More laser ideas

I just can't seem to get beyond this stupid gallbladder problem, so to keep myself busy (else I would go stir-crazy) I've been wracking my brains to come up with stuffs that I can cut on the laser cutter. Mostly, ideas for things that people would both like to have, and would potentially sell, as even with a business discount, the acrylic sheets for the "big projects" would eat up my bank account ^^

So, here is the next round of ideas from this morning: The Wayfinders that Aqua makes in "Birth by Sleep"

I plan on refining the design a bit more, to make the parts around the holes a bit pointier, but otherwise, I think they're pretty good. I would cut these out of fluorescent acrylic, which is friggin' amazing looking, and would glow under a black light (and just be really awesome to look at otherwise!) Plus, they would be transparent, making for a good stained-glass effect or suncatcher :3 I'm still not sure what the gray would be out of, however. The idea of mirror, while cool, seems to be way too over the top for it to work, so I'm thinking I would just spray white acrylic (or clear) with silver and leave it at that... what do you think?

On another cosplay related note (this time personal) I have begun work on a Nehelenia outfit for myself, hopefully in time for NoBrandCon (which we will finally be going to again after an absence of a few years!) Expect pictures of that as it is being built! The corset is almost completed, and then onto the actual outfit :3

Laser Designs

Recently, I have been doing a lot of volunteer work, and as part of my contract with them, I have access to use their industrial laser cutters and vacuum formers if I would like. So, I have been designing small pieces for jewelry (that I will post up shortly- need to get pictures!) but have wanted to try my hand at larger pieces.

This eve, I had a bit of time (my brain hurts from emails!) on my hands, and I've started vectoring a few ideas for quick props that I would like to try as soon as my acrylic sheets come in.

Currently, I am debating between creating Yuna's Summoner Staff from Final Fantasy X, and Rikku's thief blades from Final Fantasy X-2. Depending on how those go, I would also like to try my hand at laser cut keyblades!

I thought I would post up my WIP mockups in from Illustrator (which have to be converted over to an obscure vector file, tweaked, and cut out, but still!) for reference, especially if anyone else is planning on making these in the future. I'll probably do a tutorial as well, providing my template for those who want to make them out of wood/plastic/foam/whatever, since I know access to laser cutters is not readily available ^^;

But, for now, here are my working designs:

Rikku's Thief Knives from FFX2 - these are going to undergo some major revisions in the near future to work with the materials to get the blade shape more accurate, but the base is there, especially for the handles! (yay geometry - see, it is useful!)


Yuna's default summoner staff topper. I know there are plenty of them out there, but none in vector formats that are clean enough to work off of (and symmetrical!)

And one special one that is giving me nightmares, but I really, really want to do this one: Yuna's Nirvana Staff

The Nirvana staff is just a very rough WIP, but I thought it would help to show my process. The darker areas will be actually deep engraved out of the plastic, while the white/lighter in the feathers will be left alone. There is a lot more detail to add, and so far, it is looking to be three layers thick, not including the green gems (which will need to be cast gems, not plain round pieces of plexiglass).

That staff is dependent on how difficult the other few are to create, but I'll be sure to post WIP pictures of any of these being made for those who are curious! So, here is step 1: design!

The Protoss Project

So, we are (very quietly, at the moment) releasing a bit of information about our newest project, something that is going to take a very long time to complete, and pull from things that we've never done before (mascot land, woodworking, welding, vacuum forming, electronics, and a lot more!) to try to create one friggin' amazing costume:

Zeratul, from Blizzard's Starcraft II

Yep. We're a little crazy.  You can follow all of our progress over at "The Protoss Project" blog, as we update - it's in the roughs right now, but we'll start seriously making it look pretty as soon as we have a bit of time for that!

Until then, please wish us luck!

Edit: I forgot to mention, I truly blame Lita of Divinity Photography for even getting me to think of creating this outfit... or even thinking of Starcraft costumes to begin with ;P

And away we go

Last week was fantastic.

