So I finally bought the fabric for my Yoko bikini, which I also decided that I'm going to try to use it for my shorts also. If it doesn't work, well, then I'll have some nice swimsuit shorts to swim in. I also bought a pattern for pants, which I'm just going to shorten for shorts. I bought a needle for stretch fabric and stretchy string (which I found out is just very, very thin elastic) too. I haven't actually worked on anything yet though.
After rigorous searching online, I came across Fabric.com, which, while having the least creative name I've ever heard, turned out to be quite useful. I browsed their faux leathers (mostly poly and vinyl blends) and found two colors that might work for Yoko's awkward-colored purple-brown jacket. Luckily, you can order fabric swatches from Fabric.com relatively cheap ($0.75 each + $1.50 shipping), so I ordered one swatch of each.
My Yoko wig was also just shipped, and I am eagerly awaiting it, I just hope that it's good quality. I'll write more about it (where I bought it, what price, etc.) after it arrives.
I also bought yellow chopsticks for Yoko's hair. I really like them a lot, despite them being a little more rounded-off than I had originally hoped for. However, they looked stained yellow, as opposed to painted, so you can still see the natural wood grain on them, and they don't look harsh or too bright.
So, I need to buy fabric for the jacket and boots and iron-on vinyl for the boots, bikini, and jacket. I also need to find a belt and buckle, which I would just make myself if I knew where to get loose square, metal studs. I also need to decide how I'm going to make the bikini, if I want to go for the underboob, sideboob, or cleavage. I think I can only get two out of the three. I'm actually thinking of going for the cleavage and sideboob, but I'm worried that that will make it look too much like a bra, plus I'll have to spend more money buying push-up pads. It's looking like the bikini will be the last thing that I make, haha. Or I might just end up with three of them.
102 Cosplay Questions (originally from Cosplay Kobo)
100 Questions About Your Cosplay Lifestyle and Manners
There are no right answers to any of these questions. Quite a few can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no", but there are at least three more ways to answer any one of them. Of course, every answer has its reason and every reason has a story. Our goal isn't to pass judgement, but to get you thinking about these questions. If this questionairre starts a dialogue on manners, then we've done our job.
General Cosplay Questions
1) What's the best part of cosplay for you?
The entire creation process, from choosing fabrics and materials to putting a finished garment on. (And of course the positive attention at cons is nice too.)
2) Do you use the term "kameko" ("camera-kid")?
Never heard of it before now, but nope, and I don't think I will either.
3) Do you read event catalogs?
Like the little booklets that come with your badge at most conventions? Not usually. I'll scan them for interesting events that I may not know about, or read about the special guests, but I'll only read the whole thing if I get bored at the con.
4) Do you rsvp to events?
When I am able to, yes.
5) Do you want to attend more events? Or are you content to remain in your local area?
I always want to attend more events, but I never have enough money.
6) Do you use color contacts?
Nope. Sometimes I want to, but it's a money and hygiene thing.
7) Do you make your own costumes or do you buy them?
I prefer to make them, but I have bought parts (t-shirts, jeans, etc.).
8) Do you stick to one genre?
Nope!
9) Do you think that when cosplaying, one should stick to the genre of a given event?
Nope.
10) Does it bother you when people break genre?
Not at all.
11) Does it bother you when people know nothing about the series they're cosplaying?
A little, but only because it sort of discourages conversation.
"Oh, you like this series?"
"No, I just like the outfit."
"Oh, well it is a [cute/cool/whatever] outfit!"
-nowhere left for the conversation to go-
12) Does it bother you if people only know a little about the series they're cosplaying?
Not particularly. I prefer that people at least read Wikipedia or watch an episode or too, but it doesn't bother me if they just started the series and decided that they liked a character right off the bat.
13) Does it bother you if people are familiar with the series, but have no affection for the character they're cosplaying?
Ehh, again, not particularly.
14) Does it bother you if someone else is cosplaying the same character you are?
Nope. If they look better than I do, then, yeah, I get jealous, but I"m generally good-natured, so, no, it doesn't outright bother me.
15) Do you like posed shots?
Yes.
16) Do you like candid shots?
Only if they're in-character.
17) Do you think cosplaying characters from adult games or pornographic material is in bad taste?
Only if the outfit itself is explicit and there are children/pedestrians around. Otherwise, as long as you're covered, I don'r care.
18) If there's a problem at an event, do you jump to conclusions about the parties involved?
Depends on the problem, but, yes, if people are causing problems, I do make assumptions.
19) How many times do you cosplay in one month?
One or two.
20) Do you go to photo shoots?
Occasionally.
21) Have you ever been included in a cosplay CD-ROM?
No.
22) Is casual cosplay okay?
Yup, as long as the cosplayer doesn't have a rotten elitist attitude.
23) Are you okay with your face appearing on the internet?
Sure.
24) Do you find yourself thinking people are "too old" for cosplay? How old is too old?
Some people are too old for cosplays of specific characters, but not cosplay in general. On a similar note, some people are too young for specific characters too.
25) Do people who walk around in gothic lolita fashion bug you?
Nope.
26) Do you think Chinese dresses count as "cosplay"?
Not unless it's a specific character, otherwise it's just fashion (and can still be worn at cons, in my opinion).
27) What bothers you the most about cosplay?
The elitists in the community and people who ruin other people's fun (in any way). Oh, and the expense.
28) Do you think it's important to be "in character"?
Only for photos. It's thrilling to see cosplayers in character, but it's difficult and sometimes awkward to pull off, so I never expect it.
29) Does it make you nervous to be eyed by regular visitors at a public event?
Not nervous so much as awkward, but as long as there's at least one other person around in cosplay, I'm alright.
30) Do pre-scheduled cosplay appearances by popular cosplayers annoy you?
I've never heard of this, but it doesn't seem like something I'd get annoyed at unless they were loud and obnoxious.
31) Do you tell other people your best locations for shoots?
I don't have any spectacular shoot locations, but if I did, I would definitely share them. I always tell the location (if I remember) of shoots that I have when I post the pictures.
