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silhouette-cosplay

Some ramblings about fitting for cosplay!

kittywillcutyou

"You May Call Me Wicked Lady~"✨️

laceddoll

My Sailor Moon casual series 🌙✨

silencedrowns

me buying almost every wig swatch ring in the world:

hahaha this is great! I’m never going to have to dye wigs again and will always be able to get the right color!

me realizing that despite all this I’m still struggling to find the right color and now I also get horrifying levels of decision paralysis choosing between three nearly indecipherably different colors:

what the fuck. this sucks. help

saja-star

I've had a hard time articulating to people just how fundamental spinning used to be in people's lives, and how eerie it is that it's vanished so entirely. It occurred to me today that it's a bit like if in the future all food was made by machine, and people forgot what farming and cooking were. Not just that they forgot how to do it; they had never heard of it.

When they use phrases like "spinning yarns" for telling stories or "heckling a performer" without understanding where they come from, I imagine a scene in the future where someone uses the phrase "stir the pot" to mean "cause a disagreement" and I say, did you know a pot used to be a container for heating food, and stirring was a way of combining different components of food together? "Wow, you're full of weird facts! How do you even know that?"

When I say I spin and people say "What, like you do exercise bikes? Is that a kind of dancing? What's drafting? What's a hackle?" it's like if I started talking about my cooking hobby and my friend asked "What's salt? Also, what's cooking?" Well, you see, there are a lot of stages to food preparation, starting with planting crops, and cooking is one of the later stages. Salt is a chemical used in cooking which mostly alters the flavor of the food but can also be used for other things, like drawing out moisture...

"Wow, that sounds so complicated. You must have done a lot of research. You're so good at cooking!" I'm really not. In the past, children started learning about cooking as early as age five ("Isn't that child labor?"), and many people cooked every day their whole lives ("Man, people worked so hard back then."). And that's just an average person, not to mention people called "chefs" who did it professionally. I go to the historic preservation center to use their stove once or twice a week, and I started learning a couple years ago. So what I know is less sophisticated than what some children could do back in the day.

"Can you make me a snickers bar?" No, that would be pretty hard. I just make sandwiches mostly. Sometimes I do scrambled eggs. "Oh, I would've thought a snickers bar would be way more basic than eggs. They seem so simple!"

Haven't you ever wondered where food comes from? I ask them. When you were a kid, did you ever pick apart the different colored bits in your food and wonder what it was made of? "No, I never really thought about it." Did you know rice balls are called that because they're made from part of a plant called rice? "Oh haha, that's so weird. I thought 'rice' was just an adjective for anything that was soft and white."

People always ask me why I took up spinning. Isn't it weird that there are things we take so much for granted that we don't even notice when they're gone? Isn't it strange that something which has been part of humanity all across the planet since the Neanderthals is being forgotten in our generation? Isn't it funny that when knowledge dies, it leaves behind a ghost, just like a person? Don't you want to commune with it?

saja-star

I want to state what I mean here a little bit more explicitly:

I think it's understandable that people don't know about spinning (why would they? I didn't until very recently). At the same time, I think more knowledge is a good thing, and knowing about spinning in particular contextualizes a lot of history. Our lives have changed a lot, and we are so caught up in the change that we don't even see it as a change. I think that creates a lot of strange contradictions in our lives that we don't really notice because they're normal to us.

Some day the world will have changed so much that our lives will be unimaginable to our descendants. That's not bad. But it's also a little melancholy? And that's okay. It can be both. I hope someone in the future tries to make soup the way that I make soup and feels some sense of connection to this time. And I also hope that all the people who don't know what soup is made of enjoy a future where that labor is optional and their time is free for other things. I hope for the best of both worlds. I'm glad I don't have to spin to have clothes this winter, and I'm glad I get to spin because I want to.

I do not think that all cloth should be natural fiber and handmade, or that natural fiber handmade clothing is inherently better (a wild statement for a spinner, I know). I am against pollution and unjust labor practices and a lot of other parts of the clothing industry. I also think that understanding how labor-intensive manual cloth production is gives us a greater appreciation for how freeing mechanization can be. I think that making things by hand can be really rewarding, and that fiber arts are valid art forms that can be thought-provoking and beautiful. I also think that a lot of people are still just trying to survive in the world, and they need to get clothes as easily and cheaply as possible. I think that handmade natural fiber clothing can be practical and comfortable if made right. I also think that synthetics have a lot of properties that can be useful depending on the situation. I think an ideal world has space for progress and memory and convenience and patient work.

