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Yoki: The prints are done. Now we only need to fill the gaps.

Hiron: What gaps? Where? In the insignia?

Yoki: Yeah, the stencil is not perfect.

Hiron: *stares at the picture of the insignia, then the stencil* Is it bad that I don't see the difference?

Yoki: *watches how Hiron puts on the black gloves* ..That's so creepy.

Hiron: *Megatron's voice* Come here Starscream, we got some unfinished businesses~.

Yoki: *Starscream's voice* Slagging no...

Hiron: Seriously, you need to learn how to pose like a lady. Look, twist your body like this and make a curve. *gives an example*

Yoki: Umm, like this? *tries to mimic and fails, totally*

Hiron: Okay... Good... Now loads of practice with that!

Yoki: If they could hold hands?

Hiron: ..Is the inner fangirl getting loose?

Yoki: I've no idea what you are talking about...

-yoki, out

"Oh, how it pains me to do this!"

With the words of slightly lunatic back stabber and probably the most ill-used and unreliable second in command, I'll now present our up-coming costumes for Kawacon.

Princess Megs and her loyal servant Lady Star.

One boring afternoon I took a pencil and started drawing. Yoki being a Transformers fan and I'm also but in smaller scale, we've had few discussion about various themes around transforming robots. One circled around holoforms or human forms, I'm not sure which one is appropriate term. The result was these lady birds. I snapped a photo from the drawing with my phone and send it to Yoki, whose reply was: "...You have been officially infected by tf holoforms! Femme holoforms... Potential Kawacon duo~? :3"


And then after Desucon I found myself drawing mini shorts patterns. Now that I think of it, after agonizing work week, think I might have made too hasty schedule for the costumes. I really wanted to get over them quickly, because every passing day is off from making our competition costumes. The hurry have manifested as temper problems and common crankiness.

Yoki might think different, but I actually enjoy working with the costumes, because it's nice for a change to actually design something! Or modify, because half of the work was done already. I just had to transform (heh) blocky metal design into soft forms and fabric.

If the mood problems are forgotten, things are looking quite good. I only need to make Lady Star's legs and Yoki have her wings and head accessories under construction. Also our wigs needs some attention on styling department.

Talking about wigs, most disgusting thing happened today when we were trying the wig with the extras on Yoki. I tried to comb the wig from the forehead with my fingers, but actually stuck my thumb on Yoki's eyeball! It was squishy!


Because of Midsummer night celebration I'll have a free day from work tomorrow, which we will use finishing the costumes. We started with the costumes last Sunday, the same day we got back from Desucon. I took responsibility of patterns and sewing as usual. Yoki handled prop building and groundwork, because she has loads of knowledge from the source.

Maybe the costumes have something to do with a certain premiere here in Finland... Who knows?

Quick costume overview from Desucon

Photo by Petri Haikonen

I'm going to write more about our Desucon experience later. Currently I'm possessed by crazy cosplay frenzy for two reasons. Last Saturday the preliminary date for World Cosplay Summit was released and I somehow found myself promising Yoki that we will quickly piece together new costumes for Kawacon. It was weird to dig up patterning paper and references almost immediatelly after un-packing freshly debuted costumes!

Our Jedis were probably the most comfortable costumes we have worn, but still they got some minus sides. The capes were hot as hell! Because the weather changed from cloydy and rainy to sunny, we strolled in civil clothes on Sunday. We desided that Luminara and Barriss will be counted as spring/fall costumes from here on.

Next to hotness one minor problem was that our hems got stepped on them few times. Next to being comfy the costumes were easy to wear. Meaning that we didn't need worry about fastenings failing. They were thought through and well secured. Well, except the lightsaber hilt D-rings, which both came off within the first hour.

In some previous post I already mentioned that there is still some work ahead with Luminara's costume. I need to darken the cape fabric, becase it's way too brown. Before Desucon I just didn't have time to concentrate on dyeing it. I'm also going to weather the cloth and bracers. And I need to come up with better solution for the D-rings. Yoki's costume could actually be regarded as ready. I might adjust the cape a bit, but next to that I can't think of anything else.

Last, but not least I want to thank everybody who took a photo from us and especially the ones who stayed and changed few words with us!

Time for the check list

The title subtly indicates that I got the costumes ready in time! This is really something. Usually we got some gluing and hand-stitches to do on the night before or preferably on the con-morning. Last things on my to do-list were fastenings for the capes and Luminara’s wrist bracers and shortening Barriss’ scarf.

