Link Progress! (Days 552 - 556)

So I actually did make some progress, for once. I finally finished detailing the sides and bottom of my femme!Link dress. Anyone who says that I chose to genderbend to make it "easier" is dead wrong, that embroidery was hard. I also hemmed the sleeves, but I don't know if I like them hemmed. It made the edges too thick, so now they don't flow like they originally did, and I kind of liked the flow.

I began to detail the sleeves, at least I took out my old detailing, but I can't really decide on how to do it, and in my practice detailing, I kept messing up, so I decided to quit while I was ahead and will work on it some other time.

I'm still worried about getting flack for doing such an, erm, "extreme" genderbend, which is leading me to hesitate on some design choices. The original image (which I posted some time ago) has diamond cutouts on the chest (to show cleavage), but Link's actual tunic just has a cut straight down the middle of the chest (where you can see his chainmail). I'm still completely torn as to which design to go for. On the one hand, the diamonds would be a lot more modest, and potentially get me less flack, however, the straight cut is more accurate, which could earn me bonus points for accuracy (and less flack that way). I know that either way, I won't be able to please everyone, and that I should just choose whichever one I like, but I can't even decide which one I like. So, yeah, still completely stuck, and I have less than a week to decide and finish.

READ MORE - Link Progress! (Days 552 - 556)

Wheeee~! (Day 456)

10:45pm - I'm so happy! I made moneys! Mom was babysitting her friend's son's dog, and I helped, so I got some of them money. Then Mom's friend bought $80 worth of hats from me. And I sold a hat online. My first online sale! Thankfully, the buyer was very understanding when I told them that it would be shipping late because the post office is closed most of the weekend (closes early on Saturday and closed all of Sunday). They payed immediately, but I told them that I wouldn't accept the payment until I shipped the package. I felt like that would be the polite thing to do. PayPal, however, doesn't care, and keeps bugging me to accept the payment. How rude.

I feel like this was a very good online selling experience, and I hope that there are many more this way. I'm going to try my best to be a good online seller and ship things on time as best as I can. Not leave people hanging, always answer e-mails promptly and clearly. You know, the good stuff, haha. I'm sure I'm bound to slip up and piss off a couple of people eventually, but I'm going to try my hardest to avoid that.

Anyway, I actually had to make one of the hats that was bought today (by Mom's friend). So I did sew today! It was just a Link (Legend of Zelda) hat, so it only took about 45 minutes to an hour, but I did enjoy sewing again.

I think I've been subconsciously putting off working on Franziska just because I don't want to work with that fabric again. It's horrible to work with, but so pretty! Ugh. One day when I'm feeling extra patient, I'll do it. Before AOD for sure still.

I'm also in the process of setting up a few photoshoots with a few different photographers. Not for cosplay, but so that they can help me learn how to pose and use facial expressions better. I'm really self-conscious, especially about my facial expressions, but I'm gonna have to get over that, haha.

READ MORE - Wheeee~! (Day 456)

More Link (Days 438 - 441)

I had a really clever title for this post earlier, but now I've forgotten it. Ah well, maybe I'll remember eventually.

SO! Over the past couple of days, I have actually been working on my femme!Link cosplay! The most noticeable progress has been that I took in the sides and brought up the hem. I had to toss my idea of using silver lace in place of chainmail because I just plain don't have the money. Though, besides that, I'm not sure how lace would look with the fabric that the dress is made out of. I'd have to search a while before I found something that would work. Because of this, I have decided to go back to the original design of the photo that I've been basing this whole thing off of, or at least with less alterations to it.

Because the color of the fabric is closer to the Twilight Princess version of Link, I'm still calling it that, but I've ditched both the chainmail and the leggings/tights/what-have-you. Getting rid of the tights wasn't so much of a design choice as it was cutting my workload practically in half. The fabric of the dress clung stubbornly to the tights and caused it to ride up. This wasn't so bad when the dress was halfway down my thigh, but since it's higher, anyone behind me would probably get a panty shot in about three steps. If I can get the money to make a slip or something that will go under the dress, I may keep the tights, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Since I'm still technically making the Twilight Princess version of Link, I decided to detail the bottom of the dress in the same way that Link's tunic is detailed. I can't decide if this was a bad decision or not. I'm using the sewing machine and a special stitch on the machine to make the designs. It's difficult, and time-consuming, and the result isn't exactly what I was looking for (too subtle) but it is cute, and it looks like it belongs on a dress, so I'm happy with that. I'm considering making a tutorial or sorts to show what I did, since it's hard to explain without a lot of pictures.