32) Do you put on your makeup before your wig or after?
Before. In the fashion industry, makeup is put on before hair is styled so that the hair doesn't get messed up by the makeup or from having to be pinned back. But I do put on my wig cap before makeup, to keep my hair out of my face.
33) Do you know a lot about the series' you cosplay?
I make sure that I know the basics at least (a quick Wiki search usually gets me started), and I always read or watch at least some of it, but it doesn't always stick in my mind. So if you ask me "Remember when [such and such] happened in [such and such] an episode?" I might not always know what you're talking about, even if I watched it twice.
34) Do you wear costumes only once or many times?
I wear them until I get bored of them.
35) When you've decided what costume to do next, do you share that information with other people?
Yup. It's warranted me a lot of hate a couple of times, but after editing a few privacy settings on my facebook, I feel a lot more comfortable sharing.
36) Do you want to be in cosplay magazines?
It'd be nice.
37) What's the most important part of cosplay for you?
Same as my favorite part, of course, the creation. It doesn't bother me when people buy costumes though, as long as they have fun in them, but I feel like other people are missing out on the fun of creation sometimes.
*~*~*~*~*
Event Participation Questions
38) How active are you cosplaying in your own community?
I try to be very active, but this is a difficult question for me, since I don't really feel like I have a defined cosplay community. I'm just sort of everywhere in my area.
39) What do you wear on the day of an event?
Cosplay, of course.
40) Do you eat lunch on event days?
Yup.
41) Do you eat breakfast before attending events?
Definitely, otherwise I feel sick all day.
42) How long does it take you to change?
Depends on the costume, anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.
43) Do you think it looks geeky to attend an event with a big SLR camera?
This is a silly question. NO.
44) What camera do you use? A compact? An SLR?
Little point-and-click digital camera.
45) Are you afraid of cameramen? Are you cool with them?
Cameramen are fine as long as they don't get too personal.
46) Are you one of the first to line up to get inside?
Ahaha, no, I hate getting up early.
47) Do you not mind showing up late?
Not usually, no.
48) Do you have a small after party or a huge get-together?
Neither. I go home and sleep.
49) Do you like karaoke?
Nah, just not my thing.
50) Are you tolerant of bad singers?
Not really, no, haha. But I also don't attend karaoke events, so that solves that.
51) Do topics unrelated to animation and manga bug you? Or do you think it's okay to talk about anything at all?
Free speech, buddy, talk about whatever you want.
52) Do you eat lunch while inside event areas?
Sometimes.
53) Can you handle the cold?
Nope, I get frostbite.
54) Do you buy doujinshi at events?
Nope.
55) Do you make doujinshi to sell at events?
Nope.
56) Do you have a group that participates in group events?
I chill with the BAC, yeah =D And then I have my cosplay buddies for just hanging out in general or planning group things with.
57) Are you a member of a cosplay circle/club?
B.A.C. (Bay Area Cosplay)
58) When the event is over, how late do you stay out?
I usually go home right after.
59) If a new face approaches you at an event and takes up a few minutes of your time, are you annoyed?
Only if they're obnoxious is some way, otherwise I'm always glad to meet new people!
60) Do you go to cosplay dance parties?
Like at-con dances? Yeah.
>b?61) Do you think your Layer status is higher than others if a lot of people want to take your picture? Does it bother you not to have your photo taken as much as you think you deserve?
I have no idea what "Layer status" is, so... No?
62) Do you get jealous of other cosplayers having a lot of pictures taken of them?
Yes.
63) You're asked for a picture but have something else to do, do you refuse?
Only if I'm in a hurry or eating.
64) When you take pictures of people at events, do you give them all copies of the prints or data?
No, but usually just because I never see or hear from them again. If they asked, I'd give them to them.
*~*~*~*~*
Photo Shoot Questions
65) (at a studio or shoot) Do you give a copy of each photo to all of the participants in it?
I'm not the one with the camera at photoshoots, but assuming I was, I'd send digital copies to people that I could get in contact with.
66) How do you approach photo shoots? As a chance to gather with friends and goof off or as a meeting to take nice pictures?
Both.
67) Are you particular about how you look in the test shots before the shoot? Do you mind how you look in general?
Yes and yes. If there is going to be photographic evidence, yes I want to look good!
68) When you take photos, do you prefer shots from the front or odder angles?
Both.
69) Are you bothered by recieving lots of photos? Are you happy?
I love getting lots of photos. =)
70) When you take photos, do you photograph only people you know personally and like? Or do you look for other people with great costumes to photograph too?
I take pictures of costumes or characters that I like. Which doesn't always even include my friends, haha.
71) Do you wander around to meet people at events or do you keep to your own group?
A little of both.
72) How many photos do you usually take with your own camera?
Usually I forget my camera, but at the last event, I have maybe 100 pictures.
73) How many photos do you usually take for others?
None. I'm a selfish photographer.
74) Do you mind if people resize or crop the pictures you've taken to make them look better?
Nope.
75) Do you crop and resize pictures others have taken for you?
Rarely, but it has happened.
76) Have you ever set up a photo shoot by yourself?
With just me and a photographer? Yes.
77) Do you check shoot information beforehand?
If there is any.
78) Do you like it when there are a lot of people in the shoot area? Or do you prefer small events?
Both. It's nice to get pictures with a lot of people, but it's easier with just one person.
79) What size (how many people) is the best for a shoot?
I wouldn't really know, most shoots that I do are just me, but I'd assume maybe around 4 people.
80) What time of day do you like to take photos?
Afternoon. I'm not a morning person, and night shoots are difficult (or so I hear).
81) Do you prefer indoor or outdoor shots?
Outdoor, the lighting's better.
82) Which do you dislike more - hot weather or cold weather?
Cold weather. It's harder for me to hide when I'm cold.
83) Do you know any cameramen?
Indeed I do =)
84) Do you eat in the photo area?
Yes.
85) Do you like taking parts-shots? Or do you dislike them?
I don't know what parts-shots are. =/
86) Do you retouch your photos?
No, but usually the photographer(s) that I work with does(do).
