Team Marimo

Cosplay/Photography/Blogging | Two nerds from the land of ice and maple  |  Next Con: Anime North

[teammarimo-blog]

Important announcement coming in the next few days!

[scaredoe-deactivated20220905]

Stop attacking other people for looking different than the character they’re dressed up as! We need to be nice and accept one another! ‘Cause in the end, we’re all just a bunch of nerds, looking to have fun, right?

[presumablydeadarm-deactivated20]

If I ever stop rebloging this, assume I’m dead

[vaquerismo]

yes, but if you are white and are cosplaying a poc, please dont use makeup to darken ur skintone/change your eye shape/etc !!! thats pretty much brown/blackface which is disgusting. overall please just cosplay the character, dont cosplay their race. thanks have a nice day folks

[addicted-with-some-pens-blog]

^!!!!***^!!!!

[ohicosplay]

Cosplay 101: Adhesives

This is meant as a beginner primer for adhesives (that we use [enough to know a bit about {mostly}]). This is meant as an outline that covers the general details of each kind of adhesive. The links direct to the wikipedia page on the adhesive if you want to know more about the full details.

Cyanoacrylate: CA glue for shorthand, aka Superglue or krazyglue. However, if something is marketed as a super/krazyglue and doesn’t contain cyanoacrylate, it’s not a CA glue. This is our go-to glue. It’s strong, but a bit brittle and can melt the crap out of some materials.

Pros:

Strong

Widely available

Cleans up with acetone nicely

Can glue most things together (EVA foam, paper, styrene all work well)

Many consistencies available (thin, thick, gel)

Quick dry/cure time, can be quickened with CA accelerante

Can be mixed with baking soda for an effective gap filler (CA cement)

Safe to use on EVA foam

Readily available anywhere that sells adhesives

Cons:

Fumes/strong smell, ventilation and/or a respirator required if working with large amounts of CA glue

Brittle and non-flexible

Melts polystyrene (EPS/XPS foam aka Styrofoam)

Fumes can leave cloudy residue

Rapid exothermic reaction with leather, cotton, and wool that can cause burns and even fire

Shelf life of about a year unless kept somewhere dark and cool (like the fridge)

Polyvinyl Acetate: Also known as white glue or Elmer’s glue. Useful but a bit basic and requires open evaporation.

Pros:

Pretty safe, just don’t straight-up drink it or rub it into your eyes or nose

Great for paper and other open structure materials (fabric, some open-cell foams)

Widely available

Water-soluble

Inexpensive

Readily available anywhere that sells adhesives

Cons:

Relatively weak and brittle when cured

Needs open-air evaporation to dry

Water-soluble

Long dry/cure time

Gorilla Glue: We’ve used this one a few times and it seems to work fairly well

Pros:

Strong bond

Non-solvent, won’t melt things most of the time (stable with XPS foam)

Readily available anywhere that sells adhesives

Cons:

Needs clamping/pressure to cure properly

Long cure time

Expands during cure process, can squirt/drool out of joint (might be a good thing too, though)

E6000: A strong and flexible glue, great for fabrics or gluing things to fabrics.

Pros:

Very flexible, can hold up to a little stretching even

Strong bond with a bit of surface sanding

Can glue many kinds of things together (EVA foam, fabric, styrene, paper, leather all work well)

Dries clear (though air bubbles and edges can be visible)

Readily available anywhere that sells adhesives

Cons:

Solvent-based, will eat through polystyrene, pretty pungent smell

Long cure time

Can smear easily during curing

May ooze out of the tube and glue the cap to itself (plies might be required to unscrew the cap if this happens)

JB Weld: An incredibly strong 2-part epoxy. I use this a lot to strengthen a mechanical joint.

