Back from CNAnime etc. Check out the gallery!.
August 9, 2004. 8:30 am.
After a good sleep following a long day of work, we have something to show for ourselves! Clickie Here for updates of Gunner Yuna, Sakura, Vincent and some Paul.
July 21, 2004. 9:30 pm.
I finished up the ribbon accents on my Trainer Yuna Constume. Also, today I finished constructing Yuna's Gunner Belt. Life is good, and I feel accomplished. I just have to finish the ribbons and clasps on the the Trainer skirt, and all will be good to go for CNAnime.
July 19, 2004. 1:00pm
I really should be working right now! But such is life when you're making costumes! I have added 4 more pictures to update the progress of Trainer Yuna. Man, I hate felt. It took a long time to get the white and black pieces to lay right. I think it turned out okay, though.
July 19, 2004. 10:00 am
I have updated the Trainer Yuna Progress Page. I am well on my way with the skirt and corest, and only have a few finicky things left to do on them. Then it's onto the sleeves and that crazy part of criss-crossed yellow and purple ribbons.
July 16, 2004. 7:30 am
I just couldn't wait for a decent time to update. I got all the stuff for a FFX2 Yuna Animal Trainer Costume last night. Relatively cheap as regards materials, this costume will be a bitch to fit!
July 12, 2004. 2:00pm
I have just completed Yuna's shorts, and Chris and I ran outside to take a few pictures just to make sure that everything is in proportion. Also, I put a profile and some pictures on cosplay.com.
July 9, 2004. 8:30 am.
Wow! I am motivated today! I just put the finishing touches on Yuna's tail. It took a lot of hard work and patience to make this baby. Not to mention that I had leftover materials and decided to make two. I am going to list one on ebay mometarily.
July 6, 2004. 12:00 pm.
Just finished making the Yuna tail. I still don't have the hair, but the rest looks pretty cool. You can check it out here.
July 5, 2004. 11:30 am.
Do not go thinking that I took a day off! I was hard at work the other night working on the armbands and the pouch. You can check out the Progress.
Things are coming along nicely. Perhaps my friend Andrea and I will make it to CNAnime on Labour Day weekend. Now we just have to find something for her to wear.
July 3, 2004. 9:30 pm.
Well, 12 hours after my last update, I have two things to share. I have finished the Yuna Gunner Armbands, and they are amazing. They even stay on, which I was hoping for. So I got all dolled-up in 1/2 Yuna and 1/2 "what i was already wearing" and we went outside to take piccies. Clickie!
July 3, 2004. 9:30 am.
Just posted how to install Eyelets and Grommets on the Techniques page. They are fun, and look really cool. I'm going to work on Yuna's armbands today, I think. The vinyl fabric I got is backed, so it is a breeze to sew. But just picture trying to put the armbands on! You would really need a friend's help to lace them up. I'm going to make the armbands plain, but it may be necessary to add some rubberizing inside to make them stay in the proper position on my arm. More on that later!
July 2, 2004. 2:30 pm.
Added a technique section on Blindstitching. Includes pictures and step-by-step instructions. Techniques now have their own page. Email me with ideas of which techniques you would like to see.
July 2, 2004. 9:00 am.
Yesterday was very productive. Now I have a Progress Page to show it! The skirt and top are completely done, except for the yellow cord that wraps around the waist of the top, which is really the lest of my concerns!Other than my Yuna costume, I am making drapes for my mom-in-law's friend Connie. However, I had to take a break because the fabric is pissing me off. It is some sort of rayon blend, and really "slimey" so the seams keep warping etc. Also, I should have sewn the side seams before the rod-pockets. But, I always leave curtains long enough so as to have a contigency plan should something go awry. Thank Goodness!
July 1, 2004. 10:47 am.
Gunner Yuna Costume: 50% Complete.
Man! Do I ever work in "sweatshop style". However, I have no pictures to show you today because we forgot the get the charger for the digital camera from the 'laws house. Silly us. But, what would I have to show you, you ask?
Well! I have totally finished Yuna's side-skirt. After patiently waiting for it to dry after rinsing the dye, I got started on it this morning. It turned out wickedly cool, except that the flare on the bottom section is a bit too pronounced. All I have to do is pick-out the seam and re-do it. I made sure to use 4 different colours of thread (navy, slate, light slate, and white).
Also almost finished is the top! Holy cow, I'm on a roll. The top is lined with underknit, so I don't even have to wear a bra underneath. For the first time in my life, I am thankful for my smallish bust. I was too chicken to leave the front wedge open, though. Also, the shirt wrinkes funny and won't stay on without something in the middle. So I use a nice piece of pink mesh. I think it looks better than skintone, because NO ONE is generic skintone. It barely shows as pink, so not to worry.
Putting the ridgey bit between the main part of the top and the lace trim was really tough. That stuff is a pain to sew with, because it stretches no matter what you do. My advice? Ease up your presser foot (usually a dial up to the left near the thread uptake) and force the ridges together as you sew. Then it turned out okay.
Because the lace I used wasn't stretchy, but I still have to pull the top over my head, I left a split/lap at each side, which is barely noticeable. The colour of the lace turned out fantastic, and perfectly matches the hood, a deep coral colour.
The hood was the most difficult part thus far. I made it twice, but I had so much fabric that it wasn't an issue. Basically, the first time, the hood was too shallow, and only pulled up over the back of my head, instead of coming to my face. Yes, I know that Yuna doesn't actually *wear* her hood, but it has to have the right amount of fulness to look good.
So, I've still got the ponytail, armbands and pouch to work on. As well as that pesky Zanarkand Abes symbol.... Wish me luck!
Will post piccies once we charge the digicam!
June 30, 2004. 7:48 am.