87) Are you annoyed by people who don't retouch their photos?
Nope.
88) Do you use reflectors?
I've worked with photographers who use them before. They can be annoying because the light gets directly in your eyes, but if the photographer is cooperative and sensitive to your pain, they can produce amazing shots.
89) Which is worse ~ breaking the rules and getting great pictures, or following them and getting poor ones?
Breaking rules to get good pictures is worse. Usually rules are there to prevent people from getting hurt or to prevent things from getting damaged. There will always be more opportunities to get cool pictures, I wouldn't want to risk getting kicked out of somewhere for a photo.
*~*~*~*~*
Friend Questions
90) Why are your friends your friends?
Because they're awesome people who share similar interests.
91) If you hang out for one day, do you consider yourselves friends?
Kinda, I guess. Depends on the situation. If we make plans to hang out, sure, we're friends, but if we hang out for a while at a con where we just met, then you're a potential friend.
92) Do you give copies of your photos to others?
Digital copies, sure.
93) Do you want to make more friends?
Well, duh.
94) Do you at least remember the names of people you meet at events?
I'm lucky if I remember people's first names.
95) Do you find yourself adjusting your behavior to that of the character you're cosplaying when dealing with people dressed as characters your character knows?
Only if they initiate it.
*~*~*~*~*
Home Page/Websites
96) Do you recieve permission every time you post a photo of someone else online?
Not for facebook, but I try to if it's for my blog. If someone asked me to take a picture down, I would. I have plenty of others that I can use.
97) Do you get angry if a foreign site links to your page? Or are you flattered?
I prefer them to ask permission, mainly because I'd like to know what sites I'm supposedly affiliated with.
98) Are you happy to get mail from Layers overseas or does it scare you?
I don't know what "Layers" are! D=
99) Do you try to increase your web sites' contents/hits? Or doesn't it matter to you?
I try a little, but I'm afraid of becoming obnoxious. I mostly blog for myself, but getting readers is cool.
100) Do you not particularly care who links to you? Or do you ask people not to link without permission?
Already kind of answered this. I prefer people to ask permission.
101) Do you credit the location or studio when posting photo shoot images?
If I am capable, yes.
*~*~*~*~*
Final Question
What do you think people who have "good cosplay manners" are like?
Do:
Ask permission for photos
Be aware of your personal surroundings
Don't:
Talk badly about other cosplayers (to their face or behind their backs)
Bother people who are eating or in a hurry
Block other people from taking pictures
Stalk people for pictures
Get a big head
There are no right answers to any of these questions. Quite a few can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no", but there are at least three more ways to answer any one of them. Of course, every answer has its reason and every reason has a story. Our goal isn't to pass judgement, but to get you thinking about these questions. If this questionairre starts a dialogue on manners, then we've done our job.
General Cosplay Questions
1) What's the best part of cosplay for you?
The entire creation process, from choosing fabrics and materials to putting a finished garment on. (And of course the positive attention at cons is nice too.)
2) Do you use the term "kameko" ("camera-kid")?
Never heard of it before now, but nope, and I don't think I will either.
3) Do you read event catalogs?
Like the little booklets that come with your badge at most conventions? Not usually. I'll scan them for interesting events that I may not know about, or read about the special guests, but I'll only read the whole thing if I get bored at the con.
4) Do you rsvp to events?
When I am able to, yes.
5) Do you want to attend more events? Or are you content to remain in your local area?
I always want to attend more events, but I never have enough money.
6) Do you use color contacts?
Nope. Sometimes I want to, but it's a money and hygiene thing.
7) Do you make your own costumes or do you buy them?
I prefer to make them, but I have bought parts (t-shirts, jeans, etc.).
8) Do you stick to one genre?
Nope!
9) Do you think that when cosplaying, one should stick to the genre of a given event?
Nope.
10) Does it bother you when people break genre?
Not at all.
11) Does it bother you when people know nothing about the series they're cosplaying?
A little, but only because it sort of discourages conversation.
"Oh, you like this series?"
"No, I just like the outfit."
"Oh, well it is a [cute/cool/whatever] outfit!"
-nowhere left for the conversation to go-
12) Does it bother you if people only know a little about the series they're cosplaying?
Not particularly. I prefer that people at least read Wikipedia or watch an episode or too, but it doesn't bother me if they just started the series and decided that they liked a character right off the bat.
13) Does it bother you if people are familiar with the series, but have no affection for the character they're cosplaying?
Ehh, again, not particularly.
14) Does it bother you if someone else is cosplaying the same character you are?
Nope. If they look better than I do, then, yeah, I get jealous, but I"m generally good-natured, so, no, it doesn't outright bother me.
15) Do you like posed shots?
Yes.
16) Do you like candid shots?
Only if they're in-character.
17) Do you think cosplaying characters from adult games or pornographic material is in bad taste?
Only if the outfit itself is explicit and there are children/pedestrians around. Otherwise, as long as you're covered, I don'r care.
18) If there's a problem at an event, do you jump to conclusions about the parties involved?
Depends on the problem, but, yes, if people are causing problems, I do make assumptions.
19) How many times do you cosplay in one month?
One or two.
20) Do you go to photo shoots?
Occasionally.
21) Have you ever been included in a cosplay CD-ROM?
No.
22) Is casual cosplay okay?
Yup, as long as the cosplayer doesn't have a rotten elitist attitude.
23) Are you okay with your face appearing on the internet?
Sure.
24) Do you find yourself thinking people are "too old" for cosplay? How old is too old?
Some people are too old for cosplays of specific characters, but not cosplay in general. On a similar note, some people are too young for specific characters too.
25) Do people who walk around in gothic lolita fashion bug you?
Nope.
26) Do you think Chinese dresses count as "cosplay"?
Not unless it's a specific character, otherwise it's just fashion (and can still be worn at cons, in my opinion).
27) What bothers you the most about cosplay?
The elitists in the community and people who ruin other people's fun (in any way). Oh, and the expense.
28) Do you think it's important to be "in character"?
