Project Spider-Beth: The Accessories

Bonjour, mes amis!

Quick announcement before I get into part 2 of Project Spider-Beth: I got Instagram! :D If you'd like to keep up with me a bit more personally, and be privy to behind-the-scenes pics of my current and upcoming cosplay/costume/sewing shenanigans, go follow. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Oh dear.  Now the pressures on for me to deliver some awesome content... ;)

ANYWAY.  Back to my Spider-Man cosplay-ish! Today, you'll hear all about the finishing touches to the costume: webshooters, boots, etc. So let's get into it!

Webshooters first.  I decided to take inspiration from the Peter's homemade suit from Homecoming, and have several web "cartridges" on a wristband below the glove. But, what could pass for a webshooter?

Hairclips, duh.

before...

after!

After getting those ready, I stitched up some leather wristlets, clipped the clips over the leather, and then added some fingerless weightlifting (hahaha) gloves to have some cool, quick webshooters.

Next up, let's look at the most difficult part of this whole costume. That I brought upon myself. Because it *should* have been one of the easiest parts -- just buy a pair of boots! Right? RIGHT?! No. Because I put myself on a very tight budget for this project, and we were already put on a very tight time budget.

So, the day before the photoshoot with the costume I had scheduled, I went on a calculated search for footwear.

I went in every store in our mall that sold shoes, and then, when I turned up nothing that would please me, at basically any price point, I knew what was coming. I booked it over to Joann, bought a couple yards of red faux leather, leather sewing needles, and zippers (which I ended up not needing), and drove straight home to make myself a pair of superhero boots.

In one day.

Now, for the process of making the boots... it was quite the adventure. I looked up some pattern ideas on the internet, put couldn't find anything that was exactly what I needed. So I free handed everything, with a bit of help from a pair of boots I already had, the internet patterns.

The key was trial and error, and the very convoluted pictures I got of the process reflect that, I'm afraid... I think I'll just dump them here in their relatively coherent order and hope you can understand the story of making boots for the first time, with no pattern, in one day. *cries just thinking about it* :D

A couple quick notes on the boots... obviously, there's a ton of things I would change in hindsight. For one thing, I didn't add an actual sole to them, so they're more like moccasin boots than actual boots -- but it turned out alright since I wasn't doing any serious walking in them. Also, I wasn't completely happy with the shape of the foot area... it was lacking something, though I'm not sure what. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: I wish I could have bought *apparel* faux leather instead of *upholstery* faux leather, because these things are almost completely unable to breathe. Which gets uncomfortable after a while, needless to say.

BUT, all in all, for my first pair of boots? I'm really happy with how they turned out. Easily one of my favorite parts of the costume, and mostly worth all the hassle. :D

We're almost done -- the last things to add was the "mask," which consisted of some Spider-Man inspired sunglasses from Amazon (which were actually the first thing I bought for the costume), and a nose/mouth mask made of a some scrap fabric.

And, that's my Spider-Man inspired costume! Get ready for the photoshoot, which I'll share next Friday!

Also -- who's ready for Spider-Man: Homecoming, releasing in just ONE WEEK?!?!

Project Spider-Beth: The Base Suit

Hello again, dear friends!

Today, I'm going to share with you a little cosplay project I put myself up to a couple weeks ago,  code-named "Spider-Beth" by my photographer for the costume: a submission for the Spider-Man DIY costume contest, hosted by Marvel in honor of upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming!!

Now, before you get excited: no, I didn't win. I'm not sure that the judges ever got to see my design at all -- there were some pretty major glitches with the system that many contestants (including myself) ran into, sadly. BUT! It's all good, I still had a fantastic time making the costume, it was a super fun experience, and the girl who won did a wonderful job on her costume. :)

But regardless, back to the business at hand! The point of the contest was to create your own version of Spidey's homemade suit, utilizing everyday materials from Goodwill, your own wardrobe, and elsewhere. Basically, "what would Spider-Man's suit look like if you made it?"

What a challenge, right?! I'm all over it. Goodwill is my favorite thing (did you know all the fabrics used in my Captain America cosplay were sourced from a thrift store?). We had a bit under 2 weeks in total to create the costume, so I got right to work -- and booked it over to my local Goodwill.

