mdb costumes

Well, blech..

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:06:56 +1200

From too damp to too warm I let the workroom get too warm so I’ll need to do a bit more tidying of the lekku. I really wanted them done before Hamilton armageddon but hey.

I copied the lekku patterns to paper and then again to more paper to be able to…

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Oh hello rain, again...

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:03:03 +1200

I am having trouble with the tidying of the lekku, mainly because it is so damp. I think there may be a pool of water under my workroom because it is super stinky. So I’ve had the heater going most of the day- it helps with the smell, helps with my joints…

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Lekku are weird… So I made a pattern from my lekku. And...

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:33:59 +1200

Lekku are weird…

So I made a pattern from my lekku. And because it is thundery out there I did not go and get my…

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Tattoos drafted!And this is the leftover mess. I think I spent.....

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:51:58 +1200

Tattoos drafted!

And this is the leftover mess. I think I spent.. five hours the first time resizing and scaling…

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So.. it’s happening. Finally some good progress on my...

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:02:05 +1200

So.. it’s happening. Finally some good progress on my Lekku of Dooooooom!

Check ‘em out! They reach my knees! Some of the super curve I had in early stages fell out, but I know what I did and I don’t think I could have avoided it under current circumstances.

Also photo of my latest purchase! the perfect packable sized containers from the local Daisco (or $3.50 japan shops in Auckland- super excited one opened local to me XD). These are pill containers and I have filled the larger panel with the main body colour for (left to right) Rachi, Liara and Talon/Shaak Ti. The smaller panels I am filling with highlights, liners and colours for patches/markings.

So for Rachi I have (clockwise from top right) pink, white, dark purple and then the final panel will have black for line work.

For Liara (ditto) I have white then will mix similar shading and line work colours (dark blue and black).

For Talon/Shakk Ti I will have two for white and two for black as both require a fair amount of one or the other.

Then I can pack my small carry kit (seen in an earlier post, check the tags (make up) with all the brushes and shading powders in there along with mascara and regular make up..

As a balance of cost type of comparison, you need two NZ Airbrush Tattoos bottle to make about the same as one RC large colour pot. So if you are on a budget you can buy the local stuff and slowly build it up if you are not mixing colours. If you want to head straight into the colour pots then expect to pay about 2/3 extra for shipping. At least if you are buying say 4-6 pots.

Other Talon updates: The strapping has been fixed :) I need to trim some extra bits but the greaves and bracers now have black velcro (don’t ask how I wound up with white as I don’t even know…) and the fixed strapping has been glued down.
I have cleaned the bikini and will need to take in the leggings and gloves. I left the top edge raw as the fabric is scuba stuff so it hard to hem, I am hoping like heck the bikini bottoms still fit as the legs have been hemmed and I don’t fancy unpicking so I can take them in.
The belt still needs to be taken in and I hope I have enough rivets to do so! I may not. I have the snaps but the leather is thick. I am pretty sure I had issues trying to get them to work last time.
Tattoos are being redrawn! I hope to get the line work able to fit fewer pages but if not, I’ll have to use two types of paper. I am flitting between files and artwork and think redrawing them is going to work out the best as I can then use unsharp mask to make sure the edges look hand painted. And the files I made last time were slightly oversized.

New Zealand, I Am Coming To Look At You!

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:32:58 +1200

gailsimone:

Leaving Tuesday, be there Wednesday, for LOOKING AT!

Who all will be at the Armageddon Expos in Hamilton and/or Wellington?

Wooohooo!!! I know Dee will be there and she has all the exite and so do I, even though I am going to be more than a tad busy with the cosplay contest (I’m the judgey mcjudgeypants- but I have awesome people helping out always :) ) and always too freaking shy to go up to artists I admire (ask me about the time I maintained a 20 foot distance from Jan Duurema’s table while dressed as Darth Talon so I could duck away if I was spotted). But Dee might be Dee and push me along and I’ll say something stupid and mumble a thank you…

Anyway, welcome to NZ in a few days! Hopefully Auckland will not be as wet as it has been. Not gonna lie, there are people about to arrive with giant sucky engines to de-ensodden our section. Just waiting for the noise and the water.

puzzlecunt: You guys need to see the stack of costumes I’ve...

