[Battle] Tauriel Cosplay - The Dress

Here arrives the promised post:

The dress for my battle Tauriel costume!

But first, some progress pics from the making of it.

The bodice, which really shows the importance of fitting pattern-made clothes before you sew them together. I lengthened the pattern piece so it would fall a bit below my waist, instead of right at it:

The collar, which I altered quite a bit from the original pattern piece:

Bodice + collar sewn together:

The skirt, which took an extremely long time (see how I didn't say "forever"? ;)) due to the huge hem and getting the correct length. And yes, it is split down the front and back.

The sleeves, which took a bit of time to fit as well. As you can [barely] see, they're split at the wrist:

And finally -- the finished product! It was so worth all the work, and I totally reccomend this pattern (McCall's 6818). Fairly simple to follow, and with a lovely outcome (okay with altering ;D).

(you can't tell very well, but the skirt really is split down the front and back, I promise;)

And one picture of me wearing it. :)

(excuse the no makeup ;))

P.S. 76 days in the countdown to The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies!

A Day of Horses and Doctor Who

While ya'll are waiting with bated breath for October 1st and the reveal of my battle Tauriel dress (kidding, kidding ;D), I thought I might write a fun post about a "horse play day" I had with this awesome girl named Karis, who I've mentioned on here before. ;) Karis blogs over at The Horse Nextdoor, and you should definitely go check it out and say hi!

Karis riding bare-back on her quarter pony, Lady.

But anyway - back to le day...

Mya and Lady (Karis' horse and pony, respectedly) both had been having some serious hoof problems the past few weeks, but had finally started looking better the past few days, so Karis invited me over to hang out and help her give the ponies some exercise.

What ensued was a fun, relaxing, "horse play day," which included grooming, lunging, bare-back riding, a run-away pony, and lots of fandom talk - mostly concerning Doctor Who...

...which is always funny, because we're complete opposites when it comes to our favorite characters...

(Karis, you're reading this - you're nodding, right? ;D)

So, I'm a die-hard (literally) fan of David Tennant's 10 - and Rose. Especially together. Ehehehehehehe... *sobs*

Aaaand Karis loves Matt Smith's 12. And doesn't like Rose at all. As in... she didn't even cry at "Doomsday." (I KNOW. Don't worry - I've given her plenty of grief over that... ;D)

Soooo, yes. Wait, where was I going with that.... oh yeah. No where. ;D

Until October, my friends! ;)

[Battle] Tauriel Cosplay - Chainmail Completed!

Here's one {of many} things that've been happening since I last updated you guys on my battle Tauriel costume...

My pop-tab shoulder chainmail pauldrons are 100% finished (with the help of some donations from friends)! :D

As you can see, they're a general diamond shape, with some slight shaping at the upper top for the shoulder so they'll lay better.

Each piece is made of (to my best approximation) ~175 tabs.

Now, you might be wondering why I didn't just make the chain mail out of metal rings instead... which would arguably have looked better.  Well, guys, if you don't know by now, I'm a budget cosplayer [read: cheap]. When I can make something for a fraction of the cost it would have been, I go for it. And honestly, I enjoy costuming more when I can do it inexpensively. So, free chain mail? Yep, that fit my budget quite nicely! ;)

You might have noticed the fabric underneath the chain mail. Looks quite similar to the fabric for my battle Tauriel dress, doesn't it...? Well, I did say this costume would be completed way before December 17th, did I not...? Oh yes I did. :D

Prepare for the unveiling of the dress a week from today:

October 1st.

P.S. Thanks, you guys, for putting up with all my crazy shenanigans. You know I have way too fun with this stuff. ;D

Captain America Cosplay - Footwear Acquired

You know back in August, how I asked all my lovely readers' opinions on boots for my fem Captain America costume...?

And how there was one pair that we all said we loved...?

Well, guess what came in the mail today. :D

Yep -- I ended up on the inevitable and bought them. ;D

Aaaand you all were totally right: they are perfect for the look I'm going for with my fem Cap costume. And a bonus: I absolutely adore them for everyday wear as well. Seriously. These are, like, my new favorite pair of shoes... ;D

As for details...