Pros:

Incredibly strong, can be used to join engine parts together

Fairly shock resistant

Works great on most surfaces

You can drill, tap, sand and carve it once fully cured

Cons:

Very long cure time, about 24 hours

Not flexible at all

Requires a very good joint and a lot of surface prep

Can be brittle under torsion

Needs more cleanup than single-part adhesives

2-part Epoxy: This is a massive group of adhesives so I’m only going to mark the basics

Pros/Cons:

Strong

Cure time can vary from a few minutes to days

Needs more cleanup than single-part adhesives

Ranges from glass-hard to pretty flexible after it cures

Hot-melt adhesive (aka Hot glue): A craft standard and fairly material-safe way to adhere things together.

Pros:

Works on everything that doesn’t melt or [easily] catch fire

Fairly strong with a good joint surface

Pretty safe if you don’t touch the nozzle or glue while it’s hot

Safe to use on polystyrene

Great for EVA foam armor/props

Inexpensive

Glue itself can be versatile and used for filling molds.

Glue sticks can come in a variety of colors

Cons:

Can be a bit messy, nozzle keeps leaking sometimes and leaves threads of hot glue everywhere

May be visible under thinner materials if the glue isn’t smoothed out

Can straight-up melt or ignite some materials (spot test or look up the melting point of the material)

May be only semi-permanent in some cases, depending on the surfaces

Can melt when exposed to heat (don’t leave pieces glued together with hot glue in a hot car)

Contact cement: An adhesive that is applied to both surfaces, allowed to dry, then pressed together.  Barge and Weldwood (US) are brands commonly used in cosplay. Rubber cement is not a contact cement.

Pros:

Very strong, practically permanent once bonded together

Great for EVA foam armor/props (the main go-to for a lot of foamsmiths)

Cons:

Fumes require ventilation and/or a respirator

Requires a ready supply of brushes for application

Shelf life up three months to a year depending on storing conditions. Throw away if the cement begins to set up in the container

Melts polystyrene

Cures in 5-10 minutes, but EVA foam may require a second coat due to its tendency to absorb materials

[cosplaydisney]

How to be a Disney Princess

Or, more specifically: how to handle getting mistaken for a real disney princess at a convention, or while out taking photos! 

When you’re cosplaying a highly recognizable character, little kids are going to spot you! So here’s some ways to prepare for being mistaken for a little ones’ favorite princess/prince in public:

1. play along! Come on, there’s no reason to ruin the magic, and running into your favorite disney princess is the sort of thing a little kid will probably never forget.

2. try and get eye-level with them- aka, kneel or lean so that you’re addressing them more face-to-face that face-to-knee. Makes it more personal and it’s just a good way to sell the “princess” routine. Obviously not all costumes allow this, but it’s something to keep in mind. 

3. If they ask why you’re there, the answer depends on location, but here are suggestions for common locations:

at a park/out and about: I’m out enjoying what a lovely day it is! (Or, if you’re in the middle of a photoshoot) I’m posing for my official Royal Portrait, isn’t that so exciting? 

at a cafe/restaurant/etc: It’s the castle chef’s birthday, so we’re out enjoying some delicious [insert food here] around the town instead! 

At a comic convention: Oh, I love [comic books/Batman/Supergirl/etc]! Heroic deeds like theirs are just so inspiring to read about, you know? 

4. on a similar note, try and reference things from your movie, or even just the general disney princess mythos. It helps with the illusion of princess-hood, and specifically that you’re the princess the child remembers. (”What a lovely dress, it looks similar to my friend Belle’s!” for example.) 

5. Try and compliment the kid. Nothing better than having your favorite princess tell you that your hair-bow is cute, or that you have the perfect princess wave. 

6. check with the parents if they’d like a photo, if you have the time for it. Most parents I’ve run into in situations like this are ecstatic to get a memorable photo, especially those with the kids where it’s normally hard to get them to look happy in a photo, or hold still long enough to take one. 

[fabrickind]

Sewing with Knits panel, as given at Fanimecon 2017

Knit fabrics are comfortable, versatile, stretchy, and essential for form-fitting garments like bodysuits, but many sewists can find such stretch fabrics daunting. Come learn from cosplayer fabrickind special fabric choice, sewing, and patterning considerations when working with knit materials.

