They are made from Du-kit, which is a cheap-o polymer clay. Once I get better I would love to start working with creating soft silicone moulds and resins but I am slightly nervous of the health effects in my small flat! Maybe summer is a better time to start.

(ALSO my friend Dan very kindly lent me a keyring to base the cast off…which I PROMPTLY BROKE. Mortifying. )

I am very lucky in that I have many people in my life who are incredibly supportive of my bizarre hobby. (I will have to make a big-ass post about this!)

*ninja edit*

I have updated with a gallery from my 1960s cocktail dress.
Click here to view!

p.s I am not Commissar Yarrick , I just happen to have an Imperial Guard Commissar outfit, which you can see here

HARVEYJAMES IS GOOD AT DRAWING! You should do make him draw for you like I did.

Butterick 6582

I realised I was going to a nice ball on Saturday and didn’t have anything dressy to wear *eek!* . So I found some Chinese brocade I brought three years ago and made this dress from Butterick’s Retro collection. The pattern is really lovely and easy to work with, but I found the style looks a bit matronly on me for my taste.  The dress also had a mid calf hem which I lifted a bit and I made one large bow rather then two wee ones.

The finished dress.

Okay this is a big reason for making this costume-  Skull boobs. They were originally ash trays  brought from a head shop that I carefully re-craniumed with pollyfilla and hot glue (Just like a real live neurosurgeon!)

The corset part of the bodice. With…more skulls.

Ready for adding fleur de lis to They sit along the bottom edging.

My grimdark junk!

A big thank you to theImage for my lovely photos <3

a. Six metres of lime green lycra that smells vaguely of damp dog
b. Three buttons shaped like hamburgers
c.  A Vogue pattern book from 1955

IT’s C! I kind of want to puke with envy, but at least it is now in the family.

The cover- which is a little damaged. I was thrilled how similar the pattern book format was to the current ones. Apart from styles and slightly more photographs very little has changed.

A Glamazon! Skirts seem to come in two cuts- full and romantic or sleek and fitted. Also I’ve deduced from this book that  everyone in the fifties looked like Dita von Teese.

There are pages and pages of floor length gowns, 99% of which you would wear today with no-one batting an eyelid. Note the Schiaparelli on the left!

See, they even make umbrellas look elegant She looks like it’s a cane or fencing foil or something rather then a golf umbrella from a petrol station with one prong missing.

I love the attitude to maternity wear- “yeah just cut a hole in the front and cover it with a tunic…noone will notice”

You can tell it’s vintage because every second man is either smoking or thinking about smoking. Dapper as hell though! I’m impressed by the first dude wearing a TIE with his dressing gown, like he thought an ascot was too informal.

The end!

]]> http://www.doublestitch.co.nz/wordpress/?feed=rss2&p=113 0 http://www.doublestitch.co.nz/wordpress/?p=103 http://www.doublestitch.co.nz/wordpress/?p=103#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 07:17:37 +0000 k http://www.doublestitch.co.nz/wordpress/?p=103 Okay- I have  been less then productive because:

1. My sewing machine has been in hospital because it was full of solidifed lard and lint or somethin’
2. It has been too cold to spraypaint
3.I am lazy and would rather eat bonbons and watch Home and Away reruns then do some actual WORK.

Here are the updated photos of bits of Amberley (see this post). A big thank you to theImage for my lovely photos <3

Keep a spray bottle of water by your ironing board, It is much better then the squirty function on your iron and you wont have to keep refilling it

When doing collar points use a very short stitch then clip right up close- scary but your points will be ruler sharp.

I know it’s boring, but make a mock up in a crappy fabric first to check the fit if you are doing a unfamiliar type of garment or something in an expensive fabric. It will end up saving you time.

Always be polite to the staff at sewing shops, they know their stuff and are usually delighted when you tell them you are making a costume. (After the 4893 customer making baby clothes you would be too) If you come in at a time when they are not busy they will order odd stuff in for you.

Go to the library! Sewing info tends not to date (sure a book from 1956 won’t have info on spandex, but the woven stuff it still great) There are a treasure trove of books on couture techniques, timesavers and inspiration in there. Also check out threads magazine- so good! www.threadsmagazine.com

Everybody can cosplay- there is no such thing as too fat, too short, too tall, too skinny or too old.

Do a trail run with the underwear you plan to wear with your costume- does it show though? Does it fit securely and comfortably?

Strapless bras can be nightmarish if they don’t fit- they either work by digging into your flesh or …don’t and you end up accidently showing a group of fourteen your old boys your taataas.

It seems like a small thing, but it will help your outfit sit better- this is especially important if your costume is form fitting or sheer.

If you feel embarrassed or overexposed in your outfit you won’t enjoy yourself as much as you would if you were comfortable. It’s fine to make a hem a bit longer or add some strategic power net!

A fluffy short skirt will show more then a fitted short skirt when you bend over.

Be a good soldier and take care of your feet. Blisters can make you so so miserable! Let’s face it, shoes you acquire for a costume may not be the highest quality of best fitting items in your wardrobe; however there are many useful insoles and stick on pads you can buy to stop your cruddy shoes pinching you.

I always bring band-aids just in case.

Difficult to launder garments + hot crowded cons are a recipe for funk. Be a good citizen and wear the strongest strength deodorant you can stand.

Consider dress shields for very precious costumes, sweat stains can perminantly stain some fabrics.

Test armour constantly during construction- something that rubs a little now can leave a nasty raw mess after eight hours. It’s also important that joints don’t pinch – WATCH FOR THE GROIN/ARMPITS!

( I’m fortunate enough to be helping out with introduction to cosplay panel, so I’ve been jotting down some thoughts.)

There is always more then one way of doing something. One person’s method may not work for you. There are very few hard and fast rules.

LEFT: The pattern illustration RIGHT: What you end up with SUCKA

Experiment

I usually purchase a wee bit more then I strictly need so I can play around a bit. (Will it melt if I use this glue? Would it look better if I pleated this part?)

Plan Ahead

I’m a very cheap little lady so I like to take advantage of sales. Many fabric stores have FANTASTIC half price sales at the end of a season. If you know what you need in advance you can make the most of them.

Be a Blabber Mouth

Most retail staff are bored out of their minds and love an interesting project, so tell them what you are up too. I’ve had people dig stuff from backrooms and give it to me at discount! Also when friends, neighbours and workmates hear you make stuff, they will start unloading their wonderful junk on you!

Patterns

Illustrations in pattern books always look incredible- try and find a photo of the garment if possible so you have a better indication of what it ACTUALLY looks like. Also there are review websites where you can read other people’s experiences with the pattern.