Sewing Fails and Cosplay Tales

After my month and a half craze of getting our cosplays done for MegaCon, I've acquired a lot more knowledge than I thought I needed. This knowledge includes how to use my sewing machine, how to sew a zipper, how to alter an existing article of clothing and so on. The most important aspects I learned this past month were my mistakes. I can blab all about how to made my beth romper (which needs a do-over but was pretty kick butt for my absolute first) or how to put together my airbender costume (so happy but still room for improvement) but I find that the best help to give anyone out there wanting to cosplay but lacking in skill-confidence or are just not sure where to start.

TIPS:

• First of all, you MUST MUST MUST pick something you love. And when I say this I don't mean some super frilly, layered, armored, adorned, elaborate outfit; I mean a character that you really like that has a fairly simple outfit. Accessories are cool-- they help bring it all together, but focus on the basics then go from there. 
• Also, if you are doing a simple costume, don't make it complicated, for example, making Beth's (Bravest Warriors) outfit into a romper (like I did). It looked nice and it helped me achieve the look I wanted but I would have been less stressed and happier if I just did high-waist-ed shorts with a grey top. Sometimes certain shapes with characters just aren't possible without learning new techniques and my goodness did I learn a lot.
• Make sure you measure three times before cutting. 
• If you're using existing clothes to make your own pattern for parts of a cosplay, make sure you are considering the type of fabric. A stretch fabric on a tank top will not make a pattern for jersey fabric. (In all honesty, if there's a pattern out there that will get you close to what you need, get the pattern and follow it's recommendations for fabric, seam allowance, etc.-- this is supposed to be fun and you don't want to discourage yourself by making everything difficult your first time)
• Never go to Joann's without a coupon-- they send them every week in email and every month in USPS mail.
• Don't forget to consider hem allowance: don't skip it or skimp on it but also don't over do it. 
• Most importantly, don't procrastinate! Give yourself time to work with challenges and accrue the materials you need.
• Party City wigs really don't last longer than a day... the hair was literally coming out constantly and it had a weird shine to it. Refer to Epic Cosplay or Arda Wigs. I bought an Epic Cosplay wig and, well, you can see the difference:

Party City Wig

Epic Cosplay Wig

• But if all you can get is Party City, I definitely think having a wig helps you along with your cosplay and helps you stand out better in pictures.

• Cosplaying is fun. It's even more fun when people recognize you and ask to take pictures. If you are doing a more obscure or a lesser known character, don't be upset if people don't ask you for pictures. Most people will look and feel like they know who you are but don't want to be embarassed when they ask who you are. So, if your goal is to get attention, do better known characters. 

• Try and find out if there are meetups for characters associated with yours. There was an avatar meetup on Saturday but Alex and I didn't wear our costumes until Sunday. Trust me, finding people who are cosplaying from your character's universe is even more fun than walking around the con feeling out of place among all the Sailor Moons and Dead Pools.
• Bring a water bottle-- the fountains are free to use. Also, bring snacks and sandwiches; crappy pizza is expensive at conventions. So is the sushi and soup.

The Tales!:

I'm very happy we went all three days because it gave us a chance to experience every aspect of the convention. Friday is the perfect day to make thorough rounds in the vendor hall; it is the least busy day of the week. Not only will you be able to walk down the aisles without doing the penguin shuffle but you will also be able to converse with the vendors and get first pick of what's available.

Alex and I had thought to not buy anything the first day, which is good for restraint purposes, but the prices don't really change from Friday to Sunday (at least not that I noticed at MegaCon). So, if you are really wanting that nemuneko in a pig suit plushie but you set it down and you walk away feeling like you shouldn't have set it down-- run back and get that plushie! It's not something you can just get anywhere and, trust me, I've been hunting for the past couple hours, it's not easy to find specific nemuneko plushies online.