This is just the bare bones of the panel, as many of the examples were elaborated on in-person, and it is just the slides, not any of my notes or in-Powerpoint drawings on the slides (sorry, labels on which stitches are stretch-friendly and which aren’t!). It is not meant to be exhaustive or definitive, and is just meant for general advice and suggestion purposes only. If anyone has feedback they would like to give, feel free to do so. That said, I hope that people find this information useful.

Here is a link to a pdf of the presentation. You may download for personal use, but please do not alter the presentation, repost without permission, or do any sort of other unauthorized use. (If you have a question about how you can use this presentation, please send me a message with your question and we can work it out. I promise I’m not scary. ;]) Feel free to reblog this post as much as you want, though. I do these panels and post them because I want the information to be shared.

I hope someone finds this helpful! :]

[cosplaytutorial]

Sailor Moon Fuku Tutorial

Base Leotard

Chest Armor 

Skirt

Hip Rolls

Assembling the Base

Sailor Collar

Bows

Super Sleeves

Super Butt Bow Tails

Glove Rolls

Accessories and Final Touches

**Pattern Pieces**

Tutorials by: Cosmic Coterie Tutorial Link: https://cosmiccoterie.com/sailor-moon-fuku-tutorial/

[cosplaytutorial]

For those who are planning to start sewing their own cosplays this year this might be helpful: How to take measurements! Waist Front / Waist Back: http://www.sempstress.org/measurement/measuring-the-waist-frontback-waist/ How to Take Measurements: http://makinglatexclothing.com/2008/12/how-to-take-measurements/ Instructions for Taking Measurements: http://mangakaresource.weebly.com/1/post/2011/01/sewing-measurements.html

[laurnafreya-deactivated20220113]

HOW TO SEW SLEEVES WITHOUT WANTING TO MURDER EVERYTHING: A TUTORIAL

Someone asked that this be rebloggable so HURR YOU GO

Some patterns are really dumb in telling you to finish the body of an outfit, then finish the sleeve, then attach a circle to a circle. It’s possible to do, and once in a while it’s necessary, don’t get me wrong, but unless you have a lot of experience it’s sometimes very aggravating trying to evenly distribute the sleeve around the “hole” cut out for it and match up the seams under the armpit!

(Please note…some patterns, especially to achieve tailored looks, require you to do it the traditional way. Don’t use this method for fashion school assignments or super-complex garments as it will probably screw up the way it ends up fitting in the end. This is mostly for the use of cosplayers to make their job a little easier.)

EDIT:// thevvioletprince, a fashion student, says she’s been taught this method in school so HAVE FUN, NEVER MIND

EDIT DEUX:// If you are doing a traditional garment of some kind, for instance, something that has a multi-piece sleeve or that requires gathers, you may need to do it the “old-fashioned way”!

ANYWAY SO THIS IS WHAT I DO.

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE SOURCE OR REPOST, THANK YOU

[banananuhboatcosplay]

Con-going Cosplay Hacks

- Check out of your hotel early Most hotels accept cash payment at any point during your stay. If you are splitting up the payment of your room, head down to the front desk as soon as you have everyone’s share of the money. They will still hold the credit card for any extra incidentals, but this way you don’t have to wait in a long line at the end of your con stay to check out.

- Put bandaids on the back of your uncomfortable shoes You’re wearing a shoe that cuts into your heel, something you only notice after walking around the con for two hours. If you happen to be wearing tights, you can place a fabric bandaid into the heel of the shoe itself and have it be just as effective. This way you won’t have to remove your tights to get the bandaid on your skin!

- BRING FABREEZE AND SHOUT WIPES/TIDE PENS Someone in your group is going to stain their costume. It’s 100% guaranteed to happen. Whether it’s from food, drink, or smudged makeup, Shout Wipes or Tide Pens will save you from the stress of now having a stained costume.

