GReader bou asked how to make Gravitation character Shuichi’s trenchcoat, saying they had a sewing machine, but “absolutely no sewing skills.” Well bou (and everyone else out there), let me be the first to tell you that the only way you’ll ever get them is to jump right in.  Bou, go out a find a pattern as close to what you’re looking for as possible, and have at it!  Seriously, just go for it!  You may make some mistakes, but that’s the way we learn - just be sure to have a seam ripper by your side!  Here’s some tips to help you get started on your very first project.

1. Before you even go to the store, take your measurements!  I cannot emphasize this enough!  If you’re not sure how to take your measurements, just Google it - it’s a very simple process so don’t be intimidated.  If you can, have someone else take your measurements for even more accuracy.
2. Go to the fabric store and look through to pattern books - this will take a while, so be patient!  Find a pattern as close to as what you’re looking for as you can.
3. Once you have the pattern, see how much fabric you need for your costume and make sure to pick up the notions needed for the costume, too - both of these are listed on the back of the pattern envelope.  If you are confused or need help, ask a fabric store employee!  They are happy to help you and very knowledgeable. While you’re at the fabric store, make sure to pick up a seam ripper if you don’t already have one - you will probably need it!
4. Go home and jump right in!  Sewing takes time, so don’t be surprised if it takes you a looooong time.  I like to spread the work out a few hours a day for a few days, so it doesn’t get too overwhelming.  Just follow the instructions and if you make a mistake, don’t fret! - rip it out and move on.

Until next time, good luck with all of your cosplay creations!

Posted: January 8th, 2009 under Cosplay Creation Help.
Comments: 2

Stay tuned to this post - I am having a special guest blogger, my friend and plushie expert Bean Chan!  She will help with the question about the Nazo Grunty plush as well as give great general plushie advice!

Posted: November 4th, 2008 under Cosplay Creation Help.
Comments: 1

In today’s post I’ll be dishing out a cosplay advice twofer for Yori Nightmare and Kiki0831.

Yori Nightmare asked what the best material would be for making Shippuden Sakura’s costume and shoes. Here’s the answer in two parts:

1) The Outfit: I would definatetly go for cotton with this one - it’s relatively inexpensive and easy to work with, and I believe it will achieve the look of this costume very well. The only exception would be the shorts she wears: while you could make them out of a stretchy material, I would save your time and money and just go buy a pair of bike shorts!

2) The Shoes: What I would do here is go and buy an open-toed shoe/sandal that appears the same as the bottom half of her shoes, and then sew boot covers to give the appearance of the boot. Don’t worry - many patterns come with a pattern for boot covers, and are pretty easy to make.

P.S.: Yori also asked about how to make Temari’s fan, but I have no idea! What I usually do in this situation is browse Cosplay.com or Cosplay Lab and find one someone has done that I like, then you could contact the person and ask them how they did it. You could also email brian@cosplaylocator.com and he can have one made for you. Be sure to get back to us if you discover a good method Yori!

Our next question is from Kiki0831, who asks if there is somewhere she can get patterns for specific cosplay costumes. Unfortunately Kiki, the answer is…not really. What most cosplayers (including myself) do is find a pattern close to what they need, and then alter it accordingly. Another option is altering thrift store finds, but this costume is a bit too unique for that, so I suggest the former. Keep in mind that you will probably mess up, but guess what? It’s okay! Creating cosplay costumes can be very complicated because of their uniqueness, so don’t feel bad if you’re not sure what to do. If you’re stuck on a certain element of the costume, do what I suggested before and ask someone who’s costume you like how they did it.

Well, that’s all for today! Sorry for the delay between question and advice, but I’ve started up school again and had quite a full plate! Did anyone else go to Anime Iowa this year? If so, I’d love to hear from you - until next time!

~JessJezzz

PS Admin sayz - email brian@cosplaylocator.com for cosplay commissions!

Posted: September 13th, 2008 under Cosplay Creation Help, Cosplay Fanatic, News Flash, Uncategorized.
Comments: 1

Disgraceful_art left a comment asking where a good place would be to purchase Haku’s hunter-nin mask. Well D_A, I can do you one better and tell you how to make your own!

First, you’ll need to make the basic mask. The easiest way to do this would probably be to make it out of paper mache. Here’s how I would go about it, but if you think you have a better way by all means go for it (and maybe tell us about it in a comment!):

First, get a sturdy piece of card stock (the kind you would print business cards on, for instance), a spray bottle, and a wig head (they’re only about 5 bucks, you can get them at beauty supply stores, or online if you can’t find one locally). The curved surface will help you form the mask correctly.

Next, lightly spritz the card stock with water and place it on the face of the wig head (with the wig head laid back so the card stock won’t fall off, of course). Gently shape the card stock into the shape you would like the mask, spritzing it with more water if necessary.

Once you have your card stock in the desired shape, let it dry and then cut off the corners to make it a mask shape; then, paper mache it.

From here, all you need to do is make eye slits and paint on the details. I would also recommend sealing the whole mask with craft sealant (hodge podge or spray on, which ever you prefer) once you have completed it

Don’t forget a small hole on each side and some string or elastic to keep the mask on your face!

