feymeggan

 So, outside of my Otake wig being <i>crooked</i> ::face palm:: when I put it on all went well with that costume.  Have to give the roommate major props for wrangling me into my obi; apparently not as easy as I assumed it would be.  Ironically got NO pictures taken of me by anyone not in my group, it was quite odd, but oh well.  But that's okay, next con is about three weeks out, and those costumes are all done and I just have to figure out which three I'm actually taking.

Working on redoing WFCatherine's top, it was a bit misfitted last time, and this time I'd like to not have to be always pulling it up.  Really all I have left is to trim the top, attach ribbons and decorate like a bedazzling idiot.  Heh, bedazzled.  Then after that I'm making Aurora's crown for Katchan, Yaichi and Undertaker for Fanime.  Go meeeeeeeee.

In other news, yes, I'm grateful I've got lots of commission, but I swear, the next one that bitches I've nto 'asked for any information' after I've TOLD THEM I won't ask for it until April I will bitch-slap them.  Hard.  OH, and may have 1-3 more commissions once May ends, muahahahah!

 :: Dragging body back onto site::
Uhm.  Yeah.  Hi.  Did I mention I was bad at posting with any regularity?  Cause I am.

So, 2010 is done ::kicks that corpse:: and I succeeded in finishing MOST of the costumes I had to do.  Serenity didn't happen as the site I use for my boning has been down for over a year....  If they're no longer online I'll kill something.  And the person I'm making it for has yet to order the wig extensions.  However, I finished all the others including Formal Femme Deadpool and Nightcrawler.  I also picked up a last minute character, Otake from House of Five Leaves and got her done except for the wig.

Now into 2011 I've forsworn making any new costumes as I plan to attend Fanime and have to save up for that.  I'm already to the point of getting the badge and the plane ticket by the end of this month, so the rest will just be the hotel room and spending money.  The good news there is apparently I'm getting slammed with commission work this year.  I've already finished three commissions, have three others and we're just in February!  So, if this continues I might be able to hit one other out of state con this year.  Crossin' digits.

Next on my To Accomplish list is Otake's wig.  I'm lace fronting the whole thing, so really would it be Lace edging?  It'll be a real challenge for me since it's a traditional Japanese up-do, and I've not done one to date.  

After that I have to get my commissions done, one for the end of March, one for Fanime itself.  Plus a surprise for said individual.  Then we'll be into the summer and I can break the 'not making a new costume' rule.  Since I just splurged on 15 yards of material at Denver Fabrics today.  But it's okay, commissions will offset the cost.  ::glee::

 So, I failed on my July challenge/costuming.  Serenity is sitting downstairs unfinished.  In my defense, not that it won't mean I didn't fail, I have to have Amanda here to fit it for 2 reasons.  1)I think I cut the bodice too high, and need to try it on to see if I can take off some of the height(which will make the spacing of the details nicer) and 2) I purposefully cut the hem too long so I could hem it while it was on her to just skim the ground.  Unfortunately this means I'll have to get her in that outfit and work like a mad fiend to get it pinned on Saturday when I have her for a bit.  But!  I got to sacrifice a million ornaments for her, and it's so fluffy and pretty!

The passing part is I'm already two of three wigs into August.  Sakujun I actually did last month and he's hanging around the reading room in his fabulocity.  Amy is currently on wig-head awaiting me to style out her pigtails, but she's parted, wefted, pigtailed and banged(that sounds so wrong) already, so she just needs corkscrews!  Lastly will be Kouchou, and I'm feeling a bit more confident than I was previously.  Hopefully I'll make some progress on that tomorrow.

So, yeah, I passed but I failed!  OMG now I wanna watch Real Genius!

Okay, so, I'm a shoe fiend :: points at icon::  And I neeeeeever get rid of shoes unless they're beyond repair or finally too small(hasn't happened in two decades).  So, digging through my shoes I laughed as I encountered shoes I'd bought/used in 9th grade that are PERFECT for my steampunk outfit.  I'm painting brass detailing on them, and will probably add other things as well, but they're soooo perfect it's insane.  And I didn't even know I still owned them!  Doesn't help that I own over 50 pair of shoes, I often forget what I have :).

As for the rest of my outfit.  I'm fitting the tailed bodice today, then assembling it.  Lastly I'll mock up the hat and make that...and then I just have to wait to have money to make the belt/holster/combo unit!  I found a cute set of jewelers lenses that I'll paint, augment and attach to to my glasses and I'm good to go :)  I had a mock up of a necklace I wanted made, but now I highly doubt it would be feasible, it's ridiculously detailed.  But that's okay, and it means once I'm done in a day or so I can full speed into Amanda's costume so I can stay on time.  And OMG, I love the pants I made!!! I usually suck so hard at making them, but these are too cute!  And I already put in their button holes too, go me!

Nearly laughed my ass off when my roommate said she understood that we were 'entering crunch time for NDK'.  I informed her I'm done outside of wig work for that con, and she nearly smacked me.  Woulda be sooooooooo worth it. 

 So, at first I figured money would be my enemy this month.  I would have to get all this fabric, which I wasn't budgeted for, but no, I found everything I needed in the dungeon.  Then I thought boning would do me in, but no, I can get i locally.  Then I realized what would do me in...the stupid busk.  The place I normally order from is completely off-line right now, and I don't have another supplier I've used and trusted.  That's the kicker, I could find another supplier, but I don't trust easily, and I've used my current one for nearly a decade now.

However, there's at least progress.  I've got my corset cut out, ready for assembly.  I've all the fabric for the Steampunk set except the belt materials, but that's not the hard part.  I need to draft up the hat, pants and bodice, but can't do two of the three until the corset is done and on so I can take measurements.  Amanda's is in the drafting stage, but I have all the material...and more extra organza I've no idea what I was doing with.  So this month's goals may take me down, but I'm determined!  And if all else fails I'll do wigwork, bleh.

