I know that this sounds like I'm starting too early... but honestly, after having to rush so much at the last minute to get to Anime Next this year, I'm done with the stress! I'm starting my cosplay NOW... so that I have the entire year to slowly work on everything. This way, when the convention draws closer, I can say that I'm entirely prepared and can sit back and relax for the few weeks prior instead of having several mini-meltdowns.

Here is a list of my cosplay ideas for next year... I know it may seem like a lot, but I'll probably be narrowing it down as time goes on.

1. Litchi Faye Ling- Blazblue [http://ui07.gamespot.com/1766/litchifayeling_2.jpg]
2. Adiane- Gurren Lagann [http://www.gurren-lagann.net/chara/images/adiane.gif]
3. Black Cat- Spiderman/Marvel Comics [http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images/users/uploads/6860/Black_Cat.jpg]
4. Super Sailor Jupiter- Sailor Moon [http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8601/eternaljupiterfo0.jpg]
5. Pegasus (Horse Version Quad-suit)- Sailor Moon [http://www.soul-hunter.com/sailormoon/images/a_pegasus.jpg]
OR
6. Pegasus (Human Version)- Sailor Moon [http://www.geocities.com/palaceofthesilvermoon/hc2.jpg]
7. Yomako Sensei- Gurren Lagann [http://winterheim.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/yomakosensei.jpg]
8. Yoko (Don't know which costume yet)- Gurren Lagann [http://otakusurf.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/yokoportraitsmagazinecover.jpg]
9. Anemone- Eureka 7 [http://www.japmax.com/images-ext/e7_anemone.jpg]

As of now this is my list... feel free to make any suggestions though! I LOVE intricate, hard to make, and unique costumes to challenge myself, so if you can think of any, let me know!

xoxo

Today has been great so far... I've made some pretty good progress with my costume... and I'm PRAYING that by the end of today I'll have pretty much finished at least Saber Lily. I'm posting a checklist for all the things I still have to do for both of my costumes, and I'll be updating it with an "x" as I finish the things I need to do.

I now present... my gigantic checklist! XD

Saber Lily:

[x] Collar
[] Puffy sleeves
[x] Dress top
[] Pink Dress Petals
[x] White skirt
[x] Petticoat
[x] Extra Tulle
[] Style wig
[] Attach fasteners/zippers/hooks
[x] Black hair bow
[] Armor

CC:

[] Finish jacket and sleeves
[] Skirt
[x] High Socks
[x] High heel shoes
[] White bow for hair
[] Style wig

Silent Hill Nurse:

[x] Blood
[x] Dress
[x] Hat
[] Gauze
[] Undead Makeup
[x] High heel shoes

Ughh I felt like I got more done... looks like I have a lot more than I thought! XD

I'll be updating this list as I get more things done... I'll probably update it by tonight. :3 xoxo

Have you tried to make the perfect big bow for the back of a schoolgirl uniform, a hairpiece, or a prop and failed miserably? You've come to the right place!

This tutorial will teach you how to make the perfect bow, in any size you want. In an upcoming tutorial, there will be extra steps added if you'd like to learn how to reinforce your bow with different cheap items to help it keep its shape and stiffen on its own to defy gravity!

Some steps include pictures to assist you with the more challenging instructions. They appear after the instructions as a URL link in parenthesis "( )." PLEASE READ THROUGH THIS WHOLE TUTORIAL BEFORE YOU START MAKING YOUR BOW! Be sure you understand all the steps so you don't make a mistake!

[MATERIALS]

- Stiff fabric (size depends on how big your bow will be)
- Sewing machine/ needle & thread
- Scissors
- Ruler/ measuring tape



[STEP 1]

Decide how big you want your bow to be. Use your ruler to help you decide if you're not sure of the size you'd prefer. For the sake of this tutorial, let's say I decide to make a big, square 15 inch bow.

[STEP 2]

When you've decided how big you'd like your bow to be, use your ruler to measure a perfect square TWICE the size that you want your bow to be. Since I'm making a 15 inch x 15 inch bow, I want to cut out a piece of fabric that is 30 inches x 30 inches.

** Your bow does not have to be square; for longer-shaped bows, your finished measurements could be 10"x15," 4"x9"... it's all up to you! Just be sure to double it before cutting it out or your bow will be really really small! **

Example of a square bow: (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cT-N57JZYY/R2aaSlsFuaI/AAAAAAAAHB4/yjWCxLF14yY/s400/yves-saint-laurent-bow-dres.jpg)

Example of a longer bow: (http://www.emeraldangel.co.uk/images/hair_bow.jpg)

[STEP 3]

Fold your fabric in half with the good side of the fabric on the INSIDE and sew the raw edges together. Following my measurements for my bow, my bow is now 15 inches x 30 inches.

( http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h154/MustangzGirl/step3.jpg )

[STEP 4]

Turn the fabric right side out, so the good side of the fabric is now on the OUTSIDE. Find the seam line you just made, and fix the fabric so the seam is now down the middle of one side of your fabric. Smooth out your material if it's wrinkled or crumpled. Fold the material in half again, with the seam line on the OUTSIDE. Sew the raw edges together, and then turn the bow right-side out, so the seam line is on the INSIDE. Your bow should now look like a big ring. By now, my bow is 15 inches by 15 inches.

