Hobbies

[Aldethar]

Hi everyone,

So my partner did her first cosplay this year at comic con this year and loved it so much that I am currently making a new costume for her for next year.

I would like to share the story just for the sharing part, but also to stay motivated and get feedback.

I went for some sewing lessons and bought a sewing machine.

Next I needed some space as I live in a single room. I build a cupboard whose door comes completely off and slides in to create a work surface.

I am still in the very beginning of the project, so there will be few photos to start of with that I will be posting later on.

Also, seeing as this IS a exercise site, whoever can guess what the cosplay is, as it comes along can send me a message along with a workout that I need to do if they got it right (level 1-3 only pretty please)

 

[Aldethar]

And as promised the first few pics.

Sadly some of the work will take a bit longer and comic con will only be in May, so it will be a longer running thing.

 

[Henry (thinman)]

I'm guessing NieR: Automata

 

[Aldethar]

Hi @Henry (thinman) That is not it. But actually a good guess. I can tell you that it is from a game and that some people on here ARE indeed playing it

 

[NightWolf714]

It's really coming along! I've only done a tiny bit of sew (I sometimes make stuff animals) but I really admire people who can make clothing and such! That's such a long and complicated process!

 

[Henry (thinman)]

@NightWolf714 My mum would make her own dresses from patterns back in the 60's, she also worked as a machinist at a handbag factory. Today we have her sawing machine, comes in handy.

 

[NightWolf714]

@NightWolf714 My mum would make her own dresses from patterns back in the 60's, she also worked as a machinist at a handbag factory. Today we have her sawing machine, comes in handy.

That's incredible! You have to be pretty skilled to go from just using patterns to making your own, I think.

 

[Aldethar]

@NightWolf714 Sadly I am still a LONG way away. Every time I think I make headaway I either run out of material or I need to learn a new technique... luckily I still have some time.

I am thinking of doing another part of the costume to give myself a break, but that mght give away to much. But we will see.

@Henry (thinman) That is really amazing,, and yes.. after learning so much I can see that a sewing machine at home really helps.

 

[Aldethar]

So I realized that there are a lot of learning curves when it comes to sewing. And I mean a LOT.

As I mentioned I tried making another part of the cosplay, but when it came to the stitching I failed horribly. I did manage to make a much simpler pouch in the end just to get the gist of it.

As you can see it is a lot of preparation with all the patterns. The materials are 2 different colors of fake leather as well as jeans material to make it more rigid.

Once I started the sewing the end of it kind of... well... messed up and clumped together.

I was also thinking of the challenge and I am thinking if anyone does guess it they can choose any of the workouts (even level 5) and I have month to get to the point where I can do it. Would be a great motivator

 

[Aldethar]

So I had another interesting day with my sewing machine today trying to get better. Ran into a few issues, managed to sort it after a lot of colorful words and a string mess. I managed to make one pouch nicely but it was listening to the song "Lets twist again"... so all in all I made a few pouches already to try to get to the skill level I need. But I think I am there so tomorrow I will try once again at the proper one.

Oh.. and that string mess is around 12-15 times I had to cut it, so it isnt just one string but more like 50

 

[NightWolf714]

String messes with sewing machines are the worst! Good job conquering it!

 

[Aldethar]

@NightWolf714 I think I actually did manage it

As I was trying to figure out the issue I somehow managed to create a second one without realizing it.
It took me 50 minutes of re-attempting different methods of getting issue 1 solved, even though it already was, that I learned a lot about the machine... I found the second mistake by accident

 

[NightWolf714]

@Aldethar - See, this is why I like hand sewing. So straight forward. Though limiting ... and time consuming ... and hand aching .... Ya know, maybe machine sewing is better. XD

 

[Aldethar]

@NightWolf714 I started with hand sewing dog collars and leashes when I trained them. I stopped at one stage and my tools were gathering dust till my partner asked me for a collar and since then I have done a few projects. Here are some of them

 

[Saffity]

Those are fantastic!

 

[VLogan]

I've sewn on and off for years. My last big costuming project was for my daughter for MomoCon years ago. We made a Zelda. Yep, even with years of sewing experience, there are always learning curves. She needed a pouch as well. Plus, figuring out how to do the armor, which didn't involve sewing.
I had sewn baby clothes for her, made belly dance costumes for me, sewn various other Halloween costumes, but nothing to the extent of what is needed for a Con. Those are a whole different level of sewing and constructing.
Great job learning new things and sticking with it!! Best advice I got from a friend (who sews ALOT of her daughters costumes)....step away after 2 hours. If it's going great, still step away. If you're fighting with it, definitely step away. Works wonders for getting through a sewing project unscathed.

