#cosplay crafting

[forgingtheblade]

the build as of january 2025! would you believe it if i told you i’m still nowhere near done? we’ve still got at *least* 3 more weapons and a suit of armor to go!

taglist under the cut, reply or send an ask to be added!

@too-much-alphabet-soup , @embers-archive , @nothing-to-see-around-here, @pluralphilza, @aleeaviancrowalt, @islib

[miadulcecosplay]

Cucumber Quest, worn summer 2016

If you haven't read Cucumber Quest I really recommend it! it is a web comic and has great story and fun humor. I only wore this cosplay once, mostly because we overheard other fans talking about how the author didn't want people to cosplay from it(?), rumor or not my friend and I retired the cosplay to avoid any issues.

Update: it was in fact a rumor and the author has addressed this matter.

Myself as- peridot

Craze as- Almond

Photographer- Our friend

[staplercatcosplay]

It's been almost 2 weeks how do I still have post-con blues

And I don't even have time to feel blue since I have to work on my next cosplay for comiccon

[malachite-dream-boat]

I did something guys

[mothsetto]

“omg how do you become a cosplayer?” swipe that god damn credit card over and over and over and over and over and ov

[mizu-of-edo]

Mizu's juban and kimono

Juban was the first garment I sewed, that's because the fabric for it was the only one I managed to find in the right color, gramature, composition and weave. The rest I had to dye myself (link to the post about it)

Juban is simply an undergarment which comes in many shapes and variants. It's purpose, just like other (European also) historical undergarments was to keep the rest of clothes clean longer, without need to wash them so often (which could damage them faster). That's why juban was commonly made od simple fabrics, often white or not dyed (the dyeing could be washed out over time)

When it comes to how it looks. It depends :3

Juban can be in the shape of common kimono, long and with sleeves. It can be also short and sleeveless. And this is what I choose to make, since Mizu's kimono is short, short juban would come along nicely. I looked closely into her sleeves in show when it was possible and I see no second sleeves underneath, so I guess Mizu has sleeveless juban. Probably, since it's just 3d model her juban is just light collar peeking underneath kimono, but anyway sleeveless option is more badass, what can I say. And it would give me a garment with totally different shape than rest of costume, which always comes in handy when experimenting with look. (That's also why I made simple hakama with additional leg wraps instead of already gathered tattsuke hakama)

Pattern is very simple, just two pannels with collar. For research I was looking at many photos of actual jubans as possible. Vintage sites and etsy came in handy since they're showing also the inside of the garment.

I had trouble with how to secure the middle edges, these ones on the back. Looking at the photos I had no idea how these just standing out and not frying. But it turned out there weren't need to secure them in the past. That's because in Edo period looms were narrow, so also the fabric, its sides were already finished. I explain this topic better in second post about Hakama (link).

I ended up just putting them to the sides, just like stitches under armholes. Generally juban was my first encounter with wasai, traditional stitches, patterns and other rules. It was also my first time making the collar. Which unfortunately turn out way to bendy and thin. Except that the fabric was delicate itself I made a mistake of not making the second layer of collar, which I didn't know existed at that moment.

But I did some research and fixed it with eri-shin. It's a flexible strip made from stiffened cotton, which was inserted into the collar to keep its proper shape. It was only used in woman's kimono (which have collar standing out far from the neck) but even I added second layer of this thin fabric it wouldn't change anything. I found some stiffened linen, made eri-shin and insert it into the collar. Now it holds its shape perfectly.

---

Noooow it's time for Kimono :3333

Sooo it seems like the most important piece of clothing and something to start with, but I put it off. That's because firstly I made it accurate to my size and it turned out way too much sloppy even for Mizu. Although Mizu wears her kimono loose I'm way shorter than her and to achieve something close to Mizu's silhouette I have to make myself rather tight than wide.

So obviously I'll have to make it smaller but to know how much I need something to compare it, so I'll make it once but good. I left barely basted kimono for a couple of weeks and made Hakama (pants) then leg wraps and Tabi.

When the bottom part of silhouette was completed to the point I'm satisfied with it (for example I had to experiment a little with how much puff left out of hakama while wrapping it and how high the leg wraps should be, it really changes a lot) I could get back to adjusting kimono.

Nothing much to say about this part, just ton on basting, trying on, adjusting etc etc. (as you can see I made some temporary armwraps too see better the whole composition of my silhouette, it may sound strange but the color on your forearms (and every other part) can make much difference. Especially when it contrasting pale skin or black armwraps)

While trying on the winp cosplay I always film myself and make screenshots afterwards to see the process, compare the steps and be more aware of how my changes in pattern/ size affects whole silhouette.

I hoped I'll be able to fit this story in one post, but of course not xd

So for the goodbye here some of these screenshots

see you in the second part 🌊

And of coooourse here's your treats: 🍉🍒🍓

[shuncosplaysstuff]

I've reworked my Spamton after seeing another cosplayer with a beautiful mask with a movable jaw. This is my attempt at doing that, even though sadly I didn't have a nice base to start with and I had to work hard to get it to look kinda right (in person is still to rough for my taste)