Update: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!! Well, tomorrow anyway. I hope you all had a great Christmas! I did! Tonight we are going to a friends house to celebrate New Years. It should be fun!

Sorry for two update posts in a row (the next one will probably be an update too XD). But I actually do have cosplay and sewing news to share! So yay!

So, first I'd like to let people know that I will be selling Lolita items at Anime Oasis. Probably dresses, skirts, blouses, and maybe some bloomers. We'll see. It will probably be mostly classic and some sweet. I'm excited! I hope people will like them.



Lately I've been fixing my petticoat. If you recall from one of my previous posts, my first petti was very flat and sad.Now it's much fluffier, though not completely finished. I need to add one more tier. I'm just not feeling very motivated. I've discovered that I hate making pettis. They are a pain. And this will probably be the ugliest petti. But it doesn't matter much, since you're not supposed to see it. Ah well. Perhaps the next one will be prettier. I'm hoping I'll get it done today so I can wear lolita to the New Years party tonight. The party is only in... a few hours.... I can probably do it. XD

Another cool thing is that I've been reading this awesome book!

I LOVE this book. I bought it a while back, but just recently really started reading it. And I'm so glad I bought it! It has everything I need in it! Lots of step by step instructions and pictures. It also has ways to fix problem areas. Now I feel like I actually grasp how patterns work. So I highly suggest this book to anyone teaching themselves how to sew. It's awesome.

Also in this book are block patterns. Like this:

Which are basic pattern pieces that you use as a base to create your own patterns. In this book they have patterns for a bodice, sleeves, skirt, and a dress. So I've been working on drawing those. Now I can't wait to start designing my own stuffs (actually know what I'm doing). That's right, I'm pretty much just flying by the seat of my pants. XD

One more cosplay/sewing related thing, I have a cosplay commission! The character is Vanellope Von Schweetz from "Wreck-it-Ralph." I'm only doing her skirt, so it should be easy and fun! And I'll get some monies for more cosplays!

Well this entry turned out to be relatively short. Sorry for the super long posts lately. XD Next week will either be another update or possibly the next in my Cosplayer Interview series! We'll see how I feel. ^_^

And with that, I shall leave you with this panda transforming into Sailor Moon.




Love,
Edward

Update: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

IT'S CHRISTMAS TOMORROW! HOORAY!!!



I'm excited for Christmas this year! I'm not sure why. It's not any different than any of the other Christmases. I dunno. I'm just feeling festive, I guess. We are currently out of town visiting family. But I didn't want to skip my Monday blog post!

My hubby and I were naughty and did our Christmas early (which we do every year). I got lots of movies!
Including "Titanic"!! I wuv that movie so so much. My husband loves me. XD I also got a Kindle Paperwhite! Which I'm really enjoying! I'm currently reading Jane Eyre. I like it so far! I got him lots of movies, too. Cus we loves movies.

Sadly I've been sick lately. Not sure where I got it. But I'm nearly better, and should be better by tomorrow. I've been drinking lots of tea and eating tons of soup.

And you'll all be happy to know I've actually been doing cosplay related things lately! I haven't done much sewing, but I went to a cosplay holiday party with some of my local cosplay friends. And by local I mean about a 2 hour drive from my house. That's about as local as it gets for me. XD But I made NEW friends! Hooray! I went as a cute holiday Usagi. It was fun! We took photos at a park with lots of cool lights and then we went and got tacos!

Usagi and Luna (Bagheera)

Me and my new friends

Also I've been designing a lot of my own costumes for different things. In March, I'm having a fairy tail birthday party! So I'm making myself a fairy costume, cus I'm going to be the fairy princess! And I'm going to make my husband be my hero. He's so excited. XD (Not really). Here are some doodles of my designs.

(WARNING: I'm a crap artist)

I sew because I can't draw. XD

So the colors will be a bit different from what I have here. The purple will be a bit more like a plum/maroon color. And I think the leafy shaped corset will be brown. My friend says I should make it of leather, which would be neat. I'm also going to wear a lovely, flowery crown and I'm going to make some cute little fairy shoes! I'm excited! Too bad it's only December. At least I have a while to design everything. XD

Here is another fairy costume I thought of. A queen bee fairy!

I'm going to cover myself in yellow sparkles for my pollen!

I've also been designing my elf costume for the LARP that is happening.... sometime soon. Lol. They are still figuring out the particulars. But hopefully I can get my elfy costume done in time. I wanted to design something more "ElfQuest" like and NOT "Lord of the Rings." I just don't like the airy, fairy, elegant elves. I like the kind of wild elves that hunt and work hard (and have elf orgies)! XD

So I drew some ideas:

This was my original design. Which I like. It ties up the side and has a removable hood. But then I watched "Conan the Barbarian" (the 80's Schwarzenegger one) and I was inspired to make one more like what his mom wears at the beginning.