It has also been decided that I will wear femme!Link to the SanFransisco Cherry Blossom Festivale on April 17th. I'd like to be in the parade, but I never have before, and I guess it depends on who I go with (etc. etc.). I'm also hopefully going to be doing a photoshoot with foxberry during the summer! We're on the lookout for forest-y places in the area.

READ MORE - More Link (Days 438 - 441)

Merry Christmas! (Days 417 - 421)

So I went to my boyfriend's family Christmas party last night (Christmas Eve), and there was a White Elephant gift exchange. I made a Pikachu hat for it, and a lot of people were very amused by it. It ended up going to a kid, which I intended. Kid's don't participate in the White Elephant, but parents do, and the kids seem bored during it.

Anyway, for Christmas, I got my 12-hole Destiny ocarina ^-^ I got it Christmas Eve, and I'm learning to play it and read the music really quickly. Hopefully I'll learn enough to bring it to AOD.

I've been re-inspired to finish my femme!Link cosplay, I figured out the missing piece. I'm going to use silver/metallic lace in place of chainmail. It's going to be difficult to find the right kind though. I'll need a piece off of a bolt (like how fabric comes) that looks similar to chainmail, but not enough like it to be mistaken for it, to put underneath the top amd bottom of the dress so that it'll show through the slit. Then I'm going to put lace edges around the bottom of the dress and the sleeves, to imitate chainmail sticking out from underneath. Hopefully this works, I'll really have to search for the right stuff, especially since I don't think lace usually goes with the type of fabric that I used for the dress (a blend of 95% rayon and 5% spandex). We'll see what I can find.

As for all of those hats that I was supposed to make for $100, it still hasn't happened. I thought that my friend wanted them for Christmas, but he didn't contact me about them, in fact, there was barely any communication on his end, and we never set a permanent date that they should be done on. So I'm going to try contacting him again, but somethign tells me that this isn't going to happen. Which sucks because I really need the money for Fanime.

READ MORE - Merry Christmas! (Days 417 - 421)

New Hats! (Days 409 - 413)

I think I have some of my days numbered wrong, because I've been blogging for over a year, yet my day numbers don't say that. Huh. I'll fix it when I get the time to go through all of my past posts to find the errors.

Anyway, I made a new hat. Not one of the ones that I'm supposed to make to get paid, but a new one nonetheless. I think it's quite adorable. =] (pictured left) It's got an overlocked edge instead of a band, and it fits more like a hood than a hat. I'd wear it myself if I didn't want to sell it so badly. I'll probably make one for myself later.

Other than that, I'm thinking of switching costumes and going as Pikachu instead of femme!Link. It's still up for debate though. I'm not even sure why I'm considering switching, I'm just not all that into my Link cosplay anymore. We'll see how t hings play out when I get my new 12-hole Destiny ocarina for Christmas. >_>

READ MORE - New Hats! (Days 409 - 413)

2011 Cosplay Calendar for Charity

When Natalie Parisi sent me an email regarding a 2011 Cosplay Calendar for Charity, I had to admit, I was quite skeptical at first. Mainly because I’ve had many requests like this in the past, and none seemed legitimate aside from this one:

25% of the final sale price will support Room to Read (Small deduction may apply. Learn more about eBay Giving Works)

About this nonprofit:
Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond.

