Ragnarok Loki Build

Photo: luciferiphotography (IG)

I've wanted to be Loki since I got into cosplay, so getting a slightly simpler Loki costume to ease myself in with was amazing. Of course, when I say "slightly simpler", it's all relative. I had to make my own patterns, assemble 3D print kits, make foam armor for the first time, and go on a wild goose chase for pretty much all my fabrics, all in a very short amount of time. Note to self: don't start big builds three months before con. It was all worth it, but I didn't take any progress pictures or notes so hopefully this write-up won't be too confusing (if it is though, feel free to leave questions in the comments).

Wig
Starting simple, I got this wig from Wigisfashion. I still need to slick it back so I can actually wear it without the helmet. It's also a bit thick so either measure your head with the wig on before figuring out your helmet, or be prepared to thin the wig a little.

Helmet
I purchased this 3D print model file and commissioned an
acquaintance with a 3D printer to scale it to my size and print it for me. I then superglued the kit together and painted it. There are also other options on Etsy (probably more than when I was first looking, as I was trying to find this like a month and a half after the movie came out).

Vest/Jacket
There are multiple ways you can go about Loki's top, but I decided to make it two pieces: a vest and an under-jacket.
The jacket was easiest. I used New Look 6251, View A (C for men). I only made a few modifications to the pattern. I eliminated the pockets (I wouldn't be able to access them anyway), shortened the zipper so it would only come up to my chest bone (and thus be hidden below the neckline of the vest), and I modified the sleeves. Because I was short on time and because Loki's sleeves are quite frankly ridiculous, I simplified them considerably and

just split them to add gold braiding.
For both the jacket and the vest I used this faux leather from fabric.com. Because the jacket has a dark green collar/body (and sleeve details if I'd had the time and patience), and because green faux leather is apparently nonexistent, I used Angelus leather paint in dark green to paint the pieces for the collar and jacket body. For the gold detail on the collar edges, I used the same gold braiding as in the sleeves and sewed it into the seam allowances as I was building the collar.

I had to build the pattern for the vest myself. I used the vest from View A of Simplicity 8480 (which I already had for another project) to help draw out the basic shape. I then made lots of modifications and made a few mock-ups to test the pattern. Once again, I didn't take any notes and it was all a bit of a frantic blur, so I couldn't really spell out all that I did, so hopefully these detail shots will be useful.

The hidden dagger sheaths

I made bias tape from the same faux leather to finish the armholes and neckhole, and I installed a zipper on the left side so I could actually get the thing on and off (the neckhole is still very tight and isn't stretchy so I recommend getting your top half dressed before wig and makeup).
I also included two small slits in the back of the "belt" section (the v part at the waist) so I could use them as dagger sheaths.

Chest Piece
I honestly don't know what to call this thing so chest piece will do. For the weird little v-like decoration on the front of Loki's vest, I freehanded a pattern, then cut it from some thick craft foam. I then paper-machéd the piece to make it more sturdy. I painted it, then glued a strong magnet to the back so I could affix it to the front of my vest without stabbing holes in it with a pin.

Pants
I just found some faux leather pants on sale at H&M. Originally I considered adding the green details, but at the time there weren't enough reference photos to work off of, and I also wanted to be able to use the pants for other costumes, so I left them plain.

Boots
Once again, I had intended to make boot covers, but was short on time, so I've been using a pair of knee high black boots I already had for another costume until I can get more screen accurate boots.

Armor
Like I said, this was my first time making foam armor. I was very lucky to have pretty easy pieces to make and an awesome friend to help me out whenever I had questions. I got my foam from TNT Cosplay Supply. I used thicker foam for the main pieces and thin foam for details (except for the bicep armor, which was all thin foam). I was able to make the patterns for the gauntlets and hand armor myself, but for the shoulder and bicep armor, I used patterns from monstaas_cosplays on Instagram.
For the shoulder armor, I hot glued alligator clips to the underside so I could clip them to the shoulders of the vest. The hand armor was velcroed to the half-gloves I made from extra faux leather. The bicep armor and gauntlets are attached with elastic that is superglued on one side and velcroed on the other. Make sure to sew the velcro that will be on the elastic; I learned the hard way that even the strongest of adhesives is no match for elastic.

