Personas of Cosplay

More pictures than words.

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Why did I ever forget about you, Tumblr?

With Facebook taking over the world by owning WhatsApp, Instagram, and heading into gaming with the Oculus, I feel tired of being chained to Facebook in general. Most of my updates have been on Instagram because it is easy and doesn’t require a lot of text - which was basically how I used Tumblr back in the day. But it really seems like all of the major social media sites have become toxic places where any one can just start a flame war because they don’t like something you did or something you said. So that leads me to... where should I share with the world my cosplans and updates? What was that cute site that had the LiveJournal/Xenga vibe that we all loved back when we were also on MySpace just enjoying wholesome internet? Hmm... Tum... Tumblr? Yea! Tumblr! So here I am. I am also here because I know I used to post some detailed tutorials and information on cosplays I was building. I was digging through my pattern box the other day because I wanted to sew a new Sailor Moon fuku and *gasp* all of the notes and patterns I sketched for myself are GONE.... but... I am relieved because I shared on Tumblr years ago step by step what I did and now is the time to find out if my tutorials were actually helpful! Can I make a new fuku just following the stuff I wrote here? Time will tell.

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Update after so much silence

Hi All! I haven’t been around much. I am very busy! I review anime and manga for a website. I work a 9-5, I try to find time to cosplay, and I am hoping to have my ammy kickboxing debut next year. As you can see I am a busy bee! I did go to NYCC this year and I brought Luna. I met up with some of my moonies and we took lots of pictures. Here’s just a handful since they’re all on Instagram (PrincessLunaKaguya is my sn).

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Luna cosplay from Sailor Moon

I didn’t think I’d get around to sewing something for Otakon 2016 but I may just manage something before August.

This is my reference:

I’m using McCalls m6646 which I feel isn’t the greatest choice but I saw a lot of Luna cosplayers last year at Otakon who looked AMAZING and used this pattern or something very similar.

I traced the pattern as usual since I hate cutting patterns. I modified the bodice portion by getting rid of the sweetheart neckline. I’m leaving the back as is since I don’t like wearing deep, scooping cuts in the back. I also put the front center panel on the fold since I didn’t want a seam down the middle. I’m going to modify the circle skirt to have the pointed edges.

I think this will look nice - I plan to add in extra boning to keep the top from being bunched and I think the circle skirt will look good with the squared hemline.

I have to admit I do feel a bit dirty using a pattern that strays from the reference by having a waistline seam when there are plenty of ways I could achieve this look without using a bodice attached to a circle skirt. In fact, I think McCalls has a pretty good out of print pattern I could try to get that would require almost zero modification. I feel compelled to use this pattern because of the beautiful Luna I saw last year at the Otakon Sailor Moon photoshoot. I can only hope mine looks just as perfect as I thought hers did, otherwise I’ll be pissed I went with this pattern. 

For the black skirt, I plan to go with this tutorial: http://morningbymorningproductions.blogspot.com/2012/08/circle-skirts-reinvented-hilow-and.html

One thing good about the McCalls pattern... I’m going to use the circle skirt pattern for all of the skirts I need to make for this including the layers for the petticoat and the asymmetrical black skirt.

Now I just need my sewing machine back from the repair shop so I can get this done!!!

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Lazy update

The title says it all. I have been VERY busy this year... work, finding an apt, other life projects I don’t want to disclose yet, etc. I barely had time to enjoy NYCC :(

Here is ONE picture, taken by MochiPix.

I took a few pictures at NYCC of some cool cosplayers and I’ll share those when I finally get the chance to upload them. I am hoping to find an apartment soon enough so I can start sewing some new cosplays for 2016.

I have a bunch of fun new patterns thanks to one of my fellow cosplayers from Sakura Matsuri who was awesome enough to hit up a JoAnns for me and mail the patterns all the way from Cali. :) If this was FB I’d tag her LOL.. but it’s not.

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BBG Sakura Matsuri featured in Cosplay Culture magazine!

