Tip Tuesday #5: Sewing Machine

Hi everyone!

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday post.

Today's topic will be...sewing machines!

Sewing machines are scary. If you have very little experience with sewing like I did, a sewing machine will be extremely intimidating. The first time we tried to use a sewing machine, it was a bit of a disaster xD We had no idea how to thread it even after looking up several Youtube videos. But, with a bit of practice I have been able to get pretty good at using my sewing machine! So I wanted to offer a few tips on how to go about familiarizing yourself with a sewing machine :)

• What kind of sewing machine should I start with? Start with something simple that does not have too many settings. I have a Brother LS-2125. It is simple and it is relatively inexpensive. It is a really great starter sewing machine! But you can use any machine you can get. As long as you have the user manual, you should be able to get around to use it. 

What Not To Do When You Work on Cosplay #4

Hello Generation of Cosplayers! ^_^

DarthNancy here, bringing you more things not to do when you're working on your cosplay!

Today's topic is...what not to do when using a sewing machine or needle!

Don't be like Dee and try to run someone's hand under the needle!

For obvious reasons, you have to be super careful when you use a sewing machine, needles, and pins. I can't tell you have many times I have pricked myself with straight pins when trying to hem something, or how many times I have broken my skin with a sewing needle. The most serious thing you could do, though, is accidentally running your finger through the presser foot and stabbing yourself with the needle. I personally have not had this happened to me, it has happened to my mother. She somehow ran her finger through the foot and the needle came down on went into her nail. The worst part is that the needle broke and stayed in her nail so she had to pull it out. It was very gross and looked very painful! So make sure to pay attention when you are using the sewing machine!

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Tip Tuesday #4: Sewing

Hi everyone!

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday post.

Today's topic will be...sewing!

Cosplay is an awesome hobby and some of us got into cosplay much earlier than others. For example, even though I've been going to conventions for about 10 years, I've only been cosplaying for about 3 years. Some people are also lucky to have previous sewing skills, while many of us have zero experience with sewing. Sewing and clothing construction skills are extremely useful when you're a cosplayer, because you can create and alter cosplays on your own (without the need for buying every part of your cosplay). If you're like me, and have absolute no sewing skills and no clue how to use a sewing machine, start by teaching yourself some sewing basics. If you can, sign up for a beginners sewing class. That will teach you many essential basics! But if you can't, use online tutorials to help you how to learn.

http://sewsitall.blogspot.com/2010/10/hand-sewing-basic-stitches.html

I suggest starting with basic hand sewing. I used THIS blog post to teach me about basic stitches. Try making something small and easy (like a small bag, or a bow). The first thing I made was the bows for my Candy Cane Miss Fortune guns; that was a great beginner project. Although for some people it works to dive in at the deep end of a pool (i.e., start with a difficult project), it is usually better to start off small. Once you get the hang of some basic hand sewing, try your hand at using a sewing machine (but that's a whole separate thing!)

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Cosplay Tutorial: Mercenary Katarina (LoL) Arm Bracers

Also check out: Mercenary Katarina Breastplate

Hello Generation of Cosplayers!

Here's another oldie that I wanted to post on here. This is for Katarina's arm bracers! These could be used for her regular skin or for Mercenary Katarina (which is the skin I made these for). 

Products Used

• Scissors 
• Worbla
• Craft foam
• Heat Gun
• Gesso primer
• Spray paint (silver)
• Small brushes
• Acrylic paints (black and silver)

Tutorial

1. I started out by making a pattern with craft foam (you can see THIS tutorial). Then I  proceeded with the "sandwich Worbla" method for making armor pieces. Basically this is using two layers of Worbla to sandwich the craft foam pattern you made (so you will have worbla-craft foam-worbla). This ensures that the armor piece will be thick and durable. For the arm pieces, I used one piece of craft foam and two pieces of Worbla to create a cuff-like shape. I used my heating tool to bind the pieces together and to bend the Worbla into a cylinder shape that would fit around my wrist. The easiest way to shape the Worbla is to heat it up and then to gently bend it, then place it over the area you will be wearing it on. In this case, I wrapped it around my wrist (I protected this area with a thin sweater since the Worbla will be hot), and then gently pressed it so it would get a good shape (although it did not end up perfect).

Cosplay Tutorial: Mercenary Katarina (LoL) Breastplate Armor

Also check out: Mercenary Katarina Bracers

Greetings Generation of Cosplayers!