Also, Fabreeze. It will make you feel better about wearing the same clothes multiple days in a row (not just cosplay!), AND it is a good idea to spray your cosplay down before packing it back up for the trip back home.

- Bag up what you can of your cosplays Buy the galleon storage bags for your trip and squeeze what you can of each cosplay into the bag. Label the bags as needed (ex: McCree 1 of 2). This way you have everything you need for that cosplay together in one place, thus saving yourself from tearing apart your entire suitcase every time you want to change cosplays. If parts of your costume don’t fit into bags, that’s okay! At least they’re big enough not to lose track of. Or you can upgrade from a storage bag to trash bags!

Keep reading

[chipper-smol]

ALRIGHT! TV TUTORIAL!

WHO WANTS TO KNOW HOW TO MAKE A DANG DIDDLY DARN TV?

Keep reading

[cosplaytutorial]

Cosplay Tip:

If you love someone’s costume, let them know.

[lennythereviewer]

Only true convention veterans will remember

Yaoi paddles

Praying your parents don’t see anything weird when they’re dropping you off

Yelling “buttscratcher” and at least 10 people yelling back.

Org XIII cosplayers as far as the eye can see

“The Game”

Free Hugs

Glomps

The banning of Glomps

The paranoia of cosplaying Sauske, Naruto, Sora, or Riku because you know someone has a Yaoi paddle and they’re watching your ass like Wile E. Coyote watches the Roadrunner

Homestuck invasion

Not being able to cosplay or enjoy One Piece without some asshole screaming the 4Kids theme at you

Cat ears

Seriously how did Yaoi Paddles stick around for so long? You would never get away with that today. You’d probably go to jail for that behavior

[officialgleamstar]

not to be a lil kid or nothin but what the fuck is a yaoi paddle

[lennythereviewer]

You’re not the first person to ask me this. I once made a post all about them, but I will reiterate because the past must not be forgotten lest we repeat history

I’m mostly copypasting from my original post on this:

The yaoi paddle is…an odd yet fascinating relic of the ‘weeabo’ phase everyone went through, specifically prevalent throughout the Naruto and Kingdom Hearts fandom in thy early days.

The Yaoi Paddle was literally a small oar with the words Yaoi, Seme, or Uke written on them

Their function was to slap people’s asses. 

Now you would think this would be something reserved for say an after dark or +18 panel, but no, it wasn’t. This was a very real thing people carried around with them on the convention floor

People would go up and slap each other on the ass with these in public, in front of everybody.

Not only was this acceptable behavior, it was downright expected! Something that by today’s standards would be considered sexual harassment was acceptable

This was a real thing that happened for a long time at conventions, as you can tell by the timestamp this photo. If you thought random hugs were a violation of personal space then you’ve gone soft in the absence of these unholy weapons.

if you wore a Naruto, Sauske, Sora, Riku, or Org. XIII cosplay from 2006 to 2009, you were officially fair game and you might as well have been wearing a target on your ass, regardless if you were in to that or not.

Nowadays they are but a distant memory, a forgotten part of convention culture that a lot of people want to pretend never happened; with good reason mind you

So there’s your history lesson!

[lithefider]

I have been going to cons since 2002 and the yaoi paddles era was WILD. Overall I didn’t see people being smacked hard or without permission, but yea it DID happen. I am glad they were outlawed at cons. Also don’t forget the million Vash the Stampedes / mild controversy over Woldfood crosses (conservative con goers mostly parents who were like THAT’S SACRELIGIOUS).

Also remember when video rooms were more of a thing? Back then anime wasn’t as widely or easily available. Very few things were being lisenced, Internet was young and often slow, dvds were new tech, there wasn’t any streaming sites, NOT EVEN YOUTUBE. Back then video rooms might be your only chance to rewatch a thing or see a new thing before dropping lots of money to buy it on vhs tapes. Same goes for the anime music videos. I used to go to those showings CAUSE TO SEE THEM OTHERWISE I had to download them off Napster or Animemusicvideos.org on a 28k Modem.