The leather is really nice - it's not shiny, like patent leather, but is instead this really cool matte texture, which I just adore.

The color is perfect; this awesome distressed brown, actually a pretty close match to his boots (and the other brown costume details) of his costume for Age of Ultron.

And I love the buckle details! They lend an almost military style, and keep the boots from looking boring.

As for the heel, I personally think the 3 inch heel is perfect. It'll add a nice touch of femininity to the costume, without going overboard. And, for a girl who isn't 6 foot like most superheroes, this'll give me a nice height boost. ;)

So, basically, they're perfect superhero boots: fairly simple and no-nonsense, but still quite chic.

Now I just wish it would start getting colder so I can wear them for realz... ;)

[Battle] Tauriel Cosplay - Pattern Prep and Cutting

I've been so busy working on my battle Tauriel costume this week that I've neglected updating ya'll on my progress... ;)

Just a word in advance: I will have this cosplay completed way before the Hobbit 3 premiere on December 17th. Which just means... I'll have to figure something else out to keep me busy in the long months ahead. xD Maybe start working on Arwen's coronation dress? I mean, I've got the fabric already... :)

Anyway -- back to the pattern (McCall's 6818).

First up was reading over the instructions for making the pattern, to get an idea of what would be entailed here.

Next, was cutting out the individual pieces from the larger pattern sheets, and then taking some measurements for alterations.

Then ironing the pattern pieces out so everything would lie smoothly when I cut the fabric...

Prepping the fabric to be cut...

And finally, pinning and cutting the fabric. Which is most likely my least favorite part of sewing. That, and sleeves. xD

And here is the end of today's [rather short] post -- but don't worry, more updates coming soon! (;

P.S. THE COSTUME IS ACTUALLY COMING TOGETHER.

Captain America Cosplay - The Shield (by Disguise)

A fitting introduction to this post... ;D

So.  Mine might not be made of vibranium, or be able to deflect bullets.  But still...

I'm just way too excited about this thing.

I got it from Amazon for 25 bucks (but I got it free [YAYY] using my Amazon giftcards I earned through Swagbucks! which is awesome btw;).

It's a bit overpriced for what it is (hard plastic circle?) But it's not nearly as bad as the reviews would say - and it beats paying upwards of $200 for a metal shield. xD

Like I said in the title, it's the movie version (as opposed to comic) of Cap's shield, made by Disguise, and is the new-and-improved version for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The paint job is very tidy, and the colors are nice and vibrant, and screen-accurate. It's made of hard plastic, 24" diameter (1-1 size ratio with the movie version), with the star raised and with accents at the tips. There's two black elastic straps on the back...

And as you can see, they're attached to the shield with plastic..uh...things (xD), which are super-glued to the shield. I have the elastic pinned right now, as they were too large for my arm. No big deal there.  (I'm actually thinking of doing a complete modification to the straps, and exchanging the black elastic for leather straps with buckles for a more accurate look - and also because that'd just be cool. xD)

As far as sturdiness goes, noooo this shield isn't gonna keep me safe from Nazis or Chitauri or Bucky (sobs), but it is decent. As long as I take care of it and don't throw it against walls and stuff, it will hold up just great. ;D  And as far as looks? Fabulous. Much better than I was expecting! :)

Welp - I'm out. Gotta go pose in front of the mirror with my shield some more.  Just kidding just kidding... maybe... ;)

[Battle] Tauriel Cosplay - Fabric and Pattern

So, sorry not sorry about that little cliffhanger in my last post... hope I didn't leave you guys hanging too long... but I was kinda having fun with that... ;D

So, the other day (as in, last Saturday) I went to Joann (you know, the fabric store) for the first time with my oldest (eldest?) sister, Alissa.

Which was an experience in it of itself... as they had more fabrics (and higher prices o.O) than I had anticipated. However! With the help of Alissa (no seriously, I wouldn't have survived without her. xD), I was able to decide on fabric for my "Battle Tauriel" dress.