Saturday is a great day to wear your notable cosplays (or the ones you are most proud of). This is the busiest day of the weekend, so it might be better to avoid the vendor hall unless you want to try for that plushie you didn't get the day before or there is a celebrity at a booth for that day only. Saturday night is also when there are after parties. I've heard bad reviews in regard to the official con after party, so try for ones thrown by the nearby hotels or con attendees. 

Sunday is when everyone is worn out from the big bang of Saturday and its after parties. It is a good day to chat with other cosplayers because everyone is more relaxed. It's also a good day to take one last look in the vendor hall because, well, it's your last chance to grab that darn cat in a pink pig suit! It's also a good day to reflect on the fun you've had and how you could have even more fun next time. So whip out that planner, a sketch pad, and start making more friendly connections because your first con won't be your last if you've kept the most important thing in mind: It's all about having fun.

Death To The Pattern

Hopefully all this icky weather calms down so Alex and I can go out on our actual bicycles.

Patterns are very frustrating. Just when I think I understand what is supposed to be done and I'm ready to sew, I realize I've messed up and need to figure out a correct or cut an additional piece out. Can you say learning curb?
In addition, I've realized I need double sided bias tape (because it says so on the package and didn't notice until I stared at it for a million years). I can do this. I want to be able to do this. Luckily I have Colie to help-- she suggested this nifty named youtube channel called Professor Pin Cushion.
On a different note, Fall classes start soon and shortly after we move into our new apartment. I'm super excited for the new apartment and hoping I can get my textbooks and whatnot in time. I don't like playing catch up because in grad school I never quite can. I want this semester to be a good one considering it will be one of my last and I need to keep my grades up.
Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with what I need and want to do that, even after focusing on the needs first I still feel flustered. Somehow I'll make it all happen!

Susy All The away

I've actually been doing a decent job at being a busy bee-- not always busy with what I had planned but busy nontheless. Last night I worked with a pattern all by myself for the first time. I didn't need a pattern to make an apron-- I've made a few before as gifts (with the help of Colie) and they came out awesome. I just needed to start working with patterns and getting my skill level marked. So far it's already safe to say I have a lot to learn but somehow I'll manage with Alex's support and some FaceTime help from Colie. 

Last night I also played pokemon with drunk Alex and it was rather hilarious. The moment he foresaw I was going to win with my hardcharmed Yvaltl and supply of energy he tossed his cards and quit but then assured me he still wanted to play-- just not with the hand the two of us were dealt. 

As for today? An awesome Susy Tuesday (last weeks was awesome too-- days with Kaitlin are generally good ones) spent chatting, cupcaking, carbs, and planning for our birthday month. Unfortunately we may not be able to do a Disney Tea Party as we thought we may be able to so we looked at tea places in Tampa and found one we liked as an alternative. Doing a nonDisney tea place makes it slightly easier to invite friends-- especially since I'll have the bigger apartment with the space downstairs. So Kaitlin and I may just do that and then do Disney Parks with Kaitlin's comp tickets another day. We are going to talk with friends about the tea party and such and see. 

So as you can tell the craftiness is going pretty okay but the fitness stuff isnt quite the way I'd like it to be. I wanted to do group workouts but there are not at USF Rec until the beginning of fall. So far I've just occupied workout time with the elliptical and whatever yoga I can fit in with Rinpoche and Penny getting all over me and the mat (honestly I just do it without the mat most times though the last couple times it didn't matter-- the babies still wanted love while I did yoga). I was to do burpees and such because I remember quite a bit of my group fitness workout routines but that requires space and a ceiling that doesn't have a fan at the neither my fingers tough when in Mountain Pose. Only a couple more weeks and we ll be in the new place. I bought some seeds today for the pallet garden I'm going to do: bush beans, spinach, and then bell peppers for their own potted spot. 

Time To Get Sewin'

Just some funny cuteness.

