41 replies to this topic

[Murasaki Doku]

I love you guys. Your feedback is half the reason I still have enthusiasm for this project.

REMEMBER: This is the Journey of Dreams design.

Completed items:

• Hat
• Cuffs
• Chest Ideya
• Blue Collar Mini-Ideyas (needs to be redone; wrong color and look just plain ugly)
• Gloves
• SLEEVES

1/31
Finished drawing out a pattern for the waistcoat. This day will be known as "The Day NARSi Realized Just How Non-Human NiGHTS' Anatomy Is" because I just can't make the same angle on the opening...all this time I've been going for ACCURACY ACCURACY ACCURACY, but unfortunately...can't change my body shape. *punches boob*
I also need to begin wire-sculpting the shoes...oh, goodness gracious, the shoes! I really don't know how to anticipate this. Maybe I should just charge right in; that way I won't be so disappointed if it comes out worse than I expected..

2/1
Not a very productive day. I did get the gloves I'd ordered over two weeks ago, though. Not sure how productive I'll be over this weekend, either...I've got a lot of school work to do.

2/2
Wire-sculpted the shoes, and the waistcoat is now...*looks it over*...eh, 40% done. My back hurts and I'm tired.
Wishing I'd picked velvet instead of felt...but velvet is so much more expensive, and harder to work with.

2/10
Slowly recovering from depression, and school isn't helping. I've been spending the last few days nitpicking about the neck ruffle and collar, because it just won't seem to fit the way I want it to. I've also been hand embroidering the pattern on the sleeves. WARNING TO ANYONE ATTEMPTING A NiGHTS JOD COSPLAY: IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAND-EMBROIDER THE SLEEVES, DO IT BEFORE YOU ATTACH THE SLEEVES. I didn't make my own shirt...I actually hacked up a white turtleneck shirt, so the sleeves were already attached. I'm not saying that it's impossible, it's just that the extra material gets in the way and you have to manipulate (read: fight with) it to make it easier.

My mother is going to have her thyroid taken out this week, so I'll be losing my sewing partner for a while. =(

2/17
theneedlegoesupanddownandupanddownandupanddownandrunsoutandrefillsandknotsandgoe
supanddownandupand
downandthenitgetstangledsoihavetofixitandthenigobacktogoingupanddownandupanddown
andupanddownand...

...the worst part is that I only have one sleeve done after an entire week of working. aaaaaaaa.

2/23
FINISHED EMBROIDERING THE SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVES AFTER 70 HOURS OF LABOOOOOOOOOOR

2/27
Not much exciting stuff. For the yellow trimmings of the waistcoat, I'm using 1.5 inch thick yellow ribbon and creasing it so 1/3rd of the length will show and 2/3rd will be able to be sewn on the other side--the exception being what goes around the armholes, which was creased 1/2 the width of the ribbon. If you'll notice, on finished reference pictures, that for some reason the trimmings around the armholes are thicker there than anywhere else. AARHACURACY.
Unfortunately, I didn't have enough ribbon. I need ~64 more inches...which means YET ANOTHER TRIP TO THE FABRIC STORE HOORAY. u_u

3/2
Workin' on shoeseses...lookin' good even though they're in the very, very, very rough stages...

3/3
*throws out ribbon* Euuuu. It looks horrible, plus it's the most temperamental thing on the earth. grrr.
HOORAY FOR STATE-ISSUED TESTING! Poor sophomores have to come into school regular time (7:00 am) and take this stupid test they're spoonfed how to do for the past four years, but all of the upperclassmen don't have to come into school 10:30 am...WHICH MEANS I GET TO WORK DURING MY WINDOW OF ENTHUSIASM! HOORAY! I predict much will be done this week. 8)
I've got the trim done on the two inner sides, and all across the bottom. We decided to use the same yellow felt we'd used on the cuffs and holy crap does it look AMAZING. *_* I can't wait to see the ending result after all the trim is put on.

[Zoe]

I'll be keeping up with this topic. My sister and I are planning to cosplay Reala and NiGHTS, respectively. We're doing the Journey of Dreams designs too! We're about half-way through with the Persona mask for Reala. Can't wait to see photos of your cosplay progressing!

[Nyx]

I'll be watching this topic -- I love cosplay! I've always been inspired by the detail and dedication put into each and every costume created, and want to try it myself, eventually. (And yet I don't have either the dedication or the bravery to do it myself... I'm still trying to figure out how I want to start my hat.)

I also need to begin wire-sculpting the shoes...oh, goodness gracious, the shoes! I really don't know how to anticipate this. Maybe I should just charge right in; that way I won't be so disappointed if it comes out worse than I expected..

I wish you the best of luck! Although, that reminds me of a theory of mine...

You ever notice how the bottom of the boot for NiGHTS is flexible, and doesn't have a solid bottom? Well I had an idea on that... But I don't have the materials to try it for myself...

If you used a ballet slipper for the bottom/sole part of the boot, then built it upwards from there -- would it give the shoes that kind of flexibility? Just a thought...