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:51:20 +1200

puzzlecunt:

You guys need to see the stack of costumes I’ve started, for serious. I have a serious problem with getting excited about new projects too easily! Currently started, with unknown finish dates, off the top of my head, are: 3x Granado Espada costumes, 2x Aion costumes, 1x Draenei Death Knight, 1x Dark Eldar (not the one I’m working on actively now), Silk Spectre I, a GW necromancer and a bunch of half-baked concept pieces. I know I have more in boxes. It’s all good until you realise you’ll never finish them all, and that’s when you start feeling really shitty :)

This is why I am about to destash if I can :) I have hoarded pretties just to have the pretties but I have already gotten rid of about 150L of fabrics (gifted to friends) and am considering offering costume “kits from my stash to entice people into getting their own projects started ;) Like silver fabric for an Apailana costume… my shot green pleasted skirt and precut (and overlocked) bodice pieces for a Natural form/slight bustle gown.
My rack of actually in progress for reals UFOs barely fits in a double wardrobe, the bar is sagging and I can’t actually get anything off the bar without having to really push other projects aside.
I have looked at this row of unfinished projects for months now. Now that I am well I have no desire to finish them but to make new things. *Cry*

Finally my lists! I like shopping list paper to remind myself of...

Wed, 15 May 2013 01:12:09 +1200

Finally my lists!

I like shopping list paper to remind myself of smalljobs required to finish projects.
Here we have…

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oftheforest: grimsperation: Michele Caragher Embroidered...

Tue, 14 May 2013 20:17:30 +1200

oftheforest:

grimsperation:

Michele Caragher

Embroidered details in Game of Thrones

‘Michele Carragher is a London-based Hand Embroiderer and Illustrator who has been working in costume on film and television productions for over 15 years. She studied Fashion Design at The London College of Fashion, where the course incorporated design, pattern cutting, garment construction, embroidery, millinery and illustration. At the same time she attended a three year evening course in Saddlery at Cordwainers College learning skills in leatherwork.

After leaving college Michele worked in Textile Conservation, repairing and restoring historical textiles for private collectors and museums, specialising in hand embroidery. She then moved into a career in costume for film and television, initially working as a Costume Assistant/Maker on productions such as the BBC’s Our Mutual Friend, ITV’s David Copperfield and Mansfield Park. She soon gravitated towards the decoration and embellishment of costumes, using skills in hand embroidery and surface decoration, taking inspiration from the many historical textiles she had encountered working as a Textile Conservator.

The first production that saw her undertake the role of a Principal Costume Embroiderer was for HBO’s 2005 Emmy Costume award-winning production of Elizabeth 1. Her most recent work has been on HBO’s 2012 Costume award-winning television series Game of Thrones, working on all three seasons.

As a Costume Embroiderer Michele specialises in hand embroidery and surface embellishment, using traditional hand embroidery techniques, smocking, beading and surface decoration. She works directly onto the completed garment or starts with motifs and textures on silk crepeline/organza, which are applied to the costume and then worked into once on the actual garment. She also works on existing machine embroidery designs that are not too dense, adding some hand stitching and beading to give a more authentic, hand-finished look.

Michele finds hand embroidery has more flexibility and diversity than that of embroidery created by machine, as there is a greater variety of thread choice and colours to use. It is also possible to work more easily on garments that are already constructed. However, machine embroidery in combination with hand work can be very useful when completing many repeats by creating light outlines or a less dense machine stitch, work can then be completed by hand and again can be carried out on a finished garment.

Michele is a highly creative Costume Embroiderer, producing original designs as well as working closely to a costume designer’s brief to create their desired look.’

Text and images from http://www.michelecarragherembroidery.com

God, that embroidery is so gorgeous! I had no idea that third dress was so detailed after seeing it on the show… Amazing work.

I’m so glad her work is getting recognised! I’ve been so wanting a Game of Thrones in Detail ;) (Ummm.. the V&A has several costume books called “X in Detail- I have two of them but there are more). This is a really good example of how much is lost on screen so you do need to have all that texture in the fabric and surface treatments to make a costume look- for want of a better word- real.

Her work is glorious, so many techniques and all seamlessly worked in and blended. Amazing blend of art and artistry.

Is this really a progress update?????

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:10:47 +1200

Heh, my last two reblogs both had a feathery theme… so now for something completely different!

Tentacles! So my previous set of lekku work best when worn SWTOR style. But with Rachi I need to wear them slightly further forward. It causes more folds on the underside than I want but I could do some careful surgery I could quite quickly remove them of make them really adorably like wee fat rolls. I will do so later. I have finally got some more paint to mix to shade and also do more permanent markings (the liquiset paint came off in the rain!)

But I am also nearing completion of my next set and they are finally starting to look like they grew out of the head form.

They started off looking like some mutant whole chicken ready for roasting, if you bred your chicken to have bendy legs 1m long….

Then a very pimply uneven scarred set of things growing from the desk. And finally now I have some skin texture, but I would like to make the face and ends a little smoother.