This morning I rinsed the excess dye out of the costume pieces. I have dyed the three skirt sections, the pink ponytail wrap, the coral-coloured lace for the shirt, and the red fabric that will wrap around the tail. My advice about rinsing out dye? Wear rubber gloves and use the hottest water available! It takes forever. Oh, and squish alot!
I went to www.ritdye.com for some information about setting dyes, but there wasn't much. I guess you just rinse as good as you can, give the fabric a wash, and then only have it drycleaned once the garment is made. Because Yuna's skirt is graded from blue to white, and then to blue again and white etc. etc., I don't want the dye to run downwards and mess up the white parts.
I also looked around on the internet last night to see how other cosplayers (can I call myself a cosplayer yet? Probably not!) handled the skirt. Some choose an easy method of simply attaching lace in horizontal rows to fabric, while others chose to attach three sections together. I think that the latter method looks more authentic, because it will give the skirt a certain amount of "swoosh" and "flow". Also, some people didn't even grade their fabric. This looked okay as long as the blue was close to the original colour. The worst skirt that I saw was made of turquoise satin, done in one part, with horribly ruffled lace sewn onto it. I think that the lace has to be a balance of ruffles and not-ruffles. You see, the lace to flare out slightly, it is not 100% flat, but I would recommend avoiding lace that is actually gathered. I got very lucky with the lace that I found. Choice of fabric is another thing that makes or breaks the Yuna Gunner look. That aforementioned skirt made out of satin is a no-no! The skirt is not shiney at all! It is supposed to look somewhat crumply/wrinkley, and have a natural finish. And since crinkle cotton takes dye so well, it seemed the best option.
I also began working on the pouch. I made a mock-up (which can also be called "a muslin", which is when you use cheap fabric to fabricate pattern elements) of the pouch. I think it will be very challenging to make because the seams on the side panels are not pointing inwards, which would have been so easy! The seems are extroverted, which means sewing and overcasting by hand. Sewing close to an edge with a sewing machine is always trouble. Because the fabric is strong, the needle has a hard time pushing through the fabric, and instead pushed the fabric down through the needle-plate. Then all the fabric is shoved down where the bobbin is, and it's a big tangley mess. I have to purchase some snap covers for the 5 stud decorations on Yuna's pouch. Basically, snap covers make a snap look more finished and professional, although in this case, the snap won't be functional. Actually, maybe I will make the middle on functional as a closure for the pouch! Okay, back to snap-covers. I know that they come in blue, green, red, white, beige, yellow, and black. But I don't know if they come in brown. I'm just going to keep an eye out for those.
I suppose that I will also have to make the belt by hand. I'm on the look-out for turquoise jewelery/stones to decorate the belt with.
Well, I am off the make a mock-up of the skirt. Wish me luck!
June 29, 2004 (later, later that same day....)
Yuna Gunner Costume: Progess - 3%
Done Dyeing! I have put up a Dyeing section which details the dying of the section for Yuna's blue side-skirt. The same techniques would work for the ponytail holder, which is graded from pink to white. I also dyed the lace for Yuna's shirt, and the fabric for the ponytail wrap. I now have one indigo hand, and one coral hand! I should have kept my gloves on! Thanks to Chris for his help with clothespins and expert advice. Now what should I make?
June 29, 2004 (later that same day....)
Back from shopping! What a blast! I managed to find almost everything I need! See Shopping List for Yuna's Gunner Costume. It is quite extensive and detailed, and hopefully others will be able to use it one day. I can hardly wait to get started!
ps: I'm too poor for Yuna's necklace and earring (hint: august 11, hint hint)
June 29, 2004.
Yeah, yeah, I know! The layout stinks. But this will take time. Right now, as you may have noticed, there is at least a unified colour scheme. (Yuna's colours).
Today, I must go shopping. First up to Walmart in search of cheap threads and trims. Then off to Ottawa Street for fabrics. Since I need designer type fabrics, I can't get them at Walmart. I don't think they carry yellow PVC or 4-way stretch. I can hardly wait! I have updated the family & friends gallery as well as the quilting gallery. The lady who I gave the pink quilt to (Katie and her new baby, Morgan) really liked it, and wants me to make a quilt for her expecting friend. I was so flattered. I mean, the fabric is just from Wal-Mart! I also got roped into making some curtain's for my mom-in-law's friend, Connie, who is a decorator. A great decorator with no patience for sewing! She already had the fabric, so I'm going to get started this afternoon.
As well, I am going Yuna shopping. I will post bazillions of pics, as I hope this site can be more than a showcase. I would like it to be a sort of "how to". I have never cosplayed before, but I am armed with an arsenal of strange crafting skills.
Remind me to find pics of Andrea as a Red Mage at AnimeNorth 2004. I made her costume, and she looked really cute. Unfortunately, we weren't working from any set idea of what a Red Mage should look like, so it could have been more accurate to how Final Fantasy shows a Red Mage.
Off to shower and shop!
June 28, 2004.
FFX2 - Gunner Yuna Costume
planning phase: designing, fitting, shopping
current progress: 1% (long way to go!)
pieces acquired: fake guns to be remodeled by bro-in-law Dave, blue rit dye for half-skirt, Zanarkand Abes logo template complete.
plans: to see just how durable craft foam is for the shirt symbol. so far, i have made it in white, since it's the easiest to see markings on. I have also figured out a way to quad-braid while wrapping to make an accurate tail. I'm also researching gradient dyeing.
Picture.
June 26, 2004
I have decided to undertake the following:
FFX2 - Gunner Yuna Costume
Inspiration.
Please oh please tell me that S.J. hasn't already started one! Now, I am more than aware that I don't exactly look like Yuna. But, compared to whoever is reading this, I most likely look more like Yuna than you do, so there. Nah Nah.
