2016 - Cosplay Year in Review

Photo by Elite Cosplay

Although many people would agree that 2016, in terms of world events, was a pretty crummy year, on the cosplay side of things it went pretty well for me. I cranked out 7 costumes plus I went on my first ever cosplay destination trip. It was the best idea I have had in years. No regrets there. So let's dive into more detail about my cosplay year in review.

​2016 MILESTONES

• I started an Instagram account - Finally
• Made my first League of Legends and Sakizou costumes after admiring them for years.
• I'm finally satistfied with an armour build I have made - Sivir​

​NOTEWORTHY BLOGS

1. Cosplay Trip to Banff
2. Planning your Cosplay Trip
3. OUAT Glowing Heart Tutorial

​*Note to self: post more blogs in 2017

Costumes

Seven costumes makes for a productive year by my standards and I got to use quite a few techniques along the way. For more details about how they were made, check out their pages. 
| Cancer | Kida | Swanna | Aion | Sivir | Mousse | Taliyah |

WHAT I LEARNED

1. ​Always test dye your fabric with a swatch first
2. Before you dye something wash the fabric because it may shrink your pattern pieces
3. How to style a curly-up do wig
4. GemTac is awesome for applying rhinestones
5. And flat nosed pliers are my favourite tool for applying them
6. I like rhinestones. I had 2 rhinestone encrusted costumes this year and I have many to spare
7. Double-ended screws are the way to go for seperatable props 
8. Feathered corsets look complicated to make but they are pretty straightforward
9. DONT HAVE LOOSE SEWING NEEDLES NEAR YOUR CARPET
10. Silicone molds are awesome and can save you a lot of time if they are pre-made
11. Hot glue and gels make for great casting mediums
12. E6000 Fabrifuse is my favourite glue for fabrics
13. The sparkly cheap trim you bought can pass for decent in photos
14. If there is a gaping hole in the side of your dress as part of the design, you`ll need more than fashion tape for it to fit right.
15. Chicken cutlets don`t breathe and make a sweaty mess in the summer
16. Cheap garter belts don`t stay up without help
17. Always have many sharp blades ready when working with eva foam
18. Double check you packing list because you may not be lucky enough to have a friend with the exact shirt you need next time
19. Cosplay adventures in the wilderness are fun. Especially with friends
20. You can plan a cosplay trip and have it work out!

Costume Expenses

Most Expensive

It's a tie! Both Sivir and Kida cost about $218CAD. Most of the cost of Sivir was in the wig, worbla, and spraypaint, while Kida's cost were loaded into silk and rhinestones (most of which I didn't use but I repurposed them for Swanna).

Photo by Erik Paredes

Photo by Thistle Photography

Least Expensive

Photo by Eurobeat Kasumi

Cancer - designed from Sakizo - was the cheapest costume I made in 2016 at $18.36. The red silk for the corset was leftover from my Rempo costume from 2010. The silk for the shorts and the ruffles were also leftovers, while the shoes were from my closet. The only thing I bought were the tights, the garter belt, and the flowers. The wig was sponsored by Arda

Favourites

Favourite Costume

Photo by Thistle Photography

It is honestly a toss up with this costume and Sivir because they were both labour intensive projects with great photoshoots. Kida slightly wins in the end because she is more comfortable to wear.

Favourite Prop

Photo by Erik Paredes

When you plan something and it works out as you expected, it's a good feeling. Sivir's weapon is lightweight, it comes apart, and I`m happy with the paint job. Luckily, it's easy transport since I had to haul it to and from shoots.

Favourite Event

I`m switching it up this year since no convention could really compare to amazing time I had in Western Canada with my friends. I always want to be surrounded by mountains and turquoise water. All that fresh air and exploring was so refreshing plus much needed change to my usual con routine. A special thanks goes out to my fellow explorers Calamity, Shushuwafflez, Nomadic Goldfish, Vickybunnyangel, Lichon, Tricky Love and Thistle.

​Another highlight of the year was going to the League of Legends NA finals in Toronto. Participating in riftwalk was a blast and nothing beats watching the games live.

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Forward to 2017

I was able to accomplish my goal of using leftover fabric on new projects in 2016 and I hope to keep that up for 2017. I'm already working on four very ambitious projects including my original Pokemon gijinka design for Sawsbuck (Headpieces on the left). I also hope to visit some new events as well. I may not be able to have another adventure in the wilderness next year but I'm already poised on planning my next big trip :)

I hope to add new ways of showing my work or work-in-progress with you all. I'm exploring my options - Twitch, Patreon, etc. I'm a slow adopter so bare with me.

​For a list of my upcoming events and costumes you can visit my "PLANS" page.

See you in the new year!

MM

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