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.

Tampa Bay Comic Con (continued)

Me with a super cute Toothless plushie! <3

Another note to add to my previous post on attending your first convention, is to consider food. If you plan on spending the vast majority of the day at the convention, plan accordingly. Eat a healthy breakfast, bring a water bottle (and drink water often), and bring sandwiches and snacks. Alex and I brought our water bottles and two PBJ's but when you're walking around up and down stairs and you're there all day, you need more than one sandwich. We were super hungry and ended up spending money on food available on site. Bring an apple, some nuts, and maybe even some other munchies to help get you through the day because you're not going to be able to enjoy yourself if you have a headache along with fatigue from not eating enough. So bring a happy brown bag. There may be food available there but I would look into what they have and how much it costs prior to going. If you would rather spend $9 on a personal size pizza instead of putting it towards an awesome original print or some much loved Comic Con merchandise, go right ahead.
Also, if it wasn't obvious enough, wear comfortable shoes. I know you want to look nice and stylish when you go out-- that's great, do it wearing comfortable shoes. There are fashionable comfy shoes. If you are wearing or plan on wearing a cosplay that has slightly or mostly uncomfortable shoes you are going to want a more comfortable version or just flip flops for when you take a break. I'm only saying this from observation but, trust me, I've seen enough people limping in their shoes to say this with confidence. Wear or bring comfy shoes. Period.
One last note: have fun and be social! Revisit booths that you enjoyed and ask questions about the artwork and/or merchandise. Take fun pictures with cosplayers-- getting the picture of the cosplayer is cool but if you're in it it makes it more personal and no one can say you just snatched it from the internet. I didn't take any of me with the cosplayers but I totally should have- especially after getting my official TBCC shirt (looks like the logo I shared in my previous post)!

Once the day was done, Alex and I were really tired (and bummed about the vendor hall closing) and ready to move towards and look forward to MegaCon. Doing TBCC was probably the best decision we've made so far for working towards MegaCon. Now we really have to work on building our sewing skills and getting our muscles into shape. We have some awesome Joann Fabric coupons so that's always a good start!

I have signed up and made a Photobucket. I have all the pictures uploaded now I just have to go in and edit where I can to get better views of the stage cosplays. Here is the link to my bucket.

This is the couple I dashed to the moment I saw them come in. I like to think I was the first to get them on camera.

The Just A Formal Gown Effect (JAF-GE): Ten Reasons For Pockets

There are many reasons why pockets need to be added to fancy gowns. Some are cosmetic while others are just for capturing memories.

Reason number one:
When taking very important photographs, you don't want to be having to worry about forgetting your phone on a ledge somewhere in a garden but you also don't want to be that person that has their phone so attached to their hip that the bride remembers ten years down the road when viewing her precious memories.

Reason number two:
You don't want to be the one to ask the bride's mother to leave her daughter's wedding just to go back to her room to get your phone and/or camera (which you left there because the photographers promised you would have time to go back).

Reason number three:
There will be pictures-- ALL night-- and it's better to have floss than some broccoli or spinach in your teeth for the rest of that captured moment's life.

Reason number four:
You're going to regret not taking photos of your brother's wedding yourself. If you don't have your camera/(smart)phone, you will end up waiting who knows how long until you can see photos. Not to mention they will be the professional ones-- not the ones that captured all the moments that were close to you.

Reason number five:
Your parents will dance and be the most lovely display of long-term marriage romantic-ness and you will cry and want pictures because it is indeed beautiful. Getting repetitive but this is a personal blog so I can do that.

Reason number six:
Your hair will fall out or move out of place due to joining the party on the dance floor.

Reason number seven:
You may need some drugs (i.e. ibuprofen, lact-aid, tums, etc.).

Reason number eight:
It is possible you will want to write down new phone numbers of family members you rarely ever get to see.

Reason number nine:
If you're mushy or you think you will be, it's the perfect spot for tissues.

Reason number ten:
Extra underwear and a panty liner. You never can tell what's going to happen. Whether you're close to that time of the month or you found yourself sweating off not only your makeup but your current pair of undies, extra undies will help you stay fresh down there.

Snatched these pictures from one of Jenny's college friends. I'm telling you, HAVE A CAMERA!

We weren't even sorority sisters but now we are bound by her and my brother's union of love. It's so nice to have more family. Love you Jenny, my new big sis! <3