Hooks & eyes for attaching cape

Cape
I used the cape from McCall's 7000 View B, minus the front panels (I once again already had this pattern for a different project). The fabric I used is from Joann's and I believe is no longer available (I had to get mine shipped from a store a few hours away in order to get enough). Really you just want a mid-weight material with enough flow to billow dramatically in the wind, and not so heavy that it tugs your vest back and strangles you.
In order to attach the cape, I sewed hook and eye closures onto the shoulder ends of the cape and the shoulders of the vest. Once you clip on the shoulder armor, the attachments and cape shoulders are hidden.

Daggers
I got two 3D print kits from Billythebrick on Etsy to assemble and paint. He also provides resin kits for Loki's daggers.

And there you have it! Once again, if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. I know this isn't the most detailed write-up, but if you're curious about any specifics, I'm more than happy to help if I can.
Happy cosplaying!

Poe Dameron Build (The Force Awakens)

Photo: @captain.m.photography (Instagram)

It's been a tragically long time since I posted on here, so I decided it was time to finally write the walk-through of my TFA Poe cosplay. Never mind the fact it's been like half a year since I finished it. It's a fairly easy build, especially considering I didn't make the jacket myself (which would have made this cosplay twenty times harder, and the jacket probably wouldn't be nearly as beautiful, because leather).

Jacket
Arguably the most important piece of this cosplay. Certainly my favorite. As previously mentioned, I didn't make it myself. I purchased this one from fjackets.com; it also comes in men's sizes, for those of you who are actually cosplaying your own gender, just go to the Star Wars section of the website for all the options.

Wig

My wig is a Benny from Arda Wigs, in the color that was previously Natural Black. Which I think has now been changed to Deep Brown. I didn't do any styling, I just have to wrangle the curls every time to make them go the directions I want.

Shirt
I used McCalls M7291 View B with a few simple modifications. I left off the front patch pockets, replaced the fold-down collar with a mandarin collar from a different pattern, and left out the lacing up the front. The front V goes a bit low, so I put a hidden hook-and-eye closure to keep the shirt closed. My fabric was a natural/beige linen from Joanns.

Pants
I used Simplicity 4110, View A, which is an out of print pattern so you'll need to do a little hunting to find it. I got mine on Etsy. I left much of it the same, but I left off the back pockets, side pocket, all the little loop things, and I doubled the width of the belt loops to make them more screen accurate. I had a hard time finding a fabric that was the right weight and shade of brown (all his scenes in this costume are dimly lit and it's a whacky shade of brown as it is). I finally found this twill on fabric.com.


Belt
I got a belt blank and a two inch rectangle buckle blank from Tandy Leather. I used a dark brown leather stain (also from Tandy) to dye both sides of the belt, then attached the buckle once it was dry. I then measured the length and cut the belt down to size, then punched a hole for the buckle closure.

Boots
The screen accurate boots are from Pozu, but they only come in men's sizes and I have tiny feet, so I found a similar pair on Ebay and modified them by removing some buckles and straps to make them more accurate.

Blaster Rifle
Poe's blaster from the beginning of the movie is a bit complicated because no one ever made a toy of it and there aren't many people who sell them on Etsy. Also I'm very small so the ones on Etsy are definitely not to scale to my size. However, the blaster is a rifle version of the blaster Finn uses through much of the movie, which they did make toys of, so I bought the Finn blaster, painted it up, then used thick craft foam and paper mache to make the rifle stock.

Makeup
I contour my face to make my features a bit more like Poe's, then for the five o'clock shadow, I use black cake makeup and a dry stipple sponge (wetting the sponge gives it a darker pigment, and since I'm going for shadow, not full beard, the dry sponge technique keeps it a bit faded). I also use a little bit of the black makeup and an eyeshadow applicator sponge to fill in my eyebrows so they match the dark wig.