This is an oldie, but a goodie! I created my Mercenary Katarina cosplay a while ago (2 years ago) and I thought I would share it here! This was the first thing I ever made with Worbla. Scratch that, this was the first cosplay prop/armor I ever made. I messed up a lot, but it was such a good learning experience. I've been wanting to remake this but I haven't had the time or money for it. For the mean time, enjoy this old Worbla tutorial!

The first part I began to make for my Mercenary Katarina costume is her breastplate. I should begin by saying that I had never seen anyone actually make an armor piece for this costume. All the cosplays I've seen use a black corset or something made out of fabric.So I had no idea how this was going to come out xD

1. I used Kamui's tutorial on how she makes patterns and breastplate armors. She is an amazing cosplayer and her videos are really helpful!! Basically she uses Worbla, craft foam, and a heating tool. I had never used Worbla before this, but she made it look so easy! Well, I had no idea what I was getting myself into! This is NOT as easy as it looks. It definitely takes practice. But I went into anyways. Armed with a sheet of Worbla, some craft foam and a heating tool, I started to make my breastplate. 

Prop Tutorial: Yamuraiha (Magi) Staff

"Sorry, but I'm a genius magician ^_~" -Yamuraiha

Hi everyone! It's time to show you guys a sort of tutorial on the staff I made for my Yamuraiha cosplay. This was the first staff I have ever made and the biggest prop I've ever made. I messed up a lot on it, but that only means I learned a lot from making those mistakes. I am here to give you guys some tips on how to go about making a prop like this. You might see that my staff does not break down into two parts (because I messed up on that part) so it makes transportation a little difficult. I am planning on remaking this staff at some point, so I will have a better tutorial for a two piece staff later on. Because this staff has such an organic shape, it is a rather easy beginner project.  Anyway, to the tutorial!!

Materials Used

• Reference pictures
• Large piece(s) of cardboard or poster board
• Writing utensil
• Box cutter
• 2 8" Styrofoam half orbs (they are sold by halves)
• Wooden dowel/stick/PVC pipe (for support)
• 2 cans of expandable foam
• Carving knife
• 1-2 rolls of masking tape
• Newspaper
• Paper Mache glue (I make this out of water, Elmer's glue, and cornstarch)
• Fast Mache (or plaster)
• Sandpaper
• 1-2 bottles of woodglue
• 1 can of pink spray paint
• Sealing spray

Tutorial

1. Find a whole bunch of reference pictures to help you decided on the shape of the staff. I used the photo below because Yamura's staff changes a lot from episode to episode, and frame to frame. This is the shape I liked the most, and the one I wanted to create.

Cosplay Tutorial: Cutting a Wig

Hello Generation of Cosplayers! ^_^

DarthNancy here~ 

I recently received the wig for my Shizuku (Hunter x Hunter) cosplay, and I thought it would be a really good opportunity to show you guys how I go about cutting and styling a wig. Now, you can certainly wear a wig without cutting it and styling it, but cutting and styling will make your cosplay look overall more accurate and more neat. 

This is an example of the difference two steps can make. The wig I will be showing you here was specifically purchased on eBay as a "Shizuku" wig (you can check out the listing HERE). On the pictures shown of the wig, the wig has already been cut and styled. A lot of people assume that the wig show in the photos of the shop is the wig they will be getting. Do not ever assume this. Most of the time (although not always) you will be getting an unstyled wig that looks really different from the shop's photos. Always keep that in mind. Anyway, I got the unstyled wig for Shizuku, so now it is my job to style it myself. Here is how I go about doing this! 

Step 1: Wear the unstyled wig over a wig cap. Wear the wig so you can see what needs to be cut and what doesn't. Just using a wig stand will not be enough. Make sure you try it on yourself first before cutting anything. As you can see, I tried on the wig and marked off the bags with a hair tie. This was also to see how much of the bangs I was going to cut off.

CosplayTutorial: Yamuraiha (Magi) Bra Shells

Hey, Generation of Cosplayers!

DarthNancy here ^_^

Materials Used

• Shells pattern (drawn out or printed out)
• Nude strapless bra (with clear straps)
• 2 sheets of craft foam
• Worbla
• Heat Gun
• Hot Glue Gun
• Wood Glue
• Paint brushes
• Pink acrylic paint (whatever colors you want)
• Acrylic paint seal spray

Makeup Tutorial: Candy Cane Miss Fortune (League of Legends)

"Sure you can handle me, Summoner?" ❤

Hey, everyone! It's time for another makeup tutorial! 

