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The Hero’s Closet

G_owl

Published on October 23, 2014 at 280 × 427 in G_owl

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Hey there!

I’m Gillian, a cosplayer, writer, editor, and occasional illustrator with an unruly fabric habit. I love patternmaking, fabric manipulation, embellishment, and big, ambitious projects.

My book The Hero’s Closet is available now!

Been going easy on progress shots for this one, si

Been going easy on progress shots for this one, since you’ll be getting the full tutorial later, but I've hit a good construction milestone and scored a weekend of decent weather for courtyard photos. So, an update on the Warlord sword! She’s a foam-free build, made from cardboard and Kobracast with a kite rod core, with Worbla’s Black Art for the hilt provided by @worblana

I haven’t done a really silly fantasy sword prop like this before, but there’s a clear line from my previous prop builds to this one. I've been using the creased-paper-and-Kobracast method since Ciri, so all I had to do for the larger blade is increase the paper weight to a light cardboard/book board. (I also used a much heftier kite rod for the core, but mostly just because the thick sturdy ones happened to be on sale. It does add more weight this way.) The gem is a clear glass cabochon with metallic paint on the back, which I’ve also talked about before.

The other major difference is the Worbla’s Black Art for the hilt and sculpted details, which I haven’t had in supply since I did Maika. I've found it complements the Kobracast (also a Worbla product) very well, because it’s less sticky and highly sculptable where the Kobracast is extremely sticky and tear-resistant but also floppier and more textured. Being able to switch back and forth as appropriate (and sometimes do a sandwiched piece with some of each) feels like a nice refinement to my technique that ‘ll continue using.

For this hilt I did a lot of both directly sculpting surfaces (to get the crisp bevels and edges on the various prongs as well as the gem setting) and individual embellishments that I shaped and then pressed in place. Time-consuming in both cases, but nothing fancy. I used the same basic oiled wood sculpting tool for a good 3/4 of the work, so it’s all pretty straightforward but will be explained in more detail with some extra tips and tricks when the full tutorial comes out.

I’ll probably keep tinkering with the sculpting a little longer, but then it’s on to the prime and paint (and the rest of the costume.)

#cosplaywip #worblasblackart #cosplaypropmaking #worbla #swordprop #cosmaker #propmakers

So Tifa is nearly there except for a bit more leat

So Tifa is nearly there except for a bit more leatherwork and the gloves, and the Empress is still simmering along (currently waiting for a mildly obscene quantity of embroidery thread to ship.) But in the meantime I have NEWS my friends because my Monstress obsession cannot be stopped

A few months back when I turned THAT page in issue 28 and frightened the neighbors with my shrieks, I reluctantly tucked the Warlord’s battle gear away in the’ someday’ file because I am but a small underemployed costumer in these perilous times and a colossal armor build was RIGHT OUT.

But then along came the fine folks at @worblana with their sponsored build program, and now I’m delighted to announce that heavy armor Warlord is a GO. As soon as I got the news I started sketching, so here's a whole mess of me trying to plan out specific shapes and construction details so I can start making the patterns.

I ended up not going for the sci-fi-flavored on-page version, but for one of the concept sketches included as bonus material in the trade collection, as I think this one will lend itself a little better to being sculpted by hand. Definitely making the sword though; it’s basically the ultimate in over-the-top fantasy sword nonsense and I haven’t done any props in this style yet.

The Cosplay Supplies lovelies are providing Worbla’s Black Art that I’ll be using to build the sword, armor, and helmet. Since this is a sponsored build I’ll be doing a couple of detailed tutorials for the Worbla site in addition to my more informal documentation here, so this is your chance if you’ve been wanting a closer look at how I work with the stuff. I haven’t done a full armor build since Maika, and I’m hyped to apply some of the more detailed sculpting methods I acquired making Ciri’s bits and pieces. Plus, you know, keeping busy does a brain good. Hope you’ll follow along with me!

#worblasblackart #worbla #cosplayarmor #monstresscosplay #cosplans #cosplaywip

First peek at Utena, and proof that I really did m

First peek at Utena, and proof that I really did manage to baste enough of this thing together for it to be wearable! @starsandpaperplanes grabbed this quick hallway shot for me at the very end of the con, and I actually did a proper photoshoot this time so there should be some great stuff coming up soon.
My goal for this costume was to make it look clean and crisp but also keep it comfy and mobile, so I used ponte knit and a stretch lining for the jacket. The edges and pockets are bound in a really nice crepe-back satin I found at @fab_scrap , and I accidentally left one of my pocket flaps tucked in here so you can see all the welt pockets are fully functional. The skirt is heavy organza with French seams and a little rolled hem, the shorts are also ponte knit, and everything was patterned myself.
All the little jewelry bits are worbla, and the green gem is just a clear glass cabochon that I painted the back of. I completely ran out of time to get a rose for the boutonniere, but by some miracle @jacquistuffnthings had white roses for her magnificent Serenity gown so I stole one.
Obviously I did not quite manage to finish the epaulets, which are still in several pieces that need assembling, so I’ll have to drag this back out soon when everything is finished.
#utenatenjou #revolutionarygirlutena #utenacosplay #cosplaywip #cosmaker #animenyc2019

A fair number of you weren’t following along whe

A fair number of you weren’t following along when I started the endless Ciri build a year and a half ago, but I’m recapping it on the @c2e2 account this month if you want to catch up a bit. First post is a peek at the vest, which I very cleverly decided to make from steel rings with a quilted lining, so it weighs a ton but it might actually stop an arrow or two as long as the archer had really good aim. (let’s not test this, it’s still a crop top😅) Now that this year’s con season is over for me, I’m getting ready to dive into the last few details and finishing touches before I compete in her one more time. I’d like to redo the scabbard with more detail, and of course there are the long-delayed BOOTS. Gonna make this happen this time. (lolll wish me luck)
📸 from the magnificent @jacquistuffnthings
#witchercosplay #ciricosplay #cirillafionaelenriannon #cosmaker #cosplayarmor

The payoff for my satin stitch hell on Ciri is now

The payoff for my satin stitch hell on Ciri is now I can dash off a pair of these little jerks in about three hours (give or take another hour of nitpicking the symmetry.)

This is one of those cute little details that some game artist probably thought nothing of and nobody in their right mind would EVER design on a real garment. See how the little emblem crosses a seam? I don’t do a lot of machine embroidery but I bet a lot of them would just outright choke on the differences in thickness there, and in any case you’d have a hell of a time hooping it because it has to be done on the almost-complete garment. If it was all on one piece, the embroidery could have been done flat, before assembly, and made everyone’s lives a little easier. As it is, the only other way to do this would have been to embroider a patch and sew it on. Which is not what it looks like in the art!

Of course, this is me, so I require very little prompting to dig out the hand embroidery needles. Seam lumps aside, this was a pretty straightforward little design without any additional padding or anything. The main trick was transferring the tiny design, and I ended up printing out a vector version and glue sticking it onto wax tracing paper. Then I used cardboard shims on each side of the seam to level the fabric enough for a clean transfer and cleaned up the result with a gel pen. The hardest part was maintaining symmetry, since the lines are so tiny that a tiny little difference in interpretation can significantly change the look of the result. They’re not perfect, but after some ripping and tinkering I’m calling them close enough!

#tifacosplay #cosplaywip #handembroidery #handsewing #cosplaydetails #cosprogress

SheProp Challenge day 12: favorite character. This

SheProp Challenge day 12: favorite character. This one deserves a real post, yes? Maika is my favorite character I’ve cosplayed for a lot of reasons - her toughness, her resilience, her gradual process of making peace with an internal demon that periodically sneaks out and eats people.

I based this armor on the cover of Monstress issue 13, which I adored so much that I completed most of the build in the two months between when the cover was revealed and the issue actually came out. It was my first big go at worbla armor, and you could call it my first attempt at monster building as well. (I want to remake Zinn at some point, but it’ll probably be a new version for Empress rather than a revisit of this one.)

I wish I could bring Maika out more often but she’s also by far my most difficult costume to wear, between the ridiculous amount of worbla and the floppy unbalanced demon arm. I can manage maybe two hours before I have to go lie down, so she’ll probably never make it to NYCC, for example.

I’m perpetually astonished that Monstress doesn’t get more cosplayers; it’s a glorious fantasy epic with the kind of detail-rich visuals that most of my friends salivate over. I’m about to dive back into my Shaman Empress build, so there’ll be lots more monstress content around here pretty soon, but more people should join @pitchforkcosplay and me in yelling about this series.

#shepropchallenge #monstress #monstresscosplay #worblaarmor #worblasfinestart #cosplayarmor

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How I made Ciri’s Boots
Building Ciri’s Sword and Scabbard
Ciri Chainmail
Embroidery Purgatory
Ciri Build Diary – An Introduction

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