Many thanks to Echo Chronum for getting hold of a copy of this issue!

Feel free to share this all over the internet, shamelessly of course!

So are we cosfamous now? :-P

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Otakon was a blast!

I had so much fun this year! Here are a few pictures of my Mistress 9 cosplay. I’ll be posting tons of photos from the Sailor Moon photoshoots very soon! 

[starsugars]

SONIC (and two misc) MERCH FOR SALE PART 1!!

(US SHIPPING ONLY FOR THE TIME BEING, POSTAGE NOT INCLUDED)

Sonic and the Secret Rings and Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity Wii game- $12 each, $24 for both bought used, both in great shape

Yu Yu Hakusho: The Golden Seal/Ninku: The Movie DVD - $6 bought new, maybe watched… once? DVD is out of print, so it’s probably a collector’s item at this point

SatAM Sonic DVDs: Sonic Forever, Doomsday Project and Super Sonic -  $5 each, set of three $15- Collection of various episodes from season 1 and 2 of the Saturday morning Sonic cartoon, including the intro to Lupe and the season 2 finale! Doomsday was bought used, the rest new, some scratches on the DVDs, but in excellent working condition

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (AoSTH) Robotnik Strikes Back DVD - $5 Collection of four AoSTH episodes including the intros to Pseudo-Sonic and Catty Carlisle! Bought new, watched maybe once and in excellent working condition

Sonic Chronicles: the Dark Brotherhood DS game- $10 Now YOU TOO can piss off Ken Penders!! Game is slightly used but in good condition 

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 DS game - $5 Used, rarely played but in good condition

PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT [email protected] IF YOU’RE INTERESTED!! Tumblr asks constantly get eaten and they’re a terrible form of communication, so I’m not taking any risks, ahaha ;;

Each item will be shipped with a small doodle done by yours truly as well!

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Mistress 9 last try on before adding final details

So this has been coming along. I finally bought some cheap(and I mean cheap) beads for the final touch and I also finished the skirt. I just need to iron out any bumpy seams and I’ve been too lazy to get out my ironing board (which is stored next to my sewing machine, haha!) Ignore the quality of the picture... feedback appreciated if you have any comments. This was my first time sewing with a sheer fabric like Chiffon so I think I did a terrible job on the skirt but it will do. The more I work with sheer fabrics on future projects the better I think I’ll get at it.

Obligatory almost finished picture. Trying it on with a corset under it before sewing the lining closed on the top. Dress was made not to drag on the floor since I rather not get white fabric dirty at conventions... I'll be wearing heels which should lift the hem off the floor anyway.

The corset is a size 25 but I don’t have it pulled all the way in since I want to be able to eat and breathe while I’m wearing this cosplay. I hope it is doing a good job here since I feel like my waist doesn’t look tiny enough.

Below, on the dressform:

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Mistress 9 white skirt

Using the skirt part of the New Look 6182 pattern, I went to work. I added five inches to the length and used two fabrics - satin and chiffon. Like I would with making a lining, I just doubled up the pattern by making the skirt twice in both fabrics.

Here the satin layer without waist band sits pinned on onto the dress form.

This is my first time sewing sheer fabrics so I am not sure if I had the greatest outcome with the seams. For the back seam I decided to iron the allowance flat and then fold them away from each other towards the seam again. Am I describing that right? See pictures. 

I figured finishing a seam with sheer fabric like this would make the zipper easy to sew in. I did not do that with the two side seams. See pictures.

I should also mention that when sewing this, I sewed right side up.

[supersailormars]

Returning to New Look 6182...

After all of that draping I decided I didn’t like the way the top looked... so I ordered some cheapish silk from Fabric.com to give it another go with the 6182 pattern. This time I was a bit more careful and modified the pattern to suit my needs. I moved the zipper/entrance to the back. The middle seam isn’t 100% straight but it’s not like I went to school for this stuff so I’ll press on even with that little detail problem.

Here we go!

I also added a few inches to the length of the pattern.

Sewed both the lining and shell. Now to put it together..

