subtle cosplay Archives • Jessica Smith Creates

December 16, 2015August 19, 2018

Halloween Week – 2015

If Halloween was an Olympic sport, I think I’d qualify to compete for the national team. I wouldn’t win, but I would probably be invited back for the next year!

That’s probably not how the Olympics works… Moving on!

I upped my Halloween game this year. For almost each day the week before, I subtle-cosplayed. I was so close to making it each of the 5 days, but that Tuesday was unseasonably cold, and the chosen outfit wasn’t finished and wasn’t warm enough. And I got out of bed too late. So there’s room for improvement, right?

Also, coincidentally, all of my outfits this were Disney princess themed. So next year I should try to diversify…

One of my fellow grad students figured out what I was doing on Wednesday, so for Thursday and Friday she made guesses, though my Belle outfit does have a dead giveaway component. I’m not sure if she knows about me making clothing, and if she knows about the blog I’d be very surprised (but hi, if so!), but its nice when something like this gets noticed.

Monday – Briar Rose

Shirt: RTW thrifted / Cardigan: Primark upcycled / Skirt: Me-Made

Tuesday – supposed to be Merida, with a second choice of Kaylee, and neither happened…

Wednesday – Ariel Day Dress

Top: Me-Made / Skirt: Me-Made

Thursday – Merida (Epilogue outfit) – More on this one soon

Top: Me Made / Skirt: Me Made (and not yet blogged)

Friday – Belle

=Dress: Me-made / Cape: Me-made

And then Peggy Carter for real Halloween! But I’ll save that for another post… After the holidays. Stay tuned!

November 24, 2015August 19, 2018

Forest Dandelion

I made this for Indie Pattern Month back in June, but it’s taken me this long to fall in love, I guess.

Partly because of the way it hang as a dress, and partly because as much as I try to stay healthy, summer tends to bring out the junk food and bad habits for me, and this dress is not very forgiving in the stomach area. To be honest, my stomach area is my personal self esteem weak point, and I try my best to help myself in that area by making clothes that I feel good in.

So I cut off the bottom of the dress and made it a tank!

I’ve worn it a bunch now, and I love it this way!

Details then…

This was really the third iteration. The first was a straight mockup of the smallest size made of stretchy fabric, specifically the leftovers from my Peanut Butter Cup bodysuit. It wasn’t terrible, but I needed to make some alterations. I added room to the bum region at the center back seam, and I added a bit in the bust area, plus I “reattached” the yoke pieces to the main pieces, so I wouldn’t need a seam there.

The second version was using a fairly stable, with more give than stretch, ponte I think. Definitely feels like polyester, and I love this version. Except the print is definitely not my thing, it being so floral and dark. It makes some awesome pajamas, though. The neckline was too high for my vision of the final dress, so I lowered the neckline, and I cut in a Merida-type notch.

Then the final version. This is where it kinda went downhill, sadly. The fabric was a stretchy t-shirt jersey. Pretty soft, but it wasn’t stable or uber stretchy, and it has very little drape. I used the exact same shapes as the red floraly one, but I was getting butt wrinkles, and it wasn’t flattering. I took in the center back a lot, and all the way around the inner panels a few times. Eventually, this caused the bust to start wrinkling, so I added in a dart, which mostly affects the top layer. Finally, I ended up with something that mostly fit, and felt fairly comfortable.

I got pictures for IPM, but then I stopped wearing it. I couldn’t figure out what was bothering me about it, then two weeks ago I realized. I could see my stomach poking out, and that was my issue. So I tried it on, cut a notch in the center, added in an uneven hem, and voila!

All better!

Internally, I’ve labeled this my Merida tank, in keeping with my plan for most makes to have closet cosplay potential, and I think it fits nicely. Sometime soon I’ll accessorize appropriately and show you!

June 20, 2015August 19, 2018

Dinglehopper

Today I made this lovely cardigan and it makes an awesome topper to a Little Mermaid Disneybound/subtle cosplay.

If you want to read about the details on the cardigan, you can read them here, on the Monthly Stitch post.