I don't personally practice flint knapping, despite its foundational role in human history. But some people still do, and I'm glad they're holding onto that knowledge for the rest of us. And I'm glad I've learned how flint knapping works, because it's enriched my understanding of the past. I respect that flint knapping can create both stunning art and tools with unique properties that are still useful today. But also, I'm going to keep using my metal knives. I think a lot of things are true at once.

lutaviacosplay

A tutorial on how to make cosplays feel less like cosplays, and more like real garments, using my 'three pillars' technique.

I use this for basically every single costume I ever make -- give it a try for your next project.

madamemario

Since I couldn't use my white tights, I used my high knee white socks for my pomni cosplay which is completed btw 🫶🏾❤️💙

ladycels

Reflecting back, it was a lot of fun to shoot amidst the cherry blossoms near DC with Princess Peach. The goldwork added that extra flair to the whimsy, even if it took months of work to make.

Photography by ADoylible - Creative Photography

Design by Dessi-Desu Cosplay

buunicosplaytips

Hii! I was wondering, do you have any tips on where to find quality wigs? I’ve been thinking about this, because I want one that’ll last but also one that’s not too pricey. Thank youuu!! 🥰🥰🙏🙏

That's a good question! Usually, i get my wigs from arda Wigs, but they can be on the pricey side, but the thing with wigs is you kinda need to spend a little more on good quality, its just one of those things you cant cheap out on.

I have this wig from amazon from my patty cosplay and is decent quality but the cons out weighs the pros;

-the roots are messily put together so if i styled it you can see the wig cap

-its a little shinier for my liking

-and the way its cut is very messy and i had to mess with it

This wig is from my roxas cosplay. It's been a year so its messy right now but the quality of it is amazing

Now i will say arda wigs has great quality wigs but a lot of their wigs are on backstock or at least when i was finding my roxas wig, some wigs will sell out fast so you have to be quick

But the lesson here i would take away from this is to find a middle ground in price, the lower the price the lower the quality and vice versa, but you dont need to spend an arm and a leg for a good wig, what i would do is look at theyre basic styling wigs and find something that could work for you cosplay, but if your chracter has a very unique hair color you might have to bite the bullet and buy the expensive version.

But you have to be smart about where you buy your wigs, here are some places you should NOT buy your wigs from

-amazon

-aliexpress

-shein

-places that dont specialize in wigs or even cosplay

Where you should buy your wigs is is from a seller that specializes in wigs like arda wigs, another thing you can do is but second hand, buying second hand cosplays online is very common, i personally never have but theres no shame in doing so, just make sure its good quality and if its handmade make sure to credit the original creator

Whew! I didn't mean to go on a big explanation about wigs, but i hope it was helpful! If you have any more questions, dont be shy to ask! ^^

fabrickind

I'm also going to slide this wig seller masterlist my partner made in here: https://silencedrowns.tumblr.com/post/701027968952238080/wig-seller-masterlist

strovii

hi there, does Terezi in the upd8 still have the full libra symbol running down her pants or is it just the top half? I am asking for cosplay reasons. Thanks!

its both the top and bottom! same as her old pants

#reference #homestuck #upd8 cosplay #cosplay reference #thank you again!

matrices

How to Straighten Crimped Faux Fur

Have you had your fursuit for a few years now and you’re noticing the armpits, butt, or just the fur on the suit overall getting crimped? Have you bought some fur that arrived in the mail creased? Did you leave your fursuit body in a duffel bag just a little too long? Here’s how to fix it!

You’ll need:

A hairdryer

Your clean dry fur

Slicker brush. A straight comb will work too, but I find the slicker untangles even the tightest clumps.

This is the butt of one of my fursuits, too much lounging around the fursuit lounge for me! Even though I washed this recently and brush it religiously as it dries, its age is showing, the fur just tends to clump together.

1. Begin with clean dry fur. You don’t want to re-activate any stinky armpits or anything frightening like that! If its new from the fabric store fur that happens to be crimped, you don’t have to wash it. 2. Using your slicker brush brush out the affected area of the fursuit. For some types of fur fabrics, it may look fine now, but older fur tends to want to go back into little fur clumps with just a bit of movement. This process should help that. 3. Use a hairdryer and heat up the fur fibers. Yep that’s right: Heat! You are relaxing the plastic fibers in a controlled fashion. I used a medium-high heat worked on small areas at a time to accomplish the task, so I could straighten it out quickly. See below for an interesting heat test I did. 4. Some areas needed more work than others, especially the tail opening where my belt goes in and a lot of rubbing occurred. Go back over with the hairdryer and straighten it as many times as needed.

Here is the armpit area, lots of rubbing happens here as I move in my costume. Brushing seems to do OK, but since it goes back into little clumps this process helps straighten the fur back out again!

