I often have a hard time deciding what to make for each convention. When it comes to the things I want to make, I usually have no idea where to start, they are fairly obscure, or I want a group. This makes it difficult to choose. Johnny seems to be able to put his mind to things and make it happen which is part of why I tend to just go along with whatever he is making. This Anime Los Angeles was no different. He kept telling me about how he had a big group for the show Kuroko no Baskue and how easy it was going to be. So I decided to go a long with it because everyone was telling me it would be easy.
Well for all the guys it was! They just bought the uniform and wig from Tabao (http://www.taobao.com/index_global.php) and called it a day. They didn't even do the ordering. Our friend Susan did it for them because she can read Chinese! Susan was also part of the group and the girl she chose was fairly simple in design as well. She has just a jacket, button up shirt, and a pleated skirt. Susan works very fast and cranked out the skirt like it was nothing and got super lucky and found the perfect jacket, on sale no less!
Well for all the guys it was! They just bought the uniform and wig from Tabao (http://www.taobao.com/index_global.php) and called it a day. They didn't even do the ordering. Our friend Susan did it for them because she can read Chinese! Susan was also part of the group and the girl she chose was fairly simple in design as well. She has just a jacket, button up shirt, and a pleated skirt. Susan works very fast and cranked out the skirt like it was nothing and got super lucky and found the perfect jacket, on sale no less!
I, on the other hand, had the hardest time with this costume! Well I mean it wasn't really hard it was just a nuisance. I was thinking "Oh I will just go buy a blue sweater and add a collar, no big deal." Boy was I wrong! I searched up and down for a plain blue sweater. Nothing! Anywhere! The malls, Wal-Mart, Target, Ross, Burlington, TJ-Maxx, Marshalls, multiple thrift stores, nowhere! It was winter too, so one would think they would have something, somewhere. NOPE.
I settled and bought a white sweater, and after failing to dye it blue, I came to the conclusion I was just going to have to make a sweater to attach a collar to. So off to Yardage Town I went! (http://www.yardagetown.com/) I got a nice sweater type fabric and pulled out a hoodie pattern from my stash of patterns and got started! Instead of cutting two for the front I just cut it on a fold, made it about an inch bigger all around, a few inches longer, and didn't include the hood. It turned out beautiful! I am so happy with how it turned out. In fact it was so perfect I was now faced with a new dilemma...how can I add a collar to this sweater when it is looks so good!?
SO I decided to make a shirt to attach the collar to. >_< I pulled out the same shirt I pattern all my shirts off of (I seam ripped one of my favorite shirts that had a hole in it. It says "Bite Me" and has the pic of bat on it :) I love bats!) and looked through my fabric stash. I knew I had to have something left over to make a shirt out of. And sure enough, I had some white spandex just lying around, so I used that. It was super soft and had a tee-shirt feel to it so it worked perfectly. I now had the perfect shirt to accompany the perfect sweater!
To make the collar I used this (http://cosplaybrain.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/sailor-collar-tutorial/) tutorial on how to make a sailor collar which I also used for my Sailor Umbreon (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=100347813396036&set=a.100339923396825.234.100326770064807&type=3&theater).
I then attached it to the shirt and Ta Da! The top of this costume was done! *phew*
I also made the skirt. Did I mention I hate pleating? It is such a pain and I can never seem to get them even. Pleats are just tedious more than anything. I suppose that is a post for another day though. I wanted to highlight the top of this costume since that is less obvious and but took the most effort.
So here is the final product! With and without sweater! *Sigh* No one will ever know I made everything I am wearing. ;_; Oh well. I am happy with this costume and that is what matters. I got some nice photos of it with the sweater at ALA, now to get a shoot with out the sweater. :)
