Thing they ought to know

My first attempt at a Yoko wig was with a super long wig and trying to put it up in a high ponytail and keep it that way. I literally found out about clip-ins the week after the wig came in the mail.

>>9487492

Yeah that happens. Sometimes you just have no clue a thing exist.
It's why I try and talk about helpful items anytime costume talks happen. Fray check, loop turners, tailor's ham, bone creaser, ect are things people have no idea about and they are so helpful.

Basically the existance of any kind of glue that isn't hot glue eluded me for longer than I care to admit

>>9487438

>>friend didn't know you could use the wrong side of the fabric if you wanted to, it's not against the rules

I didn't realize you could custom color wigs for the longest time... and I started cosplaying in the days before ebay and Arda, this was party city tiered shit where I'd just try to find the closest possible color. When I learned I could sharpie dye white wigs it was like my life started anew.... and now I can just find that shit by ebaying long enough, wom womm.

>>9488353
wtf sort of backwards society do you live in?

For a very long time when I was young I would make insanely meticulous measurements for fabric to ruffle it, I would only ever ruffle by hand and it took hours. And I don't mean I made a basic running stitch and pulled, I made super tiny sections of running stitches, ruffled to my satisfaction and tied it off. I was always terrified that if I did it in one go all my ruffles would come apart as soon as I picked the project up. Only when YouTube became a thing did it occur to me 1) use the dental floss trick and 2) you can make perfect ruffles by manipulating the tension.
Life. Changed.
>also took a long time to realize altering a pattern to fit you better wasn't a sin against god

The first character I ever cosplayed had horns, which I attached to a headband. I didn't realize I could tuck the ends of the headband into my wig and I just wore the headband over my wig like a dumbass. It fell off a few times and broke.
>tfw literally holding headband onto head with one hand the whole day

>>9487438
Regular round pearls are used in fashion all the time, you just need to know how to embroider them. A tambour needle gives you a good, strong hold.

Unfortunately, in the picture, uh... that is not it.

>>9487438
I feel so bad for this person, they clearly put an insane amount of time and effort into this but jeez that waistline just throws everything off.

>>9489247
It's horrid but it shows they're at least ambitious and enthusiastic. When their technique catches up to their imagination they might be pretty good.

I can respect more 'ambitious but rubbish' than 'lol why bother.' If they keep at it, keep reading, practicing, and doing tutorials without ever losing sight of trying to aim high, they just might one day become something remarkable.

I thought Bond was way too hardcore and relied on Vinyl spackling to fill and coat foam props because of an old Demyx sitar tutorial. It was super easy to sand but al chipped and broke super eaay. Only recently found out Bondo isn't that crazy and can actually take a hit.

Also been cosplaying for years but never really considered the weight of certain pieces and materials until recently. Making a full kimono out of two layers of bridal satin is stupid heavy and hot as is walking around with an authentic wool US Army coat

In in the first 2 years I cosplayed, thought stripes on outfits were always ribbon and used shiny satin/grosgrain/acetate ribbon for anything stripe-shaped without realizing that matte bias tape was almost always better in every case and I could make my own from plain fabric.

I also had difficulty remembering that 2D patterns and pictures needed to translate into 3D outfits during that time, so a lot of times I made things simply too small or with straight seams instead of curved since I was missing a dimension.

Doing a mock practice version out of muslin before jumping into the real material. Oh and not using an overlock machine as primary sewing machine.

>>9489392
Oh yeah, weights. I made a floor length dress out of velvet and that thing weighs like 10 pounds.

I,ve been working a craft store since i started cosplaying so i have a much better knowledge of what fabrics, notions and items are out there.
I used to look at broadcloth as it was the cheapest fabric there. But it's also thin af.

And maybe not costumes, but with wigs using s detangling spray and heat setting them is a godsend.

>>9489894
I'm in the process if untangling a long wig right now what spray do you use?

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One of the cosplay 101s should be how to read commercial patterns. However does anyone notice that the body measurements they tend to go with make no sense these days? I feel like it used ot easier to be like "Okay my bust is 36in and my waist is 30" so I need to cut the size 16." but nowadays I feel like everything is enormous compared to what the envelope says.

>>9489898
Mane n Tail detangling spray works pretty good. Found a tutorial awhile back and decided to try it. Its also pretty cheap where i live ($3). Bought a wig-specific brush too off amazon.

I've learned that i can also sew extra wefts into a wig to make it thicker. I bought a wig that was depressingly thin so it was needed.

