May 6, 2012

Fabrics for Ichito

 Hi all.

I'm bored right now and mom was watching icehockey recently and today she doesn't really feel like helping me finish that 'flap' thingy -with its lining problems- so I went and checked what leftover fabrics we had in our 'clothing room' more like sewing supply room lol instead because I'm in a cosplay progress mood. I tried to search for that light gray fabric that I used for my hakamas when making my Byakuya cosplay from Inu Yasha year 2010. Yes, my first cosplay. I had a faint memory we had scrap pieces of that fabric left but it seems we did not.. crap, I could have used some for Ichito's eyepatch thingies. That fabric isn't finito though, the bolt is in the storage if I'm not mistaken.
Oh well, instead I found a dark blue fabric that could work for Ichito's kimono. Although it's a bit darker and lacks a violet-ish touch to it -as I would prefer- I still think I will use it.. but mom said this piece probably isn't big enough for the kimono so I have to pay a visit to Eurokangas (where we bought it 2010 too, also originally used for Byakuya cosplay's haori) and check if they have it left. I also found a piece of dark brown kinda stretchy fabric that mom said is one of the many fabrics that's left from her own fabric store. She said it's used for pants and it would work for Ichito's hakama-ish pants. She thinks there's enough fabric and I hope she's right, save money hohoho. I think this piece is all that is left from that fabric bolt, she probably sold the rest years ago so if this isn't enough we need to go buy something else...

Lastly a picture of the fabrics:

(flash photo)
I love how cameras never show the actual colors... both are darker in real life.
Oh, and I noticed I only have a month on me to finish my Desucon cosplays. Shiet, need to start working for real now!

Bye!

April 30, 2012

Ichito's 'flap' pt.3

 How's it going? :)

Today my youngest cousin was here and I had to 'babysit' him or whatever, we played Nintendo DS and mom sewed him a cushion cover so he could make a coming mother's day present to his mom. So while he was painting on it I ran back and forth the house trying to work on my cosplay. He's 9 btw.

So today's progress.. well, first off I had to iron the flower designs to set it and then I went to cut out the lining pieces.

Lining cut out. (back piece)
Front piece lining. Edges are zigzaged.
A while after I had zigzaged the pieces the little kid left with his dad and after that mom decided to take a nap while I continued sewing. But before I went and paid the sewing machine another visit I decided to take a photo...

Yeah, a face censor again... sexy me gusta.
Ignore the fact that I'm wearing my everyday clothing underneath, I don't have the kimonos or pants done yet as you know... oh, and the jacket's front derps because I lack the obi too.
After closing the side seams I was afraid that the 'flap' would get stuck half-way up my ass.. luckily it didn't and it seems roomy enough (it doesn't fall of when walking though) I will be able to wear that dark blue kimono and hakama under it.

After that I went to sew on the lining. I had a hard time figuring out how to attach it but after some help by mom I went and tested sewing it on...

afdsasghjs
I dunno how visible it is on this photo but one of the lining side seams didn't match up with the 'flap' side seam. So I had to take in around 2 centimeters of the lining to get the seams to be aligned... but...

Oh snap...
Turned out the rest of the lining was waaaay too short after that seam modification. Urgh, just as mom worried it would. I had to unstitch the whole thing. Back to start... not my day today. After that I got stuck watching tv and celebrating Walpurgis...

Bye!

April 28, 2012

Ichito's 'flap' pt.2

 Hi all!

Today after dinner I decided to hand-paint the design on that 'flap' thingy. So first of I needed to have a reference picture of Ichito at hand and I also happen to know what those designs actually are supposed to be - higanbana - aka spiderlily.

Lycoris Radiata
Ichito reference
 So knowing what I'm actually trying to paint is a little bonus. But I drew mostly according to the character reference and some artistic freedom.. because it would have peen a major pain in the ass to draw every damn flower and line exactly the same.
I did iron the fabric prior to painting so it was wrinkle-free. So yeah, here is today's progress photos and please excuse the crappy lighting again, the colors get a bit fucked up.

Sketched some "base flowers" on the fabric.
Started painting...
Painted some more...
Started doing the lines...
More lines. Half of it done pretty much.
Other half done and started painting the bottom "rings"...
Finished!
I didn't count the time but I think it took me around 4-5 hours to finish. Urgh. I'm sick of drawing lines now. XD Now I just need to sew together the front and back piece at the sides and fix the edges and probably add a lining to the front's backside.
Ah... now I've earned myself some chips and a bottle of påskmust. lol

Bye bye!

