No activity....because I'm graduating

So nothing for the past few months and nothing for the next couple because I'm finally finishing grad school. Once done though, I'll be back at it since I'll be ostensibly unemployed for a bit. Hooray!

inactive spring

Hey blog,

So I decided not to do the awesome con stuff, it was too much work, too short a time frame, and too little money.

So going back to figuring out Dr. Mrs. The Monarch; I think for the chest, I'll be using a plastic mannequin and cutting out the shape that I want. I looked up a couple of sites/videos, and it looks like that is the best option (and cheap). No having to figure out how to make a split front corset.

I think I'll order swatches of materials in the next few weeks and decide on fabrics soon. Small steps.

small hiatus

Hi, haven' posted in awhile. Haven't been working on anything, so nothing to post about. However, I might go to Awesome Con in DC in a month, and if I do that, I'm taking Kerrigan out of retirement and buying the airbrush finally to spruce her up. Then do the venture bros costumes, then do Tyrael. Lots to do, just got to get started.

Costume wishlist

I need to stop thinking up new projects before I even really start on my current one. Somehow the idea to make a Tyrael (the archangel from the Diablo games) is now running around my brain. Bad brain, stop it, start your current costumes first. So just going to add that to the wishlist of costumes I want to make. Chell from Portal is on there (mostly I just want to make the long fall boots) as well as some various and sundry other pieces I'm not really remembering at the moment, but that I know are on there.

However, a Tyrael costume would be soooo cool, it has armor, and wings, and lights in the wings, and a sword, and, and.... I am a costume nerd.

Ok, got that out of my system.

New costume first step: acquire shoes

Went out last weekend to get shoes for the costume. Decided to hit up Goodwill for cheap shoes, as they will be bastardized and covered over so they don't have to look good or be a particular color, just the shape I want.

I ended up getting two different pairs of shoes, stiletto pumps with a really high heel, probably over 4 inches, and boots with a lower heel, probably about 3 inches. Reason I got two? Well, combined they were $14, so there's that, and when I tried them on, it was with socks on and the pumps were really tight. I am a size 8.5, and apparently there were no 8.5 size shoes in Goodwill, and the pumps were an 8. I was hoping without socks, they would fit better, but they are still sort of tight. Sometimes I fit an 8 no problem, but they might just be too tall and tight.

If I go with the boots, I'm going to have to cut them down as the boot is bulky and has a zipper already. I'll rip out the zipper, cut them down to booties, and cover them over from there with boot covers. I want the boots to be tight to my leg and as cartoonish as possible. I may still try and use the pumps as they don't need any modification, but I'll have to wear them in first. They might not stretch out, time will only tell.

Next step: buying material. Also, do I want to make my own leotard, or buy one? Tough choices. 

New year, new post

So I have started the planning phase for the next set of costumes, The Monarch and Dr. Mrs the Monarch (hopefully the Dr title will be legitimate by the time I wear the costume, and yes I made the mistake decision to go to grad school way back in the stone ages and am just finally finishing).

First step is to get an airbrush. I've been wanting one for some time, and I was recently advised on what type to get and such by someone who actually knows about these things (yay to good advice!). I will hopefully buy it at the end of the month, along with some worbla for the crowns and chest plate for the monarch.

The first thing I think I will be doing is the shoes. I like to start costumes from the bottom up, since when I start, I usually have no clue what I am actually doing, and learn as I go. Shoes/bottom of the costume you don't notice as much as the top.

For the shoes, the Monarch will have either worbla or paper mache or some other stiff material for the toe curls, and then fabric backed with interfacing or something else flexible yet supportive over that for the boots since they are tall. I will have to get myself a pair of cheapish heels to snackrifice for this costume since I'm out of shoes I can use for costumes that I conveniently have for whatever reason. I will also be doing the same fabric and backing treatment for the Mrs.'s boots, as they are thigh high.

Contemplating if I can get away without a zipper in either pair or not. Time and planning can only tell. For now, I'm still in the budgeting and planning to buy things phase. Although these costumes look fairly simple, I'm probably going to end up spending a lot to make them (because I can't do anything the simple and cheap way, now can I?). Worbla, material, paint, airbrush, potentially making moving parts (maybe an arduino, someone slap that idea out of my head please), shoes, wig, ahhhhhhhh! At least I gave myself 8 months-ish to do all of this.

Coming up next....

Next costume(s) I will be working on: The Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch. I am hoping to get them started early in the new year, as I will have two full costumes to make for wearing to cons/halloween/by myself like a boss, etc...

This will be my first excursion with thermoplastics and possibly epoxy and airbrush painting, new skills for the new year, wooo!