I'm almost finished with the Poke'mon board! All that's left is the Ninetails and I must say I'm nervous. The pencil outline looks amazing and I'm worried I won't be able to keep all the detail outlines when painting. I have a very fine-headed brush which is awesome for small details (such as with this occasion) but sometimes it's not enough without a surgeon's hand.
More exciting news is Alex and I got our sewing machine back. It's all ready to go and the only somewhat negative comment the people at Keep Me In Stitches had to say was that, because it's an old machine, the motor needs a little help getting started. In order to give it the necessary push, they said to spin the hand wheel manually then it should go just fine. On the plus side we have 60 days to bring it back if anything goes wrong. So it's time to really get sewin'!
I'd really like to make a clutch but there's no way I have enough time to do that and everything else I need to do before the wedding. It'll have to be a clutch for another occasion but I'd definitely love to work on one. Anyone have any cute ideas? I'm on the hunt for free online patterns and such.

Red Lantern Binge!

After weeks of looking at different comic shops Alex and I finally found the Red Lantern comic issues we need to catch up to the current one. You can bet when we got home I binged on all the ones I've been waiting to read (I don't like to read out of order so I wait for the next one even if I have the one right after that).

This week I need to get my hair trimmed (yay I'm going with Kaitlin), work on assignments so I'm not worrying about them during my brother's wedding, and decide whether I want to get my nails done or just do them myself. I also need to call Keep It In Stitches to see if they've even gotten started working on our sewing machine. I'm really anxious to get it back so I can actually practice sewing stuff. I know Alex is too but he's found projects around that obstacle. He hand sewed a jersey-knit fabric into a pull-over mask (Rorschach). Tampa Bay Comic Con is getting closer and closer and I still don't know what I'm going to wear. It'd be nice to dress up at least with a nerdy t-shirt but I don't have any. (Maybe I'll buy one, I know plenty of websites with awesome t's). 

Bridesmaid Numero Dos

I finally got to bring my bridesmaid dress home today after three fittings and then a final adjustment today when I went in. I know you're probably all dying to see it but I don't currently have a picture of me in my actual dress. I believe the image above is the exact dress. Mine is purple.
This was the second time I've gone to a seamstress but it was the first time I had to get so much done. Like I have mentioned in past posts, the dress was exactly a size too small but luckily there was enough fabric to let it out. The reason I had to have it fitted three times was because it was let out a bit too much, then the under layer was too snug. Now it's finally done and I'm happy to have the worry of someone tossing it into a giant blender full of mandolins parts off my mind. If you live in Tampa and you're looking for a good seamstress who will work with you until your dress fits AND you're happy, go to Emelina's off of Busch and Armenia. I worked with Emelina herself and everything went well. I told her the deadline and she made sure that I got to take it home with time to spare. The shop also sells dresses for more than just weddings: proms, quinces-- you name it!
I'm happy it's all done with. Now I can just get my hair trimmed and my nails done then relax while someone else does my hair and makeup for my brother and Jenny's big day.
Their gift is still in process. I have all the parts; I'm just waiting on one to dry. Oh no I've given it away! There's only so many things that can be dried! I will share the gift and the reasoning behind it after the wedding (and the cruise because I'll be lucky if I get a moment to sit down and just write a post. I'm sure I'll have lots of lovely pictures to share, though).

As for other news, I continue to go to the gym and work out pretty much every day. Cutting out all the unnecessary sweets has been a challenge but I think I may have gotten to the actual point of no-more-sweets-until-my-brother's-wedding. Because, come on, there's going to be a ton of delicious dessert options!
I'm a bit bloated today because of TOM but I weighed myself and measured my trouble area.
This morning I was at 132 lbs and my waist is 26.5 inches while my lower abdomen is still in the 35.25 inch area. I know that my lower tummy is going to be the biggest issue for my cosplays. I have to dedicate myself to very limited to minimal sweets along with smaller portions.
Has anyone tried those portioning plates? Do they actually help or do you just end up letting your food crawl up and over the portion ranges? Maybe it's worth a try?
Here are some new pictures; it's been forever:

Gosh that strap is bothering me...

