This weekend I received an email from my mom. Not just any email, oh no, it was chock full of pictures. These photos might date me a bit, but you’d figure out how old I was eventually. First up is the previously mentioned ballerina costume. Since Halloween in the midwest can get chilly I usually wore an undershirt with my costumes. My cousins dressed as clowns that year. I’m not sure they wanted to be clowns, but there ya go. All the costumes were made by our moms. Isn’t that sweet?

The next year for Halloween I wore my Wonder Woman underoos. I very clearly remember wearing them to preschool. At this point in my life, Halloween was still a family affair. We spent the evening with my cousins and occasionally went to parties. No clowns this year. The three of us were joined by our other cousin in the menacing pirate getup.

My parent’s picked my up from preschool wearing their costumes. My teachers loved how into the holiday we were. When Raggedy Ann and Andy walked up to the playground all the kids pointed and smiled. My mom made the costumes. I don’t think Andy was supposed to have a beard.

That night we were joining the family and some friends for Halloween frivolity. This lovely belly dancer greeted us at the door. My dad’s cousin had taken up belly dancing for fun and exercise. My dad wrongly assumed it was her in the skirt. It was her husband. Heh. I think he makes a beautiful woman.

Now that I’ve embarrassed my family, I’ll bid you adieu. Have a good week.

I put together the white overskirt just as I said I would. It will work. Not as is, but I see where it needs to be refined. The length is about right, maybe another inch or two. I know what needs to be done about the lacing as well. Sure glad I was able to pick up so much yardage for a decent price! Here’s a picture of where it stands at the moment. The beauty of testing the method on the smaller overskirt is I’ll know exactly what to do for the underskirt.

Remember when I wore the Hippie costume for Earth Day? Well I have a few other pictures of that costume to share with you. The sun was extra bright and blew out most of the photographs, but I’ve salvaged a few. I liked the setup for the ruined photos so I may retake them this weekend to complete the set. Anyway, here’s more for you to peruse. This costume can be found at Costume Craze. It is the shirt with attached vest and the trippy headband. All other accessories, like the glasses, flowers, and tambourine, are my own.

I think everyone should have a costume or two in their closet for party emergencies. There’s nothing wrong with buying a pre-made costume. Not everyone has the resources or skills to make some fancy getup.

Have a great weekend!

You might be wondering what I’ve been doing with myself this week. I’ll tell you.

I have been reaping the benefits of driving past Hancock Fabric and seeing a fabric sale. I was able to pick up vinyl for $6 a yard. I was pretty happy with that price. Is there a better price? Probably, but this one makes me smile. I am now in possession of black and white material for Wonder Girl’s battle skirt. I’ve even begun to cut some of the white pieces. Today or tomorrow I will place the punches and eyelets then lace the strips together. I’m excited.

I finally got around to making the eagle W pattern for Wonder Girl’s armor. After looking at her a few more times (read over and over), I decided to add the yellow foam around the red foam. The emblem is outlined in gold so this should make it easier to paint. Don’t you think it makes a nice guide? But let’s not get ahead of things. First I need to shape it to my chest and seal it.

There’s more Kitty progress too. At the same fabric sale I found some yellow knit on sale. There’s some stretch to it. I have an idea for making her body piece that should be okay with knit. I’ve been fretting about the gloves. They need to be the same color as her costume but I’ve never made gloves. A very helpful member of Cosplay.com told me about We Love Colors. Wow. They have gloves, tights, leotards and so much more in every color you can imagine. I’m keeping that on standby just in case my glove attempt fails miserably.

So that’s where I’m at today. I’ll post tomorrow to show what happened to my skirt.

Cross your fingers!

Wigs are a lot of fun. They can make a costume or change your look. So you bought a wig. Now what?

It’s important that you store your wig on a form. Styrofoam heads are common and easy to find. Often you can purchase a head from the same store you purchased your wig.

You’ll need a wig cap. Wig caps are nylon socks that keep your hair under control. They come in a variety of colors and are sold in the hair care aisle.

Wigs pick up dirt, dust, and sweat just like your hair does. This means you’ll want to wash it after you’ve worn it or it’s sat on its wig head for a while. Use a mild shampoo and cold water. It’s very important you use cold water on your wig because warm or hot water will relax any curls or style it already has. It’s safest to let the wig air-dry.

It’s also a good idea to pick up a wig brush. Why? Wig brushes have metal tines to decrease the friction between the brush and the wig. Since wigs are usually made with filament, the metal tines slide right through the strands unlike plastic tines which drag and pull. Wigs can be styled in many of the same ways your own hair can be styled. Go ahead and add a pick and a comb to your arsenal too….metal of course.

Curling bangs

Yes, you read that correctly. Wigs can be styled. Most wigs have a style so they don’t need the extra work, but it’s possible if you want a change. Do not use direct heat on the delicate filaments. This means no curling irons or high heat hair dryers. To get a nice curl, simply section off the hair and wrap it around a plain old curler. You know the ones that are $2 for a pack of 12. Pin the curler in place using a hair pin or T-pin. You can let it set until it dries or you can use a cool dryer or steam gun. For big hold on your new style, use wig hairspray. The alcohol in regular hairspray can damage your wig.

Wig supplies

Now you’re ready to go. Pin up your hair. Pull on the wig cap. Slide on the wig by holding it firmly at the temples. Gently pull it front first then tug down the back. Well, that works best for me. Run your brush through to make sure it lays correctly. Then out the door you go.

All set? Let me know it you have any questions.

I haven’t forgotten my other costume, oh no. The one you voted for me to create for Dragon Con. I have progress on Kitty Pryde. Yay!

The UPS man dropped off my body suit today. It’s matte black and super soft. I love it. When I tired it on I went ahead and put on my boots to see how it looks. I don’t have any other parts to the costume made yet, but I think you get the idea. I grabbed Ampersand to stand in for Lockheed in a picture for you.

The next step will be making the yellow accent, belt, and gloves. I’m thinking yellow vinyl. Any suggestions?