After a fun day of shopping, I came home with this cool lookin' jacket. I was just about to check out when it caught my eye, because of the mesh that totally reminded me of a spiderweb, kinda like a micro version of the design on Spidey's real suit -- and the lining color is a timberwolf shade grey, which I decided was close enough to blue to pass.

After a couple days of staring at it, I finally decided what I wanted to do: switch up the color of the sleeves and hood to red. So, after attempting to dye it (that was definitely a no-go), I tore out (read: carefully seam ripped) the lining out, and set to work putting in a new one.

After I had the sleeves and hood linings out, I used the pieces as guides to cut out my new linings.

that's not blood, that's my attempt at sharpie dying (it was not effective)

 Next up, I basted the linings and facings together...

And then sewed the pieces together and to the body of the jacket.

One last step to finish off my Spider-Beth jacket, was adding a web design to the inside of the hood, inspired by Spider-Gwen's look from the comics. Because I'm suuuper creative like that.

The funny thing was, I discovered a little surprise when I turned my work around:

The sharpie bled through, giving me the web design on the outside as well!! At first I freaked -- WHAT HAVE I DONE and all that. Buuuuut after calming down and realizing it actually looked pretty great, I warmed up to my little mishap, and now I just love it. :D

So, that was the jacket. Next up were some more elements to get my Spider-Beth look looking, well, spider-y.

Also on my shopping trip to Goodwill, I stopped by Kohl's (my favorite clothing store ever -- I'm barely kidding when I say half my wardrobe is from their clearance section), and found a pair of absolutely perfect blue jean capris (and when I say "blue," I mean a nice, bright blue) on clearance for $10 -- so there were my spider pants.

Next up, the shirt. I already had a sleeveless turtle neck shirt that I realized would be perfect (most superhero suits are turtle necks, in case you haven't noticed), so all I needed to do to make it Spider-Beth worthy was sew on a spider emblem. I copied the version from Homecoming to the best of my ability, cut it out of some black faux leather I had leftover from Doctor Strange, and then hand sewed it to the shirt (as invisibly as possible).

So we've got the shirt, the pants, the jacket... there's still a couple more pieces needed.

BUT those will have to wait for our next post! There, I'll tell you all about the webshooters, sweet lenses, and some homemade boots I whipped up in a day. :D

Until then, my friends!

Doctor Strange Cosplay - The Photoshoot

Hello again, friends!!

As my first real post after my several month hiatus, I'm excited to share with you some fun pictures of my fem Doctor Strange cosplay from last year!!  I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I and my aaaamazing photographers Karis and Amber enjoyed taking them. :)

having your own cloak of levitation is the best thing

And... a behind-the-scenes shot of Amber and I, just for fun. :D

Well, that's a wrap on my Doctor Strange cosplay!  I hope you loved the final pics -- I had so much fun editing them with some strange magic (hehe).

Keep an eye out for new posts coming up soon -- I've got lots of cosplay adventures to tell about. :D

Semester 4: Why I've Been Gone

Hi friends.

I feel like I can't really move forward with blogging before I explain why I've been gone for the past almost 5 months.  So, herein I shall explain what happened two weeks after my last post.

January 19th was the Thursday of my first week back at college after Christmas break, and that evening I was at the first meeting of the semester for the fashion show at my school.  It was going fine, but I didn't feel too great, as I was getting over a cold.

After the meeting, I felt a sense of urgency to get home, a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach which I dismissed as nothing more than my own exhaustion and maybe a hint of a fever.  So, in a daze, I rushed back to my car, drove home, and promptly put myself to sleep when I got there.

That evening, my family found out my dad had passed away.

All I could think was, "Dear God, don't let it be real" -- but it was real.  It was all too real.  He had been down in Georgia, where he worked 3 days a week, and had caught a really bad cold.  None of us thought too much of it, including him.  But that evening, when the policemen came to our door, we were hit all too severely with how serious his condition had been.

To say I've never cried so hard is a gross understatement.

As that night wore on, my family and I did our best to just breathe.  Before I went to bed, I tried to read the bible -- but I couldn't.  I hurt too much, had too many thoughts and questions racing through my head.  So, instead, I continued to pray and cry.  As I lay in bed, a peace, God's peace, beyond any understanding gently swept over me, and by His grace, I slept for the first time without a father on earth.