Only for photos. It's thrilling to see cosplayers in character, but it's difficult and sometimes awkward to pull off, so I never expect it.
29) Does it make you nervous to be eyed by regular visitors at a public event?
Not nervous so much as awkward, but as long as there's at least one other person around in cosplay, I'm alright.
30) Do pre-scheduled cosplay appearances by popular cosplayers annoy you?
I've never heard of this, but it doesn't seem like something I'd get annoyed at unless they were loud and obnoxious.
31) Do you tell other people your best locations for shoots?
I don't have any spectacular shoot locations, but if I did, I would definitely share them. I always tell the location (if I remember) of shoots that I have when I post the pictures.
32) Do you put on your makeup before your wig or after?
Before. In the fashion industry, makeup is put on before hair is styled so that the hair doesn't get messed up by the makeup or from having to be pinned back. But I do put on my wig cap before makeup, to keep my hair out of my face.
33) Do you know a lot about the series' you cosplay?
I make sure that I know the basics at least (a quick Wiki search usually gets me started), and I always read or watch at least some of it, but it doesn't always stick in my mind. So if you ask me "Remember when [such and such] happened in [such and such] an episode?" I might not always know what you're talking about, even if I watched it twice.
34) Do you wear costumes only once or many times?
I wear them until I get bored of them.
35) When you've decided what costume to do next, do you share that information with other people?
Yup. It's warranted me a lot of hate a couple of times, but after editing a few privacy settings on my facebook, I feel a lot more comfortable sharing.
36) Do you want to be in cosplay magazines?
It'd be nice.
37) What's the most important part of cosplay for you?
Same as my favorite part, of course, the creation. It doesn't bother me when people buy costumes though, as long as they have fun in them, but I feel like other people are missing out on the fun of creation sometimes.
Event Participation Questions
38) How active are you cosplaying in your own community?
I try to be very active, but this is a difficult question for me, since I don't really feel like I have a defined cosplay community. I'm just sort of everywhere in my area.
39) What do you wear on the day of an event?
Cosplay, of course.
40) Do you eat lunch on event days?
Yup.
41) Do you eat breakfast before attending events?
Definitely, otherwise I feel sick all day.
42) How long does it take you to change?
Depends on the costume, anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.
43) Do you think it looks geeky to attend an event with a big SLR camera?
This is a silly question. NO.
44) What camera do you use? A compact? An SLR?
Little point-and-click digital camera.
45) Are you afraid of cameramen? Are you cool with them?
Cameramen are fine as long as they don't get too personal.
46) Are you one of the first to line up to get inside?
Ahaha, no, I hate getting up early.
47) Do you not mind showing up late?
Not usually, no.
48) Do you have a small after party or a huge get-together?
Neither. I go home and sleep.
49) Do you like karaoke?
Nah, just not my thing.
50) Are you tolerant of bad singers?
Not really, no, haha. But I also don't attend karaoke events, so that solves that.
51) Do topics unrelated to animation and manga bug you? Or do you think it's okay to talk about anything at all?
Free speech, buddy, talk about whatever you want.
52) Do you eat lunch while inside event areas?
Sometimes.
53) Can you handle the cold?
Nope, I get frostbite.
54) Do you buy doujinshi at events?
Nope.
55) Do you make doujinshi to sell at events?
Nope.
56) Do you have a group that participates in group events?
I chill with the BAC, yeah =D And then I have my cosplay buddies for just hanging out in general or planning group things with.
57) Are you a member of a cosplay circle/club?
B.A.C. (Bay Area Cosplay)
58) When the event is over, how late do you stay out?
I usually go home right after.
59) If a new face approaches you at an event and takes up a few minutes of your time, are you annoyed?
Only if they're obnoxious is some way, otherwise I'm always glad to meet new people!
60) Do you go to cosplay dance parties?
Like at-con dances? Yeah.
>b?61) Do you think your Layer status is higher than others if a lot of people want to take your picture? Does it bother you not to have your photo taken as much as you think you deserve?
I have no idea what "Layer status" is, so... No?
62) Do you get jealous of other cosplayers having a lot of pictures taken of them?
Yes.
63) You're asked for a picture but have something else to do, do you refuse?
Only if I'm in a hurry or eating.
64) When you take pictures of people at events, do you give them all copies of the prints or data?
No, but usually just because I never see or hear from them again. If they asked, I'd give them to them.
Photo Shoot Questions
65) (at a studio or shoot) Do you give a copy of each photo to all of the participants in it?
I'm not the one with the camera at photoshoots, but assuming I was, I'd send digital copies to people that I could get in contact with.
66) How do you approach photo shoots? As a chance to gather with friends and goof off or as a meeting to take nice pictures?
Both.
67) Are you particular about how you look in the test shots before the shoot? Do you mind how you look in general?
Yes and yes. If there is going to be photographic evidence, yes I want to look good!
68) When you take photos, do you prefer shots from the front or odder angles?
Both.
69) Are you bothered by recieving lots of photos? Are you happy?
I love getting lots of photos. =)
70) When you take photos, do you photograph only people you know personally and like? Or do you look for other people with great costumes to photograph too?
I take pictures of costumes or characters that I like. Which doesn't always even include my friends, haha.
71) Do you wander around to meet people at events or do you keep to your own group?
A little of both.
72) How many photos do you usually take with your own camera?
Usually I forget my camera, but at the last event, I have maybe 100 pictures.
73) How many photos do you usually take for others?
None. I'm a selfish photographer.
74) Do you mind if people resize or crop the pictures you've taken to make them look better?
Nope.
75) Do you crop and resize pictures others have taken for you?
Rarely, but it has happened.
76) Have you ever set up a photo shoot by yourself?
With just me and a photographer? Yes.
77) Do you check shoot information beforehand?
If there is any.
78) Do you like it when there are a lot of people in the shoot area? Or do you prefer small events?
Both. It's nice to get pictures with a lot of people, but it's easier with just one person.
79) What size (how many people) is the best for a shoot?
I wouldn't really know, most shoots that I do are just me, but I'd assume maybe around 4 people.