>>9489934
Modern patterns have a ton of ease built into them compared to older ones. Hell, even those vintage reprint patterns are redrafted for a bigger, boxier fit compared to the original they're supposed to be a copy of.

>http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/2012/05/dealing-with-pattern-ease.html

Oh boy I have so many pet peeves with small details that make all the difference in cosplay...
I'm a huge Disney fan so nevermind the lack of anime references lol First, Pocahontas cosplayers usually wear lacefronts (which are allright but add some extra volume the actual character isn't meant to have) or wear a full black wig straight out of the package. What I do is I go for the full wig, separate 2 small pieces of hair where you can usually cut a fringe and tie or clip them together in the back, so the hair moves freely but never actually covers your face AND this trick doesn't create any volume either. Sort of like this image but using less hair obviously. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6a/09/84/6a0984f3bffd978684010c52e0671999.jpg

>>9490028
You know this is an imageboard, right?

Another pet peeve: when Merida cosplayers actually sew the white blouse on the dress. Why would you do that? It's harder than to make the accurate thing - a separate blouse. Consider this for instance. Her cosplay could be perfect if not for that small detail that makes all the difference. http://www.deviantart.com/art/Merida-cosplay-526645433

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yes, just too lazy to save the files. Here you go:

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>>9490037
the Pocahontas hair trick

>>9489934
Yes anon! It seems like anytime I've gone to use a commercial pattern nowadays my size measurements have been huge on me. I wish more patterns would include the finished garment sizes because if I know that I can adjust.
>but I do tend to have some general sizing inexperience.

If I could go back in time, I would give my young self like 10 yards of interfacing and boning. So many floppy clothes....

>>9489934
I'm good at making patterns for my own costumes so I never really look at them. A friend wanted to do Elsa when Frozen first came out so I helped her pick out the fabric and find a pattern...We didn't think to look at the amount needed. We did 3 trips to the fabric store. She cut one piece out backwards 3 times and decided to not be Elsa. I still don't know what she did the with the 11 yards of fabric...
>>9490028
That looks horrible too.

>>9490039
It isn't harder when there is a commercial pattern that tells you to construct it that way. And it's less fabric. Stay mad fatty

>>9488353
Same, between hot glue and elmers glue, had no idea of anything else

>>9487438
"Things the dressmaker should know" probably includes "the first fucking thing about Sailor Moon" desu. Ugh, my eyes.

>>9490462
>If I could go back in time, I would give my young self like 10 yards of interfacing and boning. So many floppy clothes....


That would be my unauthorized use of a time machine too. My mom sews so I knew about them pretty early but man I would LOVE to go back and hand out yards of interfacing to 90's and early 2000s cosplayers.

>>9490040
You can just copy the url and paste it when choosing the file. No need to save the image. Although the filename will be some default text.

Coincidentally, it's one thing I see a lot of 4chan users ignore and would be nice if they knew.

I wish someone would tell new lolitas not to blow their whole newbie budget on one distinctive flavor-of-the-month summery print skirt and a shiny wig. When they have no blouse, shoes or accessories and the meetup is in a week, they are always out of luck.

>>9490028
I absolutely can not visualize what you are talking about, even with the pictures. What the actual hell are you describing? how does >>9490042
>>9490040
Look anything like Pocahontas? How does what you are describing hide the front of the wig? What are you actually even on about anon?

>>9489380
This feels pathetic to say, but this is genuinely one of the kindest things I've seen said on this board.

>>9498184
I think a lot of us are bitter because we all began with great big ideas and either got too scared and gave up or toned our expectations down to match our ability and subsequently grew bored.

So many of us are filled with what ifs. When I started sewing I had great big ideas, but since I was just learning to sew, everything I made would look like crap. So instead of finishing the project, I'd just look at it for the crap it was, and abandon it. When I look back now on those big ideas, I wonder what kind of a seamstress would I be today if I had actually finished those crappy projects, and made more crappy projects, and kept making them until they were no longer crappy.

Whoever this seamstress is, she went in with the big ideas, but she didn't give up. She has the ambition, and the dedication to stick to a project until it's done. The execution may be crappy, but it shows two things: someone willing to take creative approaches to well treaded designs, and someone who can stick by a project to the end.

To all you beginners seamstresses in your teens who don't have seamstresses in your family: Don't give up! If a project fails, you've still learned something new. Try again, and keep trying.

Skill doesn't come from some inherent ability to make something awesome on the first try, but it comes from repetition. It's okay to fail. Some of the best lessons you will have will come from failing with your own two hands.

Whoever made that serenity dress now knows not to try hand sewing embellishments on cheap satin, not to try and eyeball estimate a gathered skirt, and that bodices need something to hold them up.