This is an eBay Giving Works charitable listing (Administered by MissionFish)

Featured Cosplayers: Astarohime, Rei (Malro-doll), Ryoko (Ryoko-demon), Lune, Astellecia, Siera (Clamwings), K (K-chan009), Lillyxandra, Konoe, love-squad, Nek (neko-tin), Nichi, Green-Makakas, Kaikida

You can buy this calendar from Natalie’s Ebay… and if you do decide to buy one, please let me know how it turns out~ ^_^

Oh, and can anyone tell me which series the cosplayers are from so I can tag this in my blog properly please? I can only name a few… Thank you so much!

del.icio.us Tags: cosplay, cosplayer, holic, role, play, roleplay, costume, anime, manga, game, series, character, photographer, photo, 2011, calendar, charity, natalie, parisi, send, email, regard, admit, quite, skeptical, first, request, past, none, seem, legitimate, room, to, read, nonprofit, ebay, feature, astrohime, rei, malro-doll, ryoko, ryoko-demon, lune, astellecia, siera, clamwings, k, k-chan009, llyxandra, konoe, love-squad, nek, neko-tin, nichi, green-makakas, kaikida, buy, コスプレ, コスプレイ

READ MORE - 2011 Cosplay Calendar for Charity

2011 Cosplay Calendar for Charity

When Natalie Parisi sent me an email regarding a 2011 Cosplay Calendar for Charity, I had to admit, I was quite skeptical at first. Mainly because I’ve had many requests like this in the past, and none seemed legitimate aside from this one:

25% of the final sale price will support Room to Read (Small deduction may apply. Learn more about eBay Giving Works)

About this nonprofit:
Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond.

This is an eBay Giving Works charitable listing (Administered by MissionFish)

Featured Cosplayers: Astarohime, Rei (Malro-doll), Ryoko (Ryoko-demon), Lune, Astellecia, Siera (Clamwings), K (K-chan009), Lillyxandra, Konoe, love-squad, Nek (neko-tin), Nichi, Green-Makakas, Kaikida

You can buy this calendar from Natalie’s Ebay… and if you do decide to buy one, please let me know how it turns out~ ^_^

Oh, and can anyone tell me which series the cosplayers are from so I can tag this in my blog properly please? I can only name a few… Thank you so much!

del.icio.us Tags: cosplay, cosplayer, holic, role, play, roleplay, costume, anime, manga, game, series, character, photographer, photo, 2011, calendar, charity, natalie, parisi, send, email, regard, admit, quite, skeptical, first, request, past, none, seem, legitimate, room, to, read, nonprofit, ebay, feature, astrohime, rei, malro-doll, ryoko, ryoko-demon, lune, astellecia, siera, clamwings, k, k-chan009, llyxandra, konoe, love-squad, nek, neko-tin, nichi, green-makakas, kaikida, buy, コスプレ, コスプレイ

READ MORE - 2011 Cosplay Calendar for Charity

2011 Cosplay Calendar for Charity

When Natalie Parisi sent me an email regarding a 2011 Cosplay Calendar for Charity, I had to admit, I was quite skeptical at first. Mainly because I’ve had many requests like this in the past, and none seemed legitimate aside from this one:

25% of the final sale price will support Room to Read (Small deduction may apply. Learn more about eBay Giving Works)

About this nonprofit:
Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond.

This is an eBay Giving Works charitable listing (Administered by MissionFish)

Featured Cosplayers: Astarohime, Rei (Malro-doll), Ryoko (Ryoko-demon), Lune, Astellecia, Siera (Clamwings), K (K-chan009), Lillyxandra, Konoe, love-squad, Nek (neko-tin), Nichi, Green-Makakas, Kaikida

You can buy this calendar from Natalie’s Ebay… and if you do decide to buy one, please let me know how it turns out~ ^_^

Oh, and can anyone tell me which series the cosplayers are from so I can tag this in my blog properly please? I can only name a few… Thank you so much!

del.icio.us Tags: cosplay, cosplayer, holic, role, play, roleplay, costume, anime, manga, game, series, character, photographer, photo, 2011, calendar, charity, natalie, parisi, send, email, regard, admit, quite, skeptical, first, request, past, none, seem, legitimate, room, to, read, nonprofit, ebay, feature, astrohime, rei, malro-doll, ryoko, ryoko-demon, lune, astellecia, siera, clamwings, k, k-chan009, llyxandra, konoe, love-squad, nek, neko-tin, nichi, green-makakas, kaikida, buy, コスプレ, コスプレイ

READ MORE - 2011 Cosplay Calendar for Charity

Day 386

Last night, after I blogged, I worked on my Link ears a little more, messing with the makeup. I didn't get any allergic reaction today, and it's been more than 24 hours, so I plan to use them for AOD. I made them darker, since they were way too light anyway, and put more shading and highlighting. They still need a little work, but I've got over two months.

