I'm combining fandom and electronics to make cosplay, jewelry, etc. My main tumblr is pursuitofnerdiness. My portfolio of finished projects is here. You can find my open source code and designs on GitHub.
This LED sign reads messages from a text file on an SD card. You can select the message via the dipswitch. To update the messages, you can simply edit the text file without having to reprogram the microcontroller. I created this sign to bring to the Science March in DC since that seemed thematically appropriate.
The source code, schematics, and bill of materials are posted on GitHub.
So while I provided some process photos on my twitter (collected as a moment here), I wanted to put together a bit more documentation on my cosplay. I’m not going to give a complete step-by-step guide, though.
I followed this guide to make the hoop skirt. Honestly, I did a lot of winging it in terms of figuring out the right diameter for each layer of the hoop skirt. I cut the pipe to a slightly smaller circle each layer and tweaked as I went along until it looked right. Also, I used pipe couplings instead of the rod because I don’t have a hacksaw to cut that with.
The LED setup is the same as my previous glow cloud and based on the Florabrella. Once I built the hoop skirt, I built the LED spokes, 8 spokes of 15 LEDs each. I used about 10″ of wire for power and ground and 30″ for data between spokes. I use the 3-pin connector that comes with the LED strip so that I can disconnect the skirt from the control board. This allows me to remove the skirt so I can do things like... sit down.
I safety pinned the LED strips to the skirt at both the top and bottom to keep them in place. Then I placed the batting over the skirt, folding it over as needed due to the difference in diameter between the top and the bottom. The batting is also safety pinned in place in case I need to do maintenance on the LEDs. Then I glued polyfill to the batting over the LED strips to help diffuse the light.
I also made a small pouch for the battery and the control board. I just cut that out of muslin scrap and sewed it together. Then I cut a ribbon to attach to the back to loop around my bra strap to hold it in place. One end of the ribbon is sewed to the top, and the other end of the ribbon has velcro to attach it when I put it on.
I’m still debating open sourcing the code because it’s special to me.
Complete materials list underneath the cut.
Electronics:
Adafruit Circuit Playground - I love this board because it comes with buttons and sensors on it, and I plan to use the sensors to drive animations later.
2500 mAh battery
JST on/off switch
JST extension
26 AWG silicone wire: red black white
5m WS2812B LEDs, 30 LEDs/m IP67 - ok so Adafruit sells these too but they are literally 1/5 of that price on AliExpress and I’ve never had a problem with the shop I linked and I’ve bought many LEDs. Also I only wound up using 4m. If you buy the 5m roll they actually seem to ship from a warehouse in New Jersey rather than China so I got mine in 3 days rather than the standard 2-3 weeks for epackets.
a 470 ohm resistor for the data line
Non-Electronic
White halter top tea dress
1/4″ pex piping - go to the plumbing section of the hardware store to get this and the couplings
1/4″ pipe coupling
3 yds 36″ muslin (get whatever the minimum width muslin available is for the height of your skirt)
2 rolls 7/8″ white grosgrain ribbon (or 1″ works too, but Joann’s only had 7/8″)
3/4″ elastic for waistband
lots of safety pins
1 package queen-sized batting (just get whatever the cheapest is)
polyfill (just get a small bag! it goes a long way! I am still using up my 2 lb bag and I have like 1.8 lb left!)
My Glow Cloud cosplay for last night’s All Hail live show in DC! For details on the build, see my tweets: https://twitter.com/i/moments/848890295148261377
I’ve been working on a lot of laser cut jewelry lately and I wanted to post a portfolio somewhere. These may or may not be for sale. If you want one of these items, send an ask or contact me at pursuitofnerdiness [at] gmail [dot] com.
View my portfolio here.
Are these for sale?
For a limited time, I will be selling these items to benefit Planned Parenthood for Fandom Trumps Hate. Browse my portfolio for pre-made designs. I’m also willing to work with you on a custom design.
Caveat: I will be on vacation from Jan 14 - Jan 24. All items will be made and shipped after I return.
Maybe. But I will only sell designs that I have appropriate licenses for or that are not by indie creators. For example, I wouldn’t sell anything from OMG Check Please or Welcome to Night Vale, but I’d be okay with selling something from (for example) the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes films.
How much do these items cost?
Pre-made designs:
30x40 cameo: $5
Pendants or earrings: $15
For custom designs, price will be negotiated.
How much is shipping?
First, note that I am based in the US and will only ship to the US and Canada. Shipping will be $2 to the US and $3.50 to Canada. This covers postage and packaging, and this amount won’t be going to charity.
Do you take commissions?
I will be taking commissions for the Fandom Trumps Hate auction. I am not an artist so you’ll need to provide me a high resolution file to work with. Laser cutters can really only etch line art, black and white only, so it would have to be in that format.
Additionally, I’m a busy person. I have a full-time job, go to school part time, do volunteer work, and try to have a life (or at least some time to waste on tumblr). I may simply not have the time. I’ll make it work to support this event!
I’ve included some examples so you have an idea what this stuff is. Check my portfolio for all my designs.