit, and it was the closest I could find to what it should look like.

And it was all well and good, especially from a distance. But the more of the suit I completed, the more I wished it looked more accurate. And it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that it should have been a layer of mesh over silver fabric.

So attempt two happened. And all in all, it's the most show accurate in appearance. But it was really difficult to wear. It didn't have the stretch I'd hoped for (those swatches I'd ordered were deceptive). And honestly, I think the silver fabric was a bit too shiny. The limited stretch and extra shine combined also just made the fabric look horrible on my already plus-sized limbs. In addition, I couldn't really get the pants to stay up (though that I think was in part because of how I constructed them). And the worst part, was how little the material breathed -- not ideal if I want to wear this for hours at a convention.

So that leaves attempt number three. I found this silvery-gray spandex, pretty much the same exact fabric as the purple part of the suit. I went to go buy more of the mesh, but at the time, Mood Fabrics was updating their website, and I couldn't get into my account for a few days. So I bought something I found on etsy instead, convinced mostly by the promise that it was super stretchy. (It is).

It looks less accurate, and it does bug me, but it's infinitely more comfortable than either of my previous attempts. And I just have to keep reminding myself that 1) I'm not competing, so accuracy isn't all that important, and 2) this is a non-canon, fan-made character, who is an "extra/special" ranger, so she can look a little different. Right?

I'd been toying with this for a while now. I just wasn't happy with the one I'd made previously, and I really wanted one I could wear.

Is it perfect? No. Is it sloppy? Very. Is it missing a back because it was the only way I could put this thing on, and I was too lazy to figure out a way to make it reattachable? Yes. But who needs cosplay photos from the back anyway?

I'm so much happier with this than I was with the old helmet. For one, realizing that I could add a crease to the gold frame made all the difference in getting the foam to form to the shape of the helmet better. I also acquired a fox stamp for the emblem on the front, so that I didn't have to use a button that looks more like a squirrel once painted.

I got a little sloppier with sealing the seems and sanding (especially since I don't have the tools needed for that, nor a well-ventilated place). Also got a little lazier with the paint job this time around, and I'll forever be fighting the battle of getting the right shade of purple.

But I am just so much happier with this. It looks so much more like I envisioned, in large part thanks to the piece I commissioned. And I can wear it! I can wear my full cosplay and wear a helmet, and pretend that it has the retractable visor that Ninja Storm is known for. (And that totally wasn't me just being lazy about not wanting to figure out how to make a visor I could see through).

Maybe one day I'll be able to pay someone to make me a quality 3d printed version, one with a visor, and a back... but until then, I've got my EVA foam helmet, that honestly, I'm pretty proud of. Especially for a sudden, hyperfixation fueled project.

Went to go log in to my mood fabrics account, because that's where I bought the fishnet/mesh, and they updated the website today... whole new look... and I can't log in. Keeps telling me my email and/or password is wrong. I'm not getting the password reset email I asked for hoping that would bypass the problem...

Now I've turned to etsy, and found possibly a better silver fabric. But I might have to resort to unpicking the stitches of my previously made sleeves, and hoping I don't ruin them in the process. (Or I take the chance on a similar looking fabric on etsy).

That'll teach me to get reliant on a single store. I'm more going to mourn all the fabric I'd had saved in my wishlists.

--

The bodice looks so much better on me with boning. I used large/thick zip ties. But I did order some ridgeline boning to use on the next one. (Haven't received it yet, so I may or may not commit to it).

When the pattern says to use only one layer of tulle, use only one layer. I got a little overzealous, thinking I could double each row of tulle for more opacity. But it just became very difficult to work with, and made the skirt way bigger than what I wanted. But, given my red and black test skirt wasn't as gathered, I probably won't need to double up these layers to get the effect I want.

However, when the pattern says to sew the back seam before attaching to the basque, ignore it, because it's so much harder to work with it this way. Next time, I'll sew the back seam up later.

Tulle is very slippery when lying on laminate flooring. That same flooring hurts to land on.

First I tried a pattern I got off of etsy from an actual tutu maker, so I thought it would be legit. It is, far as I can tell, it just wasn't what I was hoping for. For one, the largest size was too small. And I figured it would be, but a part of me was thinking I could make it work with some sort of modesty panel in the back for the hooks and eyes. But I was kidding myself. I'm too fat for their largest size, it doesn't even fit the front of me right. And I just wasn't a fan of how it looked anyway.

I'm also pretty sure I put the back on backwards, but the notches were identical, and lined up whichever way I tried.

(All of these pictures are just using spare fabric from my stash, by the way.)

Then I tried the McCall's pattern I had. Better, in that I like the way the front looks with the center seam. But even the size I thought would fit was too small (and actually the same size as the other one, just about). Also, way too short for what I'm looking to do.

So I tried the largest size, and I added 5 inches of length to each panel, and I'm much happier with it. At least the length anyway. The back barely fits, and by barely I mean, it still doesn't really fit (at least, once I turn in the ends), but I think I can get away with that modesty panel this time, and then nix it if I loose some weight.

And the skirt I'm wearing is for reference for where the red waist band would go, and where the tulle would start to fall.

(Also note, this is far from finished. It's lacking the boning, and the facing along the top).

