Oh, God. I'm A Crazy Person

[redbrunja]

I'm clinically insane. That's the only explanation. And you know, this really isn't my fault, I can't be held responsible - this is because of lack of sleep (I do crazy things when I'm sleep deprived, like making rp journals) or the fact that the water was shut off this morning in my apartment (Me last night: I want to wash my hair. Mmmm, better not, there's never hot water at night. Me this morning: *turns on the facet* *no water at all* Oh, you are kidding me.) Oh! Finals. This is because of finals. And I'm still half-sick. Really, I can't be expected to make rational decisions right now.

*takes deep breath*

So you want to know what I'm not doing?

This morning, I did not take screencaptures of Suki's awesome and fiendishly complex outfit.

 

I am not poking around on fabric sites looking at what's available.

I am not looking at pattern sites and thinking, 'hmm, am I crazy, or would that Tibetan Chupa make a good base for her outfit'?

Oh, god, I'm clinically insane aren't I?

Flist, I throw myself on your mercy. 

Help. 

If you could either a.) find and return my sanity

b.) give me the information on cosplay, specifically time/skill/money estimates, ideas on how to make the vest, headdress, arm bracers and detailing.

c.) smack me across the mouth and stick my head into a bucket of ice water.

[ETA: use this and possibly this.

A-Line Skirt]

Comments

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

You realize that my encoraging me, if I lose the rest of my mind and do this, I'm undoubtably going to wind up flinging myself at you.

That's for the suggestion of Suki's headdress.

What do you think of smilaraaq's suggestions for adapting the pattern, and do you have any hints for how to do that?

Also, I really, really wish that one of the awesome people who do cosplay lived near me - I have you a state away, smilaraaq across the country, and my grandma a 1/2 hour outside my home down. The good news is that my mother is a bit better at sewing then I am, and since I'm the fruit of her loins, she has to put up with my craziness.

(Also, at this point, ideas on how to get her on my side for this insane project would be helpful - I'm thinking of doing the math and arguing that I can make it cheaper than buying a leather jacket and fake-leather pants, and that this way I'll get to practice my sewing skills.)

[pzb.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see. We're bailing on Gojyo now, huh? XP

Anyhow, having dealt with historical-esk patterns before, they're hardly for the novice. I would honestly suggest going to a fabric store and raiding their pattern books and seeing if you can't find something suitably similar that you can modify. (I can't really help with what needs modification until we know the exact pattern to be used.) Simplicity is the best by far for beginners. Everyone that I know will atest to that these days. XD

Gee, I guess this means you'll just have to come visit. XD

You got her on your side for Saiyuki....I can't imagine getting her on Avatar would be that much harder. :D

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

You like Simplicity? The last time I looked at them their sizing, particularly on the beginner stuff, was horrifically huge, and the construction techniques they were suggesting folks use were absolutely dire...I steer away from them unless they've got an intersting style that nobody else has anything comparable to, and then I pretty much ignore their size charts and their directions and pretty much everything but the pattern tissue itself...

(But I like Folkwear and Vogue, so my biases for fussiness are probably very very evident...)

[pzb.livejournal.com]

I actually heard WHY all the standard patterns are all wonky on sizes. They're the only, roughly 50's era sizing. I hardly go by their sizing, especially on baggy things, but their patterns and instructions are generally easier for beginners to use than other pattern companies that I've used. I've not used Folkwear, but I have used Alter Years (http://alteryears.com/) and their sizing was funky as well and instructions hard to follow (though they do have some great, period costume pieces.) So all in all, I think for sake of ease, start with stuff that's easier to understand. :D

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Yeah, in classes I always really tried to emphasize looking closely at the amount of design ease in the pattern and checking the finished garment measurements before selecting sizes, rather than just trusting the little chart on the back -- but eesh, Simplicity and McCalls in particular always seemed to run particularly oversized, compared to stuff like the advanced Vogue patterns I favor, but it's the sloppy construction techniques they were calling for some of the time that really had me rolling my eyes. But I grew up studying my mom's sewing books from the 1940s and 1950s, so it's not too surprising I'd be inclined to a more classicist funky approach. (Now, if you want scary, I have a bunch of vintage patterns from the 30s and 40s -- not reproductions, actual vintage tissue; instead of the painfully-detailed instructions on so many modern patterns, these are just insanely terse, because they assume you already know all the terms and basic techniques so they don't have to go into much detail at all!)

Folkwear are pretty good on detailed instructions, since so much of their line consists of historical or ethnic styles that are likely to be unfamiliar to the basic home stitcher who doesn't have a primary focus on costuming. They sometimes tweak things to be a little friendlier to modern street wear and construction techniques, but often give alternate instructions for doing things more traditionally; I haven't yet tried Alter Years, but while the complexity of the patterns varies, the thoroughness of the instructions is way, way beyond the totally un-beginner-friendly approach of stuff like the historical costumes from Richard the Thread (http://www.richardthethread.com/index.php?submenu=Patterns&src=gendocs&link=patterns), which I have used -- those do very much assume that you mostly know what you're doing and don't need much hand-holding at all.

Red, you should probably talk with your mom or grandma, whoever's going to be your primary go-to helper here, and see if they have a particular favorite pattern line to work with, too -- PZB would steer you towards Simplicity and I'd go for Vogue or Folkwear, but if they really prefer, say, McCalls, it can't hurt to stick with what they know and like.