The class went wonderfully, thanks to the amazing teaching ability of my wonderful husband, Chris. I swear, people who think that being a teacher is an easy job, or even that it is something anyone can learn... you have a surprise coming! It is hard!

But, it all came together as a success.

Before the camp, however, I had been working on a commission for a Namine outfit that was nearly completed. Finish up the wig, put the trim on the bottom and straps on, and ship it out - that was all I thought I had to do with it.

Until I looked at it again this weekend. And panicked.

Those of you who know me know that I'm really, very anal about the stuffs I send out to customers. I utterly refuse to send something out that isn't the very best I can produce, and this outfit was... bad, to say the least. That's what I get, I guess, for trusting a commercial pattern company to scale patterns up to a size 18 successfully - my bad for thinking that would work.

The commissioner is almost exactly my size (I'm shorter ;P) and this dress would have fit, assuming that I didn't have boobs or hips. Ya know, like a runway model scaled up, or something. So... I trashed it. I just couldn't - I'm sure I could have tweaked it, added a gusset or two and be done with it, but it just feels so wrong to do things like that. I know a lot of people wouldn't even notice if I did, but... but...

Now you see why I get paid on the average of $4 an hour for the work I do ^^;

But, the only reason I do what I do (well, the main reason, at least) is because I love it when people receive something so amazing that they cannot believe that someone made this, and made it specially for them. So, I can't just patch it up (like, honestly, I would do for a theatre job...) and send it on it's merry way.

I throw it out, and start again.

And, I'm so thankful a year or so ago I purchased a dressform in my size. Like, a real dressform, not an adjustable POS. Greatest money ever spent. And saved my butt on this.

So, the exceptionally long story capped, I threw it out, and remade it. And it looks fantastic. But, she wanted it delivered by today. So I'm waiting to hear if it needs to be Express Mailed out, or if there is some leeway in the delivery date, or if I need to refund them entirely...

Lesson learned - do everything to the best of your ability, but expect things to go wrong. Even on simple outfits. And, admit when you've screwed up, and take whatever comes of it.

Tomorrow, I'm taking pictures, and working on Utility Skirts or Kimona, whichever peeks my interest. I have orders for both, so it's more of a matter of feelings. Plus, answering emails... oh gawd, the emails...

I think I need to go to sleep, or I'll keep rambling away at you all...

Hetalia : Russia

I have made a new resolution to myself: I am not allowed to buy more fabric until I find something to do with the boat-loads full that I already have. I could open my own shop, there is so much fabric wedged into my sewing room, bins, and on the floor behind my work spaces!

(I think I may just take some pictures later and post to show that I'm not overexagerating the amount of fabric I have hoarded...)

So, one costume I've had a lot of inquiries about has been... well, basically anything from Hetalia. I admit, I know next to nothing, other than the outfits are just awesome (and practical - I'm one for practical costumes ;P)

But, I found I had a bolt of light brown twill I found on clearance a few years ago, and thought "what the heck, this is a way to start up the new resolution with a bang!" and so it began.

I have the jacket for Russia nearly completed - it's lacking closures and a hem, but that's all, and it's really an awesome jacket! I kind of wish I had made it in my size, just to wear this fall... it would make a great regular jacket~

This has, however, given me +1 skill points in bias binding, because of all of the god-forsaken little corners on this thing! I believe I spent more time binding (and then ripping off) the little tabs on it than actually patterning and sewing the rest of the outfit!

I know, a frequent problem of mine is that I get a little too... crazy. Things need to be just so. But, this time, I think it drove me bonkers to the extreme. My floor is littered with pieces of bias strips and ugly tabs that I kept messing up on - it looks like a war zone!

But, it all came together in the end. Now, for the final leg of the project - put the closures on, hem it, and give it a good pressing.

I bet you want to see pictures, right?

