Modesty's Costume Closet

 Inevitably, mistakes will happen.  Oops! Messed up again! The worst kind are the ones that happen late in the game, just before deadlines, and it's just not going to work out. Often times, mistakes will cost you either time or money...but usually both. There are a few approaches to dealing with mistakes:  Abandon Abandon means stopping the project wherever it is but keeping what you have done so far. Maybe some parts came out very well and you can pick it up later when you have more time or experience. Often times this can happen because of a loss of interest in the character or subject matter.  In my case, I have abandoned my Dalish Inquistor costume. I still have all the materials from all those years ago.  I was stuck on this part. I could not make the bodice look right and instead of making other parts of the costume, I set it aside for later.  Another example was my Voltron Paladin costume. I made the under-armor, but then lost interest in the character. I used the materials

So I managed to make a pair of Zori (thong sandals) to test if it would be a viable option for my Nezuko and Rengoku casual cosplay. I managed to make my test pair, and it's pretty comfortable, but I learned a lot and will gladly share.  The pattern I used and adjusted is by  Whistle and Ivy .  Additional Resources Before I jump into what I did for my tiny-ass feet, I wanted to share some resources on how to make Sandal soles for your zori. The videos in this list show how to crochet a sole for multiple sizes of feet. The videos use Medium weight or worsted-weight yarn, which is different from what I use. But it should serve as a good guide. Also, it includes how to make a Rope Sole or convert a foam flip-flop sandal into a base for your crochet shoe project.  You may also want to consider ways to make the bottom of the sandal non-skid or a bit more durable on other terrains. Whistle and Ivy shares 7 methods for making crochet slippers non-slip .  My Supplies Onto the show. These

 GUYS! I learned a new thing. This may be a "Yeah, duh!" kind of situation, but I never thought to knit or crochet sandals. Seems like a legit thing, especially for ME, who has small feet and a hatred of that round plastic between the toe rod of normal flip-flops.  These techniques can work for other series too that use the zori aka thong sandals. (AKA the bane of my feet's existence.) Method Considerations This is more than likely going to be a crochet project than a knitting one, to be honest. But all in all, there are 3 main methods for making knitted footwear:  90% Yarn  Hole punched Soles Repurposed Flip-Flop/Thong Sandals With mostly yarn, you're going to basically have super floppy, uncomfortable sandals unless you include some sort of stiff material like a stiff felt or EVA foam or an old sandal.  Hole punch soles or insoles let you knit up around the sole instead of knitting the sole itself.  Repurposed sandals provide the base, and you knit or crochet around

The first color chart I attempted was for Kyojuro Rengoku's kyahan. I've actually thought about how to approach many other characters too, so this would be my suggested route for attempting these costume parts in fiber craft!  my result! Basic Design  The actual way to make these leg wraps is a rectangle-ish shape of cloth that you tie around your lower leg. But for cosplay, there's something to be said for keeping things simple and not adding more velcro to a piece just to hold it together. Besides, like most animation, they don't put seams on these things. So you GOTTA make a jammin' pair of semi-slouchy leg warmers. Just slide 'em on without a fuss. No buttons, buckles, or bowties.  There are  approaches for knitting legwarmers that affect the final look and which color change method works best.  Knit flat and make it a tube later  Knit in the round and make it a tube from the get-go  Difficulty may be relative to your skill and preference, but for characters

There are many devices you can get to work on costumes. But because costume creation can be diverse, it is possible to prioritize certain tools over others. This list is just going to be my top 3 with some honorable mentions.  #3: Computer/Internet Connected Device This is a pretty old machine now. Still runs Windows 7. It used to be that a computer was the only way to interface with the internet and a myriad of other devices, but it is no longer true. However, investing in a decent machine can mean you can connect it to many different peripherals. Some of these may be every-day like a printer or scanner. However, for most other machines I'll go over you will need something to run software. I could not run my die cutting machine without the associated software. I could not print 3D models without my slicer software. Not to mention that the internet is an invaluable information resource for pretty much anything I'd need to do. It may be a no-brainer but a good computer or any de

Make-up is a powerful tool in a costumer's arsenal. You can create a whole costume around face makeup! When it comes to costumes there are (in my consideration) three kinds of makeup:  Fashion Make-up Theatrical/Stage Make-up Costume Make-up Fashionable at one point.  Fashion make-up accents the natural shapes of your face to make it look its best according to a fashion/cultural aesthetic.  Theatrical or Stage make-up is a major exaggeration of facial features that can be seen from a distance with the bright lights of a stage.  All done with eye liner and eye shadow. Costume make-up is a mix of both. It looks good close-up or from a distance. It exaggerates if it needs to or accents where it can.  However, all make-up has this in common: using color to create an illusion with your facial features.  Health Note: There can be allergens in some make-up depending on what it is made out of. Be sure to either test on your skin beforehand or check the ingredients (if you know what your al

 When I was getting started with 3D printing, of course the first big decision was "which machine will I get". It's one of those things where there's not necessarily a wrong answer, but there could be a best choice.  I am very pleased with the machine I ended up with, but I think this was partially dumb luck. It's hard to know what you don't know! And therefore...it's hard to know where to start without a guide. (My guide was a YouTube channel dedicated to printing miniatures for Table Top games, not costumes.) If by some cosmic coincidence this blog is your first exposure, then allow me to make some suggestions on where to start and some of the questions to ask.  What do you want to 3D Print? Oddly enough this will be a major decision factor into the machine (or machines) you decide to purchase. What kinds of things will you be 3D printing a majority of the time? While you can do pretty much all things with a 3D printer given some proper adjustments, some