That's about it though, I haven't worked on anything. I haven't really wanted to. Just want to get out of the house.

READ MORE - Day 386

Elf Ears (Days 384 & 385)

So I tried on the elf ears that I plan to use for Link today. I'm a little worried about them, though. Most obviously, they're not accurate. While Link's ears point more outward and downward, the ears I have point upward, and they're about the same size as a normal human ear, so they don't point outward very far.

Most importantly though, they're latex. I wasn't allergic to latex when I bought them a couple of years ago. That's part of the reason I decided to try them on today, to see if I get an allergic reaction. They didn't bother me when I was wearing them. Well, the back of my ear itched at one point, but that could have easily been the wig. I freaked out when inside my ear started itching, and I couldn't scratch it. But that was just a random itch.

Anyway, I also can't hear very well out of the elf ears. They cover my entire ear and have no ear hole to hear out of. When i wear them, it sounds to me as though I have a head cold and my ears are all stuffed up. But conventions are loud anyway, and I like my quiet.. Then again, I said the exact same thing about my Chi ears, haha.

Of course, they're not the exact same color as my skin. Even with makeup on them, they're a lot lighter than my face. I'm considering using a slightly darker makeup on them to see if it matches my face a little more. I had to shade and highlight the ears with makeup to make them look more realistic as well.

The ears also don't match each-other. The left ear (the one I wear on my left) is thinner and wrinkled in weird places, and it looks like it's been cut, so the ear lobe is closer to my face than the one on the right. The left ear also doesn't have some of the structure that the right ear has, so I had to create the illusion that it did using makeup. It needs some work, but it's mostly covered by hair anyway. I also need to put makeup on the backs of the ears.

Anyway, if I do end up getting an allergic reaction, even a small one, I know of an online tutorial for making custom elf ears. They won't be as convincing or comfortable, and they probably won't stay on as well, but I'd rather take the hit than risk my health over it. Also, I'll get to make them into the exact shape I want, so they'll be more accurate at least.

READ MORE - Elf Ears (Days 384 & 385)

Link! (S)he come to town..! (Day 381)

Yay, yay, yay, yay, yay! I made tons of progress on my Female Link cosplay! It's all thanks to determination, it being a simple costume, and nine hours of working on it! Funny, it didn't feel like nine hours.

My boyfriend was nice enough to take me to JoAnn's, where I bought two yards of what is quite possibly the most expensive fabric I've ever bought. But I've been absolutely in love with this fabric ever since I saw it several months ago. It's 95% rayon and 5% spandex, so it's really stretchy, but also super comfortable. I'd like to attempt making some sort of comic book hero outfit out of it, but now that I've learned how it sews, I'm less than excited about it.

We also took a trip to Micheal's, where I used a gift card from my birthday (back in September) to buy some pieces of craft foam for our Magikarp cosplays, and some material to (hopefully) make my Master Dagger out of (yes, instead of a sword).

The first thing I did was completely forgo the dress pattern that I bought and attempt to make a pattern out of a dress that I already had that was pretty similar. That failed. Horribly. I cut out the pattern and then tried to make it symmetrical, and, yeah, I just threw it out.

So back to the pattern it was! Originally, I was going to alter the pattern. I didn't want the darts in the front, and it was a size 6. However, the darts aren't so bad, and the sizing must have been way off because it fits really well! (Though I may make it tighter later, it isn't quite as form-fitting as I had originally hoped.) The only thing I altered was making slits up the sides of the dress, which really only meant not sewing all the way to the bottom, and then using a no-sew-hem tape to finish it off. The sleeves gave me the most trouble, they took five tries. I can't really blame myself though, that pattern made no sense! How exactly am I supposed to match Side A with Side B if Side B is twice as long as Side A!? It's madness, I tell you! Madness!