Grrr... I don't know why Photo Booth likes to flip images around on me, but it truly is not backwards for the closure (I quadrouple checked it myself, cuz that is something utterly stupid I have done before...)

Heartless Wa-Loli in Blue *pictures*

Well, there we go! I have the pictures up and everything for the Heartless Wa-Loli in blue outfit.

Consider this a sneak preview, since I'm not going to be able to stay awake long enough to put these together and submit them to DeviantArt tonight...




See more, and read more about this outfit here (the wa-lolita entry) and here (the corset entry)

So, whatchoo all think? Like this color, or the black and red better? And, who thinks that she is going to be the awesomest person at prom, ever? I know I wish I had worn something like this (instead of just feather and/or fairy wings...)

Heartless Wa-Loli (day 3) *finished*

I... I am in shock!

I think I'm done. Way ahead of schedule, too... hooray!!

I guess I never did quantify just how much time is saved by using uber fast industrial equipment, or something. I don't know what the cause, but I'm extremely happy to be done with this outfit so expediently! It'll be shipped out this afternoon (after I get better pictures, obviously) and it should be there tomorrow afternoon/evening, in time to be worn for Prom on Saturday!

I'm so excited! Actual good pictures will be taken after I have lunch, though ;P For now, you're stuck with me looking like a dork via my webcam :B

I don't think I have made an entire outfit this quick since that one costume for Seven Guitars, where I had to plan, drape, pattern, mock up, fit, alter, cut, sew, fit, and finish one dress in two 6-hour blocks of time!

Heartless Wa-Loli (day 2)

Well, that is officially the fastest I've ever put together a corset, start to finish. I am getting really damned good at it, if I do say so myself.

I started on the corset at 12:45, and finished it and it was on the dressform at 3:00. Hot damn.

Otherwise, I just need to wait for Chris to get home from work to be able to get to the fabric store and get the final bits for the skirt (which still needs to be hemmed, but that is probably the easiest thing left to do). After a brief lunch, I'm going to finish all of the sashes and the bow in the back, and all shall be good!

The petticoat was shipped out via Priority Mail this afternoon, and is being shipped directly to the customer. Man, I am psyched at how fast this has been to come together (even if I did almost die last night from shoulder and back pain...)

Pictures! Yes, I know, I need to get them off of the camera, but that'll have to wait until after lunch ;P

Edit: Well, here are the pictures! They've been added to both of the entries (or will very shortly) to give you an idea of how this outfit is coming together! None of the skirt, yet, though, since I forgot to put it on the form ^^

Heartless Wa-Loli

Oh boy! Today I was rocking and rolling (and, tried out Livestream, too, which was pretty cool!) and sewing my behind off!

9 hours of work later, and I have the black and blue Heartless Wa-Loli outfit over half done - I consider the hard part to be completed, which is the main kimono top and the majority of the skirt! Now, I just need to hem the skirt and it's good to go :D

Tomorrow, I will be making the corset, which is not something I'm concerned about - to me, the hard part is done with. The embroidery is done on the corset already, too, which makes it even better.

And I'm rambling, so I think that means it's time to go to sleep! Pictures tomorrow, as well as (hopefully!) the new video "Tips & Tricks" I filmed today~

Edit: Pictures are added to the posts, but I apologize about the quality - that's what I get for just snapping, well, snapshots with my regular camera (and the flash *gah*)

New Personal Costume

So, I have not made a piece of cosplay for myself in quite some time - I actually think that the last one I have done was our xxxHolic outfits from a few years ago.

I have a hard time finding outfits I'm comfortable with making for myself, because, for as popular and acceptable as cosplay has become as a whole, a lot of the people who do it are getting more and more narrow-minded. It is not uncommon to see someone (such as myself) ripped apart for not being a traditional size for cosplay (such as between a US 2 and 8, which seems to be the acceptable sizes for the most part). I can brush a lot of that off, but I definitely can admit that it has affected my personal choices in cosplaying, and even choosing to do it any more feels like sticking my neck out.