Map Piece
This was just a fun little piece I made that I haven't really gotten to use in any shoots yet, just because it's tiny and hard to utilize. After a great deal of hunting for decent references, I made my map to Luke Skywalker out of thick craft foam (leftovers of the same stuff I used for the rifle stock) and paper mache, then I painted and weathered it. I then made a little sack out of some scrap fabric from the pants and some twine for a drawstring closure. I've actually made quite a few extras of this prop that I plan to sell on my Etsy store when I eventually have time to reopen it.

And there you have it! Poe is honestly one of my favorite characters, so getting to cosplay him has been a dream, and this costume was fun and pretty easy to make. I've got a couple other Poe costumes in the works so keep an eye out on my Instagram for those, and keep checking back here for more build walk-throughs! I also plan to get back to the cosplayer interviews I started at the beginning of the year. Until then... May the Force be with you!

Photo: @russell_photography_pnw (Instagram)

Resistance Rey Build Walk Thru

I've been meaning to write this walk thru for a while, but the fact that I finally am getting around to it the week The Last Jedi comes out is much more fitting than any other time I could have posted it. I made Resistance Rey over the course of about five months, and considering I patterned the vest myself, I'm pretty impressed with that. Before I get into the walk thru, I should mention that not everything about this costume is Rebel Legion approvable so if you're looking for some assistance making your RL cosplay, you'll need to make some adjustments. I'll make note of instances of things I know that would need changing, for easy reference. You can also find their full guidelines here.

Boots
Starting with the easy stuff, I decided to upgrade since the last time I made Rey and splurged for the screen accurate Po-zu boots. They are so worth the money, they're super comfortable (even all day at a con) and high quality, and they're sustainably made too. Po-zu recently released an official Star Wars line, which includes the Rey boots.

Belt
I used the same belt as from my scavenger Rey cosplay, the instructions for which you can find on my post for that build.

Blaster
There are lots of options for getting Rey's blaster (Etsy, Nerf, making it yourself, etc), but I bought this 3D printed one on Etsy.

Holster
Using the same roll of suede I used for the belt, I used this tutorial as a guide. I didn't really make any changes to their instructions and pattern, and the pattern fit perfectly around my blaster as is, no trimming necessary.

Lightsaber
I just got the Disney Store Rey lightsaber, but it's not RL approvable, and there's also plenty of other fancier options (Black Series, Etsy, etc).

Bag/Satchel
I used this tutorial (but got canvas fabric at Joanns instead of taking apart a bag). The fabric I bought was a little too green instead of olive drab, so I tea dyed it. Like a lot.

Pants
I bought a pair of olive drab jeans at the thrift store, cut them off below the knees, and used the extra fabric and some batting to make the knee pads. I vaguely followed this tutorial, though mostly I just used it for the knee pad pattern because I didn't do the extra part with the seam above the knees.

Shirt

I used this pattern, making the tank top version with the mandarin collar. I used a slightly heavy white stretch knit fabric from Joanns that had a similar texture to a closeup I found of Rey's shirt.
There is some confusion with the direction of the wrap, which is supposed to be right over left (the RL page says left over right I believe, but that could just be a mix up that never got revised because all the RL approved cosplayers I've seen have right over left).
As for the collar, it's not easy to see just from stills of TFA because she's wearing the vest, but promo stills we've gotten from TLJ show the mandarin collar.
You'll also want to keep all the edges raw (this includes leaving out the neck band piece from the pattern) and use a zigzag/overlay stitch on the edges (you'll probably want to iron the edges too because if your fabric acts like mine, it'll get very squiggly).