That being said, I'm wearing shape ware under this latest attempt, and I'm looking at myself in it, and thinking... wow she's wide. So, I'm second guessing if I want to move forward with this project while looking so... wide, in all directions. Especially with the horizontal waist band. I mean, maybe I could do a version where the red follows the pointed hem of the bodice, (which kind of looks better) and have the tulle flow out underneath (as the pattern intends), but that wouldn't be accurate. But I'm also not making a 100% accurate Helena dress, it's supposed to be a Helena inspired tutu. So I guess it could be different.

I made the 1/4 size dress form in the hopes I can use it to figure out how to make something for an E33 cosplay somewhere down the line. (Dress form pattern here).

Because I have the drawing talent of a seashell (i.e. none), I commissioned this art of my oc ranger/cosplay character. The artist, Swiss, can be found on instagram, and also on etsy. Definitely check them out if you want some art of any of your oc's.

I absolutely love this image. Cosplaying the character was fun, but seeing it in this form? I don't know, I can't explain how much I love it. Look at her! This is how she should really look. (Not like me). And that helmet? Amazing. I could never really get it to look the way I envisioned it, with my crude redraw of the blue helmet that I'd been using as my profile picture being the closest. Somehow, with just that as a reference, Swiss managed to nail how it looked in my head. Like, finally this girl looks like she could stand with the rest of the Ninja Storm rangers.

Because initially, my plan was to have my purple ranger have a sort of armor. After all the "lore" is that her morpher was modeled after the Wind Ranger morphers, but using parts salvaged from the Samurai Ranger morpher, so it has to have elements of both. And especially with her being a sixth/extra ranger (I guess technically seventh, but green isn't active in this lore), she's gotta look a little extra special. That's why there's extra gold trim. That's why the helmet has a pointed gold section like Cam's. That's why I wanted her to have armor, like Cam.

But I cannot for the life of me figure out an appropriate armor that looks like Cam's, that doesn't cover the image on the chest, but also doesn't look too much like the shoulder pads on the Thunder Rangers.

It also has way less stretch than the previous fabric. So it barely fits. (More incentive to lose those pounds, I guess). Also, there's like, no traction between the pants and the shapewear I wear underneath, so the pants keep sliding down, even though they're super tight. Go figure. Maybe I can find some of that elastic stuff that's actually on the inside of the legs of my shapewear that's supposed to keep it in place, and sew that to the inner waistband.

In which this thing just keeps getting more expensive.

After dragging my feet on it, I finally made the pants. (And they have pockets!) But it was after making them, that I decided, I have to remake them.

I mean, they're fine, technically, but I'm not happy with the fabric. When I originally decided to start working on this cosplay, my only option for buying fabric was Joanne's. Or at least, it was the only place I'd bothered to look. And the day I found the perfect purple fabric, I also found a cosplay-specific fabric that looked closer to what I needed for the arms and legs than anything I'd ever found before. The label said "chain print knit," and I knew it wasn't right, but I thought it would look good enough from far away.

And, yeah. Kind of. But it took me far too long to realize that the arms (and in the case of Tori, legs) of the Ninja Storm suits are actually two layers, one of a silver-y spandex and one of a black netting/mesh. (And not, in fact, a silver fabric with a grid pattern printed on it. Dumb me). Also, this fabric is kind of thick and doesn't really breathe. Great in that it seems resistant to fraying, but not so great for a potentially long day at a convention. So I bought some fabric swatches to see if I could make it work, the right way, and unfortunately, I can.

(Looks better in person, I swear. And even the netting stretches).

I say "unfortunately" because it means I decided to spend the money to buy the fabric, so that I can remake the arm/leg layer. Thankfully, they were actually super easy to sew compared to everything related to the purple fabric.

I also tried making some gloves. Not technically hard, (although the first time I somehow managed to sew right side to wrong side without realizing it until I tried to pull on the glove). But I was not happy with the fabric I'd chosen. They just didn't look right. They also kind of smelled weird. So I decided to just buy a pair of power ranger specific cosplay gloves off of etsy. I'm a little annoyed knowing that that's another piece of the cosplay that I didn't make by hand, but I think they were worth it. And tonight I finished the hand guards. Just more of the fabric wrapped around stiff felt, and velcro'd to the gloves.

Feeling closer and closer to an actual power ranger now.

More progress!

These arm guards, or cuffs, or whatever they're considered, have been stressful. I thought I knew what I was doing going in, learned very quickly it wouldn't be that easy, but then they turned out fine anyway. Somehow.

They're not perfect. I couldn't find a plasticky/leathery material in the shade of purple I needed (or anything close), so I'm using the spandex of the suit. It's not ideal, but I think it still works. Sewed two panels together and slid in some foam for structure. Then added the trim to ends.

They close with velcro on the opposite side, which took me a while to figure out. That was probably actually the worst part. Learned the hard way that attaching velcro to only the stretchy fabric does not for a very secure closure make. There went my attempt at hiding the stitches. Toyed with the idea of using a zipper, but since I couldn't find one the right length, I went back to the velcro, and while I didn't take a picture of the opposite side, I assure you, it looks pretty decent, and not too unlike the official show suits. Thankfully I found a thread that matches almost exactly to the fabric anyway, so it's not too offensive. (And I mean, could you even tell that I did a stitch in the ditch for the trim? Tell me that doesn't look clean).

For the left arm, I essentially sewed some long button-holes and cut through the whole thing so I could thread the straps of the morpher through.

I am just so happy with how these turned out. They've been giving me grief for a week now. I still have some detail to add to the bottom of the cuffs, but that's mostly a matter of covering some rectangles and attaching them to the wrists, so probably more glue than thread.