As for not being able to change your body shape, believe me when I say that I know what you mean.

[Murasaki Doku]

I'll be watching this topic -- I love cosplay! I've always been inspired by the detail and dedication put into each and every costume created, and want to try it myself, eventually. (And yet I don't have either the dedication or the bravery to do it myself... I'm still trying to figure out how I want to start my hat.)



I wish you the best of luck! Although, that reminds me of a theory of mine...

You ever notice how the bottom of the boot for NiGHTS is flexible, and doesn't have a solid bottom? Well I had an idea on that... But I don't have the materials to try it for myself...

If you used a ballet slipper for the bottom/sole part of the boot, then built it upwards from there -- would it give the shoes that kind of flexibility? Just a thought...

As for not being able to change your body shape, believe me when I say that I know what you mean.

I considered the ballet shoes, but conventions involve LOTS of walking. I chose the most comfortable shoes I didn't mind "destroying".

I also considered those roller blade shoes...but, alas, they are forbidden at Anime Boston.

[Murasaki Doku]

Ugh...I'm sorry for the lack of updates, guys...I've been struck by a sudden bought of unexplainable teenage depression...

I've been working, but...I'm feeling so emotionally unstable right now that I don't feel like being sociable.

[Murasaki Doku]

@_@

One complete sleeve:

an estimated 35 hours of work, without breaks

[Meggiemaccat]

That is the most meticulously wonderful thing I've ever seen anyone do to a sleeve. 8D

[animejosse]

35 hours? Damn O_O But it's really paying off, it looks beautiful.

[Nyx]

That is dedication at it's best. It's gorgeous!

I want to sew something now...

[Avenrir]

35hours straight is some serious dedication right there, and wow has it payed off, that looks fantastic! Those embroidery patterns are a pain to draw, I don't want to think about how awkward they must be to actually, well, embroider!

I bow to your sewing skill and patience. O.O

I hope you're taking a well earned break before doing more on that other sleeve. ^^

[viperxmns]

Holy freeholez the stitching is awesome. Gotta appreciate when someone doesn't take shortcuts. I'd probably just draw the filigree with a fabric marker X3

As for footwear, there's a few options you could try, depending on whether you'd want to get a boot to cut and manipulate that way, or have the leg boot part and the foot shoe part be two separate components that you combine together. I had a thought that one could buy a pair of plain Vans and paint them to look like NiGHTS's feet.. that or Sonic's shoes too.. and if you did that you could alter a pair of pink leg warmers or something for the pink part

[Murasaki Doku]

35hours straight is some serious dedication right there, and wow has it payed off, that looks fantastic! Those embroidery patterns are a pain to draw, I don't want to think about how awkward they must be to actually, well, embroider!

I bow to your sewing skill and patience. O.O

I hope you're taking a well earned break before doing more on that other sleeve. ^^

Sorry for the misleading statement...it took a total of 35 hours for one sleeve, over the duration of one week. I paced myself by doing at least one of the repeating pattern each day--trying to balance this project and school at the same time. It works out to be about five hours per day.

Embroidery is a lot more exhausting than you might think...if I push myself to do TWO patterns in one day, then afterwards I feel as if I had run a marathon or something.

And I didn't hand-draw the pattern. Photoshop vectors are your friends. I'm still surprised, to this day, that my printer actually printed on fabric backing.

As of now, I'm past the halfway mark on the next sleeve...then I'll probably make the Persona, to take a "break"...and then it's on to embroidering the thighs. I only have a little less than five weeks left until Anime Boston.

I hope NiGHTS feels the love.

[Murasaki Doku]

this is the look on my face right now.

[ayamemaiden]

O_O
My fingers would start bleeding.
I hope to see this on the cosplay section.

[TRiPPY]

Hahahha i remember how relieved i was when i finished that damn hat of mine, so much tiny stitches involved and bleedy hands D:

Awesome work! I'm glad you've kept to your schedule XD

[Murasaki Doku]

Hahahha i remember how relieved i was when i finished that damn hat of mine, so much tiny stitches involved and bleedy hands D:

Awesome work! I'm glad you've kept to your schedule XD

I laugh in the face of procrastination! HA HA!

I'm gonna let you do your own thing until you're ready to regularly update the fansite again. Just drop me an e-mail whenever that time comes so I can resume sending you pictures without adding to your most likely overpopulated list of "stuff to do".

Also: *ponders UV cosplay* ...wings would certainly be an interesting problem to tackle...oh lord, I've become a monster!

[animejosse]

Also: *ponders UV cosplay* ...wings would certainly be an interesting problem to tackle...

XD Especially since they, if I recall correctly, are basically dripping blackness.

[Murasaki Doku]

XD Especially since they, if I recall correctly, are basically dripping blackness.

There's probably SOMETHING at Jo-Anne that I can use to make the feathers shiny; give them that "wet" look. I'd probably buy white feathers by the bucketfull and dye them with food colouring or ink, for that matter...but it's a medium I've never used before. Perhaps an aerosol.