Arm Wraps and Gauntlets
For the grey under wraps, I used the same pattern as I did for the scavenger Rey wraps (instructions once again in the previous post), which I also sell in both colors on my Etsy store (as of right now (12/13), my store is temporarily on vacation while I cram too many cosplays before ECCC but as soon as I'm able, I'll be opening it again).
The gauntlets were a little harder. I used parts of this tutorial as a general guide/reference, but mostly I made things up as I went along. I used a gauntlet pattern from an old Legolas costume, traced it out on butcher paper, and added on the flared bottom part that goes over the hands. Once I had made a couple mockups to test my pattern, I cut it out on the same material as my vest (I'll get to that later). I also patterned out the pieces for the elbow pads and cut that from the same material and from a few layers of batting (you'll need lots of reference pictures because I eyeballed a lot of this and didn't take progress shots).
For the hole details on the wrist, I used this pattern and two different sized punches on a screw punch (you can find these for pretty cheap on Amazon and they are truly a blessing, I highly recommend getting yourself one). Once I'd punched out the holes, I used Fray Check to keep them from getting messed up.
The scalloped edges at the bottom are about a finger width each, so I used a nickel and traced out the scallops, then cut them and locked it in with Fray check.
When you go to sew up the seam, keep in mind that the flared bottom part around the hands is open along the edge (so zigzag stitch your edges, because everything is raw edges with Rey). So make your seam only to the wrist, and make a clip in the seam allowance to allow the flared part to flare properly (if that makes any sense. If not, feel free to comment and I'll try to make more sense).

Vest
Arguably the hardest and most important part of this costume is the vest. I made my pattern myself, using another vest pattern as a guide, and because I didn't really take progress pictures, giving you a real walk thru of my process would be messy. So I'm just going to give you a basic overview, give you some tips, tell you the changes that need to be made for RL, and point you in the right direction for some resources.
So first of all, the fabric I used was a grey herringbone wool from Dorr Mill. The exact one I bought is sold out currently, but they have a few different shades and their customer service is very helpful so you can always shoot them an email and find out if/when they'll get certain products back. I got two yards so I'd have enough for both the vest and the gauntlets (and have extra in case of screw ups).
For the pattern, basically I took the pattern pieces I already had and traced them onto butcher paper, making adjustments so the front wouldn't have princess seams, and slicing everything at the waist for the peplum. I made the back all one piece and cut out the extremely curved princess seam pieces. I made the peplum pattern myself (and had to adjust it a bit to add more flare). Before you go and cut up your expensive wool, definitely do a mock up on some muslin or scrap fabric so you know your pattern will actually work (this is how I learned I needed to make adjustments on the peplum).
Before I move on to the next part of the vest, I need to point out the adjustments that needs to be made to my method in order to be approved for the Rebel Legion. The collar is supposed to be all one piece with the body of the vest, with a side seam that matches up to the shoulder seam. My collar is a separate piece (and doesn't have the side seams). You'll also need to have ladder stitching on the back princess seams and the collar side seams (as detailed in this tutorial).
Once again, all the edges on Rey's costumes are always raw, so you'll need to have a zigzag stitch.
Finally, the shoulder pads. I used an actual shoulder pad to make my pattern, cut out a couple layers of batting and a layer of wool for each piece (make sure to have about an inch extra around the edges to fold under the batting). I used pretty much the same method as I did for the knee pads on the pants and the elbow pads on the gauntlets, sewing the wool over the batting around the edges, then sewing the topstiching details (I totally freehanded those ridges and I'm still amazed that it worked out perfectly). Then you just sew them onto the shoulders of the vest.

So there you have it! I hope my tutorial is of some help, at least to get you started in the right direction. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to leave a comment, or you can message me on instagram! You can also find a ton more resources, including reference pictures and more tutorials, on my Rey cosplay Pinterest board.

Howling Commandos Bucky Barnes Build Walk Thru

One of the earliest cosplays I decided to do (and started) was Bucky's Howling Commandos uniform from Captain America: The First Avenger. I got a couple of pieces and then got stuck trying to find a coat that fit my very high standards. Fast forward two and a half years and I finally managed to finish this thing. Not a lot of people cosplay this version of Bucky, so there weren't a lot of resources. But no longer! There shall now be exactly one full tutorial on how to build this cosplay. You're welcome. ;)

Wig

I got Amphigory's Taylor in #4. I chose this one because it was cheap and also for its versatility (I also use it for my Castiel and Killian Jones cosplays). It does the job and I'm pleased with it (it's also remarkably comfortable), but if you want a wig that you can style into Bucky's perfectly parted and gelled hairstyle, you should probably do a little more hunting.

Pants

I got some dark brown cargo pants at the thrift store. This is probably the easiest piece of this cosplay, honestly, there always seem to be cargos at thrift stores.

