MeltingMirror Cosplay

  • Home
  • Costumes
  • Upcoming
  • CosBlog
  • Contact Me
  • Home
  • Costumes
  • Upcoming
  • CosBlog
  • Contact Me

Thierry Mugler -Couturissme

24/3/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
What a treat for the eyes if you like high fashion and enough embellishments to last you till eternity. For anyone who like fashion, creating garments, or sparkly things, then I can see you enjoying this exhibit. I broke down the photos I took by themes although they may not have been in the same rooms.

Musings of a Cosplay Judge:
The majority of the pieces were amazing and feats of construction, but there were also a few pieces that had okay construction that wouldn't win a best in class in certain competitions I've been to. This is crazy when you think about it but also a reminder to calm down and take it easy because even a high end fashion designer can make a few sewing mistakes. Who hasn't dealt with puckering seams. Occasionally you'll lose a few beads. Sometimes you need that applique on stat, which means 1cm wide stitches.
​Lastly, lamé is kind to no one.

Beading

Creatures

Black and White

Robots and mechanical

The rest

Which look or theme is your favourite?
0 Comments

Cosplay trip - Kelowna

29/10/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
Nothing beats fresh air and doing super cinematic photoshoots in the mountains. I had such a great time in Banff last year that I figure I would pay Lichon Photography a visit in Kelowna this year. I've never been and I had a hankering to go in the mountains again.

If I had to summarize the trip I would say: Mountains, fresh air, road trip, girl's trip, and cosplay goals. I I had to summarize the shoots, I would simply say cold. I was freezing through all of them. Windy cold, wet cold, hail cold, snowy cold... You get it at this point.

​I somehow packed 5 costumes in my luggage so we did 6 shoots over the course of 7 days. It was intense but fun. Here's a quick recap.

Myra Canyon

Picture
We went to Myra canyon to check out some beautiful fall foliage. We had to take a logging road up there and it felt like me were off roading most of the way. I got to see some unique pine tree that turn neon in the fall. Lichon also taught me some stellar tree shaking skills to level up our practical effects in our photos. I also learned the art of dodging prickly bushes and carefully detaching fabric from said bushes. I wore my Fall Sawsbuck costume and it was the first time I wore it in a seasonal setting. I'm so happy that my headpiece survived the flight. I got some serious cape action going, and I curious to see how the photos turn out.

Read More
1 Comment

NYCC 2015

14/10/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
I had a great time seeing the city and attending NYCC. It was a casual tourist weekend for me so I was able to snap many photos.

VickyBunnyAngel was my partner in crime and expert foodie for the weekend. We power walked through  all of midtown together.

I also got to meet many new talented people that I hope to touch base with in the future.

Check out the galleries below to see a glimpse of my New York City trip. There is so much to see and do there.

I also went to the Hunger Games Exhibit. For a full gallery of the costumes check out this blog.
Cosplay
Con floor
figures
nyc tourism
goodies
0 Comments

Tutorial: Swatch Catalog

6/10/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
Picture
My fabric rolled on homemade bolts
Picture
Business Card Book
I made a fabric swatch catalog to keep track of all the fabric I have stored away from home. It can be a handy tool for saving money by preventing you from buying fabric you already have on hand.  Here's how I made my fabric swatch book.

Step 1: Take Stock of your Fabric

Measure all long pieces of fabric and take a swatch of each one before putting the fabric into storage.  I took note of the length and width and wrote a general description.
Picture
Swatches with measurements

Step 2 : Get to Business

I bought a cheap business card book ($11) and business cards ($9) from Staples. You can also cut your own cards using regular paper or cardstock to save money.
Picture
I printed these two descriptors onto my cards

Step 3 : Categorizing

Create subsections for your catalog using fabric types, attributes, or colour. These header cards will help in indexing the swatches. Whatever works for you. I decided on a mix of types and attributes.
Picture
My fabric categories

Step 4 : Attach Swatches

Picture
Picture
Tape swatches to the card and add a brief description of the fabric (See above). Include whatever information you find useful. I tend to include a basic colour description, material type (silk, cotton, etc.), and  stretch information if necessary (2-way, 4-way, slight stretch).  If I used a fabric for a specific costume in the past, I also include that in the description section. It creates a great point of reference.

Blank cards can be used to keep track of scrap fabric - shorter pieces not worth measuring.

Step 5 : Insert Swatch Cards into Book

Picture
Order the cards whichever way you like and you are good to go!

The Pros:
  • The swatch book is easily transportable
  • You can take just one card/swatch for shopping for matching fabric
  • Swatches can be easily removed and replaced

Happy Swatching!

P.S. Nothing says unprofessional like perforated paper. If you need actual business cards, I suggest going to a place like MOO.