So next bit of progress…. SINUS INFECTION HAS BEEN BANISHED!!!!!!!!!! *pretend flail because there is too much RA activity to really* By the power of Roxy no less ;) Roxithromycin anyway. This means being able to wear these lekku! So I’m going to be working on refitting a few costume elements for both costumes :)

jtotheizzoe: Yes, unfortunately the Velociraptor...

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:48:51 +1200

jtotheizzoe:

Yes, unfortunately the Velociraptor mongoliensis is more like a very aggressive roadrunner than a man-eating murder machine. But those aren’t the ‘raptors from the movies.

The “velociraptors” of Jurassic Park fame are actually Deinonychus, a (slightly) taller, equally roadrunnerish combination of tail and sickle-shaped toe claw. D-nikes (I made that name up) were not huge, but that claw could easily split you open like a bag of spaghetti.

There’s no real confirmation that they were “clever girls” or hunted in packs, and the insistence of JP’s directors on not adding feathers to these almost-certainly feathered death-chickens is kind of like a claw-toed slap in the face to paleontology.

Just like the great T. rex (which we talked about last week), our image of these dinos changes with new science, and will continue to change. Our fiction needs to change with them.

(Dino images via Colin Douglas Howell on Wikipedia)

Death-chickens! Thoughts on Horner’s ideas about taking a regular chicken and turning it in to a real death chicken?

For those who haven’t yet seen: Building a dino from a chicken

Dark am I, yet comely, o ye daughters ov jerusalem: ericainchoate: anarcheluxemburg: No one better give me shit like “I...

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:09:19 +1200

Dark am I, yet comely, o ye daughters ov jerusalem: ericainchoate: anarcheluxemburg: No one better give me shit like “I...:

teaandbrimstone:

ericainchoate:

anarcheluxemburg:

No one better give me shit like “I don’t want wings” like, no fuck you.

Wings would be so rad and ecologically friendly. They don’t use fossil fuels, they’re not cars, and best of all they’re fucking attached to you ALL THE TIME. You can just be like…

I would have cicada wings. My back muscles would be fucking ripped and if I ever needed anyone to shut the fuck up somewhere near my person I could just vibrate them loud enough yo drown them out.

“Like, I get that maori have it bad but if you look at the statistics, cr-“

“BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ”

“… like I was saying the crime statistics show-“

“BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZP”

“The-“

“BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ”

I’d like swan wings. Apparently they can break a human arm. I’d just casually stretch them out every so often. Yeah grooming would be a pain and I’d have to put up with angel jokes but hey, those wings, remember what they can do.

shaevizlarules: Darth Tykhi in her Revan Robes :) They do...

Sun, 12 May 2013 12:21:12 +1200

shaevizlarules:

Darth Tykhi in her Revan Robes :) They do differ a little from the Cinematic but hey, that’s not really surprising knowing even a skerrick about 3D models and such :)

And yes, I do want a set for myself in real life ;)

For Sylvie :)

Also it took me a while to get used to the way lekku are represented in this game. They do though feel quite real (little rolls at the base, and they look weighty). Until you step in a lift and head down and your lekku fold in half…

tittybasket: I had never noticed that sweet fuckin’ bodice/evil...

Sun, 12 May 2013 10:30:24 +1200

tittybasket:

I had never noticed that sweet fuckin’ bodice/evil girdle/whatever before, fuck it’s awesome

I bought the set for my Sith Inq :) It’s also used on *spoiler* in the game. I can get you some sweet screencaps if you like? She is currently on makeb in this set :) I really wanna make this from the last of my leather. Also in game it looks like nipple rings. The skirt also has nice big rings as well.

Want me to go a capping? I may also manage to pull up some Thana Vesh caps or see if I can spend some credits on Than’s chestpiece :) Her’s is the other in game armour I want :)

jtotheizzoe: Eta Aquarid meteors over New Zealand this week,...

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:51:07 +1200

jtotheizzoe:

Eta Aquarid meteors over New Zealand this week, photographed by Stephen Voss over the course of 90 minutes.

Every spring, Earth crosses the orbital trail of Halley’s Comet. While we’ll have to wait until 2061 to see the actual comet again (I am old enough to remember seeing it back in 1986, though, so nah!), each year we get a fresh sprinkling of comet tail dust into our atmosphere at 150,000 mph. As Earth whips through, the debris appears to radiate out from the constellation Aquarius, which is evident in the photo above.

It’s a coincidence, but a beautiful one. Read more about the Eta Aquarids at EarthSky and Bad Astronomy.

Sadly I live in Auckland and it is currently… being Auckland- rain rain and more rain.

Stunning images.

And yes, I saw Halley’s comet back in 86 as well :)

"A woman’s worst nightmare? That’s pretty easy. Novelist Margaret Atwood writes that when she asked a..."