Boots

I just wore the brown combat boots I already had. Bucky's boots are technically a bit more heavy-duty than mine, but combat boots are combat boots. Another fairly easy piece.

Pouch Belt

The nice thing about steampunk being such a thing is that you can find cheap yet decent quality costume pouch belts quite easily. I got this one off eBay.

Bandolier

You have a few options with this part. I got a plain brown belt from the thrift store and just wore it across my chest instead of like a normal belt. However, if you have a bigger budget and/or want to go a bit fancier, there are a decent number of bandoliers available on Amazon. Lots of different options, historical replicas and all that jazz. Bucky's bandolier is pretty basic so that narrows your choices (a lot of them have those little pocket things for shotgun shells), but I feel it's only fair to let you know that there are actual bandoliers out there if you're willing to spend a bit of money on them.

Gun and Holster

So this isn't a particularly obvious part of the costume, it took me a while to even notice that Bucky had a holster on his bandolier (I honestly thought it was just an aesthetic thing for the longest time). If you're doing a belt for your bandolier, this part actually has a second function as it weighs down the belt and keeps it from doing awkward bubbly things.

For the gun, I just used one of the handguns from Black Widow. The holster was also part of another costume (normally it holds my sword for Killian), but it's a very simple and versatile piece so it works for holding many kinds of weapons. It's also absurdly cheap and easy to make. The tutorial I used seems to have vanished, but I've still got the pattern. Once I figure out a way to let you guys download the pattern, I'll make a little summary of the instructions from memory. :)

Coat

Now for the hard part, aka the entire reason this cosplay took me so long to make. I got my Howling Commandos patch from PeachyKiki, however her shop is no longer stocked. There are a few options on Etsy, or you can look elsewhere.

When I first was trying to make this cosplay, I honestly thought I'd be able to find a dark blue, waist length, double-breasted peacoat. Eventually I realized that this was far too specific an item, so I'd have to make it myself. I used this pattern for mine (view B) and modified it a bit, eliminating the belt and using buttons instead of zippers. I should warn you, though, this pattern was rather a pain. It was extremely difficult (my family friend, a veteran seamstress, had trouble helping me out) and didn't always make sense. I soldiered through, but unless you are feeling masochistic, you may want to find a different pattern. There are a decent number of similar jacket patterns that can be modified like I did with mine and that will hopefully not make you want to cry. If you're up to the task, however, this one does make a pretty gorgeous jacket.

And there you have it! Except for the coat, this is a pretty easy cosplay, mostly because it doesn't have a whole lot of pieces and many things can be thrifted. And now I leave you with the final result:

Happy cosplaying!

Holtzmann Build Walk-Thru

Holtzmann was a pretty easy cosplay that would've taken me about two months less had I made the jumpsuit in a month like I originally planned. I decided to cosplay her when the movie came out and finished it by February 2017 so it was by far the quickest I've managed to make a costume so far (about six months, though keep in mind a lot of that is me being slow and lazy about ordering/working on things).

Jumpsuit

So obviously the most important part of a Ghostbusters cosplay is the jumpsuit. You can probably go to the work uniforms section of someplace like Sear's and get one that works, but I made my own. I used this pattern from McCall's with a mid-weight khaki fabric.

For the orange reflective stripes, I ordered six of these iron on reflective tape packets, which came out to about ten feet. You need enough to have double stripes around your chest and both arms, so measure your bust and biceps and multiply the bust measurement times two, and the bicep measurement times four, then add those together. The tape comes in 32 inch packages.

I got this iron-on Ghostbusters logo patch for the sleeve. In the movie, all the Ghostbusters have name tag patches on their chests, which I didn't do. If you choose to do the name tags, there are lots of options on Amazon and Etsy.

Obviously, since all the Ghostbusters have matching jumpsuits, you can use this portion of the tutorial no matter which Ghostbuster you're cosplaying.

Wig

Holtzmann's got a pretty unique signature hairstyle. I'm not blonde, so I used a wig. I got the Tawny 1310 off Amphigory in #22. Style-wise this wig works, but it's a bit on the small side so it squeezed my head after a day at comicon and the adjustable sizing straps are velcro instead of hooks, so they get caught on the wig fibers, wig caps, and your own hair. Whether you're using a wig or your real hair, this Youtube tutorial is an excellent reference for doing Holtzmann's hairstyle.