I obviously do not own this picture. It's probably owned by Universal Pictures.

Mine won't have sleeves, so I can make it more versatile for winter or summer wear. And I'll probably put furry trim around the sleeves and edges of the bottom. I drew up a doodle, but I forgot to take a picture. It's probably for the better, though. Since my doodles are kind of scary. XD


I also started work on my Sailor Moon skirt... and then promptly quit. I'm having trouble deciding if I want an inverted pleat in the middle or a box pleat. I don't know yet. I'll figure it out, though. I think I'll switch to working on the leotard while I'm pondering. I'll post pictures if I ever get back to working on it. XD


Also, this isn't exactly cosplay related, but it is Japan related. I made myself a kotatsu table! I looooove it!

My mommy gave me this table, which was perfect. Because, as you can see, the framing and legs are all one unit and the table top is separate. I had to take it all apart and hammer the pieces off, since they glued the crap out of it.  And I was going to buy the kotatsu heater online. But, in passing, I mentioned I was planning to make this table to my friend Jen (the one I interviewed) and she asked if I had a heater yet, which I said no. And she said she had one she would sell to me!! Which turned out awesome, cus it cost me half as much as would have, had I bought it online. I didn't cut the legs short, cus I wanted to be able to sit on the couch and use it. Which works better for me.

So, thanks Jen and mommy! You've kept me warm this winter!

It's so cozy!  

So I think that's all! Been doing lots lately! I hope you enjoyed reading about it!

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy Yule!

Loves,
Edward

Cosplay Showcase: Jen as Sailor Uranus

Woo! I'm excited for this cosplay showcase! It's my friend Jen as Sailor Uranus! If you don't know who Jen is, read her Cosplayer Interview here. She's a super awesome cosplayer!

When I asked her which cosplay she wanted to showcase, she said that I could pick. So I picked Uranus! Cus she makes such an awesome one! I think she portrays Uranus so well. Not just the costume but the character and everything. And.... I'm not going to lie... I wanted a little insight on how she made this one. I am rebuilding my Sailor Moon cosplay, as you may know, and it wouldn't hurt to get some pointers.



So let's begin!

Jen as Sailor Uranus (Sailor Moon)

Looking like she's about to kick some ass.

Why did you chose this character to cosplay. Why did you chose it for the showcase?

I didn't really choose it, Edward did.  XD But seriously, it is a culmination of a lot of years of experience and work (I made this technically at the same time as Sailor Pluto, but went with this one because I'm still not completely happy with Pluto's wig and my skin tone...). I did a really crap-tacular Sailor Moon in college (complete with colored paper brooch and old shirts cut into a collar and bows!!) and someday wanted to re-do a sailor senshi, only awesome. It took a lot of time to build my confidence up, maybe about eight years. My friends and I did a Sailor Moon group at Sakuracon, and since I'm so tall, doing an inner scout seemed a little silly. Uranus isn't one of my favorite senshi at first, but she's grown on me. It's also really fun to walk around with a Neptune.  ^_^  

I've found Uranus to be strong, capable, and utter committed to her cause. Strong and beautiful, but not overly frilly. Motorcycles, running, flirting, all that fun stuff. I'm not a fan of cross-dressing (but I have for Haruka before), but Uranus as a senshi is pretty darn awesome.  

What was your construction process?

I actually had to invent a pattern for this. I used the green pepper skating outfit as a base, then completely changed it.  XD I added a back, came up with a bra/armor portion, changed the leg lines and skirt line, invented the sleeves and changed the neckline completely. The bra armor portion is stretchy quilt batting in between two layers of white swimwear fabric. I made the bra portion the same size as I am, as to give some bulk when wearing. The rest of the suit is approximately 90% of my measurements. I  used two layers of fabric for the body and panties, since they were a little too thin.  The best part about the leotard is that the collar, skirt, and bows are interchangeable. They are all held on with snaps, and the bows with one big snap each. I use the same white leotard for Sailor Uranus, Super Sailor Uranus, and Sailor Pluto.  (the sleeves are just hand-stitched on, and can be swapped easily)   I eventually plan to make a Sailor Venus, ignoring that I'm taller than most other cosplayers.  ;)

The boots are actually heels I found at a thrift store, and covered with the same fabric I used for the skirt and collar.  I installed zippers in the sides to ease putting on and taking off.  

