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It's been 11 years!?

 May 29th 2013 was my recorded Day 0 for my first earnest attempt at cosplay with my hot pink Halo Spartan. It doesn't feel like it was that long ago! But that means I have been making costumes a bit more earnestly for at least 11 years. 

OMG...baby face! I wasn't even 30 yet!

Well I did make that Lady Galadriel cosplay back in 2011...so maybe more than 11 years. 

This was for Halloween! 

Still, I feel like I've made little to no improvement since then. 😂 Why is it that we never feel confident enough to call ourselves expert when we have so much experience? I think it's the level I expect from my teachers that I feel I just don't have. Costumes are my favorite and most prevalent hobby at the moment. Even though I rarely go to costume parties or conventions anymore. (I really need another person to go with me...I don't like going alone!) 

And all my costumes and cosplay were created inside one-bedroom apartments. Although my current place does have a fair bit of square footage...my clutter however makes it feel small. I may not have all my old costume pieces but some parts do hang around. 

I still have my Halo Spartan helmet, I still have Mass Effect's Tali's helmet, my Grey Warden armor is in storage still and I have my supplies for the Dragon Age Dalish Inquistor! (Much like Bioware...I take a decade to finish something.) 

Really proud of this work.

  • As far as materials go I've graduated from EVA foam and Worbla to 3D printing. 
  • I use a die-cutting machine to make my stencils and decals instead of an x-acto knife.
  • I've improved my sewing skills and techniques. I have an embroidery/sewing machine and an overlock machine.
  • Still don't like making my own patterns but I can do it on occasion. 
  • I've learned how to crochet and knit.

It may be soon that I embark on one of my biggest costume challenges yet...the Fursuit or Mascot suit. 

Maybe a centaur. Dang...that would be sweet. Can we budget? Do we have the space? We'll find a way to make it in this cramped costume closet. 

I💗 my circus centaur idea.

However, this year is the year of Kimono and Folk Costumes. Yesterday I dipped my toe into research of a Polish costume and IMMEDIATELY got overwhelmed by the dozens of different regions each one different in costume and myself left wondering where my actual ancestral roots are? I know we were in a town that was full of Slavs, Jews, and Ukrainians so I think it was one of the Northeast or Eastern regions. 🤷

I thought it was so simple!

Was there a point to this? Maybe a little self-reflective. I do have a lot more experience than I thought. I may not have as many awesome cosplays as some of my favorite cosplayers. I'm certainly not very flashy. And one of the few things I have not improved on is my dang Photography! It's SO bad. Would you believe I graduated with a degree in film and video? Maybe that should be my goal for this year. Take A photography class and get good. 

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