80) What time of day do you like to take photos?
Afternoon. I'm not a morning person, and night shoots are difficult (or so I hear).
81) Do you prefer indoor or outdoor shots?
Outdoor, the lighting's better.
82) Which do you dislike more - hot weather or cold weather?
Cold weather. It's harder for me to hide when I'm cold.
83) Do you know any cameramen?
Indeed I do =)
84) Do you eat in the photo area?
Yes.
85) Do you like taking parts-shots? Or do you dislike them?
I don't know what parts-shots are. =/
86) Do you retouch your photos?
No, but usually the photographer(s) that I work with does(do).
87) Are you annoyed by people who don't retouch their photos?
Nope.
88) Do you use reflectors?
I've worked with photographers who use them before. They can be annoying because the light gets directly in your eyes, but if the photographer is cooperative and sensitive to your pain, they can produce amazing shots.
89) Which is worse ~ breaking the rules and getting great pictures, or following them and getting poor ones?
Breaking rules to get good pictures is worse. Usually rules are there to prevent people from getting hurt or to prevent things from getting damaged. There will always be more opportunities to get cool pictures, I wouldn't want to risk getting kicked out of somewhere for a photo.
Friend Questions
90) Why are your friends your friends?
Because they're awesome people who share similar interests.
91) If you hang out for one day, do you consider yourselves friends?
Kinda, I guess. Depends on the situation. If we make plans to hang out, sure, we're friends, but if we hang out for a while at a con where we just met, then you're a potential friend.
92) Do you give copies of your photos to others?
Digital copies, sure.
93) Do you want to make more friends?
Well, duh.
94) Do you at least remember the names of people you meet at events?
I'm lucky if I remember people's first names.
95) Do you find yourself adjusting your behavior to that of the character you're cosplaying when dealing with people dressed as characters your character knows?
Only if they initiate it.
Home Page/Websites
96) Do you recieve permission every time you post a photo of someone else online?
Not for facebook, but I try to if it's for my blog. If someone asked me to take a picture down, I would. I have plenty of others that I can use.
97) Do you get angry if a foreign site links to your page? Or are you flattered?
I prefer them to ask permission, mainly because I'd like to know what sites I'm supposedly affiliated with.
98) Are you happy to get mail from Layers overseas or does it scare you?
I don't know what "Layers" are! D=
99) Do you try to increase your web sites' contents/hits? Or doesn't it matter to you?
I try a little, but I'm afraid of becoming obnoxious. I mostly blog for myself, but getting readers is cool.
100) Do you not particularly care who links to you? Or do you ask people not to link without permission?
Already kind of answered this. I prefer people to ask permission.
101) Do you credit the location or studio when posting photo shoot images?
If I am capable, yes.
Final Question
What do you think people who have "good cosplay manners" are like?
Do:
Ask permission for photos
Be aware of your personal surroundings
Don't:
Talk badly about other cosplayers (to their face or behind their backs)
Bother people who are eating or in a hurry
Block other people from taking pictures
Stalk people for pictures
Get a big head
Cosplay Twins (Survey)
The first five questions were taking from the Cosplay.com thread "Dealing with: "Hey, we're cosplaying the same character!"". I added the rest because I thought they'd be sort of interesting.
• The first time you ran into a "other you", what were you cosplaying?
femme!Edward Elric. Oh, man, that was an atrocious cosplay. The cosplayer that I ran into was a different (and better) variation, though.
• What went through your mind when you met this other "you"? Were you nervous? Brave? Jealous? Excited?
A little bit of everything, but mostly excited.
• Was it a good or bad experience? (How did it play out? Were they nice?"
I ran over and asked for a picture, he/she (I still don't know) had a mask, so I really don't know what their reaction was. I was really shy then, so they posed for a picture with me, I thanked them, and then we parted ways. For all I know, they could have thought I was insane and had a horrible cosplay and they didn't want anything to do with me, but they were at least polite.
• How would you recommend, for people who are not used to / have not experienced this run-in, to go about talking to their same-character counterpart?
Personally, I like to take a picture with them, regardless of the accuracy/execution of the cosplay, and talk to them about how they made certain parts of their costume. I always try to find at least one part of their costume that I really like and compliment them on it. If they're friendly and have free time, they'll stay and chat, if they don't want to talk to me, they politely excuse themselves and leave.
• Any bad experiences you'd like to share and some advice on how to deal with them?
I can't recall any bad experiences, but my best advice would be to put it out of your mind and find someone else fun to talk to.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
• Describe your favorite same-character run-in.
At Fanime 2010, I was cosplaying Chi to the CLAMP gathering and arrived a bit early. I ran into another Chi cosplayer who was wearing a dress very similar to mine in almost inverted colors. We were almost the same height and got asked for a lot of pictures. We chatted for what felt like a long time (I can't even remember all of what we talked about), and she gave me a badge ribbon* (which I didn't even know existed before then) with Chi on it. We were eventually pulled aside by a photographer for a photoshoot. Then the actual gathering happened, where we met more Chi's. After the gathering, four of us Chi's continued with the photoshoot and then parted ways.
• What would you like to happen next time you meet a cosplay twin?
Pretty much a repeat of Fanime 2010. I really enjoyed doing a photoshoot with a twin character, and chatting was a lot of fun. Of course, I know that not all characters have twin characters the way that Chi does, so sometimes twin shoots aren't very easy, but I do enjoy "mirror" shots.
• What do you think is the worst thing that could happen when meeting a cosplay twin?
I think the worst thing would be if I complimented them on a part of their costume, and they began blatantly (or even subtly) insulting my costume. Rude stares or sneers can usually be brushed off pretty easily, but words tend to stick with me for a while.
• Do you enjoy finding "twins" at conventions?
I don't think I used to, but I definitely do now! I used to be really shy and I'd get embarrassed and judgmental about people wearing the same cosplay as me. Now I just see it as another photo-op and a chance to make a new friend!
• What character that you've cosplayed or are planning to cosplay would you like to meet a twin of?
(Even though I made up this question, it was hard!) I'm going to have to go with Koffing (gijinka), because then we could evolve and take pictures as a Wheezing!