Necklace

Another signature Holtzmann item is her Screw U necklace. I got a 3D printed pendant from Etsy and put it on a chain I already had. It's a little bigger than the pendant is in the movie and is obviously not metal, so if this option isn't the look you're going for, there are lots of other people on Etsy that make and sell Holtzmann's necklace.

Glasses

It can be really hard to find non-reflective yellow lensed glasses with side-visors without spending a lot of money. After some trial and error, I bought some cheap yellow tinted glasses off Amazon. I then used a paper towel tube, aluminum foil, and double sided tape to make the side-visors. Here's a tutorial I already made for how I did it. However, the visors fell off during and after comicon, so I'm going to be experimenting with better alternatives and will update when I've found a winner.

Shoes

I admittedly sort of forgot about doing anything specific with the shoes. I just wore combat boots, but you can wear rainboots like she does during the scene at the concert, or you can make boot covers for the ones all the team wears at the end of the movie.

Proton Pack

The hardest, most work intensive part of a Holtzmann (or any of the Ghostbusters) cosplay is definitely the proton pack. Mattel sells a toy version if you don't want to make it yourself and are willing to dish out some money. I made my own. Mine isn't perfectly screen accurate nor detailed because I didn't have the time and resources and I also wanted to make mine have a double function as a backpack.

The materials I used were mainly a bunch of random junk. I got a cheap plain backpack off Amazon and removed the front pocket and label. In order to stabilize it and make sure it won't collapse under the weight of all the hardware, I put a cardboard box inside. You should definitely do this first because I did it last and had to use industrial strength velcro to attach it, which barely worked, and if you do it first then you'll be able to use a stapler/staple gun/something else more successful because you won't have to work around all the stuff you've already attached to your backpack.

For the faraday cage, I used a banana basket I found at Goodwill. For the lights inside, I got a short strand of red LED rope lights from Ebay. It has an adhesive back, so I wrapped it around one of those plastic flower pot trays and stuck it on there. I then used a heavy duty needle and thread and tacked the lights and the basket onto the front of the backpack. I simply let the battery pack for the lights hang down into the backpack (remember to bring spare batteries to comicon in case yours wear out).

For the bottom of the pack, I cut a cardboard box in half so it fit the bottom of the backpack. I painted the sides silver and the front and bottom black, and painted diagonal yellow stripes across the top of the front. I then used industrial strength velcro to attach it to the backpack.

For the blaster, I got PVC pipe, cut two 13 inch sections, and painted them silver for the barrel and handle. I used an old alarm clock box and painted it silver for the center box. I measured out the circumference of the PVC pipe on the front end and used an Xacto knife to cut a hole, into which I inserted one of the pipes for the barrel. I duct taped it into place, then duct taped the handle pipe onto the side of the box, facing the other direction (you'll want reference pictures for this). I then hot glued some black craft foam around each pipe for handles. For the cord that connects the blaster to the pack, I got some random cords from the electronics section of the thrift store. I threaded one end into the handle pipe of the blaster and duct taped it into place, then wedged the other end into the center of a small thread spool that I'd painted silver. I duct taped the spool to the backpack to hold it in place. I made a holder for my blaster by sewing a 1 1/14" plastic plumbing coupling to the side of the backpack.

And there you have it! As a finishing touch, I added some fingerless leather gloves that I already had for Black Widow. By no means a requirement, but she does wear gloves in the movie. You can find lots more references, especially for the proton pack, in my Pinterest board. And now for the finished product:

Happy cosplaying!

Rey Build Walk-Thru

Rey's costume is, so far, one of the few where I've made almost the entire thing myself. There were only a few pieces that I actually bought and used as is (or almost as is).

To start off, I got the McCall's pattern set, which I used for all the pieces except the shirt and cuff. There were a few little adjustments I made to make certain pieces more accurate, but generally I followed the given instructions. So here's what I did.

