Modesty's Costume Closet

 Still waiting on that last bit of Peachskin fabric, so no kimono progress. But I was able to start working on the tail.  Obi and Tail Mechanics So first, the animatronic tail arrived which helps with where to place the tail on the costume. It's a tinge heavier than I expected so I do not think I want to attach it directly onto the Obi. The tail comes with a nylon webbing belt and a clip plate.  The tail comes out of the bottom of obi. While waiting for the tail to arrive I did make the above doodles to figure out where I could attach the clip plate. The Obi pattern requires a backboard which it suggests to be made from cardboard. But I could use something a bit sturdier like PVC board to make it strong enough to hold the tail. I could possible attach the clip to the Obi directly! However, because I want to reuse the tail skeleton for future projects, I will not go the route of attaching the tail directly to the obi. Instead, the current plan is to go the route of wearing...

 The extra yard of fabric is on the way! It's coming via USPS so might be a while so in the meantime I'm assessing what I have for other parts of the project.  Paint and Fabric Paint One of the major things I am doing for this project is hand painting wisteria vines throughout the kimono. I will also include blue flames (foxfire) as part of the sleeves and lower edges.  Checking my box of paints I was happy to find that I had paint meant for fabric in a shade of purple! Miraculous! Who put that there? I also have acrylic paints in red, blue, and white so I can mix different shades of purple and pink. I also had a couple shades of green. I also found my Liquitex Fabric Medium so I can use all my acrylic paints. (Except the metallic ones apparently.  Luckily, not planning on using metallic paints. I don't think.) For the blue flames, I was thinking of painting it on too and luckily I found my Turquoise Fabric Spray paint that I used for Princess Zelda's apron . ...

 There's a saying in carpentry. Measure twice, cut once. It's so true for any cutting as it turns out. Oh, I should say that today I cut out the pattern pieces in fabric. Most of them.  You would think this is enough fabric! Unfortunately, the fabric I got was actually NOT a continuous 7 yards. Which kind of worked out sort of. If I was not making this a lined kimono then this would have been enough. However, the other trouble was because I mixed patterns and made a miscalculation. I followed the suggested layout for the McCall's pattern since I was only using the sleeves of the other Simplicity pattern.  Using these sleeves. The size of the Simplicity brand sleeves was longer than the McCall's sleeves. So while I used the body of the McCall's pattern and the layout would have worked for all that, I ended up not having enough fabric for everything.  What I did manage to cut out were the outer pieces for the main body of the kimono, the "contrasting" neck p...

The project moves forward by inches. I managed to scrounge up enough energy to cut the paper pattern pieces that I need. And seriously, that's all I could do today. While the migraine has subsided, I spent a long time chatting with my parents as is my Sunday custom and made some taco pasta.  And while I thought I would have all of Monday to do things, I managed to snag a massage appointment so part of my day will be taken up by that.  Modifying a Pattern to my Design What I ended up doing today was cut paper pattern pieces. Now I could have drafted my own kimono pattern. Honestly, it's not super complicated compared to some articles of clothing. A lot of Japanese clothing is a series of rectangles or angled shapes. However, I like it when the work is done for me. So I am blending two commercial kimono patterns that are technically meant for costumes.  Highlighted the yardage I needed I have mentioned before that I do feel a twinge of regret not making my own pattern, but ...

 It's been exciting getting a bunch of packages in the mail this week with my supplies! And it's a long weekend so I may be able to get started.  My "project box" with all my supplies! I have what I need to get started cutting and dying the fabric. And praise be to God, the peachskin silky fabric is a solid 7 yards and not cut into pieces like I feared.  Side Note about Fabric Shopping  There are so many benefits to buying fabric online but lets not ignore its drawbacks. Not being there in person to feel the fabric and check the drape is a downside. However, if it's a fabric you're familiar with then it doesn't matter if you can touch it. Again, I lucked out and this fabric is just what I was hoping for. However, some fabric stores, even online, may not have a continuous ream of fabric in the yardage you want. They'll still sell you the fabric but the fabric may be two pieces of fabric that add up to your total yardage. (So for 10 yards they may send y...

Since I am collecting material for this project, I'm making it official! Wisteria Fox is happening.  Sometimes I will haphazardly purchase little things for a project here and there but I've sunk more than 300 USD into this already so it's happening. Why the big price tag upfront? Well, I think this is a good time to talk about budgeting.  The Budget There are a couple ways to approach a budget. One is to set a limit upfront. The other is to track costs and pace spending. The holidays were full of blessings for me this year. I got two bonuses from work, gift cards to a fabric store, and I got a raise back in October. Costumes are what I currently spend my disposable income on, thus I felt like splurging.  It was also a design decision to make the kimono out of a synthetic, yet silk-like fabric. I ended up with Peachskin fabric which cost about 13 USD per yard and I needed 7 yards. (Granted I purchased from a fabric store instead of the warehouse which is what I would usua...

 This will be a bit stream of consciousness style writing as this project kind of just cropped up and became a thing. Despite having a 2022 wish list , suddenly out of left field, I want to make a kimono...a formal furisode kimono and a kitsune. Thus I am making a post about the design process for the Wisteria Kitsune. (I'll just say it's replacing the Sakura Fox in my wish list.) Strange Origin Story Want some real weird inspiration sources for this one? Well, one, I've been in a kitsune mood while writing my blog posts about Kitsune costumes in general. I've come up with lots of quick idea characters because of it.  Two, the anime Demon Slayer has invaded my subconscious on some level. That's what lead me to think about Wisteria flowers and including them.  Third, I was thinking of a scenario in my head where there's a 3 day masquerade with a new theme each day. The first day was Jazz Age and Modern Day American, the second day was medieval fantasy and the thi...

Sewing patterns are much like cooking recipes. You'll find a list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions to complete the dish or clothing item. It's a legitimate way to learn a bit about how to sew (or cook). At the very least it helps you learn terminology and techniques that you can do tutorial searches for.  Making patterns is a skill that takes time to learn. Just like coming up with original recipes is a learned skill.  Even if all we do is follow recipes, over time we start to gain knowledge, preferences, and our own little tricks that we can apply to projects. Eventually, instead of following a pattern word for word, we start adding our own methods. As we collect patterns, we start to mix and match.  Myself, I don't often follow the instructions for adding sleeves like most patterns suggest. I use a method I learned from a t-shirt tutorial. (It's so much easier!)  The skirt thing on this costume was a pattern piece You also do not have to use the patte...