Yuuko Ichihara - Foxy Lady #3

fox ears mock up

I'm back to cosplay business! While I will still make the alterations on Hokuto's Mad Hatter jacket soon, yesterday and today I started tracing the golden swirls on the fox ears, collar, cuffs and leg/shoe in Freehand. While watching the Oscars (and award shows in general), I like to craft, but haven't really made a short term plan, because I had such a busy month of March. So, I'm starting the small and cheap things in Yuuko's costume. And, before going back to Hokuto, I plan on sewing a few dresses for myself, that were postponed.

I first put the headband on and took it off while keeping it open, to the size of my head. This way, I traced half of it onto paper. Then I free handed the fox ear shape, looking at the artwork. I traced that shape to an old cereal box, cut it, and then traced it again, pivoting at the top point to a wider angle, and cut the second shape. I put one of the longer box tabs behind my ear, and put the headband over it. While holding the thinner ear piece on top of the headband, I marked a few key points of the side part onto the cardboard: the headband, the end of the ear, my own ear curve, and the back point. I took it all off, and traced the side piece onto the cardboard. 

After cutting all the three pieces, I bent the larger piece in the middle, and put both the front and back ear pieces together, with the help of elastics. I looked in a mirror, the ears shape is perfect! I decided to leave the back as is, curving down, I will cut it shorter later, if needed.

* * *

Not directly related, the xxxHOLiC movie will have its worldwide opening in April 1st, Watanuki's birthday, at Fantasporto Film Festival, in Porto, Portugal. It will only open in Japan on April 29th! So, April 1st, I will be travelling to Porto, hang out in the city during the day, watch the film, and return on the slow train. The initial plan was to wear my Yuuko Valentine's Day Kimono, but I won't have a place to change, the costume is too showy and uncomfortable for me to wear it for around 24 hours, and the festival simply ignored my proposal to wear it for the screening. It will be the most expensive cinema ticket in my life so far, but I needed to watch it on the big screen, and I enjoy Mika Ninagawa's films a lot. Besides, it looks amazing in the trailers!

So, maybe, maaaybe, I will take Yuuko's Baseball Bat dress, because it's quite comfortable. I'll wear leggings over the fishnet tights, and just put the wig, take off the leggings and put on the tall boots right before going to the screening. Mokona and Mugetsu will travel with me, and my Yuuko Blythe doll too.

* * *

+ I'm always very satisfied on how well I usually eyeball these shapes.

- this was quite simple, but I'm out of painter's tape to tape the ears together, the elastics are a bit wobbly, but were good enough to see how the shape is.

THE CUNNING PLAN 

To scan the three pieces tomorrow, and adapt the traced swirls to the final shape in Freehand. Also trace the sceptre, and measure it's height, proportional to my height. Make a shopping list.

Hokuto Sumeragi - Mad Hatter #81

Cosplay Photoshoot 2022
photo: Josué/Associação de Cosplay

Saturday, February 26th, was the long awaited Cosplay Photoshoot. It was the last cosplay related event, before the pandemic broke, in 2020, and it became the first cosplay related event, when things started to become normal again, in 2022. Full circle. A 2 year gap. This costume was also planned to be worn in 2020, but ended up being my pandemic cosplay project. And its not yet 100% done, as the pandemic isn't over yet either.

How I didn't miss getting ready for cosplay!!

My cosplay routine

I usually start to get ready 2 hours before leaving home. If it's not a morning event, like the Photoshoot, scheduled at 3 p.m., I don't wake up too early. I take my shower first, and then, while moisturising my face, I take a breakfast break. Onto the make-up. These are the steps for Hokuto, which don't differ much from all the others:

1. I put my hair into a hair net, pinned it, while adding hairspray to the hairline, to tame all the flimsy hairs that tend to like to escape. 
2. I prime my face with the NYX Face Primer, and let it set.
3. I apply the Nivea BB Cream, in light, with a brush. For cosplay, I usually add a second layer.
4. I apply Catrice Liquid Corrector, in 010, to my eye bags, and Catrice Corrector, in 010, to any blemishes.
5. I powder my face with Catrice Face Powder, in 010. I should have used the Smashbox Photofinish Translucent Powder, which is much nicer and longer lasting, but I forgot.
6. I apply Urban Decay Primer Potion to my eyelids.
7. I did my eyebrows with PS Eyebrow (...), in (...).
8. Added the Too Faced (...) blush to the top of my cheeks. Should have added a stronger blush, this one is too light and natural.
9. Added a bit of highlight, Too Faced (...), and contouring, NYX Taupe blush, with a fan brush.
10. Set my face with NYX Setting Spray, in Dewy.
11. Primed my eyelids with Catrice (...) cream eyeshadow, in (...).
12. Added Too Faced (...), to the outer part of the eyes, and (...), to the whole lid, eyeshadows, from the (...) palette. 
13. Finished with a thick eyeliner, using NYX Liquid Liner in black. (the early CLAMP eyes, full of eyeliner)
14. Put the glue on my PS (...) fake lashes, and waited a minute before applying them.
15. Added a bit of PS (...) mascara to the upper and lower lashes. Managed to apply some to my left eye, which then bled out on my way to the meet.
16. I grabbed my wig, and put it on, adding a few pins to the sideburns and nape of the hair.