• Would you ever plan a twin cosplay with someone? If so, what?
I honestly can't think of anything, really. I'm not opposed to friends cosplaying the same thing as me, I just can't think of a cosplay that I would plan to be the same character as someone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Feel free to repost and answer and all of that fun stuff. I'd be cool if I was credited, but these are pretty generic questions, so I won't be insulted if I'm not credited.
• The first time you ran into a "other you", what were you cosplaying?
femme!Edward Elric. Oh, man, that was an atrocious cosplay. The cosplayer that I ran into was a different (and better) variation, though.
• What went through your mind when you met this other "you"? Were you nervous? Brave? Jealous? Excited?
A little bit of everything, but mostly excited.
• Was it a good or bad experience? (How did it play out? Were they nice?"
I ran over and asked for a picture, he/she (I still don't know) had a mask, so I really don't know what their reaction was. I was really shy then, so they posed for a picture with me, I thanked them, and then we parted ways. For all I know, they could have thought I was insane and had a horrible cosplay and they didn't want anything to do with me, but they were at least polite.
• How would you recommend, for people who are not used to / have not experienced this run-in, to go about talking to their same-character counterpart?
Personally, I like to take a picture with them, regardless of the accuracy/execution of the cosplay, and talk to them about how they made certain parts of their costume. I always try to find at least one part of their costume that I really like and compliment them on it. If they're friendly and have free time, they'll stay and chat, if they don't want to talk to me, they politely excuse themselves and leave.
• Any bad experiences you'd like to share and some advice on how to deal with them?
I can't recall any bad experiences, but my best advice would be to put it out of your mind and find someone else fun to talk to.
• Describe your favorite same-character run-in.
At Fanime 2010, I was cosplaying Chi to the CLAMP gathering and arrived a bit early. I ran into another Chi cosplayer who was wearing a dress very similar to mine in almost inverted colors. We were almost the same height and got asked for a lot of pictures. We chatted for what felt like a long time (I can't even remember all of what we talked about), and she gave me a badge ribbon* (which I didn't even know existed before then) with Chi on it. We were eventually pulled aside by a photographer for a photoshoot. Then the actual gathering happened, where we met more Chi's. After the gathering, four of us Chi's continued with the photoshoot and then parted ways.
• What would you like to happen next time you meet a cosplay twin?
Pretty much a repeat of Fanime 2010. I really enjoyed doing a photoshoot with a twin character, and chatting was a lot of fun. Of course, I know that not all characters have twin characters the way that Chi does, so sometimes twin shoots aren't very easy, but I do enjoy "mirror" shots.
• What do you think is the worst thing that could happen when meeting a cosplay twin?
I think the worst thing would be if I complimented them on a part of their costume, and they began blatantly (or even subtly) insulting my costume. Rude stares or sneers can usually be brushed off pretty easily, but words tend to stick with me for a while.
• Do you enjoy finding "twins" at conventions?
I don't think I used to, but I definitely do now! I used to be really shy and I'd get embarrassed and judgmental about people wearing the same cosplay as me. Now I just see it as another photo-op and a chance to make a new friend!
• What character that you've cosplayed or are planning to cosplay would you like to meet a twin of?
(Even though I made up this question, it was hard!) I'm going to have to go with Koffing (gijinka), because then we could evolve and take pictures as a Wheezing!
• Would you ever plan a twin cosplay with someone? If so, what?
I honestly can't think of anything, really. I'm not opposed to friends cosplaying the same thing as me, I just can't think of a cosplay that I would plan to be the same character as someone.
Feel free to repost and answer and all of that fun stuff. I'd be cool if I was credited, but these are pretty generic questions, so I won't be insulted if I'm not credited.
No Progress (Days 526 - 533)
So I have been doing nothing to forward my progress (or lack thereof) on my Yoko cosplay, except for staring at the eBay search results for "Yoko Wig" on and off for what's probably a total of 3 hours. I really cannot choose one, I've heard equal amounts of good and bad reviews about all of the sellers that I'm considering buying from. Basically, I have to decide if it's worth the risk on the cheapest one, wasting less money if I don't like it, or if paying more increases the chances of me liking the wig. I'm also looking into which sellers offer returns and such. Oh, if only the girl selling hers on Cosplay.com would respond to my messages and upload an accurate photo!
So that's where I'm at. I still need to do everything else that I talked about in my last post. Oh, well, I looked at bra pads at JoAnn's and decided that I would get one that fits me and make the bikini to fit over it. I'm sacrificing the accuracy of underboob (and some side-boob) for the comfort of support, cleavage, and coverage. People obsessed with accuracy (including a tiny bit of myself) might hate me for it, but I'm thinking it's a fair trade. I can't convince myself that underboob is a good look anyway, even if it is cannon.
So that's where I'm at. I still need to do everything else that I talked about in my last post. Oh, well, I looked at bra pads at JoAnn's and decided that I would get one that fits me and make the bikini to fit over it. I'm sacrificing the accuracy of underboob (and some side-boob) for the comfort of support, cleavage, and coverage. People obsessed with accuracy (including a tiny bit of myself) might hate me for it, but I'm thinking it's a fair trade. I can't convince myself that underboob is a good look anyway, even if it is cannon.
New Cosplay Plans & Material Research (Days 514 - 525)
So! A little while back, I was asked to join a Tengan Toppa Gurren Lagann cosplay group for Kin-Yoobi Con's cosplay contest, and even though I can't compete (because I staff and emcee the contest), I decided to join the group, agreeing that, even if I couldn't wear it, I would finish the cosplay by Kin-Yoobi. In the past, I have been asked to cosplay Yoko, but I never had a real reason too, having never seen Gurren Lagann and not even having a group, so now that I was with a group, I decided to cosplay her. Originally, I had planned to cosplay her first, most recognizable outfit, because, well, it was the most recognizable, but after doing a little more research, I decided to cosplay what I have come to know as "Bounty Hunter Yoko" (shown above). I chose this outfit because it looks extremely similar to her original outfit, but is more covered-up, so that hopefully I won't run into issues with convention staff. If I do run into issues with staff, I have a backup plan (in Ep. 5, she wears a robe that completely covers her body, and I find it amusing).