That next week was the darkest of my life.  It was a fight just to be able to laugh again.  I didn't go to school.  I journaled.  I grieved.  Family and friends came in.  Funeral preparations were made.  Cards and flowers and food entered our house in a never ending and very welcome stream.  The funeral was the next Thursday.  People said their goodbyes...

And then it was time to go back to "normal," somehow.

Monday hurt so much, as I went back to school.  I was so scared.  I felt fragile, and anything so much as a loud word might have shattered my eggshell-thin exterior.  I felt invisible, and no one could see the unwelcome tears that seemed to constantly lurk right behind my eyes.

I went through the motions of school the best I could -- I took notes in class, I talked to friends.  I told them I was "okay," but that wasn't true.  I hurt. so. bad.  I wanted to quit school.  All I wanted to do was cry my eyes out and die to go be with my dad.  But instead, I went through classes, drove home, and cried once again.

I went through it all again the next day, and got through it as best I could.  But that evening, something changed.  First, I recalled one of the best pieces of encouragement someone had given me:

"Deal gently with yourself."

So, I stopped.  I prayed.  And then I did the next easiest thing I could think of: I took a shower.  There, I continued to pray.  And to cry.  And continued to pray some more.  And in the midst of the warm water, a phrase began to grow stronger and stronger in my mind:

"You're going to be okay.  Not right now, but soon."

An unexplainable joy began to burn in my heart -- deeper and stronger and more assuredly than I have ever known, EVER.  The pain and the hurt and the weight finally lifted from my shoulders, and I knew God was working in me, like never before.  That phrase was the most wonderful thing I had ever heard -- and I clung to it.  It was God's faithful promise of hope -- and, by His name, I knew it to be true!!!

So, I shouted out loud.

                 I went back to school.

                                    I began to heal.

                                                      I spread His joy.

                                                                          I watched movies.

                                                                                           I laughed with friends.
 
                                                                                                               I completed the fashion show.

                                                                                                                                     I finished the semester strong.

And through it ALL,

GOD

WAS

AND

IS

FAITHFUL.

So, friends, there it is.  That's why I've been gone.  That's what took place in the past 4 months.  That's where I am now.  And there's still a long, long way to go.

But, now, I think I'm ready to push forward with blogging.  I've missed it dearly, you know.

I will be seeing you very soon to tell you all about the things I've been working on this semester, and what I will be working on this summer.

Here's to God's faithfulness!!!

Doctor Strange Cosplay - The Final Touches

Hello for the first time in glorious 2017, friends!

I hope you all had wonderful Christmas and New Year's celebrations. I know I did. But now, with just a week left before another semester begins, I'm ready to finish up the chronicles of my Doctor Strange cosplay and start the last half of my sophomore year of college off strong. :)

So, without further ado, let's jump right into a quick post, all about the final touches for my Doctor Strange costume!

First off, and most importantly, we have the necklace, Eye of Agamotto, aka the Time Stone for the MCU's purposes. :)

So, this was from eBay for $10 (yay china), and I kind of love it. It is a tad smaller than the actual prop, but, because I'm smaller/shorter than Mr. Cumberbatch, the smaller size looks much better with my costume, and much less costume-y than a properly sized replica would have looked (big and bulky). Needless to say, I was quite please with this purchase. ;)

The color wasn't exactly what I wanted (a bit too bronze-y rather than gold), so I went ahead and added a touch of gold paint to bring out the color a bit more -- and it really helped. Makes it look much older and much more accurate to the real color!

The other thing I had to add to finish off the Doctor Strange look, were the metal accents near the cape's collar.

This was quite a last minute thing, and the pieces are so far from screen-accurate it's hilarious, however. I think they do look better than nothing. ;)

Also: why yes, these are the cape clasps modeled after Anna (from Frozen)'s cape. ;D

Again, I added a bit of paint to bring out the gold color and age them up a bit.

Finally, the only thing left to add to the costume were pants, so I just utilized a pair of black jeans already in my wardrobe, and they worked splendidly (did I mention this costume cost my a grand total of a few dollars over $100? *cries* *but worth it*).

Welp guys, I believe that wraps up Doctor Strange!

OH except for pictures, of course! I actually visited some friends over New Year's and we did a mini photoshoot with the costume (nothing too fancy), so keep an eye out for those pictures to surface sometime in the near future... :D

Until then!!