I have yet to detail the dress at all, but considering I have a ton of time to do this, I intend to do as much detail as possible. I also need to alter the neckline. The picture I'm going off of shows diamond cutouts on the chest, but I'm starting to lean toward a simple V-neck instead, to better mirror Link's tunic.

The dress is also technically not finished in that it's not hemmed. At all. Well, the slits up the sides are hemmed because they had to be in order to match up with the seams. Currently, I'm kind of linking the unfinished look, and it doesn't look like the edges will fray, but I don't want it to look like I was lazy either. If I do hem it, I'm going to use the no-sew-hem. Not because I'm lazy, in fact the no-sew-hem can actually be more difficult sometimes, but because I don't want a bunch of stitches showing. At least not non-decorative stitches.

The hat took about half an hour, including making the pattern and cutting the fabric. It was quick and fun to make, and my machine actually cooperated with me throughout it, which was a pleasant surprise. The part that took the longest was hand-stitching the details onto the sides.

The shoes, tights, wig, and boots were all things that I already had. I also have a fairy in a bottle, which I made for a friend a long time ago and he never used. The wig is the wig that I bought for Pikachu about a week before Kin-Yoobi Con, but never used. I decided to tie it back into a ponytail so that people would be able to see my elf ears (which I'm not wearing in this picture).

I haven't really tried on the elf ears yet, and they're just some cheap ones from the Halloween store a couple of years ago, but if all else fails, I'll cover them some with the hair and it'll be alright.

I'm not thrilled with the boots, but as I mentioned before, I don't have money for new boots right now, so unless I find something better for cheap, this is what I've got. They're basically wannabe Uggs in slipper form. But they're so comfy ^-^ Actually, this whole costume is super comfy. If it weren't for the wig, I would swear that it was pajamas, not a cosplay.

READ MORE - Link! (S)he come to town..! (Day 381)

Link Hat! (Days 379 & 380)

I have a Liiink hat! I have a Liiiiiiink hat! *dances* It was pretty much a practice hat, though it is for sale for $10. When I make the one for my Link cosplay, it'll be a little different, mostly longer, lol.

I wanted to get fabric yesterday, but it didn't happen... Then I was hoping to get it today, but that's already not going to happen. So if I don't get it tomorrow, I'm gonna throw a fit! T_T I want my Link fabric. I've been in love with it for months and now that I finally have something to use it for, I can't go get it! RAWR!

READ MORE - Link Hat! (Days 379 & 380)

I'm Not Dead! (Days 362 - 377)

Despite my lack of blogging, I'm not dead. I don't know why I've been disappeared lately, but Ah well.

So I went to Yaoi-Con (review coming soon), and it was way better than last year. I did indeed finish my Franziska cosplay before then (at 3 in the morning) and I'm really glad that I did. I got a lot of recognition and a lot of praise. Not to mention one of the funnest photoshoots I've ever had. =] I don't wanna say too much 'cause it should be in my convention blog soon.

So now I'm preparing for AOD and Fanime. (Mostly Fanime) Yes, I've decided to go to AOD, but I'll probably just lobby-con it. Unless my boyfriend and I manage to pull together the panel that we want to do and it gets approved. 'Cause we ain't payin' to get in.

For AOD, I'd like to cosplay female Link (Legend of Zelda). I found an adorable design on VeryDemotivational.com, but I have no idea who the artist is, and I'd like to credit them, so if anyone knows where the picture came from, it'd be great if you linked me to it. I feel a little hypocritical, because, no, I don't like over-sexualized female versions of male characters. I have felt that tinge of disgust and looked the other way when I've seen them. But cosplay is definitely still a learning experience for me. I've learned about so many things, and I've learned to accept and respect so many different and new things, this is just one more thing that I'll have to learn to respect. Yes, the fact that I want to do this is making it more relevant for me to respect, but if that's what it takes, so be it. At least I'm learning to respect it, instead of judging forever.

That being said, I still probably won't like super over-sexualized versions of characters (regardless of gender). There will probably always be a limit, and that's just something I'll have to learn to deal with.

