Modesty's Costume Closet

 Continuing from my previous post on my adventure with this potential yarn project: Tomioka's Haori. Once I knew how much yarn I'd need, I needed to buy it. However, turns out 15 balls of yarn is expensive! (Who knew!?) So...this started me on a journey of research for the best price! This leads me to consider other yarn brands and yarn weights.  Finding Similar but Cheaper Yarn It will be a roll of the dice whether you're lucky to find a more economical price and have the yarn include all the same features as your original plan or whatever the pattern called for. This is where the internet helps us. Some websites have categories of different yarns that you can search by weight, fiber type, price range, gauge, and more. Ravelry has an extensive yarn database. But I also like to use Yarnsubs.com.  Search engines or AI can help identify alternatives for you as well by typing in "an alternative to brand name yarn".  Or you can go to your preferred yarn shop in person...

 I have no focus lately. 😝 But I have be weirdly distracted by a potential NEW yarn cosplay project...Tomioka's Haori. Went to see the Infinity Castle movie at the theater and remembered that I had made a color chart. So busted that out...saw I did the cube pattern wrong and fixed it. Also re-calculated measurements and adjusted things because I had set it to the gauge for loom knitting...and I'm going to crochet this one.  But that's not the point of this post...just the inspiration. This post is going to be the various ways I tried to estimate how many balls of yarn I'd need for this project. So...here are the facts. This is my own pattern and it is untested! I know the brand and colors I WANT to use but we'll see how much of a budget buster that will be. As well as a yarn stash hog.  Okay, so there are 4 methods I'll suggest. Incremental Pattern Inspiration Weight + Area Measurement Weight + Stitch Count Incremental Purchasing This is a method that takes bas...

Shoemaking is not something I thought I'd really get into but I've been doing my research and making some prototypes. This is in part because my feet are very small so finding thrift shoes in the style I want is difficult. So, I've been learning and remembering different ways of making costumed footwear and I'm making a little series about it. So here we go.  Fabric shoes with EVA soles and toe covers Now a common method that's tried and true in costuming is modifying an old shoe or using a shoe as a base. Shoe/Boot covers are fairly common. However, I'm not going over that method. (I like Simply Spandex's Tutorial on boot covers , so you have a resource.)  This series is going to focus on making a shoe from scratch. And I'm stopping short of leatherworking and actual cobbling. Which is another thing you could do. (Here's a Shoemaking Course List) .  I wanted to focus more on crafty methods for making shoes including:    Yarn-craft shoes (knitting or...

3D printing has opened the door to new types of cosplay and every year it grows more accessible. I made a post back in 2022 about getting my first 3D printer . And I would say all that advice still stands, except now I have a new 3D printer, I've had more experience and therefore more to say. Am I an expert? Nowhere near it, but I'm beyond beginner at this point. So in this little overview, I'm going to go through some preconceptions I had about 3D printing, safety considerations, and a few more suggestions in considering a 3D printer whether it's your first machine or just another machine to add to the collection.  Preconceptions Here are things I've thought might be common misconceptions...based mostly on my own experience.  3D Printing is FAST! 💨Speed can be relative but in my mind I was thinking some kind of sci-fi replicator that would create something within seconds or minutes. I did not expect it to take more than 2 hours. But I have had prints that lasting ...

 In an effort to finish many projects, I've been keeping my head down and just working on things and not writing about them.  I have ideas for a variety of posts, some of which are outlined or half-written.  My hope is to work on a couple of series including:  3D printing Costumes Shoemaking EVA Foam Costumes Ren Faire/LARP Costumes I also have posts plans for:  My Sailor Jupiter Costume Progress New things I've learned about Kimono making Hope to get to writing soon. :) 

Modesty is the internet handle I adopted for myself way back in high school. I will answer to it as a name. People I meet on the internet tend to call me that. But I adopted this as a name for myself not only because it starts with "M" like my real name, but it is a virtue I aspire to. I don't always live up to it, but I continue trying.  What is Modesty? Now, immediately, the connotation for modesty seems to be telling women how to dress. And as everyone knows, people LOVE being told what to do.  Modesty, like any virtue, cannot be forced upon you to really take root. It must be nurtured in the heart of the person themselves. So, modesty is not forcing you to cover up.  The sister virtue to modesty is humility , which opposes pride...the greatest vice. It is the focus on self that often causes strife between people. Humility is not a popular virtue, but it is healthy and important for living with others harmoniously. And ultimately, make us happy.  Humility doesn't ...

 For most of my costumes, I assume that my time outside will be minimal. Nothing more than walking from the parking lot to the venue. But there are plenty of reasons for outdoor events to be costume events as well, such as Ren Faires, Live Action Role Play (LARP), Historical Reenactment, Film Shoots, and outdoor theatre.  In this post I want to go over how to make sure your costume can deal with:  Heat and Cold Precipitation Sun Exposure Uneven Terrain Dirt/Mud/Dust Shopping Convenience Staying Healthy and Hydrated Your physical health, safety and comfort should be a top consideration in designs.  Temperatures 🌡 When and where the event is located will affect the weather you'll likely encounter. So here are some suggestions for adjusting or planning your design to suit the typical temperature of the event's location.  Hot Weather 😎 For our body to keep cool, it needs sweat to evaporate off our skin. The more skin we can expose to the air, the more efficient ou...