Cosplay makeup can be both really fun and very frustrating to do. If you know exactly what you want to do, it will make your cosplay look really great. But, if you have no idea what you are doing, you will want to pull your hair out! I have been really frustrated with Miss Fortune's makeup, because her splash art (and in game model) show her wearing an insane amount of makeup (eyeahdow in particular). I want my cosplay to be accurate, but I also don't want to end up looking like a $5 hooker. So, I've been looking for a middle ground with her makeup. 

Today, I have a makeup tutorial for the makeup that I have been happy with so far. I decided to use green eyeshadow to add to the Christmas feel, but I toned it down with some neutral/brown eyeshadows. Oh, and you'll notice in the tutorial that I forgot to put my circle lenses in at the very beginning, so make sure you put them in before starting your makeup!

What Not To Do When You Work on Cosplay #3: Heat Gun

Hello Generation of Cosplayers! 

DarthNancy here ^_^ It's What-No-To-Do Thursday!  It's time to talk about the mistakes many of us make while we work on cosplay.

Today's topic will be... what not to do when using heat gun!

A heat gun is precisely what it sounds like: a gun that applies high heat. Heat guns are particularly popular in the cosplay world for working with thermoplastics like Worbla. Heat guns can be pretty dangerous, so it is important to handle them with care.

What can go wrong with a heat gun? Well, first of all you can burn yourself with the hot air and/or with the extremely hot steel end of the gun. I myself have burned myself by accidentally touching the tip of the heat gun...it was not fun T_T Don't burn yourself!

It is also extremely important that you work on cement or non-flammable surface. As you can see in the image about, I worked on my cosplay project over cement. If you use a heat gun on carpet or wood, you will burn it and run the risk of catching it on fire! You don't want to catch your house on fire for working on cosplay. Just don't do it, okay?

You don't want this to happen...

See you next time ^_^

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Tip Tuesday #3: Worbla

Hello Generation of Cosplayers!

Welcome to Tip Tuesday! ^_^ 

Today's topic is...Worbla!

Circle Lens Review: Revo Colour White Mesh Lens

Hi Generation of Cosplayers! ❤

As I mentioned in this week's Tip Tuesday, circle lenses are quite important for cosplaying. You certainly don't have to wear contacts when you cosplay, but if you do plan to, being aware about brands and colors is extremely important. That's where I, DarthNancy, come in! I want to share my experiences with circle lenses to give you all a better idea of what circle lenses are good and which are not. Today, I will be giving you my two cents on these really crazy White Mesh lenses by Revo Colour that I purchased on Honey Color. These are the lenses I use for my Hyuuga Hianta cosplay~

Close up view; you can see the mesh texture that allows you to see a bit through the lenses.

Cosplay WIP: ANBU Hinata #2

WIP #1

Hi guys!

DarthNancy here ^_^

As I mentioned in the first ANBU Hinata WIP, I've been working on acquiring all of the items for this cosplay. I am currently working on my ANBU mask and the vest is still waiting to be made. In the mean time, I thought I would borrow my brother's ANBU Kakashi cosplay items and give them a try! This is a slight sneak peek at what my ANBU Hinata cosplay might end up looking like! Of course, none of this ANBU stuff fits me well, particular the vest...but this was just to get an idea of what the result will look like! 

What Not To Do When You Work On Cosplay #2: Hot Glue Gun

Hello Generation of Cosplayers! 

DarthNancy here ^_^ It's What-No-To-Do Thursday!  It's time to talk about the mistakes many of us make while we work on cosplay.

Today's topic will be... what not to do when using a hot glue gun!

Tip Tuesday #2: Circle Lenses

Hello Generation of Cosplayers!

Here's another Tip Tuesday! ^_^ 

Today's topic is...circle lenses!

Part of cosplaying is trying to look like another person, usually like an animated character. Animated characters many times have unnatural hair colors and eye colors, which is why we use wigs and contacts to try to look as close as we can to the character. Circle lenses are insanely popular with cosplayers. Not only do they change you eye color, but they give the illusion of bigger eyes (much like animated characters). But if you have never worn or purchased lenses before, where do you begin?

I am wearing the EOS Dolly Eye Green lenses

Cosplay Tutorial: Yamuraiha (Magi) Ear Shells

Hey, Generation of Cosplayers!