Doctor Strange Cosplay - Boots and Belts

Happy belated Thanksgiving, friends!!

I hope you all (minus you poor international peeps who don't have a Thanksgiving -- I'm sure you're still very thankful ;)) had a wonderful time with family, ate lots of good food, and gave thanks to God for it all.

My Thanksgiving was absolutely wonderful, as well as the week-long break that surrounded it.  I've just got two more days of break before heading back to the grindstone for three weeks, hopefully to finish the semester off strong.  But before we think about finals and all that nonsense, let's talk about some leather accessories in this second-to-last post about my Doctor Strange costume. :D

In the wise words of many a cliche movie: let's do this!

First, the boots -- a vital part of any superhero's crime-fighting get-up.

(seriously if you know of any superhero that doesn't wear boots you're probably wrong)

(WAIT Quicksilver wore running shoes)

(okay point overthrown)

(but he's dead SO IT STILL STANDS)

(WAIT MAYBE THAT'S WHY HE DIED)

(dear quicksilver rest in peace but you shoulda worn boots k hun)

Sorry, little rabbit trail there but it illustrates the importance of boots for superheroes.  You die without them.  WHICH IS WHY I got an extra cute pair for my fem Doctor Strange:

As I did with my fem Captain America costume, I went with heels to further accentuate the feminine look I was going for.  Plus make me almost 6 foot like Benedict (bahahah i'm not even kidding these heels are 4").

I looked around a ton online to find exactly what I was looking for, for under $30 (because budget), but everything I liked was just too expensive.  So, after a while, I figured I'd just go with some black suede heeled boots I already had... which would have looked nice, but not nearly as nice as these.

SO a few weeks before the movie, I stumbled upon a listing of this pair -- on sale for $20!!  Now, I had already seen them a thousand times, never less for $40, on various marketplaces online, and it was just chance that I happened to do some more research the very day they went on sale.  So, I mean, it sounds stupid?  But I think it was a God thing.  He cares about what we care about, and don't you forget it. ^_^

As far as looks, these are exactly what I was looking for.  Comfort?  Mmmmm not so much, but after a few days of wearing them, I broke them in/got used to the height of, like I said, four inches (I usually top out at 3.5).  BUT TWENTY BUCKS.  So I'm very pleased. ;)

Now, for the other item of business for today: the many belts of Doctor Strange!

The materials for these I bought from various places.  The main attraction, the braided double belts with the tassel down the front, I got from Amazon as two 55" belts, which I then altered with cuts and velcro to create the final shape.

To round out the collection (there's a total of 3 belts in all, I think), I also got a simple dark brown braided belt from Amazon to alter (seriously belts are too expensive in real stores), and a 1/2 yard of some black faux leather from Joann to create the background belt.

For both the braided belts, I utilized the belt loops from the original belt constructions to hide the seams where they would attach with some velcro.  Plus, this emulated just a little bit the metal-embellished look of the real costume!

When I started unraveling the main braided belt to create the tassel, I ran into some problems.  For one thing, it literally took *for* *ev* *er* -- like, I woulda been unraveling that thing for two days straight.  PLUS, what I did unravel looked really limp, not at all like the lush tassel in the original costume!

SO, I headed back to Joann and bought some plain black yarn to unravel and use instead by attaching it to the main belt at the braided section (seen below).  It didn't take nearly as long to unravel the yarn, AND looked twice as pretty!  Yay for problem solving on both time and money budgets. ;D

For the "background" wide leather belt, I just did a rectangle type pattern, sewn into a tube and finished off on the sides.  This simplicity was entirely due to time constraints (I was also working on a pretty major essay due the day before the premiere... bahahahah priorities).  I'm considering going back now and taking my time to make it more detailed and screen accurate.  But, as it was, it served it's purpose and I don't think anyone cared except me. ;D

OH!  And one last thing that was just a detail, but really did make all the difference (to me, at least -- hah!!): I used some brown paint (don't laugh i'm very creative with my methods) to distress/age the belts from flat black into something much more dimensional.  Like I said, to me, it really made the belts look SO much more convincing, as well as better match the real costume!

(before on top, after on bottom)

And after all that (seriously, who knew this would be such an intense part of the costume???) here's the (almost -- minus the tape!) final look:

One more post to go in the saga of fem Doctor Strange -- see you then!! :D