See, what made the trip "interesting," was that I really didn't have a set idea for what color/material I wanted. I was originally thinking light green suede...

...but ended up with this (which I'm [now] convinced is 900% better than green suede would have been for this costume. ;))

So, I'm kinda notorious for not using fabrics for their intended purpose. And, with that said, the material is 5 yards of Sew Classic's polyester crepe suiting in "medieval blue". xD Yeah. Like I said. Not for intended purposes. ;D

But in all seriousness, this fabric is lovely. The drape is absolutely gorgeous, with just the right weight. The crepe-weave is super cool, too. From far away, the texture looks so cool... then you get up close and it's even cooler. ;)

Also, the color! Ahhhhhh the color. IMHO, 'tis just divine. As you can see, each picture made it look a different shade (and none of them are edited, either). In natural lighting especially, the color goes crazy - morphing from jewel tones to a slate grey. And the chain mail (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you can see back in this post) looks quite pretty and feminine against it, the colors reminiscent of Arwen's requiem gown in The Two Towers.

And a bonus is that I actually look good in this color. Which wouldn't have been true with the suede I was considering. So there's that. ;D

Next up: The pattern.  I also got this at Joann, and it just happened to be on sale for 2 bucks! *Happy dance.* ;) McCalls's 6818:

I'll be following view B mostly, though using the sleeves of A (normal long sleeves). I plan on doing some alterations to it, because, as I'm sure you can see, it's not perfect. But it's got some great potential.

I'll be making the skirt come completely around the front (though keeping the slit down the center), lowering the waistline just a bit, and making the collar smaller, to be more like the collar of Tauriel's archer dress.  And as for the cape... I'm probably going to nix it, but it's still a possibility. We'll just have to see. ;)

So you guys are no longer in suspense -- yayy! ;D Let meh know whatcha think of the fabric and my pattern plans and such. I always love hearing you guys' thoughts. :)  Btw... the design of my costume isn't quite complete yet. There's an aspect or two that I'm still pondering, which I'll share soon (once I actually, like, make up my mind. ;D)

Lastly, I've got at least 3 cosplay posts swirling around in my brain that I just need to write up... Because, like I've said, there's been quite a bit of costume happenings lately. :D

#Can'tBalanceSchoolAndCosplay

Apologies beforehand because this is gonna be a quick post. I sowwy, but I'll explain why. :P

School has started -- yeah, that's basically my explanation. Even though I'm homeschooled, I've still got plenty of work to do; as I'm sure all you homeschoolers will smile and nod to. You know what I'm talking about. ;)

Aaaaand add to that, the fact that my internet has been out since Saturday night, when we had a pretty large thunderstorm, and I have no clue when it'll be fixed. SO I've been hanging out at our local christian college's library all day, mooching off their wifi. ;D

I'm taking an online dual-enrollment class from the college, also -- General Psychology. Exciting, right? :p After looking at the syllabus today, though, it definitely could be worse. It actually should be fairly easy. Maybe even fun...? We shall see. ;)

So, that's what I've been doing today -- exploring the online portal and downloading syllabi (plural of syllabus..?), reading assignments, and powerpoints, and also submitting some preliminary homework. All of which didn't leave much time for a very exciting blog post...
WHICH IS REALLY SAD BECAUSE I'VE GOT SO MUCH TO TELL YOU GUYS.  Like, seriously. Some major Tauriel and Captain America cosplay progress has been happening this week. I'll try really really really hard to get a post up about those two very soon, but in the meantime, you can mull over all possible meanings behind this (hehe):

Change...

Here's some background music for this post. ;)

I've noticed a theme in the posts written on the blogs I follow recently.

Change.

I've currently been experiencing this - change - the most I've experienced it, well, ever. While in the past I've moved several times to very different locations, they occurred when I was younger and less effected by such things.

But, now, I'm 16 and have been living in the same place for the past 6 years, and those years have been more influential on my life than any of those before. I've had so many wonderful memories with the amazing friends I made in those 6 years.

Then, suddenly, I realize that those friends and their lives are changing, including me and mine.

