Let me take a minute and be transparent with you all -

This has been the most amazing and rewarding season so far. I didn't really know what I was in for, I just set a couple of goals and became hyper focused on them. I knew it was going to be a busy season, and I was expecting to double last year's stats. Well it didn't just double, it tripled. With only about a week until Halloween I *think* business is winding down and hopefully I'll be able to enjoy some free time where I just play League for days on end. I have 6 order left to finish this week after a whopping 74 this month and almost as many last month. I have definitely learned a ton about how to handle it all better next year because damnit... I'm exhausted! But it's been awesome. I can't even express how excited I am to be able to do this, and that it's growing into a full-time thing. This is the reason I've been on hiatus from making and costumes lately but ugghhhh I'm pumped to make something new just for meeeee! I'll have to revisit my "Future Cosplays" folder soon.

Edit: My main goal really was to pay off the rest of my car. And while I didn't totally make it I whittled off at least 6 months of payments, so I'd count that as pretty successful. I might have been able to make more payments but I also decided to invest a lot of my earnings back into the business since I really needed some expensive things like a Tandy Leather membership and a Dymo label-writer... Packaging life is so much easier and faster now. Leather is so much more affordable now. I can't wait to make all the things! So many possibilities!

But first... I need to get to gold before season 5 ends. #leagueoflegends 

Edit: Final count is 90 fulfilled orders for the month and 147 total for the Halloween season! Woot! ‪#‎cospreneur
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• I also took part in the 2nd Annual Haunted Holiday Market hosted by Beadlush. This time my goal of doing a vending event was met! I was one of several vendors including Aquarious Curiosities, Avant Garland, Black Dog Antiques and Oddities, Cat Babbie Makes, Champion Creation, Crowned Sparrow, Fantastic Face Factory, SVBG Creations, October Fyre, Stix + Stones, Dearborn Drive, and SuperVixenBadGirl. 

I finished a composite late last night of Leebraham's Iland Ollie cosplay! I made for him the cropped jacket he is wearing over the military jacket. It was so funny when he came over and I gave him a grater to weather it. It was a bit sad to ruin a perfect thing but #DoItForTheCosplay. I haven't done a composite since probably early college and I forgot how fun it was; I still have a hard time with lighting and lighting sources but I'm pretty happy with this! He's trying to get his costume into the Men Vs Cosplay 2015 calendar, so FINGERS CROSSED one of my edits makes it! 

OH HAI COSPLAYERS! 

There is a new tool out there that simplifies scaling of characters to better suit you! It's quite good, and will definitely be using this in all upcoming projects. Sure you could use Adobe Photoshop or Gimp or Inkscape or any other vectory program, but honestly most of the time it's a headache and this simplifies everything. The creator is currently working on clarifying some steps, but for now this is how to get an accurate scale:

1.) Select a good profile-pose of the character
2.) Set the baseline length (editable) to your height converted to inches
3.) Draw your first line through the entire length of the character's "height"
4.) Add new lines, name them, and begin measuring props and clothing! The new length on each line will depict the size of the prop to scale.

Happy crafting! And show Nifegun some love! Donate if you can and if you can't, spread the word! 
He deserves many accolades for making our lives easier
... and by accolades I mean $$ and share this everywhere so that Nifegun is a household name for cosplayers.

I've had my KNK Zing for maybe about a year now, and with every new project there is a learning curve involved, especially when it comes to figuring out the machine and finding the right settings.

Materials:
Took me awhile but I figured out how to emboss tooling leather, and have yet to attempt to cut it. This was the big selling point for me on this machine and was having rotten luck with it until today. I thought this may help others who also have the same issue. I use craft-store tooling leather - the kind that comes in a 8X11 sheet (approximation) and is about 2-3mm thick. I typically find these at craft stores like Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and even Joann for about $10-$14. The thickness of it is key, because as we all know the roller area of the machine only has so much space.

Prepping the leather:
After you have made your design in MTC and are ready to emboss, you should have a spray bottle of water ready to saturate the leather piece you will be working on. This is key because if you try to emboss over it without "getting it ready" first the leather will retain very little of the emboss. Saturating it with water preps the surface. I spray the whole surface 2 or 3 times while waiting in between for it to soak in (it doesn't take long). If after drying the leather becomes cracked-looking than it's possible you over-saturated it, and became distorted in the drying process.

Machine kinks:
Here's the interesting part - before I couldn't figure out how to insert the leather piece. It has to be in between the gray prongs that help move the mat around, and also the two soft plastic rings that guide it have to be moved as far to the edge as possible or else those will also leave an impression in the leather. You can see in the photo the long vertical line - that was made by the teeny rollers. Slide them to the side.

Settings:
I used the KNK embossing tool (with the smaller embosser) and the settings are as follows: Speed 12, Force 160, multicut 4, 0 offset, and I let the tip of the embosser attachment rest directly on the leather as I was tightening it.

Finish:
To finish off your leather piece you can do a number of things, like dyeing it, staining it, or doing any additional hand-tooling. Just make sure the leather has dried first. Tandy Leather has a lot of video tutorials on Youtube for just about any project. I would also suggest using a gloss coat to make it shiny. Everyone likes shiny. To ensure the leather is well taken care of and has a nice life you may want to condition it with some leather conditioner.

