Cosplay Q/A

In no way to I claim to be a professional or anything but over the few years that I have been making costumes I've been getting a lot of questions. A lot of those questions are always the same thing so here's a list of all the frequent questions I can remember being asked!

If anyone has any others feel free to ask and I will answer them. BRICK OF TEXT NOW!

Ezio questions

Can I commission you for your Ezio costume!?
I do not do full commissions, only the blade and insignia.

How did you make your belt buckle/ hiddenblade?
My belt buckle was made by sculpting it, molding it, and then making a cast in plastic. My hidden blade I did simply by using Super sculpty, and sculpting it! Nothing fancy on that end just time consuming. And no my hidden blade does not work, it's just stationary.

What fabric did you use?
As far as I can remember it was a cotton twill!? I honestly have no idea but that's a good place to start. When I pick fabric I first look for colour and then go by feeling. I'm not scientific or even logical at all I just go with my gut. In the end find the right colour, decide if you like the way it feels and moves and just pick what you like. =]

How is the insignia attached?
The insignia is mounted on a base piece under the sash. The buckles are also mounted on the base piece so none of the pull from the belt is applied to the insignia itself.

Did you use a pattern for your jacket?
I rarely use patterns anymore but if I do, I usually take a generic hoodie pattern and alter it accordingly. That's exactly what I did for Ezio's jacket.  I also made it in layers so not everything is all once piece.

How did you add the stripes?
I sewed a strip of red fabric under the main jacket material, after doing so I cut a line up the grey fabric and frayed away the edges revealing the red stripe underneath.

Did you embroider the lining?
The lining of the jacket is in no way accurate and in no way embroidered. It just happens to be a fancy looking material I found and thought would look nice.

How did you make the leather pieces?
I can't even pretend to know anything about leather so my 'leather pieces' are vinyl. So upon saying that I'm sure there's not much I can tell you other then most of the stuff is simple shapes that are really nothing fancy or anything to brag about.

Can use your costume for inspiration?
I get this one a good amount and it makes me giggle mainly because I stayed true to the character design so go right ahead my friends! For all the chickas making this, fit it to your form and show off those lady curves, that's about all the altering/ design changes I made...except for a bit of lace trim here and there.

Other costumes

How did you make your Gwendolyn wings?
My Gwendolyn wings are made of individual foam feathers mounted on a base piece and attached with a belt.

How do you make your silent hill nurse mask?
ddrshaman38.deviantart.com/art…
Kudos to DDRshaman38 for the awesome tutorial. I used that as a base for my mask and after a few hours of messing around with model magic and just about anything else you can find POOF! You have a nurse mask.

How did you add texture to your [silent hill nurse] dress?
Fabric dye, coffee, glue+flour

How did you make Kalina Ann [Lady/Mary Devil may cry]?
A drain pipe, insulation foam board, cardboard and a little bit of craft foam. Literally all the big piece were cut and carved out of foam board and then glued to the pipe.

How did you make your Yoko bracelets?
Empty duct tape rolls and Styrofoam balls cut in half!

Misc.

Where did you buy ______?
I make all my costumes and props so chances are I can't help you when it comes to purchasing things sorry.

Where do you buy your wigs?
99% of the time it's eBay.

What measurements did you use for _______/ How big did you make ____?
Asking me for the measurements I use for props or costume parts is counter productive on your part unless we are the exact same size. In my opinion the difference between a good costume and great costume is proportion. Making a piece proportionate to your own body is key. Look at how the prop or clothing piece is in proportion to the character and try to make that to yourself. So say the gun reaches an inch over his/her head, than make sure your gun does the same thing on you!

Could you make me _____ costume!?
For the record I don't do sewing commissions. Sewing for other body types scares me because I'm terrified of letting people down and not making it the right size. If anything I usually sell old costumes or wigs and such.


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