None of us have much free time any more to just hang out. Some of them have begun drifting out of my life. And as for the people who have gone away to college, well, I'll only have the opportunity to see them when they come home on breaks. Which I definitely look forward to, but it's not nearly as satisfying as knowing I'll at least see them every week at church.

And then there's the result of these changes. Like I've already experienced, people end up fading out of your life and, somehow, you two turn back into acquaintances, with not so much as "goodbye."

My personal change is hard, and scary, as well. I'm approaching my senior year of highschool. In just over a year, I'll be heading to college... and so many questions and fears arise from this fact.

Will I be able to keep up with all the [difficult] school work? And amidst that work, will I still have time for the things I enjoy? Will I be able to make any new friends? Will I meet *that* special someone?

All this... yeah. It's hard. Change is hard. And scary. And is when we need to trust God the most.

However - we have to remember that change can also be good. For us, for others... and with this, somehow it will all turn out perfectly in the end.

Updates and ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

You must forgive me for my absent from the blogging scene lately... it hasn't been intentional! ;) I've got a few half-finished posts ready to be completed, but I just haven't gotten around to them... so, here's a quick update with randomness. :)

Firstly... I'm back in the South. (yay!) My northern vacation was great, but still. There's no place like home. ^_^ Though now I get to readjust to the heat... :P

Can anyone else not believe the summer is almost over? (for me, anyway -- your's might already be over! :p) I keep asking myself, where did it even go???? O_O

Oh and -- heh -- speaking of time and stuff, uh, just thought I'd mentioned I'm obsessed with Doctor Who now. Namely, 10. David Tennant. (ermergersh he's just so seriously awesome... ^_^ ;D)  Maybe that's where all my time went... spent watching Doctor Who... xD

I start school again on Wednesday. And I'll be a senior. I mean seriously, where did you go, time? *sigh*

And now, my final update. Le ALS Ice Bucket Challenge! Enjoy. xD

1. If you're reading this, consider this my nomination for you! You've got 24 hours! :D
2. This is the reason I'm not an actress... xD
3. I deleted the part with my facebook nominee names for privacy's sake. ;)

Talk to ya'll soon!! ^_^

[Battle] Tauriel Cosplay - Mock-up and Chainmail

It seriously felt so good to write that title. Why? Really just 'cause I finally know what my costume is for The Battle of the Five Armies. Hehe. Anyways... let's get to the updates! :D

Firstly, I made a mock-up of the skirt yesterday:

It's nothing fancy, but I did spend a fairly good while on it. ;) Most of that time was spent playing around with drape and length and such.

It's made out of some old flannel-type fabric I had lying around. (Which had a surprisingly nice drape..? I don't even know. xD)  As you can see in le pics, it's split down the front and the back. I was trying to figure out whether to do 4 splits or just 2, and this has made me decide on just the two, so it'll almost be like a riding dress. This also makes it easier to decapitate orcs and goblins and such. ;)  And the train... is it practical? Not completely. Does it look cool? Uhm, yesssss. :D So, I'm gonna compromise and do a short-ish train; probably about 6-8 inches.

I'm also working on figuring out the shape of the skirt panels... like I said in my previous post, I'm considering buying a pattern to help with that and the rest of the construction of the dress.

So - that's that. Now the part I'm really excited to show ya'll... the beginnings of some pretty epic chainmail armor (if I say so myself;), made from soda pop tabs!

(the heart-shape was not intentional... ;D)

In case you missed my last post, what I'm making is shoulder armor (whose technical name is "spaulders").

This piece is only about half finished, 'cause I didn't have enough tabs... however, I'm heading home this Tuesday (yayy!) where I've got a whole bunch more tabs (all saved up in a little jar hehe). So you'll be seeing the finished product soon (hopefully - hah)! ;)

About the process of making the chainmail... it was surprisingly simple! It took a couple minutes to learn how and to get into the rhythm of it (bend, cut, connect), but after that it was quite easy -- though it is a bit time consuming. This piece took about an hour and a half total. In the future, now that I know how to do it, it should be a bit faster. :)

Oh and, yeah, my fingers were hurting after all that. xD

In case you wanted to try your hand at makin' some chainmail, this tutorial by kirilee on deviantart is quite helpful. :D

Well, I suppose that's about it for my Battle Tauriel costume updates!  Next up on my to-do list: Finish the chainmail armor and start fabric shopping!

