Snow White's Underdress and Charming's Tunic

In an effort to try and display some more of my work, these are some throwbacks from last year's Halloween - granted, some parts were purchased, so here's my disclaimer: as the title says, I made the white underdress (the gown underneath the kirtle) and the accompanying brooch and headpiece for Snow, and I made Charming's tunic.

Snow's underdress was a few yards of lightly floral-printed white cotton trimmed with triangular lace accents at the sleeves; the brooch was made with a button I modified by shaving down the back plastic loop and gluing it to a safety pin backing. The headband was made from discount floral and faux berries (thank you, off-season!) wire-wrapped to make it circular and decorated with a ribbon.

Charming's tunic was about two yards (if that) of blue brocade from the Special Occasions section, trimmed with a white and gold braid, and sporting little shaved-button pearl details on each bottom corner. I was still learning necklines at this point, so let's just say I'm quite happy it's not too visible in the photo.

Enjoy!

 xoxo Annie

At this point, I had cut and sewn the major shapes of the gown, but was still settling on the neckline and sleeves.

Finished gown; the route I elected to take for the main form of the dress was a geometric gown shape from the 1200s, meant to be worn under a laced kirtle. I selected it because I would have the freedom to modify the neckline and sleeves, but still have a voluminous skirt and body of fabric to work with under my kirtle.

Charming's tunic, completed - this was an easy project, as it's basically a folded-over rectangle with a hole for the head in the middle.

Snow, put together at last. 

Quickie Supercon Post (or: Why Quickie Costumes are Stressful)

So I found out shortly before the most recent Florida Supercon that I'd actually be able to attend - my work schedule had been up in the air, and was only finalized about three and a half weeks before the convention. With this in mind, I decided - as always - that a decent costume is better than no costume, and that hubby and I were going to have to come up with something in order to make it to Supercon like the gung-ho cosplayers we are.

So, the exact thought process was:

"What costume can I make from stuff lying around the house/borrowed stuff/stuff that requires little alteration so we're done in time for Supercon?"

A few weeks back, I had seen a promotion for Black Lagoon on Toonami or Adult Swim or whatever they're calling it these days, and noticed that Revy was one pretty kick-a$$ chick - and I'd like to cosplay her sometime. This came back to mind as the need for a quick costume became pressing, and thus hubby and I engaged in the task of watching Black Lagoon while still working, studying, and trying to get the costumes together.

Luckily, Rock's (Rokuro Okajima's) costume was a shoo-in - white pocketed work shirt, teal tie ordered from Amazon, grey pants, brown shoes, and a little dirt/blood makeup for full effect.

Revy's effects were similarly accessible - cutoff shorts made shorter, black sport tank turned into a midriff cami, borrowed boots from an ex-Army friend, black body paint, and hair dyed purple. I got a sleek pair of Airsoft Beretta M-92s that I sprayed, painted and added accessories to in order to match Revy's as best possible in a crunched time span.

And then we got to the holsters. And pain and suffering ensued. The leftover material I had to work with was very flimsy (think chair-type vinyl or imitation leather), and the holsters themselves were meant for a different shape pistol. The end result was... they held the guns, but left giant spray stains on my arms (didn't have enough time to seal 'em), left brown paint on the Berettas, and smeared the living crap out of my face-paint-applied arm tattoo. It was a truly hateful prop.

We didn't really get many (any) good pictures, but we did get some nice compliments, some really excited fans, and one girl that solemnly told me to keep kicking a$$. Not bad for a no-build costume.

xo
Wicked Wench

Commission: Lacie Baskerville

General Information

Character: Lacie Baskerville

Series: Pandora Hearts

Outfit: Purple Gown

Stats

Hours Spent: 41

Materials Cost: ~ $80-$90

Full Front

Full Back

Close-Up Front

This gown is slated to be worn this upcoming weekend at Megacon - I will hopefully post more pictures of the gown and my lovely client in her full wig, shoes, and props!

Cheers,

Annie

Becoming Sally Jupiter

Sally Jupiter is at once an easy and difficult character to cosplay. Getting the look right only scratched the surface; I had to somehow portray her complicated relationship with Eddie Blake (the Comedian), her desire for fame, her struggle from a humble beginning as a burlesque dancer to her triumph as a "masked" hero. I spent quite a few hours watching and re-watching her scenes in the movie, reading the graphic novel, and reading interviews to help me prepare for the role. In the end, I must have been at least moderately successful; in one case, I had another con-goer at Florida Supercon 2013 corner me in the ladies' room and tell me that I was "beautiful" and "heartbreaking" at the same time.

Pieces Made:

• Collar
• Yellow Dress
• Exterior Corset (belt)
• Left hand wristlet
• Earrings
• Glove (to the extent that I cut off the original buttons and replaced them with pearlized ones)
• Nails (filed and painted to match the ones from the movie)
• Newspaper
  
  
  
  

Pieces Purchased:

• Garter straps
• Plain black panty

Pieces Already Owned:

• Corset (foundation)
• Stockings
• Boots

What I Do

I came to the realization the other day that, in some form or another, I have been cosplaying for a decade. I started out like many folks, buying costumes and putting together the different parts and pieces. I transitioned into making my own accessories (no fabrication - I'm talking custom jewelry, hat trimming, lace dyeing, etc.) and costume pieces (mainly skirts) until I finally made my own costume from start to finish.

So what can I offer you?

• Ten years of cosplay experience
• A certification in basic beauty make-up and a HUGE array of cosmetics
• A love for detail
• Sewing skills

Outside of cosplay, I can also do basic tailoring things, for example:

• Pin-tucking jackets and vests that are too big and need some shape
• Letting out and raising hems
• Fixing small rips and tears in clothing

At the end of the day, all I can say is that I love to create and I love what I do - if you have any questions or are interested in an estimate, feel free to contact me! I am currently only working in the Orlando, Florida and Miami, Florida areas; however, that may change over time as I get more experience and resources.

Cheers!

Welcome to Wicked Wench Wares!

Welcome, all, to my little slice of the Internet.

Although this is technically my second blog, it is the only one that will be dedicated to my costuming, cosplaying, and forays into cosmetics. Here I will (hopefully) post about my own costumes and cosplays, commissioned costumes, the art of transforming until you are someone else, and what it's like to have a passion for costumes that can only be tempered by real life.

To all who find me, welcome - I offer my craft for the world to see.

Cheers!