But if you want to see my impromptu Ariel cosplay, here are my dinglehopper friendly pictures!

So this is my first Syrah skirt, a nice bright green, my Bronte top (or a RTW one), and my new Jenna cardigan!

P.S. This is probably just something weird, but these are honestly the only two pictures where I didn’t look at the camera, which definitely ruined the “illusion.”

January 5, 2015August 19, 2018

Running a Teashop

A few months ago I laid out a small sewing plan, and though I’ve worked on all of the projects, I’ve yet to post on most of them. But the time has come!

My first project, which is really my latest one, is a shirt for a small Hatter costume (who runs a “teashop,” by the way).

AliceHatter-hands link

I fell in love with Syfy’s version of Alice in wonderland, which was a mini series that aired in 2009. It’s a perfect way of turning an old fashioned story around, and a story of family and love… now it just sounds like a romance. It’s more of a drama with a slight comedic undertone. The Mad Hatter is played by Andrew Lee Potts, and is not terribly nice or mean, but understandably complicated. He wears this awesome hat, go figure, which is the main part of the costume that I’m lacking, but his shirt is the craziest part.

Definitely vintage inspired, and oddly colourful, but rather simple otherwise.

I had always thought that Archer would be a great pattern for this, a good go to dress shirt pattern.

The only changes I made to it was the hem, where I chose to use the hem that was already sewn into my fabric, so I ignored any hemming instructions, and I shortened the sleeves to elbow length, without a cuff. Oh, and I only cut out one yoke piece, so I french seamed the entire thing. So I guess that’s more than a minimum of changes.

Other than that, a simple make. I thought I had lost my buttonhole foot though, and after searching my room, I found it where it most definitely should have been… in my makeup container. But then I got clicking away, sewed it up, and here it is! It’s fairly comfy for a swishy polyester shirt. Maybe soon I’ll have a full cosplay!

October 16, 2014

Subtle Cosplay Thursday

I’ve missed a few weeks now, and so I had to make up for it this week…

This week was full of cool days and jeans weather. And I had a test on the day I wore this outfit. So I was looking for comfort and cuteness.

Frozen’s Anna came to mind. So I grabbed my pink Anna sweater, a blue button up and black skinny jeans.

Since I was thinking comfort I actually wore my comfy walking sandals, but when it came to picture taking those had been taken off. If I had cared about accessories I would have worn a snowflake necklace and a Celtic leather wristband.

Not exactly Norwegian, but it’s always felt right for that situation.

Comfy Anna outfit, check!

September 4, 2014

Subtle Cosplay Thursday – Briar Rose

Introducing a new Thursday installation!

I’m planning that every other Thursday I will be posting a subtle cosplay outfit. Of closet cosplay. Or whatever you would like to call it.

I realized recently that I have more or less neglected my subtle cosplay page, though I’ve definitely worn some inspired outfits. And, being completely honest, my momentum of the moment in posting is mostly due to a large backlog… That will run out at some point.

Since I started grad school, my project-ing has mostly been relegated to work avoidance… like the math homework I’ve got due tomorrow…

But one thing I can do regularly is subtle cosplay.

So I’ve decided to alternate between Design Donnerstag and Subtle Cosplay Thursday.

Presenting the first cosplay:

Aurora, or to be more specific Briar Rose, from The Sleeping Beauty

I handily used my new grey circle skirt, topped it with a cream knit shirt. I added a black cardigan, to simulate her black corset.

In my hair there is a thin black headband, but honestly it somehow blends with my hair. I also used my Claudia owl ring, and wore an ivory necklace which has a rose carved in it. My grandmother gave it to me, and it is the most delicate and lovely vintage necklace I own. Or rather, second to the first necklace she gave me.

Will this continue? I don’t know, but I certainly like the idea of Subtle Cosplay Thursday!

May 14, 2014August 19, 2018

First Time in Forever

So I volunteered at the movie theater on campus, and a few weeks ago we showed Frozen.