Video Tutorial for using Controlled Heat on Fur:

This is a visual guide on how to do the fur straightening process, and I also talk a bit on why this works!

Hmm… But how much is TOO MUCH?

Well, I was curious, too! So I tested it on my hairdryer’s highest heat setting. I felt 4 minutes was a lot in one area (I couldn’t go 5 since my hairdryer itself was getting really hot!) this test was performed on a fur scrap, I encourage you to test these results at home, too!! Maybe you will have more results to share, I’d love to hear!

So how exactly does fur get crimped? What does it take? I used a high heat setting on my hairdryer and put a lid over the center of a piece of fur to see how it did. I considered the center of the fur (what was covered by the lid) as my control, since no hot air could blow through to reach it.

After 4 minutes straight of using the hairdryer on the fur I met my limit (it felt quite hot in my hand), I brushed it, and where the lid sat the pressure from the lid combined with the heat made an indent!

The end result was actually surprising, the texture of the fur outside and protected under was the same.

To see a further source on the properties of faux fur and why heat works, check paragraph 6 of this article: “How faux fur is made”

The fur on some areas of my 4-year old bodysuit was actually quite crimped, especially where I sat down on it a lot. So after several passes with the hairdryer and slicker brush to straighten back out, I think these results are very satisfying!

atelierheidi

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.

I hope this is helpful to some of you in your own costume projects. Let me know if you have any questions, and good luck!

Twice blessed with beauty

Once blessed with wrath

Photography: j.pintography on instagram

#Lore Olympus #Lore Olympus cosplay #Persephone lore Olympus #Persephone lore Olympus cosplay

systlin

So my sister wants to start sewing more, because

a. She’s 5′ 11″ and can never find pants long enough for her legs or shirts long enough for her arms.

b. She hates synthetic fibers as much as I do and it’s difficult to find natural fiber clothes that aren’t made of cotton

c. She’s a biologist and would physically fistfight microplastics if given half a chance

So her gift from mom and dad for her birthday was a sewing machine. Not a super expensive one but a good solid serviceable one.

And recently she asked “So where do I GET wool or linen and thread that isn’t polyester” and mom was like ‘go ask your sister’

And I, of course, crashed into the group text like “GET A PEN I HAVE WEBSITES FOR U” and honestly I’m thrilled about this

systlin

“Where did u get all this”

“Bets, u know I’m a 15th degree blackbelt of buying shit on the internet”

“oh yeah tru”

hermesmuse

Op can may we inquire about the website list

systlin

Linen; https://www.graylinelinen.com/

cotton and Silk thread; https://redrockthreads.com/

Linen thread and wool fabric; https://burnleyandtrowbridge.com/ (they’ve got wool stuffs and worsted wool fabric for $15 a yard! I just got three yards of navy worsted wool I’m making a constellation winter skirt from)

More linen thread and wool; https://wmboothdraper.com/ (just ordered wool broadcloth to make a coat)

Silk fabric (THE best place to get silk lining fabrics and raw silk fabric):https://www.dharmatrading.com/

A varying assortment of wool and silk and cotton and even some leather, use coupon code spring2020 for 50% off your full order, worked yesterday when I bought some stuff there; https://metrotextilesnyc.com/

Wool. You want wool coating for under $20 a yard? Sure you do. It’s here. Not a huge variety of colors, most are black or brown, but hey https://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/Catalog?refinementIds=4096748&Keyword=wool&pageSize=16

wingedtyger

I don’t know a lot about sewing, but I want to make or have my mom make some linen pants & shirts for when I’m watering, because it gets to 105 here and we have mosquitos so I need to be covered. What type of linen do I buy? Also, linen pajama shorts, yes/no?

(I’ve been wearing my renfaire pants which are a linen mix, I think. But the frikking mosquitos that hide in the tomatoes get my arms)

systlin

Medium weight is what I’d go with.

And linen pajama shorts is a HARD yes.

beggars-opera

Renaissance Fabrics is good for all sorts of things

Mood doesn’t specialize in natural fabrics but they do have basically every fabric ever made so

withbroombefore

Dorr Mill Store has a great selection of wool fabric in all sorts of colors and patterns.

cowbuttcrunchies

Ready to get dyeing? Using a polyester dye is a great way to permanently color any synthetic wig. IDye Poly and Rit’s new line of synthetic dye called Dyemore are two great options for wig-coloring - click below the cut for a more in-depth Dyemore review, as well as instructions to jump start your journey into wig dyeing.

For folks who want a physical, true-color version of this chart, you can find it in Cosplay Culture Magazine’s August-September issue!

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