a girl from mars

so i used a t-shirt from a thrift store to make the red tank Lilith wears under all her getup, i dragged reference pics to the thrift store and picked out one i thought was the perfect color. i pinned it all up, fitted it fantastically, then sewed it up on my industrial machine. double topstitched and everything, matching the ref pic perfectly. the hem and collar got stretched out a bit, because my machine often has too much power for knits. but, i threw the tank in the washer and then the dryer on low, thinking it would shrink back into shape.

THIS THING IT CAME APART

it literally is coming apart at the seams. i guess that shirt was the perfect color because it was OLD AS HELL and rotten! i’ll post pics later, i just kind of can’t stop thinking about Camp Anawana for now.

I moved! So I get to completely set up my sewing area again. I took the time to re-measure myself and make my dress form match, so now I finally have a good reference when fitting! I had to pad the boobs and butt. I used an entire roll of quilt batting too. Yesssss.

Note Lilith wig is getting darker too! That’s two more markers worth! And also pictured is my Juki sewing machine that I absolutely swear by. This thing is my cosplay magic weapon, and hell I could use it as a weapon, at 5500 stitches a minute. It was recommended to me by Barb of Limebarb.com, girl knows her stuff, go there if you want a custom commission!

what a pretty lady!

I can’t wait to get cracking on the actual sewing so I have more to blog about than this goddamn wig!

Staples has those brown markers for seven bucks for a dozen, so I went and got me a dozen “mocha” markers! and I sit and I color as I watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Don’t think this costume has been abandoned, nosir! It’s now got top billing on my sewing table now that the holidays are over. I’ve got a solid base now and I’m just extending the color into the rest of the wig. SHIiiiiiit is it time consuming! Doesn’t mean it’s not actually kinda fun, though!

two brown “sharpies” (not really sharpies, they’re bic brand I think) and here’s where i am. there’s a spot on the top where i colored over it with red and I LOVE IT. i’m going to need a few more sharpies and a few more hours, but it’s getting there! it looks better flat than it does on, so far. but it will get better! (i just really liked that record so i took a picture of the wig in front of it, haha)

coloring progress and a sweet album

ITS NOT STYLED YET OKAY but i like the way the gradient is going

getting a nice gradient

And, here are the components of the actual costume! I’m using clothes from a thrift store, because they’re supposed to look all worn-in and grimy! And the boots. Yes, they have heels. I’m going there. But probably not in this post!

these will look nothing like they do now

got my contacts and OOOOOOO

no makeup so be nice

the wig is cut and has a few layers of dye, this gradient is taking a while but i think the effort will be worth it! the wig is unstyled still too, i can’t get it shaped until i’m finished dyeing it. then it will be hairsprayed into a perfect point on one side, and flipped out cute on the other!

Got the contacts from CandyOps, I’d recommend them! Good selection and prices!

Next update:  the siren tattoos.  Oh boy this is gonna be a fantastic mess! I can’t wait!

I’ve never been able to get through Dune! I’ll do it before 2010 though. I felt like I had to confess this to the internet for some reason.

PET PEEVE! Females in and around internet who call themselves “girl gamers” and have the attitude that because they like to pick up a controller and simultaneously have the ability to ovulate that they are somehow qualified to postulate on the sexist roles of women in video games. You know why dames in games have huge cans? Because men buy games and men like boobs. It doesn’t really seem to be more complicated than that, so quit trying to make yourself feel relevant by thinking it has anything to do with someone like you.

Okay, a couple of failed wig dyes and some sharpies later, I am at this:

getting there!

From left to right: a dyed swatch with brown marker on it; a dyed swatch colored with both brown and red marker; a swatch gradient dyed with the plain pink of the swatch showing in the background; and a swatch only dyed with the dye I made. Look at the pretty wig in the background! On the right you can see the color of the ink and the dye I used, it’s “red oxide,” so it makes this lovely off-red color.

closeup of swatches - click for full wig glory! haha

I’m particularly partial to the second swatch, the red on the brown on the dye makes it nearly perfect! Now if I can just get myself to sit down and cut that wig … oh my god I’m terrified, wig styling is NOT my forte!!

Picked up a few acrylic inks and will be attempting wig dyeing this weekend! I’ve got some old-ass pink extensions leftover from a forever-ago Ulala costume (R.I.P Ulala wig I’m not sorry I danced you to death at the Freezepop concert), so I’m gonna cut them up into test swatches and try different saturations to get a gradient I’m satisfied with! Will take and post pics of results when I have some. Even if they’re not what I want!

Going to start collecting materials to sew the costume this weekend, too. Normally I scour the internet for the perfect fabrics. Not this time! Pandora is a grungy place and so her outfit should be weathered and dusty! So I’m going to make it completely out of existing pieces. I’m going to hit thrift stores and get old pants to tear apart and reconstruct into her chaps. I’m hoping to find some neat old jackets to rework into her vest. I can’t wait to tear apart old purses and even couches to get worn leather to make into her boots!

And I’m doing some research into blue henna for her tattoo. I think it’d be fun to paint it on a day or two before I plan on wearing it, so it can fade to that light-blue color she’s got goin’ on. I’m totally okay with rocking that for a few days/weeks too!

Okay I’m going to give this a shot! A combination of dyeing and extensions and hopefully I can come out with a beautiful gradient wig! Or maybe I will just get a steaming pile of shit, who knows!

Here’s the wig I bought to start with:

reference versus base wig

It’ll get a trim and some styling to get that sweet little flip hers has on the side. Then, I’ll test various acrylic ink and/or Sharpie dyeing methods on the parts i’ve cut off before I dare touch the base wig! When I get the dark red-to-red-to-peach gradient I want, I’ll snake in some white extensions poking out of the very bottom to give it that white tip.

I HOPE