Shirt

As I mentioned before, I didn't use the shirt included in the pattern. If I had, it probably would've been a little closer to screen accurate, but I bought my shirt before I even found the pattern. The shirt I got was a light tan basic v-neck tee, originally from Target (I already had the same shirt in a different color so I recognized it) though I got it at a thrift store. I cut off the sleeves to make it a tank (though looking back I probably should have just cut them a bit shorter to make them cap sleeves instead).

Pants

For the pants, I used the pattern pretty much as directed, I just lowered the waistline a little to my own taste. I used a lightweight linen-esque fabric in a shade of beige just a little darker than my other fabrics.

Wrap/Tabard

The wrap (referred to in the pattern as the tabard) was made out of a stretchy gauze fabric in a creamy beige. I followed the instructions pretty much directly for most of it, though if you want to be perfectly screen accurate, you should leave the edges raw instead of hemming like I did. When it was finished, I discovered that the width of the drapes made them all fan out into almost a dress, which wasn't right (some of this may have been because I'm so tiny). While trying to find a solution, I consulted my reference pictures and noticed that the left-side drapes are actually connected at the bottom in a loop, presumably because the original costume is made with all one piece of fabric. So I took the two left side drapes and sewed them together at the bottom to form a loop.

Arm wraps

Lots of people just use ace bandage wraps for the arm wraps, which works well enough but runs the risk of them coming loose halfway through a con or photoshoot and needing to be redone. The pattern's cheat for the wraps is one thing that I did exactly as instructed. I used a stretch knit fabric that had some light flecking in it, giving it more of a gauzy look without it being the same fabric and color as my wrap/tabard. If you're not using the McCall's pattern but still want to make your own wrap instead of using bandages, here is a similar tutorial online.

Cuff

I was originally going to use the pattern for making the cuff, but by chance I found a costume replica of it at Hot Topic among the jewelry. It's a bit stiff and might be slightly on the large side, but it works really well and saved me from having to sew suede any more than necessary. I have no idea if Hot Topic still carries this item, I tried with no luck to find it on the website, but you can always keep an eye out for it.

Belt

The way the pattern has you do the belt is kind of confusing and, while it works for being on a tighter budget, is not necessarily the sturdiest. So basically I just used the pattern piece for a guide. I got a roll of suede from Tandy Leather and scotch-taped the pattern piece onto it so I could cut it out. I used an Exacto knife for puncturing the center section so I could cut it out. I highly recommend doing a test run first on butcher paper just so you know what you're doing before cutting into your suede!

To close the belt, the pattern says to use velcro, but since I was using real suede, I didn't think that would be sturdy enough. So I got some snaps and attached two snaps at the right tightness for my size (I recommend measuring your belt around yourself while wearing the rest of the costume so you know it'll be the right tightness around the tabard). The fasteners should be on your left side.

Finally, I got some light brown twine and wrapped it around the front portion of the belt, between the fasteners and where the two tiers split off. I used Elmer's glue to tack it down on the inside of the belt.

Pouch

I bought this screen accurate bag off Amazon. It's great quality and holds up beautifully carrying your stuff around all day at a con. In order to attach it to my belt without it being permanently affixed, I undid the stitching on the bottom of the two straps on the back of the bag and sewed on velcro instead.

Boots

The shoes used in the movie are Po-Zu's piper v brown linen boots, but they're on the expensive side. Other people have made boot covers that look like po-zu's. I just got these boots off Amazon. They're not perfectly screen accurate and they were a little uncomfortable to walk around in all day at comicon, but they still work really great.

Staff

I used this tutorial that I found for adding the details to Rey's staff. I used a light wooden staff that I had lying around instead of PVC pipe, and for the grips I used scrap fabric from my wrap/tabard. For the sling strap, I used a spare luggage strap. To make the attachments for clipping the strap to the staff, I referenced this tutorial. I used some of the suede from my belt, snaps, D-rings, and some scrap fabric to back the cross sections (you put the D-rings between the suede cross section and the backing so it doesn't slid around and rub all the paint off your staff).  Fair warning, sewing suede is a pain.

And there you have it! That's how I made my Rey cosplay. I have lots of other resources in my Pinterest board if you're needing references, other tutorials, or want to branch out and try things differently. And now for the final results:

Happy cosplaying, and may the Force be with you!

