Insane Plans - 2019/2020

"But you are a crazy woman! What are you doing in that beautiful gown?"
"You'd be surprised by how many beautiful gowns have crazy women in them."

- Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella

Act I, Scene IV: Preparing for the Ball

I'm nothing if not a crazy woman, so here are the plans for the upcoming 2019-2020 cosplay season. Remember, these are subject to change on a few of them, but I'm going to try my hardest.

The Flower Card (Cardcaptor Sakura)

I made my first iteration of the Flower Card from Cardcaptor Sakura for the World Cosplay Summit Preliminaries in August 2018 at Otakuthon in Montreal, Quebec. AnnieChie Designs and I competed as Team Silent Princess with this fluffy pink cinnamon roll, and I was determined to reuse her.

My intent is to compete her at Anime North 2019 in Toronto, Ontario. I've already started upgrading her with a boat load of sparkles and I have around 400 fabric flowers waiting in the wings to sew into 28m of tulle. I am making this as extra as humanly possible.

Syaoran (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles)

Stepping away from my usual, here's a bit of the UN-usual. I've never done crossplays before, so I've had to learn a lot of makeup tips. Spoiler alert, I still kind of suck at it.

I get to put together my stoic Tsubasa boy for YetiCon 2019 and Otakuthon 2019 this summer, and I get to work with so many talented people! AnnieChie Designs, Tsuki no Stardust, and Mae-Gwyn Cosplay are rounding out our Tsubasa group. It'll be competed eventually, but for now, more makeup practise is in my future, no matter how much it creeps my partner out.

Link (BOTW) - Genderbend, Snowquill Armour

I sincerely fell in love with this concept the minute I saw it and the opportunities it gave me to sort out some new skills. I've already started sorting out my materials, including a rose pink faux suede and faux leather to make the underbust corsetting. I will be ready and willing to brave the cold!

No fullscale timeline on this one, still collecting at this point. Excited to see if I can get it done before next winter so I can foray out into the snowy wilderness and find a stag I can ride across the hills.

Cinderella (2015 Ball Gown)

No lie, I already made this dress once and I loved every minute of its swishy, sparkly, hem heavy, colourful goodness. But everyone needs a glow-up every now and again!

I've made tentative plans with ArcticWerewolf and a few others to head down to KatsuCon for our first (and probably only) trip to meet up with some of the best costumers in North America. I was wholeheartedly excited at the prospect of bringing something I could truly be proud in. This is another I've been collecting for for a long time; I've had the silk chiffon for almost two years, sitting wrapped in the back of my closet, waiting patiently. Now, my patient and insane ass gets to roll hem 800m of organza. Let's all give thanks for sergers.

Which of these are you most excited to see? I'm stoked about all of the options this year will bring!

Getting a Fresh Start

Well, I have another platform to mismanage.

I've been making costumes since 2009, and I can honestly say that social media has always been the hardest part for me. Essentially, I've never wanted to do what a lot of other cosplayers do. I'm not interested in being famous, invited to all of the events, worshipped online, or for it to become my primary source of income. Instead, I've wanted to do something a bit different.

Literally me in the Happiest Place on Earth

When I got back from Disney World in the beginning of February, I came off of what can only be described as "vacation high". I went to Florida with the love of my life, and got to experience one of the Disney Parks for the first time. I've been a dedicated Disney fan since I was a little girl, and I was elated to finally have the chance to go. I cried when I met Rapunzel. I happily giggled taking photos and running around. I got to eat in the ballroom of Beast's Castle. I cried again meeting Rapunzel a second time (no shame). I tuckered myself out running from park to park. I came home happy to have had the experience.

Disney brought some change on though. For a long time, I've had to manage my emotions, my stressors, my career, and my life, and it's been particularly difficult. I've done some soul searching and came to a good conclusion.

I still love making dresses and living in the colourful dream I always have; however, I wanted to be able to use those things reach out and put some good back in the world. That's why I've decided to start this blog.

What I'm here to do is not to profess teaching or any perfection in cosplay or in the life I lead. Instead, I want to show you the simple truth that I have no idea what I'm doing, and that that is okay. I want to show you my joy in making the fluffiest and sparkliest gowns I can, but that sometimes I mess up and that's okay. I want to show you how things go wrong, but how you can fix them, and that's okay. I want to show the human side of cosplay and living as an imperfect human, and that that's okay. There are no wrong answers here. 

The love I have for this crazy human knows no bounds

We're here to learn and make mistakes. We'll talk about a variety of things, and try to experience this crazy world of cosplay together. On this blog, you'll see some works in progress, some finished photos, some new skills I try to bluster through, some events, some friends, lots of mistakes, and more crystals than a Swarovski store.

Let's try to dream a few dreams together.