( http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h154/MustangzGirl/step4.jpg )


[STEP 5]

Again, find your new seam line, and arrange your material so the seam line lays in the middle of one side of the fabric. Flip the material over so the seam is in the back, and fold the bow in half so the seam in the back is between the fabric. With the bow in half, take the outer sides and fold them back upwards. By doing this, we are creasing our bow which is what will make your bow look realistic. Sew over these creases to hold them in place.

( http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h154/MustangzGirl/step5.jpg )

[STEP 6]

Cut out a small piece of fabric from the remaining scraps of fabric left over from your bow. It doesn't have to be very long since it will be wrapped around the center of the bow... you can fool around with the size to see which size is best for your bow. For my 15 inch x 15 inch bow, I'll be cutting out a piece around 4 inches x 6 inches.

[STEP 7]

Fold this fabric in half with the good side of the material facing the INSIDE. Sew the raw edges together, and then turn your fabric right side out, with the good side of the material on the OUTSIDE.

( http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h154/MustangzGirl/step7.jpg )

** If you'd like to attach a ponytail holder to your bow so you can wear it in your hair, before sewing the raw edges together, slip the fabric through a ponytail holder, and then sew the edges together. **

[STEP 8]

Fix your material so the seam line is in the middle, and then fold the fabric again with the seam line on the OUTSIDE. Sew the raw edges together and then turn the fabric right side out, with the seam line on the INSIDE. Now you have a small ring of fabric that you have to "thread" your bow through!

( http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h154/MustangzGirl/step8.jpg )
[STEP 9]

Thread your bow through the opening on the small ring of fabric you made. Adjust the creases you made for your bow to make it look more realistic. If you've followed the steps correctly, your bow is finished!

Finished Drawing ( http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h154/MustangzGirl/step9.jpg )

My bow photo ( x )


Be sure to let me know how your bows turned out! :3 xoxo

Well, with the help of everyone wishing me good luck, my blond wig came today! I was getting really nervous... I only have three days until my convention! All is well now (knock on wood), and I am making a decent progress on my Saber Lily costume.

My CC costume is crumpled up currently begging me to finish it, but I'm throwing it on the back-burner so I can finish my more important Saber Lily costume. I'm thinking about entering it in a Hall Cosplay contest, so I need to make sure that everything is perfect. I'm pretty confident that I'll do well in the contest, as long as I don't mess up, and as long as I get it finished on time!

I'm taking a short break here because I decided to give everyone a quick update on the progress I have made. Also, my back is KILLING ME from being slumped over a sewing machine all day! XD

I made Saber Lily's big black hair bow, and I'll be posting that tutorial tonight most-likely. I've been spending the rest of the day sewing the dress part of my Saber Lily costume... and it's been more difficult than I expected it to be. I'm almost finished with it though, so hopefully in about a half hour I can start attaching the black trim. Also, I fixed my petticoat and made it poofier with the help of some tulle.

I'm trying to be done by today (haha yeah right) so I can spend the next three days trying to finish my CC costume, and also working on Saber Lily's armor. I really want to have her armor finished in time for the convention, but if I can't get it done, oh well.

Thanks for reading, and look forward to some more entries by tonight. :3 xoxo

This is a must-read for everyone going to stay overnight at least for one night at a convention! THIS IS ESPECIALLY HELPFUL FOR FIRST-TIME CONVENTION GO-ERS!!!

I always find it extremely helpful to have some sort of list when I'm going to a convention, because there are sooo many things to bring that can be forgotten! I urge all of you to go ahead and print this out and use it to make sure that you bring everything that you will possibly need at your next convention. Some of this stuff on this list are for girls only, so bear with me guys!

Cosplay Packing List:

[Personal Items]
[ ] Tooth brush/paste
[ ] Hair brush
[ ] Hair ties/accessories
[ ] Bobby pins
[ ] Shampoo/Conditioner
[ ] Body Wash
[ ] Cold cream (for hard to remove makeup)
[ ] Deodorant
[ ] Medications/Vitamins
[ ] Makeup
[ ] Hairspray
[ ] Cologne/Perfume

[Clothing]
[ ] Pajamas
[ ] Underwear
[ ] Socks
[ ] Slippers
[ ] Shoes
[ ] Bra
[ ] Bathing Suit
[ ] Towel
[ ] Enough outfits for the length of your stay
[ ] Jacket
[ ] Blanket/Pillow

[Costume Needs]
[ ] Scissors
[ ] Needles/pins
[ ] Thread in every color of your costumes
[ ] Fray Check
[ ] Safety pins

[Entertainment]
[ ] IPOD/ headphones
[ ] CDs
[ ] Video games
[ ] Manga/Anime
[ ] Cell phone
[ ] Laptop

[Other]
[ ] Money
[ ] Camera
[ ] ID, License, Credit cards
[ ] Schedule of convention events

** Don't forget to add in every part of your costumes that you need to take a long... obviously I couldn't add that on here for you! **

Good luck... and have fun at the convention! :3 xoxo