I'm tweaking the design quite a bit, starting with lengthening the dress. I'm going to make it to about mid-thigh, so still short, but not short enough to show my booty >_< The slit up the side will probably come up about as high, to just below the hip. I'm also going to wear white tights under it, for several reasons, mostly accuracy. I'd also like to get some type of gloves, but I'm not sure which kind. I'd like them to be brown and leathery-looking, but the actual design is totally up in the air. I may or may not make the sack shown, it would be nice to have to hold my ocarina in. I don't have money for new shoes, so unless my mom has some that I can borrow (which she just might >_>), I'll end up wearing some little brown Ugg-looking slippers, which are so ridiculously freaking comfortable OMG! I also don't have money for a new wig, so I'll either end up wearing the wig I originally bought for Pikachu or my Chi wig. Either way, I'll pull the long air back into a bun and hide it (and the showing netting) under the hat.

I have some elf/fairy ears that I can wear, even though they're not super accurate (they point upward instead of downward), but unless Spirit Halloween Stores are still open, they'll have to do. For some reason, I really, really want the sword to be a cute little dagger, but that's up to debate right now (let me know what you think!). I will be wearing a bra, though there clearly isn't one in the picture, and so the cleavage-revealing diamonds will be moved up a little higher. Originally I wanted to find and buy a dress, but, haha, pain, green, short-sleeved dresses don't exist (especially in Winter), so I am going to end up making it (bought the pattern today).

I think I'm most worried about the hat, though. I'd like to make it more detailed, like the Twilight Princess version of Link's hat, but shorter. People are already teasing me that I'm worried about making a hat, what with my hat-making business and all... But I've never made a hat like this, there's no pattern for it, and quite frankly, it intimidates me.

READ MORE - I'm Not Dead! (Days 362 - 377)

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: Midna

The Twilight Princess destined to become the Twili's next ruler, Midna's reign was cut short when Zant took her throne from her illegitimately and turned her into an imp. Not wanting to allow Twili's denizens to fall into corruption, Midna escapes, stealing a piece of the ancient artifact known as Fused Shadow which she wears as a helmet. She then begins her quest to find the remaining three pieces in hopes to achieve enough power to defeat Zant.

Quite an impressive cosplay! Looks like it was taken near Hyatt Hotel, too. Nice work!

Technorati tags: cosplay, cosplayer, holic, roleplay, role, play, costume, legend, zelda, twilight, princess, midna, twili, ruler, magic, zant, illegitimate, imp, denizen, corruption, escape, steal, ancient, artifact, fused, shadow, helmet, quest, power, defeat, hyatt, hotel, i360, コスプレ, コスプレイ, ゼルダの伝説 トワイライトプリンセス, ミドナ, ザント

READ MORE - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: Midna

The Legend of Zelda: Link and Princess Zelda

It would seem that I need to go to more conventions some time this year as I am running out of cosplays to feature. :D

This one was sent in by a member of Sanriotown. I’m not certain which convention this was from, but I’ve never seen a more convincing cosplay of Link and Princess Zelda. This cosplay is from series’ latest installment, “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” on the Nintendo Wii. Just look at the beautiful details of Link’s shield and Princess Zelda’s armor! It’s absolutely breath-taking! Nice Job!

This will also be featured in my other blog. :D Thanks for visiting guys!

Technorati tags: nanao, research, cosplay, cosplayers, convention, sanriotown, the legend of zelda, princess, zelda, link, nintendo, wii, twilight princess

READ MORE - The Legend of Zelda: Link and Princess Zelda

The Legend of Zelda: Link

…or rather, 2 Links! But wait. why are they in red and blue? Isn’t Link suppose to be in green?

Anyway… Link is the protagonist of the classic video game series, “The Legend of Zelda”! He is a young Hylian boy known for his great swordsmanship and fighting skill. He is a humble fellow, and bears a Triforce mark on his left hand, showing that he will be the one to find the Triforce of Courage.

Thanks to Wonderland for sharing this awesome cosplay picture!

Technorati tags: nanao, research, cosplay, game, the legend of zelda, legend, zelda, link, hylian swordsmanship, skill, triforcs, courage, wonderland, classic

READ MORE - The Legend of Zelda: Link