#Edit#
Too lazy to make a new post.  So, corset is as done as it can be ATM, need a busk and need to decide on the color of the binding for the top, but can't put that on until the busk is in.  However, it's assembled enough to allow for fittings and measurements.  In light of that I've drafted up the pants...god how I hate making pants...and have them cut out and ready for assembly tomorrow.  Assuming that works out the bodice shall be drafted shortly thereafter and I shall get cracking on that.  I'm torn as to whether or not I want to do a jacket with this outfit.  Part of me says HELL YES ANOTHER MINIJACKET!! and yet another part says MOAR WORK??!  So we shall see.  Which reminds me, I need to find a place to get the closures I want for the bodice, I believe they're sold more for purse clasps, but I think they'd be smashing front hooks as well....

TTFN from Accomplished Something World

 No, not bruises..well..wait...those too....  But Amy is nearly done, I've about twelve feet(not really, but hyperbole helps) of bias trim to sew down by hand, two buckles and corresponding eyelets to put on, and the butt bow.  I've just realized that lately I have a lot of butt bows.  Hmm, my ass apparently likes decoration.  Oh well.  Even with giving up this weekend for FUN I should be done by next Thursday!  Whoot!  Go me.

Is it bad I find it very suspicious when my roommate compliments my work?  Makes me wonder 1)what she wants and 2)what's wrong with it.  I are very suspicious person.

 So, got the dremmel up and going, got my lengths of boning ground down.  I'm awesome right?  Not quite, managed to FUBAR to things that told me to just put Amy down and walk away.  One, went to all the trouble of carefully measuring and pinning on the lace...only to hack it three inches too short.  Solution?  Bang head repeatedly on the wall, rip off the lace and reapply it when not a moron.  Two, while getting the dremmel set up I let the skirt brush against the machine...which low and behold was storing a lovely globule of oil just waiting for such a moment!  So now I have a sewing machine oil stain riiiiiiiiiiiight on my ass.  Lovely.  I shall be testing a few stain removal options on some scrap tomorrow, wish me luck.

However, even with these setbacks I'm nearly done with her outfit.  I've finished the sleeves, garters, all the components of her necklace and gotten her dress/top fully pinned together.  Next I shall sew the top pieces together, reapply the lace, and hopefully get the stain out prior to hemming the light purple layer.  Which had I been smart I should have French seamed that sucker.  Oh well, live and learn and do shit the hard way.  But yay for being on schedule!  

Up for next month:
Amanda's Neo Queen Serenity(this outfit scares the beejesus out of me!)
Wigging out! IE Amy's wig, Kouchou's wig, Sakujuns wig
And if I still have time/sanity
Red Mars Elissa 

Pray for me internets.

 So, eight days ago I lost my furry man to kidney failure...and yes I know that has nothing to do with costuming to which I've decided this journal is for....  But, he was my baby and he deserves to cross post to any and all aspects of my life.  I won't hash it out in this area, but I needed to include it.

I've been a wigging fool of late, and have completed two of the three wigs I planned to have done this month.  The third is going to kill me as it shall require the creation of wefts, and I am pretty sure that's outside my skill set.  However, within my skill set I've drafted all of Amy Sorel's patterns now, so I just have to assemble her.  And dye her lace and get the RIGHT color ribbon for her.  So, assuming I actually do something costuming related on my two days off this coming week I should have her done lickety split.  All that's left on the other costumes for this month are the creation of tabi socks, and well...it's socks.  If I get really lazy I can just augment existing socks and say to hell with it.  

So yes, I'm staying on track dammit, no matter what life throws at me.  BTW, baby silk material?  Not made of babies, nor does it stain if you cry on it.  This is all.

 Even when I insist on doing things the hard way and bass ackwards.  Sakujun is pretty much done.  Some hemming, and finishing his belt and I can call him set to go.  Kouchou is my target Thursday(can't say tomorrow as I'm pretty sure I've hit midnight), so we'll see if I can kill myself to get her mostly done.  She can't be completely done until Amanda comes to get fitted, but I can do everything except the final stuff.  And, if I'm lucky and productive, that will keep me on track for the Two Costumes a Month goal.  And if I do that, I will indeed be done by the end of my year.  Go me.  Now I go sleep.

 Thank you Gule, you may return to your work station now.

So, I've spent the last few days getting patterns up for Sakujun.  I realized after finishing it that I've used the wrong material for his one sleeve, but that's easily rectified...now if only I could recall why I had the other fabric in the first place....  I realize now the purple I'm using was supposed to go towards my brother's Joker costume...you'll forgive me if I'm not sad I'm misappropriating it.  If my luck and work ethic holds I'll have him mostly together by the end of this month.  Next to finish is Kouchou...she's about at the fifty percent point, so I should be able to kick it into gear this coming week and have her mostly done(sans wig) as well.

Speaking of wigs, I'm seriously intimidated by them of late.  I have five to get styled/created/colored/etc and I'm putting them all off.  I need to work on my wig-phobia ::makes note to look up the clinical word for that::  One will be easy; Sakujun just needs to be tinted, so all I need is a rediculous amount of alcohol and markers.  One needs to be put into an updo and bangs cut...this shall be avoided as cutting wigs scares me more than most.  One needs to have wefts created, then dyed, then assembled, then styled...this is only slightly more terrifying than the one I have to create a back part on, add extensions, make curls and cut bangs.  I have a problem and need help.  Or a professional stylist.

Beyond all of the above I've made little to no progress on anything else, someone breakout the whip and chair so I'm done on time this year!