She could have read that in a book or tutorial, sure, but every minute she spent hand making a mistake is a minute she'll remember next time she has to sew pearls onto fabric. And maybe the next dress will look a little nicer, then the next one will look a little nicer, and so on.

>>9498242
>>9498184
Lol,
you know /cgl/ used to be about 400X nicer than it is today right? 5 years ago (oh my god) you could make real friends on this board, the kind you meet up with in person, not internet friends. About 4 years ago this board started turning to shit, all the old fags were being pushed out by what I can only assume were kids whose only understanding of /cgl/ culture came from livejournal threads where itas and hotglue cosplayers were complaining about how mean /cgl/ was. So they joined up in droves and started acting like huge cunts.

Except instead of being bitchy and having talent, you guys have no talent nor taste and yet still act like you are hot shit.

>>9498294
Back in my day....

Shall we get off yer lawn too, granny?

>>9498294
Bull shit. We've always been mean cunts. Just we had threads dedicated to lolcows we could hate on instead of any photo uploaded and constant bad cosplay threads.

>>9487438
>serenity
>shitty brooch necklace she never wears
The circles look p good tho

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I wish people knew to never post a side by side comparison. Unless you are a bad ass constructor then the only thing you will do is make yourself look bad.

Also wear pants that fit.
I'm not going to post the pic cause it's just cruel but if you have lots of fat rolls or a fupa, then just wear some pants that fit. Them barely shutting does not mean fit.
Tight pants make you look fatter than you are. So go for something that fits.

Tbh I agree with the "sticking to it" mentality. My biggest piece of advice would be to make it right the first time though, so many cosplayers I know end up rushing things for a con and having to remake it later. I prefer the satisfaction of wearing a well-made, intricate costume to pieces I cranked out to get the whole thing done in time that end up being discarded after the con.

Also, bangs. I hate seeing cosplayers with no bangs/poorly cut bangs. They aren't that hard to fuck up. Just cut them slowly and keep all reference images on hand.

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>>9500758
Alternatively, fucking tailor your pants. It's pretty easy to learn and it makes the world of difference, especially to girls who crossplay. I'm so tired of seeing baggy suit pants....

>>9500889
I'm trying so hard to get to this point in my life. I have to start working with a better timeline so I can stop making "disposable" pieces. I hate remaking shit. Why do I always do it? Ugh

>>9500889
I think a lot of cut bangs look so much better with just a little heat from a blow dryer and straightening iron to make the fibers go back towards your face. Most stick out everywhere after a cut. I think a ot of wig tutorial places have made people afraid the thing will turn into a plastic blob with the slightest kiss of heat.

>>9500889
Fucking this. So easy to fuck up a costume at the last second with hot glue when waiting to attach something with hand stitches would have given some leeway to fix things up.

This one is more of an intermediate-level pieces of advice, but if you're someone who likes to make 3+ costumes a year, those are going to add up and you'll eventually hate them and want to get rid of them. These days when I pick a costume I try ot obviously pick something I love for either love of the show or design, but also something that someone else might want to buy someday. One of my friends is trying to sell a cute, well-made costume but it's from a really obscure JRPG and I don't think it will be going soon. This also goes for how it's constructed. If I don't cheap out and cut corners like >>9504483 mentioned and try to finish my seams and install good fasteners instead of relying on safety pins it's a much easier sell to picky second hand cosplay buyers.

>>9489116
i get good results with tension at 6 and stitch length maxxed out. i get good results with a gathering foot. still have yet to work out how to end up with the correct length of ruffled fabric. next thing i'm trying will be clear elastic. ever tried that? seems like it ought to work well.

>>9489598
say you have an assorted grab bag of random ribbons...how do you tell which are appropriate for apparel sewing? not sure why but i can't seem to find just some basic guidelines to this. it's all blog posts that use like 3000 words to basically say nothing informative, just trying to pump out new content to stay relevant in search results. bleh.

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On the flip side of poorly cut bangs- not cutting/styling bangs at all on characters that need it. Or just pushing them to the side. I understand why, cutting wigs is scary and if you mess up it's an expensive mistake, but get cheap ones secondhand or off eBay auctions and read up on tutorials and practice. Or get the wig longer than you need and practice on a section you'll end up hacking off.

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>>9508543
Those long bangs just pushed off to the side irk me so bad.
You can get away with it occasionally but if I see one more Sailor Moon that didn't bother to try her curled bangs I'm gonna walk right up and say "You missed the bangs.They don't look like that. She doesn't shove her hair off to the side. Nor do they sit flat on her forehead."

and I won't even care if they think I'm the weird one. How do you miss that obvious shit? Are you 5?