But there's no way to make them drip though. I guess you could make them look like there were droplets having off of the ends, but that's probably a detail that would be overlooked due to the already overwhelming amount of detail already present.

[Murasaki Doku]

Inspiration...slipping...

four weeks left....*flails*

[TRiPPY]

You get the most done in the last hour i swear XD

[Meggiemaccat]

Five hours a day is still impressive. Dear word, I'd like to try a Jackle cosplay, but I have no sewing skills whatsoever. D: That's what I get for forgetting everything I learned in Home Economics; at least then I'd have a slight idea on how to use a sewing machine (though I'd still have no clue how to do anything more complicated than a pillow, and I epic-phailed at that, because someone else had to do the sewing machine bit for me... XDD ).

Anyway, keep on trucking (pacedly; no driving yourself insane, plz)! You don't want to get down to that last hour and start even thinking 'I can't finish this in an hour!' Once you start thinking that, all your determination goes out the window, and you'll be hard pressed to get it back/fight on without it.

[KittyWhiggles]

O_O. Oh my freakin goodness. That look fabulous! Wow...My fingures would go on strike if I tried that. Its already enough with the hours of drawing, but that would have been the last straw XD

[Icachan]

That looks bloody fantastic! It's amazing to see the lenght some are willing to go to in order to do it properly! I had almost forgotten how pretty bead embroidering can be.

[Murasaki Doku]

I wish I could work on this after school, but I get so dehydrated that I never feel like working except on the weekends. GR. *tries to add some details to waistcoat today*

Dear word, I'd like to try a Jackle cosplay

Jackle would present a variety of different problems, mostly "special effects" problems. You'd have to find a way to make your body look...nonexistent.

...now that I think about it, that's probably the reason Jackle's never been done before despite the huge fanbase he has.

Oh, and: Thanks for all the moral support you guys have been giving me; it really helps.

[Meggiemaccat]

Jackle would present a variety of different problems, mostly "special effects" problems. You'd have to find a way to make your body look...nonexistent.

...now that I think about it, that's probably the reason Jackle's never been done before despite the huge fanbase he has.

That's why I'd give the crazeh bugger clothes. ^^;;;;; *knows how mad he and his fanbase would be for that... and will be upon reading my fanfic should it ever get that far along, but that's a different topic entirely* But even then he'd be a rather difficult cosplay. 0.o; I'm sure JoD NiGHTS is much harder, though. I have massive respect for you.

[Murasaki Doku]

these pants make me want to scream.

screw makin' my own, I'm gonna order 'em online...gotta cut my losses and save time.

also:

Doodled NiGHTS on my Spanish classwork...not knowing the teacher would want us to hand it in.

=_=

I'm so embarrassed right now.
nnng

Teach me to doodle in class...my backpack is filled with half doodle papers and half actual schoolwork. Talk about newfound obsession.

[Mitsuu]

My spanish teacher doesn't care, she likes what I draw all over my tests and work.

This is looking really good so I hope you continue and finish it.

[Murasaki Doku]

sllloowwww progresssssss

[PRiNCE]

*Dies*

That is completely amazing. Great work there! I can't wait to see the finished product!

[TRAViS]

This may very well end up being one of the most detailed and meticulously-created NiGHTS cosplay outfits ever. It's looking absolutely stunning at this point. Keep it up!

[Meggiemaccat]

Gweheh, this is gonna be awesome when you finish it! X3

[Murasaki Doku]

[DAiLiGHT]

HOLEE SHIZZ FAIRY.

I like that. I wish I could do that.

[Meggiemaccat]

..... I hate to give any critique whatsoever to this piece of awesomeness, but the hat doesn't match the rest of the purple. It is otherwise AWESOMEWIN!!!

[Murasaki Doku]

..... I hate to give any critique whatsoever to this piece of awesomeness, but the hat doesn't match the rest of the purple. It is otherwise AWESOMEWIN!!!

Unlike TRiPPY, I find being able to sit is a requirement.

I had already made the hat before we realized, oh sh!t, it's not stretchy enough to make a pair of pants.

[Icachan]

....

Excuse me while I go explode into tiny sparkles of HOSH!TAWESOME! O______________O Seriously good job there!

[Sa-chan]

OH LAWD that is EPIC AWESOME.
You're going to Anime Boston, right? If someone in a Jackle cosplay suddenly jumps out of nowhere and tackles you, don't worry it's just me.

srsly though. dude. *stares*

[animejosse]

Woah! Awesome job Too bad about the hat, but it still looks good.

[Meggiemaccat]

Unlike TRiPPY, I find being able to sit is a requirement.

I had already made the hat before we realized, oh sh!t, it's not stretchy enough to make a pair of pants.

Ah, I forget how unforgiving some materials can be with motion. ^-^;;; I made that observation thinking you made the pants first (and was thinking that was the purple you were going for) but yeah, after all that work you don't want to make another hat just because the color's a little off. ^-^ This is extremely good; I can't wait for TRiPPY's reaction. ^-^

[ayamemaiden]

Narsi, you should seriously give us a hat tutorial. That is win. O_O