 

[Aldethar]

@VLogan great advice... and yes it is a learning curve,

I did learn how to sew in a perfectly straight line now exactly there where I want it and I am glad about that.
Sadly the most recent snag I hit is that sewing the jeans to the fake leather to make it more rigid doesnt work as nice as I was hoping. The machine pulls one material and not the other, and that is with a foot designed for leather... so I might have to bite the bullet and actually sew the pouches together by hand

 

[VLogan]

@VLogan great advice... and yes it is a learning curve,

I did learn how to sew in a perfectly straight line now exactly there where I want it and I am glad about that.
Sadly the most recent snag I hit is that sewing the jeans to the fake leather to make it more rigid doesnt work as nice as I was hoping. The machine pulls one material and not the other, and that is with a foot designed for leather... so I might have to bite the bullet and actually sew the pouches together by hand

Congrats on the straight line accomplishment! It's a basic skill that definitely takes times and patience to perfect. It's been so long since I've sewn regularly that I'll be needing alot of practice again.
Sewing different types of material together can be frustrating. There are probably some hacks out there about it. I don't remember any at the moment. I know I've had the same issues bc with costuming that comes up occasionally.
Can't wait to see your finished project!

 

[Aldethar]

Sadly that will still take a while @VLogan ... at the moment I am already stressing if I will be done by May.

 

[VLogan]

Sadly that will still take a while @VLogan ... at the moment I am already stressing if I will be done by May.

I know that feeling well. You got this!!!!

 

[Aldethar]

So the string that I want to use finally arrived and the colors are almost perfect .

And at the risk of getting caught out to what the cosplay is, here is part of the reference and what I have.

 

[Aldethar]

So I got a bit further with the costume
measuring for the binding was a bit hard to get right, and the mitered corners where a pain in the

but I managed to get one part done that does not have the string in the middle.

Although I am not 100% happy I must also realize that I am a perfectionist and noone will look THAT closely at the costume... After all it will only be entered in the beginner cosplay competition

 

[Maegaranthelas]

Is it a costume from DA:V? I remember seeing so many costumes in that game that I kinda wanted to wear xD
Instead of backing the faux leather with denim, you may want to get some interfacing material.
Fusible is the most commonly available, but considering that faux leather is generally plastic, I would be careful ironing it.
If you can find a spray adhesive for fabric and use that, that would be great, but if not, turn the heat down low enough for synthetics and maybe use an old towel in between your iron and the interfacing as well.

(also since I did this wrong recently, make sure you have the sticky side facing the fabric... )

And from that snippet of picture, it looks like that might actually be a strip of fabric (or binding) instead of thread, which you could make out of the beige fabric if you have some left =)

I picked up sewing as a pandemic hobby, and since I am disabled I have had a lot of time to watch youtube videos and try stuff out xD
Very happy to help in any way I can =D

Also whooooh you did mitered corners! Impressive

 

[Aldethar]

@Maegaranthelas there was actually a costume from the previous dragon age that I was also interested in, but this one is not from that serious.

There is another part of the costume lower down on the body that has the same ribbons, but a lot thinner, so I thought it is string, but I will see what happens.

I had a look at something similar to Fusible but decided to do the leather jeans combo by hand ones I get to it again.

And yeah. I only started sewing a months ago or so and so happy I managed to do those corners.

 

[Maegaranthelas]

Handsewing gives you a lot of control, so that's a great option =D
Also I think just using a basic glue stick might hold stuff down long enough to work with as well, if you find stuff is still shifting around on you a lot.
I have watched many a video of Rachel Maksy just using a glue gun for what really should have been sewn, so apparently in cosplay it's all good as long as it stays on long enough xD

For only a few months of learning I think you're doing wonderfully well =)

See how it looks with the embroidery floss, you can always go back and change it later if you're really not happy with it.
And indeed, it doesn't have to be perfect! We're not making Haute Couture or other things I can barely spell here
If it's fun to make and covers the necessary bits in the end, I think it will be an entirely successful cosplay

 

[Aldethar]

@Maegaranthelas I already used the mighty glue stick

But I can't wait till someone guesses it so I can show the full reference Pic.

Maybe I must start giving hints

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

I don't play any video games (unless one counts TTS--a sandbox to enable the play of tabletop board games online). So my chances of guessing what your costume is are basically zero. I just want to say kudos for tackling such an impressive project as a new sewer! Also: I love your cupboard with the table/door! That is brilliant!

 

[Aldethar]

Thank you @Laura Rainbow Dragon . The cupboard really helps, still wish I more work space though.

Well. Here is a hint for everyone, you actually mentioned a word that is part of the game title.

 

[Maegaranthelas]

Ooh, is it Horizon: Zero Dawn? I think Aloy also has amazing outfits
I don't really have a mind's eye, so I am just trying to remember games with good costuming, I don't actually remember what they looked like :')

 

[Aldethar]

Lol, why yes it is. So @Maegaranthelas, what is the workout you want me to do. And yes. Any of the workouts.

And here is the full reference.

 

[Maegaranthelas]

I have chosen Adventurer!
Because that's what Aloy is <3
And I specifically chose a level II because I will do it with you this week

 

[Aldethar]

@Maegaranthelas I LOVE this. This is such a thought out exercise that I can really get behind this! I will tag you once it is done. (Most likely this weekend as I am currently with partner and kid)

And I will need it after eating the peppermint crisp tart I made

Sadly I could not love the comment, not sure how to on my cellphone.

