Nekocon 2012 Wrap-Up

So, I think both cosplays went well.  Gogo Yubari was a pretty big hit for those who recognized her.  My BF decided at the last minute to cosplay a Crazy 88 so that made it even more fun.  Since it was just before Halloween, easily found his mask and tie at an Halloween superstore, he got the jacket from the Goodwill and the sword from an import store.

People mostly loved Gogo's meteor hammer.  I got quite a few looks when people realized that I used real chain.  Don't worry the ball itself was foam.

Maka was a hit too and I got a lot of compliments on my boots. 

The pic is a before and after.

Since I'm still relatively new to sewing, I didn't try to make her coat.  I'll mostly likely attempt that in the future and then make a scythe as well.

If you're interested in how I did the boots, there really isn't much to say.  I cut the straps off of the original boots.  My white straps started out as white men's leather belts that I found on Amazon.com.  I bought four of the longest available because I knew I needed four buckles and I wanted as much leather as possible.

With my BF's help, we basically would measure the strap, mark with a pencil where we needed to cut, and cut.  Leather belt cuts really easily with regular scissors and I glued the belt on with Fabri-Tac. 

To create the hole she has along the side and back of her boots, I used a leather punch (the red-handled item pictured above) and large grommets that I bought from Joanns.

In the end we had plenty of belt without having to use the portion that has the pre-punched holes.

If you're interested in how I did the meteor hammer, that's a separate post.

Happy cosplaying!

4 days to Nekocon 2012

With only 4 days to go, I finally conquered my procrastination.  My boyfriend helped me put the straps on my Maka Albarn boots.  I did the two around the upper part, and put in the grommets, but he put on the rest of the straps and painted the soles.  They look awesome!

Thanks to a friend who just bought a club, we went to a Halloween party Friday night, which forced me to finish modifying Gogo's jacket and cut the bangs.  I've started working on her weapon and will definitely be finished in a couple of days.

Now, other than Gogo's weapon, I only have bits and pieces left.  I have to sew on the clasp for my Maka skirt, sew on the gold buttons that go on Gogo's sleeves, and then knit the trim onto Maka's sweater vest.

Since I took Thursday off from work, I should definitely be able to get everything done with time to spare.

Happy cosplaying!

Next up: Maka Albarn and Gogo Yubari

Our next Con is Nekcon in Hampton, VA on Nov 2-4.  That gives me about 70 days to get my next two cosplays together.   

 Gogo Yubari (Kill Bill Vol. 1)

and

Maka Albarn (Soul Eater)

I've already started acquiring and scouting items.  It looks like I may have to buy more Gogo stuff than I would like but I haven't given up yet.  I really want to get the fabric for her skirt as accurate as possible, so I'm still looking for a plaid I can use to make my own before, I just buy a pre-made skirt.

I was also surprised to notice in her fight with the bride (Uma Thurman) that her sneakers are most likely Nike Air Force Ones.  That's hilarious to me, so I will definitely be scouting around Ebay for a pre-worn pair of those in my size.

As for Maka, I'm already working on her sweater vest.  I'm knitting it myself using the Academia pattern from Twist Collective.  I'm using the Cascade 220 Superwash Sport on the Lemon (#820) colorway.  The original pattern as a fair-isle section, but I'm obviously just going to knit the vest plain.

My local fabric store has a cute red/black plaid twill that I'll be buying to make her skirt.  I would like to make the tie if I can find some striped fabric even if it's cotton.  And if I'm feeling brave and still have a few weeks time, I'll attempt her coat and make a scythe.  Otherwise I'll just re-cover some used books and make my own creative and Soul Eater related titles and carry those.

Overall, I'm just hoping that I don't get so involved in work that I run out of time to finish these cosplays.  The beginning of the school year is such a crunch time, that I usually come how and crash.  Wish me luck and . . .

Happy Cosplaying!!