I began researching materials and reference pictures as soon as I had chosen an outfit, as well as started actually watching TTGL. I haven't watched a new anime in a long time (since Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt finished), and of course I find myself completely in love with the series. Now, I'm not sure if this was because I was already slated to cosplay her, but I also find myself completely in love with Yoko. The moment she sat on Kamina's head for saying she had a big butt, I knew I loved her. I might not love her so much if I wasn't going to already cosplayer her, but I'd like to think that things just worked out really well in that regard, and that I would have loved her and cosplayed her anyway.
My first worry about the costume was the materials. With a ridiculously wide variety of materials to choose from, I've seen Yoko cosplayers use everything imaginable, and sometimes, http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifwell, it just doesn't work out. The bikini top is an easy one, bikini fabric. I was fortunate enough to find that JoAnn's sells dance/swim knit fabric. Originally, I was going to buy a bikini top and alter it, but you'd be surprised how hard it is to find a plain, black bikini in the right style. I was also surprised to see how easy it seems to be to make your own bikini. The tutorials on YouTube seem so simple, however, they all forget to put any kind of padding in, and a majority of them, they use t-shirts as material.
Wet t-shirt contest anyone?
In the defense of the video creators, their intent may have been to make bikinis for tanning/showing-off purposes only, but I have yet to come across a video that either says this or puts pads in. Regardless of that, though, most of the tutorials that I have seen are very good and easy to follow.
The next material issue that I had to tackle was the flames on the bikini. Originally, I thought I'd use bikini fabric and hand-sew it on, but then I didn't like the thought of all those stitches and the edges of the fabric showing, so I started researching more about applique materials and techniques. I frequently use Heat 'n' Bond for adding details, mostly ribbon detailing on projects such as Franziska, but the http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifkind I use gets very stiff when it's dry, so I wanted to see if there were more options. I was browsing the "bonding & stabilizers" category of JoAnn.com, when I came across iron-on vinyl, which led me to do a Google search which took me here then led me on a fantastical journey of knowledge.
Eventually, I ended up on Specialty-Graphics.com reading about Siser EasyWeed Stretch Vinyl, a thin, soft transfer material commonly used on sports uniforms. It can be applied to "Cotton, Polyester, Poly/Cotton Blends, Spandex, and Lycra", and seems generally easy to work with. At the moment, this is looking like my best option, but it just sounds too good to be true. Also, according to JoAnn.com, the dance/swim fabric isn't supposed to be ironed. So I'm eyeballing this, but also looking for other possibilities.
Another important part of the costume, for me at least, it the shorts. I intend to cosplay several versions of Yoko, and it seems like a lot of them use the same shorts, so I want them to look good. I've never been impressed with any Yoko shorts that I've ever seen. Granted, I have not seen many Yoko shorts, so maybe I just have to look harder. I've seen Yoko's shorts made out of vinyl or pleather, and I can see exactly why cosplayers would choose that material based on the artwork, but I just flat-out do not want to work with or wear pleather or vinyl. Ideally, I'd like leather shorts, but not only are they hard to find and expensive, I'm actually generally opposed to leather, and I'm not sure how ready I am to push my morals on this.
On an outing to JoAnn's, I browsed the fabric looking mainly for what fabric to use, not eliminating any possibilities until I had fully checked them out. Even though I know how taboo is is for cosplayers to use it, I was drawn toward the satin, and even though I knew I didn't want to use it, I will admit to looking at it. Located right next to it was a satin blend, which caught my attention and is shown left. I know it's hard to tell, but the top half of the image is the "right/correct" side of the fabric, and the bottom part of the picture is the "wrong" side of the fabric. Believe it or not, heh, the "wrong" side of the fabric is less shiny, but that picture was taken under JoAnn's bright fluorescent lights (no flash). At the moment, this is the fabric this is the fabric I'm considering. However, since I keep feeling like I have to defend it (it's not that shiny, it's bad lighting, it's darker in person), I'm still looking for something better. So we'll see.I'm not even going to get into the jacket and boots right now, since I'm completely lost as to what material to make the jacket out of (I'm not even 100% sure what color it is), and the boots are seriously a whole post on their own. I have some vague ideas for the boots, but nothing concrete, so I'll just hold off on posting about them until I get more ideas.
Galvantula (Days 504 - 513)
So I quicly (in less than a week) made a Galvantula cosplay. It was intended to be worn to the BAC gathering at the SF Zoo today (June 11th), but unfortunately, after staying up until 5am last night finishing the costume, I got sick this morning and couldn't go. So when I felt better later in the day, my boyfriend came over and took some pictures for me.The picture to the right was my jumping-off point. I had been trying to decide whether to cosplay Galvantula or Joltik, since Joltik is my favorite Pokemon ever. I finally decided on Galvantula mainly because the design is more fun to work with (more colors and such).
The main thing that I used from the reference picture was the hair, it represents the extra eyes and the mandibles. Unfortunately, I didn't have access to yellow fur, so I ended up using fleece. Now I'm pretty much out of yellow fleece.
I already owned both shirts that I used, the yellow one is one I bought for Pikachu some time ago. I also already owned the wig, which was also originally for Pikachu. I bought the shorts from Target, I've been wanting yellow shorts for Pikachu anyway.I made the blue hair pins by covering buttons and sewing them onto bobby pins. The hair wraps are honestly just scrap fabric left over from the rest of the blue pieces that I made. I made the suspenders, they were really simple, I bought the clips for them at JoAnns, they're actually intended to be one piece that you clip onto the back of your shirt to make it fit better (tighter), but I cut the elastic strip connecting them in half and sewed it onto the front of each suspender. On the back, I made a buttonhole (I hate buttonholes with a passion) that fit the buttons on the back pockets.