Hoped this helped someone, let me know if you have any questions! I may in the future even make a little video tutorial, I had so much fun watching the embosser go!

About a week ago, I posted some questions to one of the costuming groups I follow in FB (specifically Game of Thrones Costuming on FB).  My questions were: Is fabric recycling a thing? What are some of the ways you all use to get rid of scraps without tossing them in the trashcan?

I'm no environmentalist, but I do feel a little sad and guilty throwing away tons of scraps, especially of gorgeous fabrics that may be on the pricier side. I  personally never have any use for them, and they are typically too small to make any other garment (except maybe doll clothes, but I'm not in that business) I don't have much leftover storage space since it's all barely containing the materials I do need, so I asked the hive costuming mind how they get rid of scraps without putting them in a landfill.

The response I got was amazing! A ton of people replied, and a ton of people had really interesting ideas, so here they are. What are some things YOU do? Please add in the comments!

• Donate them to local patchworkers/ quilters
• Use as filler for toys, throws, pillows and pet beds then donate to your local shelter! 
• Donate to a high school theater class or college
• Donate to a local theater with a small budget
• Donate to a child care center or Girl Scouts for art projects
• Save for practicing sewing techniques, stitching, and embroidery
• Make cat toys and small accessories like bows
• Your local recycler may have fabric recycling available
• Make a pin cushion
• Make a "bean bag chair" stuffed with scraps (it's like a GIANT pincusion!)
• Small and unusable natural scraps might be compostable (but check that the dyes are chemical-free)
• Make gift bags for Christmas gifts
• Donate to your local Goodwill or thrift shop in a bag labeled "fabric remnants" (I got rid of a lot of faux fur this way)
• Use as stuffing for bustle pads
• Actually make doll clothes
• Sell them online (a lot of people will have bags by the lb for free, and you only pay shipping)
• Make a rug
• Make a tutu
• Make a fabric banner and celebrate!

Craft foam has numerous application in the cosplay world. You can cut it, shape it with heat, paint it, stain it, whatever! Even throughout its wide application, I haven't really seen many tutorials or references about sewing with craft foam. 

I have used this technique when a garment needs a good amount of stiffness and flexibility, such as collars, bows, shoulder pieces, etc. 

This tutorial will walk you through creating a bow (aka a Sailor Senshi bow). I am creating this piece for my American McGee's Alice cosplay. What I love about using craft foam as a stiffener is that it holds its shape and it still remains rather flexible. 

Click through the slideshow below to view the tutorial!



Materials: 

• fabric
• sewing machine (or needle & thread)
• craft foam: 1 2mm 12x18 sheet (Find it at your local craft store for about ¢.50 a sheet (or buy in bulk). 

The Titans panel was so informative that I wanted to write down all of my notes and share with everyone. I am not sure if I will be attempting something large-scale anytime soon, but it definitely helps in many other aspects of costuming as well. Panelists Kathleen O'Shea David and Cheralyn Lambeth were extremely helpful in answering the audience's questions about their own large costumes, and had a great deal of other tips and tricks. If you have any additional knowledge, tips, tricks, or suggestions leave a comment!

Materials

• Materials: foam core, cardboard, bike reflectors for eyes to reflect light, salad bowls, shot glasses, aluminium spoons for scales, EVA foam, polystyrene foam is good but will melt and exude toxic fumes, 
• Using wax sealing - ventilation inside costume is crucial
• Flexible aluminium - new product out there made in Australia, hard to work with
• Kitespar - lightweight material

• Rabbit skin glue material is organic (they warned about working with organic materials)
• Face Molds: Alcone (spelling?) brand is good, can ask for product sheets; also Liquid Latex USA
• Porous material: use layers and layers of Elmer's glue - it will get inside pores and create a smoothed finish.
• Wood glue: sandable and waterproof!

• Cardboard is cheap and being used for lightweight & large costumes - you just have to know how to seal it up and finish it! Layer after layer of white glue (think Elmer's). Paint can be mixed into glue.
• Realistic tails/ protrusions - use alternating discs (small, big, small, big, etc), thick elastic bungee for securing parts together and achieving movement.
• Realistic skin on a prop/costume - can use latex. Practice by painting large pieces of latex on flat flooring, let dry between layers, and finally peel off with the help of friends.
• Miscelanneous materials: strong but hollow is good for weight (tent poles are hollow and flexible)
• Large structure: bamboo or old fishing rods

Mobility & Comfort

• Ask yourself: how will you be able to get around doorways/revolving doors/ stairs/ etc?
• Ventilation and staying cool: athlete gel vests work well, do not wear directly against skin!
• Mobility: ask con staff to help you get around, they can get in touch with hotel staff, or vice versa (think service elevators)
• Support: military backpack frames supports weight on hips
• Stilts: overturned cans, arch support in shoes, for inside reinforcement use an intruder cross-structure, MUST HAVE traction (rubber is best)
• Built-in support: military flag belt holder will support long rods for arms or other protrusions

• You will need a handler to help you get around
• Building above the head: use an alice frame
• Building no-neck (or large shoulders) - a break in your elbow is not natural to the costume, you will need to create a new break in the elbow for the costume.
• Built-in support: military flag belt holder will support long rods for arms or other protrusions

Miscellaneous

• More stuff on www.therpf.com
• Look up Comicon's wired robot
• Trying to be pro? Start a portfolio!