The skirt is approximately 3x my hip measurement, box pleated in the middle, and pleated in opposite directions on each side. I ironed the pleats to keep the sharp look of the anime. The skirt is only straight at the top, but is heavily angled at the bottom to hit the right lengths in front, on the sides, and in the back (more specifically to cover important things in front, cover my buns, and hike up a bit on the sides).

After much research, I found that perfect sailor senshi gems do not exist... so I made my own. I researched an experimented with clear resin plastic casting, and investing the time and money into learning this particular art. I've learned about moulds, sculpting, casting in general, and coloring.  The time spent was well worth it, resulting in very unique and beautiful gems.  My tiaras are all made from brass sheets.

The things you love about this cosplay.

I love cosplaying kick-butt female characters, and Uranus is definitely one of them!  It's a fun, flirty costume that is comfortable, cool (temperature wise), and one I don't have to worry about the wig getting tangled or caught in anything.  ;)  I really like wearing little short skirts.  XD

She made the Neptune Cosplay too.

The things you hate.

The only part of the costume that is not comfortable is the shoes... they're nicely pointed like they are in the show, but they hurt my toes.  >.<  During that first con, I wore them all day for two consecutive days in a row and two of my toes were numb for a month afterwards...  Needless to say I don't wear them for long periods anymore.  

I also dislike wearing gloves for costumes.  

A general closing statement and where one might find more pictures of this and other cosplays you’ve done.

All in all, I'm very pleased with how this costume turned out. It was interesting (and frustrating!) to make, and really fun to wear. Thus far, I've had four different people cosplay as my Neptune, and they are all wonderful in their own ways. Half the fun of this costume is having a dedicated partner... at least for a day.  ;)

cosplay.silvercheetah.net

http://www.facebook.com/SilverCheetahDesigns

And a silly/awesome one.

She's so awesome. *gushes* I'm glad I chose her for my first guest cosplayer! I hope with lots of time and practice, I'll be as awesome as her one day.



Anywho! I hope you all enjoyed learning about my friend Jen! Next month I will do an interview and showcase with another one of my friends! Look forward to it!

Love,

Edward

Cosplayer Interview!: Jen

So I'm really excited about our first REAL cosplay interview. Mine hardly counts. XD Today it is my friend Jen! I met her in 2012, I believe, at Anime Oasis. I have SO much respect for her and her cosplays. She is so amazing! Her sewing skills are spectacular! I hope to one day be her equal. Until then, I will stand close to her, hoping that some of her awesome will leak onto me.


On with the show!

Your name or Cosplay Name:

Jen Glauser (Jenphi)

Photo by Jake Price

Age:

Older than you. XD

How long have you been cosplaying?:

Since 1999.  At anime cons, since 2002.

What was your first cosplay?

Sailor Moon.  ^_^

Do you make your cosplays, buy them pre-made online, or have them commissioned?: 

I make everything myself.  As much as I can.  ;)

Why do you cosplay?:

I like creating things.  I like dressing up.  I like pretending I'm some kick-butt gorgeous chick who does awesome, powerful things on a regular basis.  ^_^  I've always loved Halloween, and this is a natural extension.

What is you favorite part about cosplay?:

Meeting new people, talking "shop", and pictures. :D

What is your least favorite part?:

Drama and jealousy.  Sometimes competitions.

Who is your favorite character to cosplay?:

There are so many!  Most of the characters I cosplay are my favorites from that particular series... It's so hard to choose.  Saber and Moka are some favorites... and Sailor Uranus when I have a good Neptune around.  ;)

Moka from "Rosario+Vampire"
Photo by Tim Boothby

What is your favorite cosplay to wear?:

Black Widow.  So far the comfiest costume to date!  ^_^

What is your least favorite cosplay to wear?:

Right now it's Sophitia from SC2 since I've changed sizes since then... and the shoes are still uncomfortable... 

What was the most complicated cosplay you’ve worked on?

That's a toss up between Rogue and Black Widow... They both have bodysuits that were complicated in their own way... though Black Widow has a bunch of extra straps and holders and casting... so yeah, Black Widow.  

What was the least complicated?

Clearbrook.  So easy... and so comfy!

Clearbrook from "ElfQuest"

What group cosplays have you been a part of?:

Fate/Stay Night, Sailor Moon, ElfQuest, Star Trek: ToS, My Little Pony, Slayers, Final Fantasy VII, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Marvel characters

Wonder Woman

What group cosplays would like to be part of?:

Disney Princesses, another FF group, maybe Avatar...  

Who are some characters you plan to cosplay in the future?

Oscar from Rose of Versailles, Storm from X-Men, Catwoman, Utena, Teresa from Claymore, Devil Belldandy... etc..  There's a long list.