The arm warmers and leg warmers are fleece, the arm warmers are two pieces of fleece back-to-back, but that just made them kind of awkward (the first one I made was really bad), so for the leg warmers, they're only one piece. All of them have two pieces of elastic each, one near the bottom (wrists/ankles) and one near the top (calves/elbows) to hold them on and help them keep the shape of my arm.
The blue parts on the bottom of the shorts (supposed to look like Galvantula's tail) are separate from the shorts (so that I can re-use the shorts for Pikachu), they're held on with elastic (though one of them is a little loose for some reason). They're a pain in the butt to try and keep up, so I need to either make them tighter or figure something else out for them.This was my first time ever making boot covers. Originally, I wanted to make them pointy, but then I changed my mind, and they came out pointy anyway. The good news is that I know why, so next time that I make boot covers, I'll know what to do. The combination of the boot covers and the leg warmers reminds me of Skull Kid from Legend of Zelda.
I would prefer to have blue tights, but the only ones that I own are blue on the front and black on the back, and it makes it nearly impossible to see the blue bits at the bottom of the shorts. Yellow tights would be cool too, but the ones I own now have holes in them. So I'll need to get new ones before the next time that I cosplay Pikachu, which, you know, sucks, because it's so hard to find yellow tights. Maybe I'll just order some from somewhere.
TUTORIAL: Button Covers
This is my first tutorial, so go easy on me. I'm not even sure how much of a need there is for a button cover tutorial, but I thought I'd give it a shot since I was making them and they're fairly easy. I know my camera is horrible, so it's a good thing that the pictures are fairly simple anyway, because they're all blurry.
Materials
• Button
• Fabric
• Scissors
• Needle & Thread
Instructions
Step 1 
Begin by cutting a piece of fabric in the shape of the button and about twice the size. In this case, we're using a circular button.
Step 2 
(Sorry this picture is blurry.) Set the button aside and begin sewing around the edge of the fabric. Thread your needle in whatever fashion you like, just be sure that it's knotted at the end. Personally, I measure thread from my face to the end of my arm, thread it, and tie the ends together. This is usually enough thread for most hand-stitching projects, and having the thread doubled over makes it stronger.
Start from the inside (the "wrong" side of the fabric that you do not want showing), and keep your stitches close to the edge. Make sure your stitches aren't too close together, or this won't work. Generally, they can be about a pinky finger's width apart, but with varying sizes of fingers and buttons, it may just take some practice and guessing.
Step 3 
To make this go by quicker, you don't need to pull the needle all the way through after every stitch, you can let the fabric bunch up at the base of the needle.
Step 4 
When you get about one-third to half-way around the circle, or when there's too much fabric bunched up on the needle to make any more stitches, pull the needle through so that the knot in the end of the thread is against the fabric.
NOTE: If you wait too long to do this, you will not be able to pull the thread all the way through, it will get stuck on the fabric. It may take some practice to learn when to pull the thread through, it also depends on the thickness of the fabric and the strength of your thread.
Step 5 
Once you stitch all the way around, you can begin to tighten the edges and put the button inside. I like to end my stitches going outward (toward the "right" side of the fabric that you want showing).
Tug on the needle to make the fabric into a pocket (make sure it's right-side out!) and set the button inside. You'll want the button to be face-down.
Step 6 
Pull the string completely tight. The fabric should close over the button. Don't pull too hard, or the thread can break, and the fabric can rip. Just pull until you get resistance and the fabric is closed over the button.
Step 7 
Not for the somewhat tedious part. (I think I lost my photo for it too.) You're going to stitch back and forth over the bunched-up fabric to both make it stay together and flatten it out some. I usually stitch up through one "lump" of fabric, then across the button and down through another lump. Then it's just back and forth until it's mostly flattened and closed.
Finished! 
And that's it! You can then sew your button on to whatever you like, using whatever method that you wish. These particular buttons were used for hairpins. They were attached by just sewing horizontally through the bottom of the button and around the bobby pin.
Materials
• Button
• Fabric
• Scissors
• Needle & Thread
Instructions
Begin by cutting a piece of fabric in the shape of the button and about twice the size. In this case, we're using a circular button.
(Sorry this picture is blurry.) Set the button aside and begin sewing around the edge of the fabric. Thread your needle in whatever fashion you like, just be sure that it's knotted at the end. Personally, I measure thread from my face to the end of my arm, thread it, and tie the ends together. This is usually enough thread for most hand-stitching projects, and having the thread doubled over makes it stronger.Start from the inside (the "wrong" side of the fabric that you do not want showing), and keep your stitches close to the edge. Make sure your stitches aren't too close together, or this won't work. Generally, they can be about a pinky finger's width apart, but with varying sizes of fingers and buttons, it may just take some practice and guessing.
To make this go by quicker, you don't need to pull the needle all the way through after every stitch, you can let the fabric bunch up at the base of the needle.
When you get about one-third to half-way around the circle, or when there's too much fabric bunched up on the needle to make any more stitches, pull the needle through so that the knot in the end of the thread is against the fabric.NOTE: If you wait too long to do this, you will not be able to pull the thread all the way through, it will get stuck on the fabric. It may take some practice to learn when to pull the thread through, it also depends on the thickness of the fabric and the strength of your thread.
Once you stitch all the way around, you can begin to tighten the edges and put the button inside. I like to end my stitches going outward (toward the "right" side of the fabric that you want showing).Tug on the needle to make the fabric into a pocket (make sure it's right-side out!) and set the button inside. You'll want the button to be face-down.
Pull the string completely tight. The fabric should close over the button. Don't pull too hard, or the thread can break, and the fabric can rip. Just pull until you get resistance and the fabric is closed over the button.
Not for the somewhat tedious part. (I think I lost my photo for it too.) You're going to stitch back and forth over the bunched-up fabric to both make it stay together and flatten it out some. I usually stitch up through one "lump" of fabric, then across the button and down through another lump. Then it's just back and forth until it's mostly flattened and closed.
And that's it! You can then sew your button on to whatever you like, using whatever method that you wish. These particular buttons were used for hairpins. They were attached by just sewing horizontally through the bottom of the button and around the bobby pin.
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