My BOTFA Cosplay Announcement!!!

YES.  YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY.  I HAVE FINALLY DECIDED.

First things first, though. ;)

I was seriously soooo disappointed when no new [female/simple] costumes popped up in the Battle of the Five Armies teaser. (Except for that teensy peek of Galadriel's new costume, which a picture was already released of.) Yeah, as much as I like Thrandy's and the dwarves' new armor, uh, yeah, not gonna happen. xD

HOWEVER -- I do adore the idea of armor...

So, I started thinking... what if I just completely made up a costume inspired by Tauriel? And then I remembered all that GORGEOUS concept art for her costumes that they ended up not using. And then the idea just kept growing and growing until I finally decided on the idea of...

Battle Tauriel. :D

Like I said, it'll be based on the concept art designs, and embellished with my own imagination. It'll be, basically, what I think Tauriel would wear into battle. The main things I want to include in the costume are some sort of elvish armor, and a floor length, split skirt (unlike the calf-length of her dresses in Desolation of Smaug).

I started sketching some ideas over the past week... Now, keep in mind, none of the designs are perfect. I'm really just messing around with my ideas. The more I think about it, and the more designs I make, the closer I'll get to what I actually want the finished costume to look like. :)

So, that's what I'm working with currently. My favorite idea so far is the chainmail shoulder pauldrons, which I got from this concept drawing. (And if I did that, I'd most likely make it out of soda pop tabs. Yes. Those tabs you open aluminum cans with, which I've been collecting for the past several months, actually. xD Sound weird? Check this out.) I'm thinking of adding another chainmail aspect to the costume, though I'm not exactly sure what.

Also with the chainmail idea, I'm not sure whether it should even be chainmail, or maybe just leather armor... or perhaps I could try my hand at craft foam armor, and give it a metal look...

Another thing I'm debating is the cape. I don't want it to be a full cloak (which would hide too much of the costume underneath), but rather one that just goes down the back, like the first design, or one where the arms are exposed, like designs 2 and 3.

The final thing I'm debating is the base dress -- basically, how I want the skirt, sleeves, and collar to be. I'm looking at a few sewing patterns for that, however, which would definitely make creating the dress easier. ;)

So, yeah! That's what costume I'll be making for The Hobbi: The Battle of the Five Armies. :D

In conclusion, may I just say... I am so pumped for this cosplay. It's going to be so incredibly fun to make. And wear. And it's already been fun to plan. :D

I'll update with more news concerning this soon! 4 months to go, guys!!! :D :D

Oh! And I've made a Pinterest board just for this costume -- as usual. xD

Follow Beth's board Cosplay - Battle Tauriel on Pinterest.

My Trailer for The Battle of the Five Armies

So, last year I made a trailer for The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug about a month after the teaser trailer for that released (which ended up going on to get over 10,000 views on YouTube!!)

And because I absolutely adore doing things like that (making movies, digital editing, and such) I decided to do it again this year. But for The Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies. :D
While I absolutely adore the official trailer, I had several ideas of my own for a trailer for BOFTA... which I then made a reality over the course of about a week. The process included finding, downloading, and editing video clips, finding just the right music, and then, of course, editing it all together.

The music I used is called "An Unfinished Life" by Audiomachine, from their album "Tree of Life," and I edited the trailer using Windows Movie Maker (very high tech, I know. ;D)

(Microsoft recently updated Windows Movie Maker, and it works 900% better after the update. I couldn't used it last year for the DOS trailer I made, as it had a ton of glitches that kept ruining the video as I worked on it, but I decided to give it another try, and it worked like a dream! Super simple, but gets the job done quite well.)

With all that said, here's my trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Hope you like it. I really liked making it. (: