Purple Kappa

Scullery Maid

A few weeks ago Ivy and I watched the 1995 version of A Little Princess, which is a lovely movie, but takes so many liberties with the book. It's really more of a remake of the Shirley Temple version, complete with the saccharine sweet happy ending. We found the 1980's Wonderworks production, which was much more faithful, as well as reading the book with Tasha Tudor's  illustrations.

Ivy became fascinated (of all things) with scullery maids. When she requested a uniform, I was inclined to oblige. I had an old pattern for a sort of pioneer girl costume--Simplicity 9708, and modified the colonial girl cap to look more like a servant's cap.

I've yet to get her to do any actually scrubbing.

Ohio Kimono

One of the motivation factors towards driving to Animarathon last week was finding out that Ohio Kimono was liquidating her stock. While it was disappointing to learn she was closing her business, it was for the happy reason of enjoying her new career so much, so I didn't feel like a parasite taking advantage.

I bought two jackets, with the idea that they would be more versatile than kimono.

Cream colored haori

My favorite part is the orange lining

Somehow I didn't realize the second one was a dochugi--crosses in the front and ties on the sides, rather than a haori which can hang open--until I was home. I love the fabric, but I'm not sure the style is flattering to my shape. It's still a lovely piece

Probably should have pressed it first...

Close-up of frog closure

Springtime is Icumen In

We had an extremely mild winter and a bizarrely early spring. I keep waiting for that last big blizzard the weather likes to dump on Cleveland as a final hurrah, but I think maybe it's not going to happen.

Animarathon X

Last Saturday the girls and I drove to Toledo for Animarathon X, a free one day anime convention at Bowling Green State University. It's about a two hour drive, but I figured the anime being free would make up for cost of gas. It turned out to be a lot of fun--about two thousand people attended, it was bigger than I thought it would be. I'm sure being in a campus building helped a lot with attendance.

The weather was nice, so a lot of people gathered outside the building as well.

And Ivy was once again a big hit dressed as Honey, and won Best Youth Cosplay in the Masquerade<p>

 

We were thrilled to find Wizzywig selling the Japanese candy konpeito in the vendor's room. According the the guy at the booth, the factory that makes it was damaged during the earthquake last year so they aren't making it any more? I can't find anything about it online though. 

 

Fashion Fabrics Club

A few weeks ago I ordered some fabric from http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/. It arrived last Thursday and it was lovely. A brown striped linen gauze and a black and grey striped linen/cotton blend. But when I unfolded the pieces, it seemed as though there was less than there should be. I got a tape measure, and much to my dismay, there was only three yards of the brown stipe when I had ordered five. A quick check of the invoice showed I'd still been charged for five.

I sent an email to Fashion Fabric Clubs, and today got a response--they were quite sorry for the mistake, and were issuing a refund for the entire five yards. More than enough to correct the situation. I'm very pleased and will continue to order from their website in the future.

 

Multiculturalism for Steampunk--Art Challenge

Miss Kagashi at Multiculturalism for Steampunk has started a weekly feature that she hopes will inspire people to explore the whole world with ideas for Steampunk. Each week a country or culture is picked, and anyone can submit a design for a costume, weapons, characters--it doesn't have to be a drawing, she will accept photographs or even a short story.

This week the challenge is Japan and since I've been trying to work on a Meiji era Steampunk costume, I decided to submit an entry.

This drawing is the first thing I've drawn to be displayed in public in about fifteen years. It's rather embarrassing, I'm choosing to regard it as more of a diagram.

Someone gave me the Folkwear pattern for Japanese Field Clothing so I started working with that. During the Meiji restoration, the ease of travel restrictions resulted in western tourists. Interest in natural sciences was popular in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, so I combined the two and became a westerner traveling in Japan, researching the flora and fauna.

The top is called a Hippari, it's loose-fitting, crosses in the front and ties on the sides. Over that is a jacket called a Hanten, made from linen and lined in a floral cotton with a collar made from traditional Japanese fabric. Instead of the loose pants commonly worn with the outfit, I have a linen walking skirt with a petticoat, and western lace up boots. Around the waist is a men's obi--not as wide as a woman's obi, it seemed less restricting for the outfit. Tucked into the obi is a fan, and a fabric pouch with a long cord, the cord is looped over the top of the obi and held in place by a carved bead called a netsuke. For this outfit, the netsuke is a small brass magnifying glass. Around my neck is a pocket watch on a chain.

There is also a leather belt with tools hanging from it--a small lantern, a flask, glass vials and a larger magnifying glass. A canvas satchel with a long strap holds other equipment.

Here is a picture of me wearing the costume at a local convention. The picture was more to feature my daughter so you can't see my clothing as well. I like the way everything turned out, I'm just not sure it really conveyed Steampunk.

Ohayocon 2012

Back from Ohayocon and feeling a little like the day after Christmas--for the past four months I've been researching cosplays, planning cosplays, sewing cosplays, obsessing over cosplays and now I feel I've lost my focus. I need something new to obsess about.

We all had a great time, I'm glad we made this a family trip. Miranda found out at the last minute that her best friend wasn't going to make it, but I was really impressed at how much effort she made to meet new people and attend the different panels.

From left to right, Miranda as Alois from Black Butler, Ivy as Finny from Black Butler, and Ciel (also from Black Butler) and another Alois

Miranda in a different Alois cosplay, with a Grell from Black Butler and Miku Hatsune, a Vocaloid. She was the only cosplayer I saw in this particular outfit and attracted a lot of attention. Sadly, the trim was molting rather badly, and as Ivy and I would walk around the convention center, we could track her progress by finding random feathers.

Ivy as Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony and me in a not very successful attempt at Japanese Steampunk.

Ivy wore the Hell Girl cosplay for a little while Saturday morning, but it's an older anime and not that many people recognized her so she changed in to the Honey cosplay from Ouran High School Host Club. The character Honey is a high school student who was born on February 29th --there is a joke that he only ages every four years so he is portrayed as a little boy. Since the majority of people who attend anime conventions are adults, he is rarely cosplayed by an actual child and Ivy was a huge, huge hit. We could barely walk ten feet without being surrounded by squealing girls who would declare her the cutest thing ever. Ivy adored all the attention and would thank them in the squeaky Honey voice she had been practicing, which would induce even more squeals. There was a point when we must have walked around the convention center for two hours straight getting photographed.

Miranda's already working ideas for her next cosplay, but I won't have to worry about Ivy for a while--she's set on being Honey for a long time.

Hell Girl

Ivy's final cosplay is finished. This is Enma Ai from Hell Girl

The sailor top was made with a basic shirt pattern and numerous online searches on making a middy collar--it was particular challenging to find one with the triangle piece in front. I just had a terrible time visualizing how it all fit together and finally this video was the most helpful:

Sailor collar tutorial

And here is a ghostly Ivy

We used this website to convert the picture into an old-style vintage photograph.

http://labs.wanokoto.jp/olds

Just a word of caution--the most recently uploaded photos scroll across the bottom of the website. Once there were nude photos--it's never happened again, but just so you are aware.

Why There are No Handmade Christmas Gifts From Me This Year

Because I've been busy making cosplays for Ohayocon, a large anime convention in Columbus.

Pinkie Pie Gijinka--Pinkie Pie is a pony from the television show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. A Gijinka is assigning a human form to a non-human object.

The dress is an adaptation of McCall's M5731. I used pink broadcloth and trimmed it with vintage eyelet from my stash.

Finny from the anime Black Butler


Shorts are from a basic pattern, shirt belongs to Ivy--but I intend to replace it with one more like the one in the picture, the hat is from a craft store and the boots are from the thrift shop.

Mitsukuni Haninozuka, also know as Honey Sempai from Ouran High School Host Club.

The blazer was adapted from a basic shirt pattern, the white shirt and black pants are from the thrift shop, the pink rabbit is a replica of the one Honey carries around in the anime and was purchased at a store.

The convention is at the end of January. I've been trying to sew a little nearly every day for the past three months--I've also competed a frock coat and vest for Miranda, and a school girl uniform for Ivy. Still need to finish another jacket and pants for Miranda, and if there is time, a brocade jacket, and a set of Japanese field clothes for myself.

Rocky River Park