22 posts tagged “catparade!”
- Ears (100%)
- Earrings (100%)
- Contacts (100%)
- Antenna
- Claws
- Tail
Wow! It's been entirely TOO LONG since I updated. I'm going to officially kick this back into gear! To start, here is a brief photo update (to be followed by an actual post).
Unfortunately, these pics are a little small and not the clearest shots of the skirt, but the photographer who shot it when I last posted has STILL not given me the pics from that shoot. XD Bah! There is a 2nd skirt that goes in this set which has yet to be shot and a 3rd soon to follow. :) The skirt has an asymmetrical front with pleated vinyl paneling and a gradient base with diagonal hook & eye closures.
And *still* I lack the internet. XD So fuggin frustrating. In any event, progress with Quistis has come to a grinding halt since the hunt for a black 14" dual separating zipper is at a stand still. I think at this point I just need to get a custom zipper made. Who knew it would be so hard to find? Since I ended up not being able to go to ALA, I sort of lost steam on Rei as well. Feh.
I *have* been making my original designs though with much success. I need to shoot one outfit, 2 skirts and one jacket that are completed. Also in the works is a men's shirt. Hoping to be able to get pictures of these on Friday, but we'll see. I'm very pleased with the outcome and am eager to share them with you. :)
Here she is! Sadly, the karaoke event that I was supposed to be competing in was a bust because a friend of mine hijacked my CD with all of my tracks on it and didn't pick up his phone (apparently he was *sleeping* instead of working his volunteer post at the con). So that fell through, which made me fairly steamed (to say the least), but at least I made myself a spiffy Noir cosplay so the whole experience wasn't a complete waste. I had been meaning to cosplay as Mireille for a while now; besides, there is always next year...
The Shadowloo Group came together splendidly this year at Anime Expo 2007. Unfortunately, two of our Dolls that were carpooling to the LBCC got stuck in massive traffic after work and were unable to make it in time to the shoot. Ah well, we still had the majority of the Dolls and I am glad I was able to be a part of it. :) At any rate, I present to you: Aprile of The Shadowloo Dolls!
Remaining Tasks
- Paint Telescope
- Paint Eye Patch
- Hat
- Gloves
- Leg Harness (10%)
- Dress (60%)
- Shoes (modify)
This costume is absolutely speeding by! Funny story: my room mate came home extremely drunk last night and, at first, I hadn't the slightest idea because this is such a rarity. It became apparent, however, when he came into my room and started asking questions about what I was making and looks at the reference pictures I have tacked to the wall next to my dress form. He looks at the picture I have featured to the left and jumps into this lecture about "respecting my body" and how I shouldn't do the costume because of the T&A. He then proceeds to look at the picture tacked directly below it (which is a full view of the picture used in the banner) and exclaims how cute she was and how I should consider making a costume for her instead. XD It took me about a 1/2 hour to explain that it was the same girl at the the statue image was merely a fan service shot. LOL'd. I got a kick out of that one...
I don't know about you, but I order my steps of creation based on ease and convenience. I would have preferred to have been able to paint her eye patch and telescope, but since I lack both the paint as well as the items themselves, I moved on to making the belt instead. This is an example of what I mean by convenience:
The gold trim I used is about 1 1/2 inches in width and needed to be pressed in halves before I could attach it. I measured out the elastic (which is around 4 inches in width), the fabric (making sure the ribbing of the corduroy was facing the correct direction) and the trim itself. I then turned on the iron and while waiting for that to heat up, stitched the fabric to the elastic. This was enough time for the iron to be ready so I pressed the trim and sewed it on.
The order of the tasks that you do is important if you want to maximize your time and minimize clean-up. Carefully consider what items you have and what you need to do to them to effectively decide how you want to organize your construction process.
I stitched together the mock-up that I had previously cut muslin for (darts and all) and tested the fit on my dress form. It turned out to be too baggy in some areas, but I am okay with that A) because I would rather it be slightly too large than too small and B) because no one gets it perfect on their first shot. I pinned it to a more correct fit and made the necessary adjustments. Once satisfied with the shape of my mock-up, I de-constructed the entire thing and used my finished pieces as the pattern for the fabric itself.
I cut out absolutely all of the fabric I will need to make this dress so I wouldn't have to bother with pinning and cutting more later on and put the remaining fabric away for a rainy day and added a swatch to my swatchbook. I even cut out the elastic needed for the leg holster and the choker that attaches to the dress straps. Now that I have all of my final pieces cut and ready to go, I will be dying them tonight because I just happen to be fortuitous enough to have stumbled across some purple dye. w00t! Of course I will be testing on a scrap before I attempt the whole dress. If in the event that it gets screwed up (god forbid) I have enough extra to be able to re-do it. But obviously I'd rather not have to do that. >_<
