So I completely suck at updating. Fortunately for me, that doesn't mean that I suck at cosplay deadlines. I did actually finish up my Arwen Helm's Deep Battle Dress last year and was relatively pleased with the outcome. I'm really hoping to make some changes to it and get it looking just a bit more screen accurate before AL3P next year, but I have plenty of time for that.

 In the aftermath of the Avengers release I wound up scrapping the Evil Queen idea and doing a Lady Loki redesign based on Tom Hiddleston's Loki from Avengers (rather than the Thor look).

 

This shot isn't watermarked, but it's also by the always amazing Jo Luffiro Sauce.

 

The aspect of this costume that I most enjoy (aside from that epic headpiece that my husband created for me) is the corset, which I made myself. I was pretty terrified embarking on that little piece of insanity since corseting has always seemed like such an advanced sewing project, but with a lot of research I got comfortable with the idea and I've actually just finished up another corset for this year.

Which brings me to this year. Since my husband is going to be accompanying me again this year that means my workload has ramped up, but I'm finally getting to the point where it looks manageable. On the docket this year:

 

Jessica Drew's dress from Hawkeye #9

 

Matt Fraction and David Aja's Hawkguy

 Sailor Captain America based on this gorgeous fanart by Ann Marcellino

  Matt Fraction and David Aja's Kate Bishop aka Hawkeye

Carver and Bethany Hawke will also be making a reappearance. And while I do have progress pics that I could post, I think this post is image heavy enough. I'll hopefully remember to update again post-con with some decent shots of all of these. I'm getting so close to finishing, but I know I'll be working right up until I have to put things in suitcases and get in the car. Looking forward to time with all my con friends, some epic meetups, and a serious lack of sleep!

Opening Salvo

Now that I've finally recovered from my mad dash to complete all seven (yes SEVEN) of the costumes I made for Dragon*Con 2011, I'm gearing up for a run at D*C 2012. That's right, it took me close to four months to forget the mental trauma and insomnia inflicted by my ill-conceived decision to make three new costumes for my husband and me as well as a costume for a close friend. Now that I can look back with a little more perspective, I'm excited about the work I did and the skills I gained - particularly working on our costumes for the Dragon Age meetup and photoshoot. Last year was the first time I not only used a sewing machine to create costumes, but also modded patterns and made pieces from patterns I drafted myself. In between teaching myself the basics of sewing - and it's probably best that my methods aren't examined closely - I also did some very basic leatherworking and learned to knit chain mail. The end result was the creation of these costumes:

Carver and Bethany Hawke - Dragon Age 2

Varric Tethras - Dragon Age 2

For Dragon*Con 2012 I've decided to scale back just a bit. Because our oldest daughter will be starting school this fall, my husband will be staying home from Dragon*Con this year. While I'm sad that he'll have to miss out it does immediately cut my costume load in half. So, of course, I've decided to use that extra wiggle room to try out some more work intensive costumes. Since I'm trying to drop some of the baby weight that's been hanging on since my second daughter was born, I can't launch straight into construction for my costumes. On the plus side, that means I have more time to plan and price out materials so I can get the best deal for the looks that I'm trying to put together. I'm also planning to bring back my Bethany Hawke costume for the second annual Dragon*Con Bioware Meetup and Photoshoot so I may have to do some work closer to con in order to refit it and resize the chain mail depending on whether or not I meet my weight loss goals. (Down 5lbs since the start of the year!) If I completely lose my mind between now and Labor Day weekend, I may also be making a Thorin Oakenshield costume for a friend of mine since we've got a Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit group in the works in honor of the premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. For now, I'll leave you with pictures of the two costumes I'm trying for this year.

Arwen's Helm's Deep Battle Costume (Cut from the movie) - Lord of the Rings

The Evil Queen - "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" - Once Upon a Time