Yuuko Ichihara - Sakura Robe #2

the robe and the mask

I will be moving house soon but slowly, and the first things I've been taking to the new flat are my cosplay costumes, as I don'tneed them on a daily basis, and can store them neatly in garment bags on a wheeled rack. While I was checking them to take, I noticed that the Sakura Robe was very dirty around the neck! So, I washed it with my newly bought garment washing nets. I can vouch for those things, they're perfect for more delicate garments and fabrics, as they don't get messy and wrinkly inside the bags. So, I also washed it, because I'll be taking it to IberAnime in two weeks. I also made a face mask from the same fabric, and I really wish I would find the fabric paints until then, to add to the mask and add more sakuras to the robe, as they're really sparse now.

I'm not really in the mood to go to IberAnime, but I should go because of the Doctorate investigation and also because I want to watch the Portuguese ECG competition, so I'm only going on Sunday. Still need to check the schedule too, because it's also my mom's birthday. I hope to have a bit of time to be with her.

Besides, since I went to Porto, my other Yuuko costume and the wig are balled up inside the bag... Need to start combing the wig, and hopefully manage to go to a mall to buy silicone spray, mine is almost out.

The plan is to put the make-up and part of the costume on here, but change to the rest, the wig and the robe, at the new flat. Start by making it cosplay central. Both flats aren't far apart, so, it's completely doable. Mental note, take a small mirror to the new flat, when I take the robe and the wig.

+ The hand painted sakuras didn't chip or fade. I was a bit worried because the fabric is very slippery.

- I'm really not in the mood to comb the wig, which is most likely like a rat's nest now...

THE CUNNING PLAN 

Buy a garment bag for this costume (and a few others that currently don't have one), press it, take care of the wig, and take everything, plus a mirror, to the new flat.

Yuuko Ichihara - Green Dress #10 - Foxy Lady #4

Golden dance shoes, for the Foxy Lady;
Black dance shoes, for the Green Dress

Got a payment from a bigger job, so I ordered shoes and dance tights for 2 cosplays.

Shoes for cosplay are always an issue, especially if they're heels, because you stand on them for hours, and sometimes also have to walk a lot. A few years ago, when I was already planning the Green Dress, it occurred to me that dance shoes are usually much more comfortable than normal shoes, plus they're safely strapped. At the time, I would "window shop" on Wish and AliExpress a lot, mostly for shoes, and found dance shoes in both. I ordered from AliExpress, mostly because it has better safety protocols and customer service than Wish.

When I decided to make the Foxy Lady dress, I thought that it would be practical to order both pairs of shoes together, and the same model, which looks both classical and versatile. So I did it today. I ordered the highest heels, 6,5cm, which aren't that high, and I like this model, because you can change the strap position. Neither are as high as both of Yuuko's shoes, and the golden should have a bit of a platform, but I'd rather loose some accuracy for comfort. What I'm not a fan of is the glitter at the front part of the shoes, which I'll have to scrape off of the black shoes, in order to glue the fabric on top. If I see that the "leather" underneath stays intact, I'll do the same for the golden shoes.

Plus size dance tights (I hope they'll fit)

I also ordered plus size dance tights, one pair for the Foxy Lady, another for over all cosplays. Why dance tights? Dance tights are usually more resistant and opaque than normal tights, great for "leggy" cosplays. Plus, the shop where I bought tights for most of my life, Rei das Meias, closed a few years ago, due to the gentrification of Lisbon. I still have to figure out how to not permanently attach the Foxy Lady's swirls to the tights. I'll probably end up just tacking them to the tights... I hope they'll be thick enough and fit me well.

I also hope the shoes will fit.

+ AliExpress and similar websites have a huge choice of shoes, and they're usually cheap. Let's hope everything is as described.

- I'm always a bit anxious about ordering stuff from these websites. I never had a bad experience, but one never knows... I just hope everything fits!

THE CUNNING PLAN

Chill and try not to think about the stuff in transit. Buy the PVC sheet, so I can start making the Foxy Lady's ears.