Big Dresses

Or at least, dresses with big skirts. Ever since seeing all of the gorgeous steampunk-Victorian gowns at Anime Banzai this year, I've been gripped with the need to make one for myself. Or at least SOME kind of lovely detailed dress. I immediately went about designing one, but for what occasion, I just don't know. Then when I was browsing the Anime Banzai forum, I saw this girl post about her desire to get a bunch of people together to put on this cosplay group:

Ridiculous, right? And yet somehow, that's why I LOVE this show! (Ouran High School Host Club, by the way. This is made even more hilarious by the fact that everyone pictured here is, in fact, a guy. XD) The girl starting this idea said it came from the desire to dress up as the hosts, but having a super curvy body is difficult to pass it off as a guy's. The solution? This episode. XD And the character in the red dress may just be calling my name. I haven't decided for sure yet (and since it'll be another YEAR before it'll be done, I'm not feeling rushed) because I have the tendency to want to do my own thing at conventions, but then again, running around with a group might just be its OWN kind of fun! And really, the possibilities for that dress are just screaming at me. You can't see much of it in this picture, but I could just have SO much fun with the fabrics, the frills and the details!

This is all further fueled by a link that someone provided when we started bemoaning the cost of buying a hoop skirt. Shouldn't it be possible to make one's own without shelling out $100? Why, in fact, there is!

And now I'm subscribed to this lovely blog and all the lovely stuff she does. She's a woman that does a lot more historical costuming than I'm particularly into, but a lot of the techniques she teaches are really useful. Like that hoopskirt tutorial, and this petticoat tutorial. Seriously, I think I may be wanting to make that dress more for the underclothes right now than for the dress itself. XD Just wait until I start seriously considering fabric for it, though, and then I'll REALLY drool. I love fabric shopping. My wallet, however, does not. I should just work at JoAnne so I know when all the good sales are happening.

Just for kicks and giggles, and since I'm in the mode for listing blogs and tutorials I like, here's a couple:

http://www.entropyhouse.com/penwiper/costumes/helmsdeep.html
This the one I followed when making my Chouji armor and it gave me oodles of ideas for Neliel. LOVE IT. Just...it's good.

http://dollmaker.nunodoll.com/
I've not actually made something from this website, but it's definitely on my to-do list. I just love looking at the dolls she's made and the possibilities are endless! I think I would most especially love to do the girl doll sos I can have fun dressing her up. ^_^

http://www.cosplay.com/forum.php
The forums here are a GOLDMINE of cosplay tips, tricks, ideas, tutorials, patterns, and out-and-out costuming (and general clothing) wisdom. I've spent hours just going through and reading all the cool stuff that people have done with very simple and cheap supplies. Again, I haven't tried even a FRACTION of what's posted here, but I will probably be returning to it for many many years.

Aaaaaand there I was browsing it again for no particular reason...