Next time, I will go for more nude eyes, with just a little bit of glitter eyeshadow. Add eye bags highlight, and white pencil to the bottom inner lid. Set the foundation with the smash ox powder and add a stronger blush.

The costume

1. Put Hokuto's shirt on, but didn't button it all the way up.
2. Put the socks on, and added a stripe of stick glue to my legs, where the elastic would stay. These socks, although good quality and very pretty, are also very old, and the elastic has become loose, this way, the Harajuku girls' glue trick, they did stay on several hours, only getting loose late in the evening, while I was returning home.
3. Put the jacket on, and closed it. Then I grabbed my boots, so they stay up, in an 18th century fashion. Only after, did I button the shirt up and adjusted it.
4. Put the skirt, petticoat and bloomers on, and this is where things started to go downhill...

So, I should have put all the white layers on, before the jacket. The jacket limits my movements and it was a saga to put all the lower layers on, even the skirt. I wasn't even able to tie the bloomer ties! Mental note: next time, START WITH THE WHITE LAYERS!

Anyway, I was ready, grabbed my MUJI kinchaku, the hat and my round sunglasses, and went to the Photoshoot.

As usual, I go early, catch the subway and grab some lunch at Burger King (Bean Burger). I met some cosplay acquaintances, Bibi and Nexi (sisters) and a friend of theirs, and had lunch with them.

By the Pavilhão Atlântico (now Altice Arena), I met many other fellow cosplayers, and Steampunk friends. Carol came as Tiimo, from the film Metropolis, Afonso as (...) from Over the Garden Wall, and Marta as (...), from (...). The photo part is always very boring, and I find it more boring every time.

After that was done, I went with Carol, her boyfriend and Zé Gato, her photographer, to take photos for the Cosmo e-zine competition.

Then we grabbed some beers and chatted for a while. They had to leave early, but there were a few fellow cosplayers nearby, which whom I hung out with, and had dinner later.

I don't like to come home early on cosplay event days, because I don't want to cross paths with my awful next door neighbours, while wearing cosplay.

Damage assessment

Wearing the shirt and bloomers directly on my skin was the worst! Seemed like I was inside a plastic bag all day. The bloomers climbed up up bunched up between my thighs all day, which is rather unpleasant. Even if it's hot, I need to wear a t-shirt and shorts underneath. The shirt also became really dirty, mostly foundation, on the collar, and I couldn't take it out with a wet wipe. The jacket's shoulders were always slipping down, there is zero grab between the satin and the taffeta. The false closures were sewn a bit too tight and stretched. The jacket's skirt is too long at the front, even though I made it shorter than the back. This will have to be corrected. Even though I can't feel it through the wig, the hat does stay on fairly well, but I can't put my belongings inside, they unbalance it. The petticoat does hold the jacket's weight nicely, there is no need to make a crinoline. Unfortunately, I made a hole in one of my pretty socks. I haven't checked the shoes yet, but they seem to have held on nicely.

To do

• I already machine washed the shirt, I bought a washing net bag to do so, and the shirt came out nice and clean.
• I need to buy a white cotton undershirt and white leggings. I won't have time to go shopping until the Anisama event, so I'll have to make do with stuff I already have.
• Sew small hooks to the jacket's shoulders, and corresponding thread loops to the shirt. Unpick the false jacket's closures, and resew them with a bit of give. Unpick all the front bias tape and appliqués, cut the bottom, resew the appliqués and bias tape.
• Add some hair combs to the hat, and ribbon ties.
• Add the buckles to the shoes and cuffs.
• Mend the socks.
• Iron the white taffeta garments.
• Finish the gloves
• Finish drafting the teacup+saucer in Onshape. Have them 3D printed.