[a-night-in-wonderland]

Cosplay: Ideal v.s Reality

[cosplaytutorial]

Cosplay Tip:

Label your patterns when storing them, and include any notes you may want to remember next time you use it.

[socksofargyle]

a VOLTRON Paladin torso armor pattern

Hey dudes~ so someone asked if i was willing to share my armor patterns, and the answer is HELL YEAH.

So, here’s the dealio with these: 

1. I used a dress form sized to me to make these.

( that’s  5″5, ~150lbs, 39-40″ at the bust lv,32″ at the waist.and 16″ across the shoulders.)

they can resize, but that’s on you. ;D

know your measurements, know where things line up.

2. These are designed with EVA foam as the intended material. Stuffed fabric could also work. (maybe.)

3. I’m all for sharing creativity, but for frack or quiznak sake, don’t repost and say you made these. don’t remove the text. its irritating and ugly fine, but the notes on the armor are important. 

(it will confuse people and hurt my feelings okay? let’s be a cool fandom everyone.)

Let’s start!

I recommend using a ruler. since this is on pattern paper (a godsend, btw) the distance between the little blue marks is all a perfect square inch.

the EASIEST way to achieve symmetry is to do one half and fold and copy it to the other. 

*I haven’t done the V shape yet, but can add it later or just make a proper tutorial thing.

Note: registration marks! also, this is designated as the LEFT shape, and connecting to the BACK piece of the armor. not the front. (flip it over and you got the right side!)

Now, I realized after cutting the foam and making sure i can get my head through the hole, this could get interesting really quick when getting the chest piece on and off, especially since my suit zips up the back…

SOLUTION: DO. NOT. GLUE. THE. BACK. PIECE. TO THE SIDES.

(or do, if you can fit. I can’t. broad shoulders.)

instead,on the back, I’m going to glue/staple/glue some black stretch fabric, and shape the gap to fit at an angle. it should sit flat when in place, and stretch when you need it to.

that way, you can get it on and off easily. 

**I will update on how this goes. 

this is where folding the pattern for symmetry is REALLY handy.

and a good example of how great this paper is.

the length of my guard is 20 inches.it lines up with the marks on the torso pieces.

the line going across as labeled is the light level. (EL tape goes there! diffuse your LED’s guys! be careful of your circuits!)

I still need to figure out the shoulder pieces, but this is what i got so far!

ALSO:

for anyone new to EVA foam:

https://www.youtube.com/user/evilted40/featured

Evil Ted Smith’s youtube channel is a friggn gold mine, guys.

if you do use EVA, please be careful. its difficult to cut, foam gives off fumes when heated or burned, and knives are sharp and most dangerous when slightly dull. use a dremel to fix an edge, not a knife. (it wont work.)

I’d also be happy to make a tutorial for using a dress form for this kind of thing!

feel free to message me personally if you have any questions, happy and safe cosplaying~!!

[amenokitarou]

#Tutorialtuesday time! This week is a wig tip. The sideburns is one of the most stubborn parts of a wig and, annoyingly, it’s the part that can break the illusion the most. 😟

So here’s a little trick that @reika_japan_ and I use. Its super simple: All you need it a kid’s glue stick. It’s skin safe, non toxic and easily washable with water <3

Enjoy! Leave a comment ⚡

#cosplay #Tutorial #wig #tips

[identivitycosplay-deactivated20]

The Identivity School for Cosplayers Who Want to Learn How to Compete Good

I wrote my first guide! This is to help novice cosplayers who are competing in their first masquerade, or for those who are having trouble getting out of the novice category and want to learn how to level up their cosplay competition game!

I hope this is informative, and if you have any questions or see something I forgot to add, please let me know! I know my knowledge is lacking in a few areas, so any help expanding would be greatly appreciated.

My Facebook page: Identivity Cosplay

Like what you read? Buy me a coffee here!