What crossplay characters have you done or would like to do?

I've done Taiki (in the business suit) from Sailor Moon, and I crossdress for Haruka (Sailor Uranus) from time to time, but I don't like to cross-play all that much.  I don't make a very convincing guy.  

Sailor Uranus from "Sailor Moon"

Who is a character people say you should cosplay, but you aren’t sure about?:

I get that quite a bit. Either "You should cosplay [tall, but kinda boring character that matches our group]" or "You totally need to dress as [mostly naked female character]."  Yeah... I like to be dressed.  XD  I also like to cosplay characters I have some sort of connection to. I need to identify with that character somehow. Either I like how they act, I admire them in some way, etc.  I can't really justify dressing as a character just because they're pretty.  (Though I've been tempted to do a character from Lineage 2, even though I've never played!! )

What is your dream cosplay?:

A WoW cosplay.  Either my hunter or Tyrande.  Sooooo much detail... I don't know if I'll have the time while my kids are still at home during the day.  Oh!  I'd also love to do something with giant wings!  

What is a cosplay you would love to do, but don’t feel you could pull off?:

I'd love to do Deedlit from Record of Lodoss War, but I never have because I'm six feet tall.  I feel kind of weird. Maybe someday I'll get over my hangup, but so far, not quite.

In your opinion, what makes a great cosplay?:

Attention to detail, making the characters' costume fit you as a real person, and getting into character.  Nice photography is helpful, but doesn't make a mediocre costume great.

At which conventions are we likely to see you?:

I go to the ones in Idaho and I attend Sakura-con as often as I'm able.  I love Kumoricon, too, but haven't been back in years.  I hope to fix that.

Any advice to other cosplayers?

If you love it, keep doing it.  Ask people how they do things.  Experiment and keep a crafting notebook where you record your successes or failures.  It will save you time later so you don't have to re-invent a process!!

What are some other hobbies you have, other than cosplaying?:

I roleplay, play video games, and read. I have other hobbies, but don't do those so much anymore.  Most of my hobbies related to cosplay somehow (sewing, leatherworking,  resin casting,  sculpting, sketching, etc).

Favorite anime/tv shows?:

I love Fate/Stay night.  Sailor Moon and Rose of Versailles are also great.  

Favorite movie?:

I love The Last Unicorn and Ladyhawke.  Also the new Avengers movie and most of the superhero movies (Batman, X-men, etc).

Favorite books/manga?:

I'm an avid collector of Ah! My Goddess! and anything by Kaoru Mori (Emma, Bride's Story, Shirley).  I love the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede.  

Favorite video games?:

WoW and Batman (Arkham Asylum/City).

Favorite color?: 

Green and Purple.

Favorite food?:

Chocolate and Sushi.

Favorite desert?:

More chocolate (maybe that crazy chocolate cake from the Cheesecake Factory... mmm).

Favorite curse word?

Crappyolios.  

What are some websites where we can see more of you?

Silvercheetah.net but I don't update that much.  It sort of has a blog.  A little.  If you're lucky to know me in person you can see my personal facebook page, otherwise you'll have to be content with my cosplay page, Silver Cheetah Designs.

*Is taking notes* Oh! There she was! Our first real "guest" cosplayer! And she's a good one! I hope you all think she's as awesome as I do. Next week I will do a Cosplay Showcase all about one of her cosplays! I think I'll keep it a surprise for now, hehehe.

But anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this cosplay interview! I'm finally DONE talking about myself for a while. Come back next week for Jen's Cosplay Showcase!



Love,
Edward

Cosplay Bullying: Let's play nice, shall we?

Sorry about the later than usual post. But it is still Monday! So I'm good. XD My husband didn't have to work today and I played Skyrim for a while... needless to say, I had a few distractions. But now my husband has stolen back the Xbox so I can be productive.
 

But anyway, what I wanted to talk about this time is something I think is very important! And something I see that is all too prevalent in the cosplay community. First, let me share a picture with you.

Found on this tumblr

I'm not sure if that tumblr is the actual artist, but that is where I found it.

Cosplay bullying.

This picture really says it all for me. I wanted to post about this topic anyway, but this reminded me. I also wanted to talk about it because, when I shared this picture on my Facebook, a friend of mine told me that she witnessed someone bullying another Sailor Moon and telling them that their cosplay was not as good as my Sailor Moon cosplay. This made me so upset!! I would never cosplay to make someone else feel inferior! And I hope that that girl doesn't feel that she can't cosplay as Sailor Moon because I'm around.

I think we can all agree that bullying is wrong and we shouldn't do it, right? Well, apparently not. Because I see it a lot. Especially on the internet, where people tend to say whatever they like, knowing they will never have to deal with the consequences of their hurtful words.