I ruined four hearts before I succeeded!

Tomorrow morning I’ll start the packing process. I got my check list ready and post-its around. They remind me from packing the tickets also. Then I just wait Yoki to arrive and then we’re off! See you soon, Desucon!

Edit: Bhah, I forgot I had to paint one tiny area on the end of Barriss’ lightsaber hilt! Well, something for Friday morning. It would've been inappropriate just to chill out.

Traveller inspired collaboration

At their best, cosplay photographs act like any successful piece of art; they enlighten feelings, memories and stories. We have few times been truly dumbfounded, when we’ve had contacts from other countries, people with whole different backgrounds about our cosplay photos. Especially Yoki’s Snufkin have had positive reactions, which we will never forget. One of them was from Netherlands.

Piotr send us e-mail and asked if he could use one of the photos from our winter photoshoot for Snufkin. He is planning a hitch-hiking trip around the world and Snufkin has been his favourite childhood character. No wonder, I say. He also mentioned that he has read all Moomin books by Tove, so we were basically involved with Moomin maniac similar to ourselves. Thus, we were really happy to let him use our work on his blog's header.

Piotr’s blog, One smile journey can be found behind the link. We wish him best of luck for his adventure!

Progress of Barriss' costume

It has been quite hectic for the last few weeks but we have managed to make progress with the jedi duos costumes, which is relatively good when considered the convention we're going is two weeks away. I only wonder, how we always manage to pick the most hottest costumes for summer.

Why so sad face? Answer: very persistent summer flu.

"You don't know the power of the Dark Side... Whoops, wrong side. "

Hiron's ultimate pose called: The Realisation of Passage of Time. Potential title for a Prince of Persia game.

-yoki, out

Tiny takes from the weekend

While I sewed Yoki’s costume she worked on her belt buckle. Sadly we didn’t take any photos from the process, but maybe next week Yoki will make a post about her accessories.


After some minor hood problems I finished Barriss' cape. The fastening is still missing and I need to do a separate collar piece. The print looks great!


I tried Luminara's make-up. I’m really happy how the lips turned out, but the diamond markings still need attention. And I think I bought eye shadow with too subtle golden tint.


Yoki looked grumpy. “Get out of my lawn”, she yelled.

Luminara's headgear- The dome

I realized yesterday that Desucon is only a month away. Inspired or horrified of the closing convention I started with Luminara’s headgear. I dug up the base I had prepared in February as a refreshing crafting project between Snowtrooper’s construction. The materials I used for the dome part was corrugated cardboard, lots of masking tape, modelling “clay”, tricot and flannel for support and padding and wool.


I took advantage on our Snowtrooper helmet dome mold for the cardboard skeleton. I actually had done one dome before, but because I didn’t have anything to shape it over it became too big and bulky for my taste. With the mold I was able to get the shape close enough and with little tweaking and trying it on it finally took nice, fitting form. I used hot glue and masking tape to keep the structure together.


Next I took about 250 grams of modelling material and rolled it to thin sheet. Then I covered the dome with the clay substitute. Then I left the dome to dry before the next step. After the clay is dry, it’s almost impossible to alter the shape anymore. The cardboard dome was correct size for me, but it was bit too round while my head is more oval. I padded my wig head with plastic to fit my head size and taped the sides down to create the right shape on the rim.


After the clay was dry I covered the dome with tricot and applied glue-water mixture all over. The tricot smoothed out some of the inconsistencies in the clay and because I was too lazy to sand it I added flannel on the front to hide all the remaining bumps. I only applied glue on the edges to keep the fabric soft. I also didn’t cover the whole dome, because the back part will not be visible under the, uh, curtain..?


I had bought the only brown wool with smooth surface available on the local fabric stores. Not the best time of the year to buy wool, I say. I stretched the fabric over the dome and added water to where I had to stretch even more. Damp wool will stretch nicely and with little effort, but will not revert as a warning to the aspiring hat makers out there.

I haven’t lined the dome yet. I’m still thinking will the hat need some support system or elastics inside. To write this post I took a break from trying to figure how the shape of the, emm, curtain structure on the top is achieved. I’ve tried three different methods this far and I think it’s time to move on to mesh-wire-paper clay- direction.

Oh yeah, I finished the brooch! At least something is ready!

I could've take a photo of the finished thing with missing rings and attachment... Oh, well.