Hokuto Sumeragi - Mad Hatter #80

replace picture

Last week it was mostly finishing what I could, to wear the costume to the Cosplay Photoshoot. I will try to update everyday what I made. Because time was very limited, and I didn't want to con crunch, I decided not to make a few items yet. Not finish the gloves, not make the smaller buckles (for the shoes and jacket cuffs), and a few finishings on the hat and jacket. Also, the 3D teacup and saucer will be finished at a later time.

Finally, I sewed the jacket false closures on, and added the real closures, the big hook and eyes.

Unfortunately the first closure I made ended up different from the others, so I need to remake it.

To place the closures, I folded them in half, and placed them on top of the jacket, until the three looked even. I pinned them in place, and sewed the buttons on the right side of the jacket, through the closures and the jacket. There was boning in some of the places, I had to sew the button just to the jacket's outer layers. Then I marked the button placement on the left side, and sewed the buttons on. 

With the jacket closed, I marked the hook and eye position, directly underneath the false closures. I sewed them on with double thread, so the jacket front closes flush.

The last bit was the back false closure, sewn the same way, with the buttons.

Then I tried the jacket on, marked the sleeve hem, and hemmed them. I was too tired to sew the ribbon/strap inside the puffy part of the sleeves, but they didn't sag or slip down much.

+ The plan worked, the big hook and eyes don't show underneath.

- I need to make a new front closure, sew the lining to the sleeve hole, and add the inner sleeve strap.

THE CUNNING PLAN 

See how everything behaves during the Cosplay Photoshoot, and then correct it.

Hokuto Sumeragi - Mad Hatter #79

the cut bloomers

Last week it was mostly finishing what I could, to wear the costume to the Cosplay Photoshoot. I will try to update everyday what I made. Because time was very limited, and I didn't want to con crunch, I decided not to make a few items yet. Not finish the gloves, not make the smaller buckles (for the shoes and jacket cuffs), and a few finishings on the hat and jacket. Also, the 3D teacup and saucer will be finished at a later time.

I made the patterns previously, but only cut the bloomers just before sewing them. First I marked and cut the second ruffle, at 11cm height × the fabric width (145cm). then I folded the fabric in half, to determine where I had to cut the bloomers panels, to add the extra fabric. I marked where it would be cut, at about 15cm, in the pattern, folded it, and cut it on each fabric, leaving the top part for the new taffeta. I had to experiment a bit with the lengths, to find where to cut it.

Then I sort of tested the machine satin stitch on a scrap of the taffeta. It didn't work, I later found out why, the stitch length was set to 0, so the machine wouldn't go anywhere... Realising I needed to test it more, to make the scalloped embroidery, I decided to roll hem both the skirt and bloomers. But, the messy person that I am, when I took the machine to be fixed, I put all the extra small pieces in a plastic bag, which I didn't return to the machine, when I got it back. And now I don't remember where I put them... So, I just made a tiny zigzag stitch on the bottom edge, and that's the hem for now. I first hemmed the skirt, then the extra bloomers ruffles, after sewing their loop shut. Then I first joined both top and bottom bloomer pieces together, with a French seam. Then I followed my usual trousers order: first joined the front and back seam, and then the inner thighseams together. All the seams are French seams, thoroughly ironed before joining the next seam. When all the bloomer seams were sewn, I hemmed each leg, like the ruffle and the skirt. Then I hand basted the ruffles to their place in each leg. Using my brand new and very practical ruffle foot, I gathered the bloomers legs where the ruffle was basted to the leg. Twice, because once didn't gather it enough. The bloomers are still a bit wide, but because I'll not be adding elastic, I decided to add two ribbons to the gathered part, to adjust them with bows. Then I grabbed the thinner white satin ribbon, the same I used for the skirt's ruffle, and top stitched it on top of the gathered part. Then I added the ribbon ties. The final part was to fold the wider white satin ribbon in half, and sew it to the top of the bloomers, as a tube for the elastic. I inserted the elastic, once more a repurposed elastic from old leggings, sewn it together and the bloomers were done.

the finished bloomers

skirt, petticoat, bloomers

+ It took me about one day and a half (around 12 hours) to make the bloomers.

- The legs are still a bit too wide, maybe I'll unpick the ribbon and gather the legs a bit more. The pencil markings are still noticeable, I hope they'll wash out in the machine.

THE CUNNING PLAN

Finish the jacket and beta-test the whole outfit at the Cosplay Photoshoot.