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>>9508626

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>>9508628

>>9508543
Bangs are the easiest part of styling though. I can't really forgive not cutting the bangs but I understand if the rest of the wig isn't quite right if they're just starting out.

>>9487438
Wow, glad I haven't started my small lady yet, I didn't know they were a thing either. Thanks!

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This person probably doesn't know that a lace front wig is needed here.

>>9487438
Gonna be real honest, half pearls wouldn't be enough to save this dress. The construction is in itself awful and the fabric is horribly shiny. This thing needs an overhaul from the ground up.

i want all kanna cosplayers to know that kanna has straight bangs, not long bangs parted down the middle and scissors also exist

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>>9510498
Piggybacking off this hey Madokas. She has short spiky tails not these weird pink banana tails.

I feel so bad for the kiddos who take the time to carefully cut a wig on a wig head just to realize that most wig heads, even the dude ones, usually aren't nearly as big as a regular human head. It's really hard to get a too short wig longer

>>9510686
This. I made this expensive mistake early on and it sucks. Is there any reason why they don't make wig heads actually the size of a human head?

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Fabric drape, fabric weight and thread tension. Not every fabric works for every costume and you have to adjust the tension for every fabric or you're going to end up with some nasty looking seams.

People should also look into learning how to draft patterns (pic of the book I learned from back in the day.) It's not terribly difficult (until you get into really complicated stuff) and is INVALUABLE knowledge. There's no need to dick around trying to let out darts someone else made or resize patterns to what you need them to be, just make them from scratch!

Lastly, get cheap fabric (like muslin) to do a test fit with. Don't start right into your good fabric until you've got the pattern just right or you'll waste tons of cash. Oh and don't forget your seam allowances!

>>9510716
no idea about the styrofoam ones but regular head mannequins for like hat displays are made smaller so they can fit a wig and then a normal sized hat on top of it.

>>9489934
Tbh ive always just winged it and drafted my own patterns / used YouTube tutorials because commercial patterns often make things waaaay more complicated than they need to be, and the sizes are always so weird that it's easier to just make a pattern with my measurements in the first place.

>>9489934
>>9490444
9 times out of 10, the finished garment size can be found on the pattern piece itself in the relevant area. Look for the coda symbols and it'll tell you the actual finished measurements for each size. Commercial patterns usually have like 3-6 inches of ease built in.

>>9498294
Your post about being a bitter washed-up cgl maaaaster is shit but
>hotglue cosplayers
is a great term

>>9510773
It's just shitty that they can't put it on the envelope. That's just bad information design

>>9510716
They do. They're called wig blocks and are fabric-covered stuffed. They're pretty expensive, but they do come in a different variety of sizes for different head measurements.

>>9510833
I agree, but at least its there. Takes out some of the guess work at least.
And if you count on it being at least 3 inches smaller than the measurements listed, then most of the time, you shouldn't run into a problem like buying the wrong size range for the pattern.

>>9509357
They probably know but don't have 200$ to drop on a quality lacefront wig versus a 15$ taobao/ebay wig with a fake hairline. Especially for a teenager making a basic hype bandwagon cosplay like yuri on ice.

>>9511672
Cept Arda has them for $55-75 and you can get them for less if you look through some wig sites meant for black ladies. It takes some scouring but that's a great resource for lacefronts with natural colors

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>>9511672
>>9511712

Ironically there is a lace front for $65 in a color called Fairy Blonde. Fitting for Yuri's nickname

But hey, not everyone has $65 to drop on a wig. Sometimes you have $30 to spare so you should hit up the black lady sites that have them for $29

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>>9511712
>>9512155

This one is like $31 and is a lace front.

>>9512155
Lol yeah and it was called that years before YOI came out. To be fair to original girl Epic does pitch these styles as if they're totally passable as lacefront which they are most certainly not

>"The Helen style is a Dark Brown bangless wig that offers natural look comparable to a lacefront wig. "

>>9489193
Connecting screws are your best friends when it comes to attaching horns without a visible headband.

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>>9500889
>poorly cut bangs

the longer I've been cosplaying has me more irritated with this type of shit desu, especially when it's from someone that's been doing this for a while

>>9513950
oops i meant>>9508543

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People should know that make up and general grooming for dudes is not the devil.

Trimming up eyebrows & concealer won't make you into a girly man. I'll just make your pics look better.

>>9511672
>$200
U wot m8
I've bought long lace fronts for <$30