DarthNancy here ^_^

Starting today I am going to be sharing some posts about how I created my Yamuraiha cosplay from the Magi series! Magi has become one of my favorite anime series, and Yamuraiha caught my attention from the moment she first appears in the show. I identify with her a lot and I really like her design, so I decided to cosplay her because of that. Today's tutorial is going to be focused on the magic devices she has by her ears. These devices have a bit of an odd shape (not gunna lie) but I am going to show you a super easy way to create these!

Cosplay WIP: ANBU Hinata #1

Hi guys!

DarthNancy here ^_^

I mentioned on Instagram that I've been wanting to create other versions of Hyuuga Hinata because my Hinata cosplay is by far my favorite. There were two versions I want to create, older mom Hinata and a non-canon ANBU version of her. From the comments I received on that post, I decided to do ANBU Hinata first! Since I literally just decided to do this, I also thought it would be a good idea to create posts going through my cosplay-making process. I am in step 4 of my process (gathering materials), but I wanted to share the other steps with you guys so you can see first-hand how I go about creating a cosplay like this one.

Not my image 

What Not To Do When You Work On Cosplay #1: Expandable Foam

Hello Generation of Cosplayers! 

DarthNancy here ^_^

As you may have seen, Tuesdays are going to be Tip Tuesdays, days where we will offer general cosplay advice. Thursdays, however, will officially be What-No-To-Do Thursdays! This is going to be a segment where Discorda and I offer advice on what NOT to do. We have both learned a lot through trial and error, and we wish to share our bad experiences with you guys so you don't have to go through them! 

Today's topic will be... what not to do when using expandable foam!

Tip Tuesday #1: Wig Styling

Hello Generation of Cosplayers!

Tuesdays are officially Tip Tuesdays! So expect a post every Tuesday about cosplaying tips ^_^ 

Today's topic is...wig styling!

As you can imagine, wigs are a huge part of cosplaying. Most cosplays require the use of a wig, even if wigs are somewhat annoying to wear. So of course you do your best to look for the perfect wig for your cosplay. But sometimes we can't find a wig that matches our character's hair exactly so we are forced to buy an unstyled wig. That is where wig styling comes in! 

Prop Tutorial: Candy Cane Miss Fortune Guns

"How do you like my guns? Shock...and Awe~ ❤"

Hello everyone! DarthNancy here!

Today, I'm going to show you guys how I made my Candy Cane guns for my Miss Fortune cosplay!

 ^_^ These were the first props I ever made 100% by hand and I am really excited to share the process with you. They are not perfect, but I am really proud that I was able to make these! I hope you will find this tutorial helpful :)

Makeup Tutorial: Hyuuga Hinata (Naruto)

Hi everyone! DarthNancy here :)

Today I will be sharing with you guys a simple makeup tutorial for the makeup I wear with my Hinata cosplay. I have received tons of requests to do this in the past, so I am excited to finally share this! The makeup I wear could be way more complicated (I could wear lashes on my lower lash line or contour a lot), but I find that this makeup has worked the best for me. The white mesh lenses I wear are a little creepy, but I like how they make my cosplay look! Wearing lenses is totally up to you; don't feel like you absolutely have to wear any. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the tutorial!

Process for Making a Cosplay

What exactly is the process of creating a costume? What about the process of actually getting ready to wear that costume out in public and doing what people call "cosplay"? Well, every cosplayer has a different way of starting and completing a cosplay. But here, we will be talking about my (DarthNancy) process for planning, beginning, and finishing a cosplay!

Step 1: Choosing a Character to Cosplay

There are many ways to get inspired on what character to cosplay. Sometimes you want to cosplay your favorite character from a series, and sometimes you get persuaded to cosplay a character for a cosplay group. The reason for choosing a character to cosplay really differs from person to person and from cosplay to cosplay. Most of the cosplays I have made are because I really like the character. For example, Hinata is my favorite female character from Naruto and thus I chose to cosplay her. But on the other hand, Miss Fortune is not really my favorite League of Legends champion, but I choose to cosplay her to be part of a cosplay group (the Christmas inspired skins). The same goes for my Poison Ivy cosplay; I really like her but I mostly cosplayed her to be part of the Gotham Girls cosplay group. In the end, the reason for cosplaying a character does not really matter. You just need some inspiration to get you to start and complete the cosplay! Cosplay who you want, regardless if you do not look like the character.If you want to cosplay the character, just go for it! 

Cosplays I want to do in the near future!