Sing To Me

So after an impassible issue with the $20 thrift store sewing machine, Alex and I took it in to Keep Me In Stitches-- a small business that does sewing machine troubleshooting and consultations for free. It turns out one of our gears is done and, although we had originally believed to machine to be recently refurbished, it needs the full tlc and gear rotor thingymajig for $160. I was ready to give $80 at most to get it running. Alex and I expressed our concern to the shop but they said once all that is done our singer will be ready to go and will continue to last for years. Apparently metal insides are extremely desirable and the people at the shop assured us that our machine is good quality and that once this needed fix up is done it won't need much for a least a couple years. It's something to consider because we do indeed need a sewing machine and if the cost to get this one up and in running condition is the same as buying a new but far poorer quality machine it may be worth it. I think we may just have to invest.

Green Peppa (ROCK LOBSTA!)

If you read my blog (or at least the most recent posts), you know that Alex and I are building up our tool belt for cosplaying at Megacon next year. So that we don't have to dump a bunch of money all at once, we've been getting some things here and there that we are sure we will need for our cosplays and any sewing adventures. Today we got our patterns from The Green Pepper in the mail (only about $5 each-- shipping costs are low because it's pretty much just paper). I was very impressed that it only took them two days to get the order out and shipped. I admit I had my doubts because you can only order over the phone or through snail mail but I must say I am very pleased. (In comparison, I ordered a needle clam for the sewing machine from Sewing Parts Online over a week ago and just this evening did it get registered at the post office for shipment). Not only were they quick to send out and have the items shipped, their quality is wonderful. They folded the patterns the least amount possible and everything came in proper condition. The patterns we ordered were sport tights and then a racing suit. Both can potentially be altered to be a catsuit for red lantern and numerous other cosplays.
The Green Pepper also sells fabrics and notions-- mostly geared towards outdoors-y projects because it's a outdoors-y company. You can get some of their patterns at Joann's but not many.
Another thing I'd like to rave about real quick before I get ready for bed is this awesome bag of chips. They're called Boulder Canyon: Ancient Grains and they are amazing. AMAZING. You take a nice crisp bite and you're in chip-bean heaven. These delicious crunchies are gluten free and are made with brown rice, corn, quinoa, pinto beans, black beans, chia seeds, and a bunch of other yummy goodness. I bought them at BJ's and they go great with classic hummus. If you think it's just for vegans/vegetarians, Kaitlin (who is a happy good-food, no discrimination against meat eater) enjoyed them a bunch too!
I hope everyone's Friday help their weekend get off to a good start.
Namaste.

Sewing for Dummies

At the beginning of this cosplay adventure Alex and I purchased the DIY book Sewing For Dummies. This is the very first dummies book I've ever opened beyond the front page and I must say I am pleased. While our debut costumes are still ways away from being in physical production, this book is making me more and more comfortable. I'm still waiting on my needle clamp in the mail but afterwards I'll be heading to a sewing shop to get someone to adjust the tension to where it needs to be (because I have no idea what to do...).

THEN I will work on mini projects like making a fabric clutch purse, an apron, a simple dress, etc. Alex and I are still so excited and to be entirely honest I'm getting antsy to get to work on this project (that's why I need the mini projects-- they also help build my sewing skills so I can be better prepared for the big project when the time comes). 

A book that I've been suggested for cosplaying is Fast Fit: Easy Alterations For Every Figure. I tried the library but no luck. That's okay, there seems to be some other good ones I could borrow. I went ahead and bought the Fast Fit on Barnes&Noble for $14 (free shipping if you're a member). So I can let you know how that one helps when it gets here.

Lots of waiting and learning but it's good to have this time so I can have a good end product from months of practice and adjustment.

Tomorrow I have the gym, selling Alex's old Yugioh cards to a kid on campus, and then I'm spending time with Kaitlin.

I haven't been getting much homework done because the cosplay/sewing research interests me so much that little else stimulates my attention.