1 Comment

When Cosplay takes Over

11/8/2015

13 Comments

 
On a slightly more personal note than my usual posts, this blog will explore my pitfalls in getting too enthralled by my hobby.

As you may already know, I love cosplay - I live-n-breathe the stuff. Swimming in cosplay content everyday online fascinates me, and brings me joy. Although recently, I've started noticed that my hobby has been changing into an obsession; at times, with unhealthy consequences.

When you're essentially running yourself ragged to get your costume done for a convention, even after you've promised yourself to not go through that hell again - you may have a problem.

When you're only getting limited sleep, and it makes it harder to function during your daily duties - you may have a problem

When you have to turn down multiple engagements with friends, and hermit away in your cosplay cave to finish your work...you get the point.

There's an inherent flaw in the "sleep is for the weak" and "suffer for your art" mentality, especially when it's considered normal for cosplayers. It's a running joke, and even worse, it's expected. I think I pushed myself way too hard over the last few weeks. So much so, that my stomach is still recovering from being shot for the entire weekend, and my appetite was all over the place thanks to the stress and lack of sleep. My memory also fell victim, causing me to repeating myself - to the annoyance of those around me.

Although I had an overall good time over the past weekend, my Friday was a stress induced mess which turned me into an inconsiderate person. I thought I was being reasonable under pressure, but after looking back, that was not the case. I really have to thank my friends for putting up with my frantic state. I was so obsessed with making sure everything went well, that I didn't even realize I was stepping on toes. When everyone is stressed to the hilt, even seemingly innocuous comments hit like a brick wall. Most of the day was a blur that I don't even remember. This goes to show you that even though you go into something with good intentions you might mess up when stress and lack and sleep are involved.

Side note: I have a way better understanding of how everyone got their 'mean girl' edits in cosplay shows (or any reality competition show for that matter). Lack of sleep, stress, and a tight deadline does not make for a friendly atmosphere.

The Perfect Balance

So here's the true dilemma: how do you find a healthier hobby/life balance? As of late, I've made the mistake of letting my hobby take up a too much of my life. I feel as if I've neglected my friends over the last few months; I know more about people's costume progress than what's happening in their day-to-day. The tricky thing is, so many of my friends and I bond over the hobby - especially those I only get to see at events.
I don't know if I can achieve a perfect balance, since I have continuously set my standards so high, but I sure as hell can try - I'll make sure it does. For me, it starts with better time management, and a shift in priorities.

Time Management: I've started to be less rigid with my line-ups for upcoming events. This way, I don't get people's, and more importantly MY, hopes up for the delivery new costumes. It's not the end of the world if I have to re-wear an old costume because the new one isn't finished. I should have backups ready to go in-case I have to drop something, or resign to the fact that I'll wear Version 1.0. Another key point is to not be pressured in having to deliver new content ALL THE TIME. Let's be real, the people who can pump out various costumes a year probably don't have the same work/life commitments as I do.  It's unrealistic to try and keep up. It'll serve me better to work at my own pace.

Priorities: It's always good to sit back and reflect on what you find important. If friends are what I value most about my cosplay experience, then I need them to take up more time in my convention planning. Nothing made me happier over the weekend then being able to spend time with friends I seldom see, and be able to have a genuine conversations with them. Part of why my Anime North wasn't the most enjoyable this year was due to me only being able to have 5 minute conversations with my friends throughout the weekend, and got to see the sights for one whole hour.

So dear readers, what I hope you take from this is that cosplayers are real people with real life problems. If you notice a friend is pushing themselves too hard, help them slow down and get them out of their cosplay hermit shell. I'm grateful that I've surrounded myself with such great friends, because great friends give you a reality check when you need it.

~MM
13 Comments

    MeltingMirror's Cosplay Blog

    Learn more about my experiences in the cosplay world, from conventions to photoshoots and everything in between.

    RSS Feed

      Suggestion Box

    Submit

    Categories

    All
    2011
    2012
    2013
    2014
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    2019
    2020
    2022
    2023
    Aion
    Anime
    Anime Convention
    Anime North
    Artist Alley
    Awards
    Book
    Colossalcon
    Comiccon
    Commission
    Conbravo
    Convention
    Cosplay
    Cosplay History
    Cosplay Trip
    CostumeCon
    Crunchyroll
    Dance
    Dragoncon
    Exhibit
    Fanexpo
    Fashion
    G Anime
    Guest
    Judging
    Katsucon
    Lifestyle
    Makeup
    Masquerade
    Montreal
    Nadeshicon
    Nycc
    Original Design
    Otakon
    Otakuthon
    Ottawa
    Panels
    Photoshoot
    Popexpo
    Prints
    Props
    Retrospective
    Review
    Social Media
    Travel
    Troubleshoot
    Tutorial
    Wigs
    World Cosplay Summit
    Yeticon
    Youmacon

© MeltingMirror. All rights reserved
Picture