Curling My Black Widow Wig

This method is good for lightly curling any wig. It uses heat, which technically the tag for my wig said not to, but it's very low heat and not for long so it's not problem.

I got the Leslie 2002 from Amphigory in #130 for Natasha. It wasn't quite curly enough for my taste, so I set about searching for how to curl wigs. After a lot of hunting and not a lot of luck for non-heat-resistant wigs, I sort of combined methods and came up with this.

What you need:

• Wig
• Styrofoam wig head
• Wig pins (to hold the wig to the stand. I just used extremely large sewing pins)
• Large clips
• Bobby pins (the flat kind)
• Dual setting hairdryer
• Hair spray

Pin the wig to the stand in the general area of the temples. You don't want to sliding around when you're trying to work with it. Put the stand on a counter at a comfortable level, preferably someplace you can sit down. This'll take a while. If you've got one of those clamp things to hold the stand in place, even better.

You'll want to start with bottom layers, so pull aside the top layers and clip them back out of the way.

Now for the hard part: pin curls! Take a small to mid sized lock of hair (depends on the size you want the curls) and twist it around one or two fingers until the coil is tight against the scalp. Carefully slide the coil off your fingers, making sure to keep it pressed flat against the scalp, and pin it down with a bobby pin.

Repeat this until you've got a whole bunch of them. You can do as much of the head at once as you like. I had a shockingly small number of bobby pins so I was only able to do it in chunks. 

Once you've finished pinning, it's time to break out the hairdryer. Set it on low heat so it won't over-melt the fibers, but put it on a higher speed because otherwise it will take literally forever. Hold the hairdryer close to an individual curl and hold it there until the fibers are warm, almost hot, to the touch (not too hot because then they'll start melting). Repeat with each coil.

Once you've heated all the curls, wait until they cool. Once the hair is cool to the touch, you can remove the bobby pins. Gently tussle and place the curls as you see fit. Then lightly hairspray the curled section to set.

Repeat all of this until the whole wig is curled. You may want to carefully tussle and scrunch the hair a little while the hairspray is still wet to perk up the curls. Also, I don't know what will happen if you use the hairdryer too soon after hairspraying, but I recommend waiting until the hairspray is dry to use any more heat just so you don't accidentally catch your wig on fire. Because that would be unfortunate.

And there you have it! A freshly curled wig! I did soft, casual curls for Natasha, but you can do your curls however you need, just varying the amount of hair you coil and pin down. 

Good luck and happy cosplaying!

Welcome!

Before we go full swing with the actual purpose of this blog, I'd just like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Megan and I'm a cosplayer from the PNW. That's certainly not the only interesting thing about me, but that's all that really matters here.

I officially started cosplaying in 2014 after many years of going very full-out on Halloween costumes. The plan back then was to cosplay Loki, but after some Pinterest browsing, it soon became clear that that was way too complicated a project to start out with. So I scaled back, and have since been building up my skills. I hope to someday actually make that Loki costume, but for now it is as far on the horizon as Mount Doom at the end of Fellowship.

I decided to make this blog because, in the almost three years of my cosplay career, it was the blogs and videos of other cosplayers that constantly inspired and guided me, often saving my ass when things got tricky. There are costumes that would never have turned out as good as they did if it weren't for the tutorials posted by other cosplayers who had already got it figured out. So I wanted to be able to do the same for other up and coming cosplayers.

The first several posts will be for costumes I've already made. I've got some progress pictures, but nothing completely step-by-step, so I'll just talk you through how I made things. Once Emerald City Comicon is over, I'll be starting on my next crop of cosplays, so there'll be brand new updates for brand new things and you'll get to witness my trial-and-error in real time. I'll provide links to helpful tutorials I've referenced, items I've purchased (if they're not thrift store finds), and patterns I've used (with a few pointers on adjustments I've made, when applicable).

Anyway, I hope everyone reading enjoys this blog and I hope that it can help out some fellow cosplayers, and maybe even inspire some non-cosplayers to take it up.

May the Force be with you ;)
-Megan