P.S. If you really wanna buy one, try checking our website! Cosplaylocator.com

Posted: August 9th, 2008 under Cosplay Creation Help.
Comments: none

Now that you know how to shop for materials, it’s time to sew. But how in the world do you go about doing that? This one’s for you, Neko_Sarah!

So I could totally write a post on hand and machine sewing basics, but I think there’s plenty of resources out there that do it a lot better than I ever could. So here’s a little crash course guide to some basics that will get you sewing in no time.

If you don’t have access to a sewing machine, and aren’t ready to invest in one (those suckers don’t come cheap!), you’ll be picking up a needle and thread. The only real thing you need to know to get started is a few basic stitches, and here’s where you can find them:

• Your Mother - or grandma, or sister, or friend - for most people, having someone show them how to do something is much simpler than reading about it. If you have this valuable resource, take advantage of it!
• The Internet - There are plenty of tutorials with diagrams on hand and machine sewing on the internet, with the links above being just a few examples. Everyone learns differently, so do a search and look around to find the guide or tutorial that works best for you.
• Books - If you’re willing to spend a little money, I would suggest Simplicity’s Simply the Best Sewing Book. If you have a machine you can use or plan on buying one I would also strongly recommend Sew U - I wish I had this when I had started sewing! It comes with free patterns and even has a guide to shopping for sewing machines, another thing that sure would have helped me out in the past.

One last piece of advice - Don’t wait until the last minute to make your costume! It will only lead to frustration and most likely an unsatisfactory outfit.

Posted: July 22nd, 2008 under Cosplay Creation Help.
Comments: 3

A lot of people new to the cosplay world don’t realize how expensive their new hobby can be. Whether you’re buying your first costume pre-made, having one commissioned, or making it yourself, it’s not going to be cheap.

Good materials are essential in the creation of a great costume. No matter how good your sewing skills, inferior materials will make your costume look amatuer - and even if your skills aren’t that great, good materials will make the task so much easier. Here are a few ‘rules’ to follow when considering what fabric to use for your costume.

1) NO SHINY FABRIC

Unless it’s absolutely clear in every way that part or all of the character’s costume is satiny, DO NOT USE SHINY FABRICS. Shiney fabrics are very slippery and hard to work with, making things all that more frustrating if you’re a beginner (or even if you’re not - they have caused many a crisis in my sewing room). Secondly, if the costume isn’t ment to look satiny, using a shiney fabric can make it look cheap and, well, costumey.

2) Cotton is your friend!

There are soooo many reasons why you should make your first costume (and probably most of your costumes) out of cotton.

- Your local fabric store will have plain cotton in a wide selection of colors

- Even high quality cottons are cheaper than a lot of other fabrics

- Cotton is breathable, so when you’re packed shoulder to shoulder at the rave or in the dealer’s room you’ll be way more comfortable than if you were wearing heavier fabric.

-100% cotton is 100% machine washable, so even if your costume does get stinky, you don’t have to worry about it getting ruined in the wash.

3) Things cost money. Deal with it.

Unfortunately, fabric costs money. Good fabric costs more money than crappy fabric. Now I’m not saying you have to go too overboard, since you’re not wearing this stuff every day (or are you?), but it will have to withstand a lot of activity. If you buy a fabric that only costs $2-$3 a yard, it will probably be very weak (and seethrough, which can be a big problem), and will fray and rip easily. Try and find a good medium weight cotton that you can’t easily see your hand through - it will probably cost around $5-$7 a yard. However…

4) Sales are your best friend (Yes, even moreso than cotton)

If you find a great fabric for $3 a yard that was $7.50 a yard (I’m just making up numbers here), by all means, go for it! Again, materials are not cheap, and many costumes require a lot, so get a good deal when you can!

Any questions? Feel free to ask away in the comments!

Posted: July 3rd, 2008 under Cosplay Creation Help.
Comments: 4

Angelkitty752 posted a comment on our blog, asking what material she should use to make Axel from Kingdom Hearts II’s chakrams. When it comes to a prop item with intricate details that need to be sculpted, the first thing most people think of is wood. This is a great idea, but many of us don’t have access to the tools needed to do this. An easier solution is to use blue or pink insulation foam, which you can find at any home improvement store - you can carve it using an electric turkey carving knife, and it’s easy to sculpt with household items like butter knives. Just make sure to varnish it when you’re done, or it could break easily.

Stay tuned for my upcoming post on selecting the right materials for your costume!

Posted: June 22nd, 2008 under Cosplay Creation Help.
Comments: 2

Hello fellow cosplayers - my name is JessJezzz, and I’m here to help you create the cosplay of your dreams. I’ve been making costumes and cosplaying for years, and am minoring in Textiles and Apparels. If you have any questions about making costumes, don’t be afraid to ask! No question is a stupid question! The only way you will ever learn is by asking someone, whether it be me or Google. In the meantime, I will try and post basic sewing tips and techniques that I use regularly in creating costumes and believe will help you master the art of cosplay.

Posted: June 18th, 2008 under Cosplay Creation Help.
Comments: 6