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Wisteria Fox: Day 13 -14 Final Days

 As of 4/10/2022, the wisteria fox costume is complete. I completed the final touches that I wanted to make. And here's what I did. 

Kanzashi Piece

I had purchased a hair piece but I felt like it needed to be a little bigger to cover my human ear so only my fox ears were prevalent. I know how to fold these things but had to get new ribbon to do it. It took a few tries but eventually I created this hair piece. 

Wisteria Kanzashi 

I used the instructions from this video for folding the flowers, but did my own construction of the hair piece. 


Mask

This was one of those things where I could ponder forever at this blank canvas and never come up with any ideas. I tried doodling some patterns based on references but still wasn't really happy with what I was coming up with. So, I just had to sit down and go to town with paint and get it done. I had a couple elements from references that I was kind of using but mostly just painting. There's no turning back now. To be fair, this is the type of design I struggle with the most. I'm glad it is done but wish I could have had a more solid plan. 

Doodles and the final mask


Kimono Pattern


So, making stencils from vinyl is still in the experimental phase and it is still going to take some time and I don't want to wait. I tried making my own stencil with an X-acto knife and stencil plastic but it was too fiddly. But I had the example stencils I could use as reference and just eyeball it. Once again, it was a matter of "this just has to get done, we can just ponder it forever." Got my acrylic paints, my fabric medium, and fabric paints. I mixed up a pink, lightened the purple, and used a light blue paint and light green paint. 

First, I took my tailor's chalk and made a "motion" guide of where the vine is flowing. (I had the image of a rosary in mind.) Then I painted the leaves here and there. I started with a purple wisteria branch but the purple was very dark. So I mixed some white to lighten it up and repainted. Then I made a blue vine...and decided to add a pink. I alternated those three colors throughout the vine. The wisteria vines were very abstracted, but that does match the style of the foxes and fire. Everything is abstracted. 

Front Pattern

Back pattern


In the end, I'm pleased with the result. It's definitely got some amateurish to it because I am klutzy with painting. (My set up was not ideal. I spilled my paint water TWICE. Thankfully, didn't stain the kimono!)  

Parasol

This one was simple. The silk wisteria flowers were detachable from the main branch. Got some tiny hair rubber bands and attached them loosely to the tips of bamboo. I COULD hot glue them down but for now they're easy breezy. 

All together

The full costume fits on the dummy! She's a lovely fox lady.
I bought the sandals/zori...ignore the PEPSI MAX!

With open parasol.

Back of the belt is drooping. But tail is covered!


I haven't had a chance to put the full thing on myself yet but I will. There is a tweak or two to be made with the obi. The cardboard insert has bent so I need to create a sturdier reinforcement for the fake knot in the back. I have some PVC back board that might do the trick. Other than that, next post will be a photo shoot...
...once I get a photo backdrop. 😅 I've got my eye on one but I'm saving up for it. 

Oh last thing to show off. The tail moves!

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