There are a few situations I'd like to cover.

"Your cosplay isn't accurate."

First off; I'd like to say, if someone is thinking this, they had better be well informed. Because I know of several girls who have cosplayed as lesser known versions of characters from the Sailor Moon series (such as from the MANY musicals, the live action series, or even concept art for the manga) and they have been told they weren't accurate, because they didn't look like the anime version. But actually they were accurate to the thing they were cosplaying. So not only do you look like an asshole, you look like a very ill informed asshole.

Secondly; maybe it's their very first cosplay. Or 2nd. Or 3rd. We all have to start somewhere. And I'm sure if you look back at your first, you shudder with embarrassment that you ever wore it to a con. 

Thirdly; maybe that's the best they could do! Not everyone can spend hundreds of dollars on a cosplay. Some people may not even have $10. Also, maybe they just don't have the skill. Maybe they aren't very good at sewing or altering and they can't afford to have it commissioned, but they still want to dress up. Are we supposed to say "You aren't good/rich enough to cosplay"? I think that's terrible.

And another thing; maybe they are doing a cosplay of a particular piece of fan art or one of their own designs. I have a friend that did fan art of a character she loves, but with a slightly different outfit, and people were always telling her it was "wrong." But it wasn't, because she was basing it off of her own fan art. And who says one can't be creative with cosplay? That's the whole point of cosplaying....

Also; it's all interpretation. It many cases, there are several ways one might interpret a characters costume. Perhaps they saw it in a different way than you. An example is, Sailor Moon's skirt. I've seen many versions people have done of the pleats. Some going the same direction all the way around. Some going opposite directions on each side with a box pleat in the middle. Some with an inverted pleat in the middle. It's all interpretation. Because in most cases, anime/comic book/game character are drawn in outfits that don't work in real life, so you have to do the best you can with the physics that exist on Earth.

Lastly; in my experience, the people who have said something not so nice about my cosplay, weren't even WEARING cosplay. So maybe they are trying to nit pick other people's work, because they feel inferior about their own skills. Which is really the reason bullying happens in the first place. Or maybe you just think you're so awesome at cosplay, that no one can complete with your mad skills.

"You are too fat/skinny/tall/short/large busted/small busted/not muscled enough/wrong skin tone(etc.) to do that cosplay"

I'm sorry, but I don't think anyone ONLY likes characters they physically resemble. So because someone may not look like a character, they aren't aloud to express their love of a character through cosplay? "Oh, that fat Sailor Moon ruined the character for me!" Grow up. Instead of focusing on a cosplay you didn't care for, focus on one you loved. And is your love for the character so shallow that you only care about their appearance? I'd like to know what world these bullies live in, where every cosplayer (or would be cosplayer) is attractive and perfectly proportioned. All body types are aloud to have fun and be creative, last time I checked.

Instead of being an asshole, trying being helpful. If you can't be helpful, then be quiet.

"Your cosplay sucks!!" 

How does this help anyone? It only hurts someone. How can they know what to fix if they are just told it sucks? Try giving them some constructive criticism. Tell them areas they may improve on. But FIRST make sure your opinion is even wanted. Some people are hurt easily be criticism, even if it's done with good intentions. I always wait to be asked for advice before giving it.

If you simply MUST tell them where they went wrong, point out some good qualities about their cosplay before you point out the bad things. Some example sentences:

"You really should have made the skirt this way, and put darts in the bodice, and done the wig like this." WRONG!

"I really like the way you did the collar! If it had been me, I would have made the skirt this way."
RIGHT!


If (in your opinion) you just can't see any redeeming qualities about a cosplay, and you have no helpful advice to give, then just BE QUIET! Let's take a lesson from Thumper; "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Should we not have learned this when we were 5? If you feel the need to go around making other people feel bad about themselves, you have some serious emotional issues and need to seek professional help. I'm serious. If all the bullies talked to a shrink and found out what their problem was, our world would be a lot better off.

And for the victims of cosplay bullying, try your very best to ignore it. I know it's hard. But try to focus on the good and not the bad. Whatever you do, DON'T STOP COSPLAYING! Then that bully has just won! They have no right to tell you you aren't aloud to be who you are and express yourself the way you want. Those people obviously have issues if they are treating people like that, and that's not your fault. You keep cosplaying and show that bully that you aren't afraid of them!


So, to close, I just want to remind everyone, that cosplay should be about HAVING FUN! And about sharing our love for all things nerdy with our fellow nerds. Let's all play nice and have a good time. After all, I thought that was the point.


Love always,
Edward