May I start by saying that I love the movie? There are many flaws, I know, but the songs are so catchy!

And when I saw it I really was looking at the outfits. I think I finally hit the point where I not only admire the costumes of movies and shows and stuff, but that I want to make and have all of it. I’m not 100% sure that’s a bad thing, but I know its not necessarily good either…

For our showing of Frozen, though, I definitely thought it would be fun to subtly cosplay Anna.

I knew I wanted a circle skirt that wasn’t already attached to a dress, specifically one that wasn’t black. I’ve got a flowy RTW black skirt, that honestly I don’t wear often (perhaps due to the fact that I stick out enough on campus that it isn’t worth the weird looks), so my plans for the upcoming black skirt will lead to a shorter and less flowy skirt, more A-line.

But I really like the freedom and comfort of a circle skirt. And now that its been warm, I appreciate the flow and minimum fabric involved.

The fabric for the skirt is a blue crepe. It’s kinda heavy but surprisingly cool, and though I don’t know the fabric content at this point I don’t entirely care. It’s comfy, especially for around the house when I don’t have to care if people see the bike shorts I’m wearing underneath. I do think I need to angle the waistband a bit, but that will happen later, and I need to finish my skinny hem, but I’m thinking embroidery and it’s a long hem. And I needed something to wear yesterday.

On another topic I started on my drapey cardigan objective! Knowing I wanted to do this subtle cosplay gave me a great direction, and a reason to get started. This is a super lightweight rayon fabric that squishes into the size of about a child’s shoe, when given opportunity. Its really so soft and squishy, and comfy.

I’m not done with it though. It will gain sleeves at some point, but I didn’t feel like drafting them at the time, so that will be for after I’m done moving for the summer. Give me a month or so… and then maybe some.

But for now I’ll be frolicking through the summer heat in my Anna subtle cosplay!

February 8, 2014August 19, 2018

Oi! Spaceman!

It’s been a while since I wrote up a real post on subtle cosplay, actually nearly a year.

So it’s time for me to introduce my favorite character from Doctor Who:

Donna Noble! (played by Catherine Tate)

link

She’s the oldest of the new companions, if we’re not counting Jack Harkness of course, and we meet her on the happiest day of her life.

Her wedding day. Of course, since it’s Doctor Who, it quickly becomes the weirdest day.

Her fiancee turns out to be using her to serve his Mistress, an arachnid from the dawn of the Earth whose brood forms the core of the planet. He had been serving her energy particles in her coffee, in order to rescue her Mistress’ children.

Donna is the one that ultimately stops the Doctor from destroying the entire brood.

We don’t see her again for a season, as the lovely Martha Jones is the new companion, but then she returns the following season.

And is generally brilliant, but never really sees herself that way, until the end.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Where she finds that she and the Doctor had been brought together by fate to save the universe and in the process becomes part Time Lord part human (the Doctor-Donna) and ultimately her brain begins to break down under the imaginary weight of this and then the Doctor has to remove all of her memories of him and saving the world and she goes back to being a temp.

***END SPOILERS***

link

Because she’s a little older, she has a slightly more conservative style, by which I mean her clothes are less T-shirts and sweatpants and more office casual day appropriate.

link

Like other companions, she does have a leather jacket, though instead of a bomber jacket style, it’s almost a coat.

link

She’s got bangs and a slightly longer than shoulder length haircut, which works very well with the ginger hair. Sometimes her hair will be up in a ponytail, and sometimes it’ll be down, depending on the adventure.

link

She’s often in a nice shirt and jeans. And by nice shirt I more mean fancier than a simple t-shirt but not quite to blouse status.

link

She’ll sometimes wear nice blazers, or sweaters.

link

But my favorite thing about Donna is that she’s always up for an adventure. Whether its dressing up to meet Agatha Christie or just saving the world, Donna is up for anything!

Oh, and did I mention she’s really the first of the new companions that wasn’t in love with the Doctor? I mean, he’s dreamy, but it can be nice to get away from the “Will they?” question to focus on the fun adventures.