Thu, 02 May 2013 18:21:24 +1200

“A woman’s worst nightmare? That’s pretty easy. Novelist Margaret Atwood writes that when she asked a male friend why men feel threatened by women, he answered, “They are afraid women will laugh at them.” When she asked a group of women why they feel threatened by men, they said, “We’re afraid of being killed.””

- Mary Dickson

(lots of commentary snipped so look at the original for all the other heartbreaking comments)

I’ve reblogged this quote before, I think. But reblogging now for the amazing commentary.

I was having a discussion with my father and brother the other day. We were talking about receiving threats of rape or violence via the internet. Their whole argument was “just ignore it and walk away from your computer”. Amazing solution. Can’t believe I never thought of that. It’s so clever because we all know that when you leave your keyboard the threat of violence disappears.

Urgh.

(via lavenderlabia)

Reblogging for commentary.

(via tittybasket)

Reblogging for this comment in particular. Can’t add more to this.

karenhealey: jennifergearing: trcunning: pippinstewardofgondor...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:36:25 +1200

karenhealey:

jennifergearing:

trcunning:

pippinstewardofgondor:

inebriatedpony:

Science!

what the fuck is this science bullshit

gif 1, explosive polymerization of p Nitro Aniline Video

gif 2, Sodium Polyacrylate mixed with water Video

gif 3, Sodium Acetate Video

gif 4, the smoke is vaporized wax, can still catch fire and travels back to the wick Video

gif 5, Ping Pong balls + Liquid Nitrogen in a trash can Video

gif 6, electrical treeing

gif 7, heating Mercury Thiocyanate

gif 8, ferrofluid sculpture Video

gif 9, flammable gas lit in a glass jar Video

GO HOME SCIENCE U R DRUNK.

SCIENCE CAN TOTALLY DRIVE OKAY. GIVE SCIENCE THE KEYS.

Reblogging for the Science being explained- Science is cool but knowing wtf is going on is even cooler. If I am well enough eventually the post grad diploma I want is in science communications.

I think it’s super important that each field of science still retains its own language but that there a means for communicating that to those outside. Just like translators.

eriha: neimhaille: A few solo photos taken by Rob and Matt...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:12:50 +1200

eriha:

neimhaille:

A few solo photos taken by Rob and Matt respectively while getting some approval shots done as well as “fans with local landmarks”.

The photo album for everyone involved is over here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattandkristy/sets/72157633282356457/with/8663797193/

Also photo of me grinning ear to ear over a flattened TK may not make it to the set ;)

Such a fun day even if we did have to dodge the rain! And my face was starting to match the paint due to pressure.

Paint is NZ Airbrushed Tattoo Ink in white mixed in a base of a tiny amount of what and heaps of pigment and alcohol then mixed and poured into a low dish. It needed stirring as it started to thicken as first the pink then blue pigments rose and crusted on the surface.I do have enough for another application but want to match a full bottle asap for a few events coming up.
Sending in submittal in the morning with mouse and table top. Expecting informal but I don’t mind. Also expecting a few things to adjust.

Wow Rachi Sitra!! I love her design *.*

Cool cosplay

Thank you :) I just got her approved by the Rebel Legion and I’m super happy to say as formal/canon :)

Hopefully this link will take you to my profile.

Very lucky I made a second hilt for Tykhi (it’s a smaller hilt but I think it works). There is room for a blade and the light still works, which is amazing. My soldering is a bit… clumpy.

Sadly finding drivers for the syperbright LEDS is close to impossible in NZ (I only know people who have imported the things) but I have enough other components now to actually attempt the blade type I really really have wanted all along.

Star Wars: The Old Republic | Developer Blogs

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:19:55 +1200

Star Wars: The Old Republic | Developer Blogs:

bamfbugboy:

kotorswtor:

Browse some of the new items in the Vice Commandant’s Contraband Pack live in Game Update 2.0.1!

*keymashes at the Bastila, Jolee, KotOR-era Sith armor*

Guys, KotOR: the Musical is going to be a for-reals thing now. It has to be!

SCREAMS

THANA VESH

RED BLADE

TROUBLEMAKER

HAHHAHAHAALKFSD:FJ

THANA!!!! and BASTILA!!!!! So sad I had to drop back to FtP but I can hopefully save enough credits for thes on the GTN eventually… sigh. I knew I wasn’t the only one who loved Thana’s gear though ;)

10 years, really?

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 19:39:04 +1200

Yep Saturday April 13 I spent my tenth anniversary of cosplaying (compared to costuming- we’ll get to that in a bit) at conventions so happy anniversary to me!

It’s been an up and down decade and I want to devote a fairly long post about my experiences…

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