I hope everyone have a nice Christmas!

 

[Aldethar]

Good morning everyone and I hope you all had a lovely holiday.

My exercises really lacked this festive season, but that is for my exercise log. @Maegaranthelas I have not forgotten about those exercises either yet, but I did say I have a month to train for it, so I will do it by the 25th of January

Other than that I had some better results with the mitered corners, made a LOT of tubes (I made around 120 of them) and I got one segment done.

I still have 4 months left for the comic con and still have a lot of ground to cover.

 

[NightWolf714]

Oh, that looks like a lot of small pieces to try and sew!

 

[Aldethar]

@NightWolf714 yip. it is around 120 or so small pipes. They are all sewn already and I am busy turning them inside out.

There are times that I feel a tad overwhelmed at this entire project as there is still SOOOO much to do.

So I broke down a more or less timeline for how much time I can spend on each segment.

There are a total of 17 weeks left till comic con and here are my estimations of how long some stuff will take (This is with me working for 2 hours a day Monday to Friday):

Skirt - 3 weeks
Bracers - 2 weeks
Leg armor - 1 week
Top - 3 weeks
Shin armor - 1 week
Shoes - 1 week
Bags + Quiver - 2 week
Bow - 4 weeks

I am hoping that some parts will go faster like the Skirt as I am sure that I will need more time on some of the other stuff.

 

[NightWolf714]

I can definitely understand that! It sounds and looks like a big undertaking! I think the approach you have, trying to break it down into smaller ideas that come together, is pretty smart. Plus, when time crunch comes (because it always does, lol), you can prioritize a bit easier I feel like.

You're making great progress though! I can't wait to see it all!

 

[Maegaranthelas]

Daaaaang that is looking cool though!
I don't think I would have thought of making them out of tubes.
I suspect I would have gone for box pleats, much quicker
But yours look so much like the picture, I don't know if box pleats would have come close! Very well done!
And I love that you made yourself a timeline with little deadlines. It helps so much!

 

[Aldethar]

Daaaaang that is looking cool though!
I don't think I would have thought of making them out of tubes.
I suspect I would have gone for box pleats, much quicker
But yours look so much like the picture, I don't know if box pleats would have come close! Very well done!
And I love that you made yourself a timeline with little deadlines. It helps so much!

I was thinking about the box pleats, but the issue is that the panels have a little kink in them of sorts.
The bottom piece (large one) is supposed to be broader but I really messed up with the binding so had to cut a cm or so off from all sides.

One of my biggest issues is that I am to much of a perfectionist so I am not happy with those panels and will most likely redo them.

Seeing that it is a large part of the costume I will most likely take the smaller panels with the 6 corners in order to get some practice for the next few days to iron out the last issues, then start to do all the panels over the next 2 weeks.

I already told my partner that I will be making the top piece as well already as it uses the same techniques and collars, so that will be out of the way.


PS. I also cheated with the tubes as I did start to sew them, but the last panel I did I used something that the local shop calls spider web. It looks like a spiderweb made out of polysterene that melts very quickly, so you can use it to iron 2 fabrics together.

I already tried it on the jeans and fake leather and it works like a charm, saving me time and a lot of headaches

 

[Maegaranthelas]

oooh, I am so glad you found something that works for your fake leather woes!

I'd say keep going at it for now, and make fixing the panels your stretch goal.
A costume that's done but slightly wonky will still read better than one that is perfect in all the bits that are there but has a lot of bits missing ^^

I am also wondering if you can skip the whole 'turning inside out' thing for the pipes.
Pressing the seams open and flat on the back so they don't show in front is good enough, I think =)
I don't think this is a washing-machine kind of outfit anyway, and they won't be under any strain.
You can just cut the seam allowance short enough to be hidden =)

 

[Aldethar]

oooh, I am so glad you found something that works for your fake leather woes!

I'd say keep going at it for now, and make fixing the panels your stretch goal.
A costume that's done but slightly wonky will still read better than one that is perfect in all the bits that are there but has a lot of bits missing ^^

I am also wondering if you can skip the whole 'turning inside out' thing for the pipes.
Pressing the seams open and flat on the back so they don't show in front is good enough, I think =)
I don't think this is a washing-machine kind of outfit anyway, and they won't be under any strain.
You can just cut the seam allowance short enough to be hidden =)

now THAT is perfect advice! Thank you.

I will still go with the plan of practicing and redoing the one panel as I did really butcher it, but will leave it at that afterwards.

I am actually busy looking at some 4k images of the game and the amount of detail is actually pretty insane.


The one thing that scares me a bit is the actual bow, as that is once again a medium that I have never worked with before and will need another learning curve.... but that is a future me problem

And I am almost done with turning the tubes inside out. I did most of it while watching YouTube.

Due to space limitations I even made my own little ironing board