April 27, 2012

Ichito's 'flap' pt.1

Hellou!

Pfft, today mom got my depressed ass to do something instead of being a half-dead angsty sausage in front of the computer all day. Yeah, I had a shitty day today, didn't go to school etc...
So with her help I started working on Ichito's 'flap' thingy late during the evening instead of completely wasting the day.

Sorry again for the bad lighting but here's a few photos of today's progress:

Fabric cut out. Pattern still attached.
I zigzaged all around the 'flap' so the edges won't fray while I'm painting it later...
The fabric paint I will use. Slate blue.
Testing paint on scrap fabric.
To the right is only solid blue color and to the left is blue with some white blended in at the tips. I think I prefer the blended version so I will do the 'flap' that way, it looks better... not as boring, at least I think so.

Tomorrow hopefully I will paint the real thing, it's too late already and my eyes are going afdfghsgfh on me. *yawns* So tomorrow it is.

Goodnight!

April 26, 2012

Uppcon is green!

Today I got my Uppcon ticket! So now I'm coming! 8D (even though bad date, rush after school ends~)
I will be sleeping at my father's place a bit outside Stockholm and my twin Jäätynyt Enkeli will keep me company at the con. Dad might drive us every morning or otherwise we'll take the train, haven't planned yet how we'll get to Uppsala.

My cosplay plans aren't set yet, but this is what I had in my mind:

Friday - Gin Ichimaru (Bleach)


Saturday - Ichito (Asaki, Yumemishi)


Sunday - Toshizo Hijikata (Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan)


I might change Hijikata for Okita, not sure yet.. it depends. And Ichito is not 100% sure either, but I want to do a BOOM unique/cool cosplay for Saturday. XD Yeah.. we'll see but this is what my plans look like at the moment.

April 15, 2012

Finishing Ichito's "jacket"

 Hiya!

So today I finished Ichito's "jacket" hitatare? chihaya? I don't know thingy.
First off I attached the sleeves to the body and then I just hemmed everything. I left the sleeves open on both sides and the body of the garment is fully open at the sides too.

Sleeves are on.
Huge sleeves...
After hemming everything I just had left to do those chest cord decoration thingies... so here's how I made them:

Draw the shape.
 First off I went to our outside storage and cut off a tiny square of this one leather-ish plum colored fabric. Then I took a reference and drew the shape of those flame/flower/whatever decorations and cut them out.

Sew them to the ribbons... (notice sewing machine left fugly marks on them -.-)
... and then sew them to the collar of the "jacket".
And then it was finished. Now I can just tie them whenever wearing it. Although I could have made those ribbons a bit longer mom pointed out, oh well.

Ah, lovely thing ~
Now I have left to do the obi, "flap" with higanbana design, dark blue kimono, tekkou, bracelet, tattsuke hakama-ish pants, feet wrappings, shoes, eyepatch... err... let's just say everything else. OTL

Bye bye!

April 13, 2012

Ichito sleeve progress pt.2

Alrighty everyone, I did the second sleeve today. Here's the breakdown!

Preparations for marking every buttonhole...
Close-up of the marking process. Dots.
After that I started to sew the buttonholes. Again. I had to install the memory thingy myself this time, it worked after some errors...

... and then I got one like this. It doesn't look anything like a buttonhole man. -.-
I kept doing them anyway and when I had finished a little bit more than half the sleeve...

.. I finally got the first perfect one. Finally.
But that joy didn't last long because of course directly after that perfect one...

IT MADE NOT ONE BUT THREE MEGA DERP BUTTONHOLES FFFFFFFF-
Okay, machines will never work like you want them do. For every job well done they will pay you back with three times shit. Don't trust them.

Problem?
I promise, it trolled me.
But that wasn't the end of the trolling... because it seems three derpholes wasn't enough....

FFFFFFFFFFFFOOUUURRRRRRRRRRRR!!!1 Need I say more?
But when I had almost finished the sleeve something impossible happened...

It suddenly did two perfect buttonholes. What the fuck.
Wow, this thing sure can't decide if it wants to be my friend or not... OTL
Oh well, 43 buttonholes later and some raging I made the slits and threaded ribbon through them, just like I did for the other sleeve yesterday night.

Ah, it's handy to have the whole roll.
And well, then I just tied and burned the ribbon ends and it was done. Here's one in-progress pic:

Not sure if gusta.
The sleeves aren't attached and stuff needs to be hemmed and, err... lots of stuff left. But I'll finish this sucker! 8D

That's all for this time, laterz!