Aside from the speciality historicals that you're not gonna find on the shelves at Jo-Ann or Hancock anyway, the one major brand I would steer a relative beginner away from is Burda; unlike the American pattern lines, they don't include seam allowances on their pattern pieces, so you have to mark and add those on yourself -- extra work, and a bit confusing if you're not used to it. And the instructions are all translated from the German -- they're generally not terribly awkward at least, but that may add just another layer of unfamiliarity to the whole process.

I'd also recommend getting a good, basic, heavily illustrated guide like Vogue Sewing (http://www.amazon.com/Vogue-Sewing-Revised-Knitting-Magazine/dp/1933027002) or Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Sewing-Readers-Digest/dp/0762104201) -- no matter how friendly and hand-holdy the pattern instructions are, they still might not always be as clear and detailed as a book with actual color photographs along with the diagrams; and if the pattern confuses you, the books may explain the parts you're stuck on better. You can pick up older used copies of either of those fairly cheaply if you hunt online or check used bookshops -- if you can overlook the dated styles and colors shown on some of the finished projects, the basic information on construction techniques and terminology will all be the same; the only thing that might be lacking from really old copies is a section on working with overlock machines, and if you don't have one available to you anyway you hardly need to brush up on that! :)

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I think it's going to my my mother. First: convice her I'm not crazy. Second: throw all the info I've been getting at her and decide whether to make it as two seperate peices or use the chupa pattern. Third: enlist grandmother to help with the harder bits.

And those books are a great idea - I'm sure I can find one or both of them at the library, and it will be awesome to have a resource like that, so I'm not going in blind.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

You can find older used copies of the Reader's Digest book used for about five bucks, including shipping -- and poking around some reviews you might actually be better off with the old late-70s printing, the updated edition apparently gets rid of all the cheesy earth tones and dated styles, but they also dropped all the advanced sections explaining tailoring techniques! It's a good basic reference text, well worth it if you want to expand your skills and have something to help you figure out anything that's unclear on the patterns. :)

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Well, since I can't justify buying two costume, and one of my arguments is going to be 'I can actually make Suki cheaper than I can buy Gojyo' (did that sound a little wrong to anyone besides me?)... poor kappa. He's getting ditched for a hot girl.

I have ALWAYS been planning on coming to visit you prior to Sukura Con. (However, will you be insulted if I come bearing cosplay as well as gifts?)

Well, it's going to be a lot harder because I'm going to need her help, and Suki cosplay is going to be way more time consuming than Gojyo would be. However, I have a plan ride to think up rationalizations, and I'm come up with some REALLY GOOD ones so far.

[pzb.livejournal.com]

Actually, there was something I forgot to print up and bring down with me to mail with your package. Ironically, I had come up with it just before you had suggested it - a cosplay coupon, redeemable any and all the time. XD So, no dear, I will not mind at all if you bring cosplay stuff down with you. :D (Besides, you'll have a couple belated Christmas presents that I didn't have time to finish before we left for CA.)

And I wasn't sure if you were going to make it before Sak, since you had been concerned about school and such. But let me know when you think you'll be down this way (obviously not at the moment, as I know you won't know yet...hell, you could call me and say, "Hey, I'm on my way" and that would be fine XD)

I'm sure your mom will help you no matter what the reasoning. :D

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Ha! You are delightful! And I will be redeaming that coupon.

I am thinking that if I work on the dress during the weekends I'm home (with the sewing machine), the braces, headdress and sash at college, and then if I come down during (I know there's one) three day weekend and have you help me with the vest/armour... I might be possible to have that outfit done in 3 months. (When is Sakura Con again?)

Yes, she will, but it's best if she's solidly on my side for these sorts of things.

[pzb.livejournal.com]

Are you talking Martin Luther King or President's Day weekend? Let me know which so I can arrange time off. :D

Sak is March 24-26 I do believe. That's a good plan though. The dress shouldn't take you more than a couple days and getting all the little odds and ends done that don't need a sewing machine while at school is a great idea.

We can discuss later how you want to approach the armor. Both this (http://pics.livejournal.com/pzb/pic/00023579/g8) and this armor (http://pics.livejournal.com/pzb/pic/00022p29/g8) were done with vinyl, which you'll want a special sewing machine foot for (which I have :D) but there's also the other method I mentioned before. The vinyl would likely be the cheaper (and somewhat easier) way to go, now that I think about it. We could just cut strips and sew them together and maybe do a little painting to create the illusion of more depth....we'll talk about it.:D

If I don't catch you before hand (if I haven't missed you already) have a safe trip home. :D

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Pretty sure I'm thinking President's Day, because iirc, MLK Day is about a week after I start school.

*grins* It's all about time management. And caffine. (And getting my mom on my side, who was like, "You'll make a gorgeous Suki!" Followed by,"well of course I'll help/this is a good idea."

And you have the special foot, huh? How nice. And the cutting strips/painting sounds like a good idea.

And I had a fairly decent trip home, except for the last flight, where we entered the fifth dimension, where time has no meaning.

[pzb.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I figured you were talking President's Day.

Hee, I knew your mom would be in on it. :D

Yeah, it's called a walking foot, and essentially, what it does is lift and pull the fabric along instead of the fabric just sliding underneath it. Very, VERY handy with things like vinyl which just sticks to the machine, or very thick sections, like two layers of vinyl and heavy thick cotton pipping (been there, done that.)

Heh, yeah I think we all hit the fifth dimension on the way home Saturday. XD But glad you made it home safely.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised to hear that I wasn't he only person for whom time was moving at a viciously slow pace.