Almost there!

It’s a little baggy here and still needs the collar. Below I am pinning the collar into the space I left open on the neckline between the lining and shell.

Pretty much done! I tightened it up around the waist and added the collar. I may take the waist in a little more after I see how it looks with the white skirt. I have tightened it enough that I will need a corset to zip the back up; however, depending on the shape with the skirt on, I may decide to lace the corset up tighter and therefore I’ll have to make the top match.

I would estimate I spent about eight hours on this.

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Still alive!

I promise!

Mistress 9 is just running into so many bumps along the road that I am worrying it won’t happen. I was too busy with work, then I got let go, and now that I am sewing again I discovered I made the exact same mistakes somehow that I did with the first try... BUT I think this new version is salvageable since I decided to try the top on with a corset laced up tight... and volia! Top seems to fit ok! So now I am in the process of pinning the lining to the navy blue shell and sewing it back up.

Did I mention I took in an old, 18 year old cat from someone who died and she decided to PEE on the beautiful white fabric I bought for Mistress 9? I did manage with a bunch of lavender soap and the most delicate wash to get the pee stain and smell out. So I haven’t given up on getting it done...

In the meantime, I found on the internet some more pictures of me from Sakura Matsuri 2015 so I’ll post them here to fill up some void.

I was thinking about entering my Yuuko into the Otakon masquerade but decided against it since it’s such a pain in the butt to get into and then the hair is a lot of work. My Otakon roomies don’t know how to pin/style hair at all. Looking at this pictures I wish I forced myself to enter this into the masquerade. Oh well! Maybe next year.

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Sakura Matsuri 2015 Cosplay Fashion Show

It’s been a while! Yes, I still exist. I have just been incredibly lazy. I was in the Cosplay Fashion Show at Brooklyn Botanic Garden this year as Yuuko Ichihara from XxxHolic. This year the stage didn’t have a huge tent with weird lights so the photos look really nice! We were also covered in Gothamist! http://gothamist.com/2015/04/27/cosplayers_brooklyn_2015.php#photo-1

Here are some pictures! Note, most of them are not my own.

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Mistress 9 Reboot

After all that work I did using a pattern, it turns out when I tried it on, the damn zipper was in crooked and because I trimmed down the seams there was no going back to fix the issue.

I always buy extra fabric so I decided to use the 1/2 yard that was left to try again using my eyes and a dressform. I plan on making a lining, which means I have to do this twice.

Hopefully I'll have better luck this way. This was how I made my Morticia dress one year.

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I'm back!!! With Mistress 9!

I know I haven't posted for a while and I also haven't been sewing. I was pretty busy with all kinds of stuff but now I am on vacation for a week so I'd like to get as much done as possible.

Using New Look 6182, I began to work on the pattern. I always make a copy of the pattern on tissue/gift paper because I don't like to cut the originals. This way also gives me the chance to modify the pattern if I need to change things.

I made two sets of cut-outs since I am lining the top.

This is the lining. I was hoping this would be a quick, simple thing but it turns out New Look 6183 wasn't mean to be form fitting. (I know, New Look 6183 is a vest top so duh of course it would be baggy)

So now using my dressform I'm making the lining the right fit.

I should note that instead of this opening from the front like the pattern calls for, I have sewn the front up and will put a zipper in the back.

More to come!

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Yummy treat! Here is a $5 gift certificate to Adagio Teas: 2522024293. Expires in 24 hours. Not spam! I like this tea :)

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I'm in this gallery! And there is an amazing Xena in this gallery as well. omg omg. I wanna be Xena one year.

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Cosplay is not Consent

Buzzfeed ran an article "31 Women Share The Creepiest Thing Someone's Said to them While in Cosplay."

I'm in this. The memory is from my first time cosplaying as Sailor Mars maybe four years ago... and I'd say this one stayed the creepiest to date... and to make it worse it was camera crew guys from Stan Lee's show. :(

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/cosplay-is-not-consent#3i4qd0w