Totoro dress cosplay.

It has been a while since I have updated on here! It’s been quiet for me socially and insanely stressful and busy for me work wise, so all free time as been spent trying to relax and have some me time. Also I have rediscovered my love for Tumblr and a lot of of my free time and passion has been sucked up there. Actually I have found a new fandom that has fueled my inner fan girl and that too has sucked up my time.. I might write about it on here soon.

Work wise (I work as a designer for a publishing company) I have spent the last year redesigning the magazine. Last week we went to press with the first issue and it was really exciting but also a lot of pressure. However it is all done now and we are going back to a more normal pace of life as of this week thank goodness. It will be busy still for a few weeks but it should be ok!

So I am feeling quite proud of myself because I finished my big redesign and I also made a new Cosplay yaaay! Oooh smooth transition to the topic of this post!

My friends are having a fancy dress party in October with an 80’s movie theme. Matt doesn’t like to dress up so I was trying to think of something we could do together that would be subtle for him. I then suddenly remember that Totoro was out in 1988 and we could do that together as it is one of my favourite films.

That was months and months ago but October is fast approaching and I thought, bugger I need to make costume asap! So last weekend I finally started to buy some bits and pieces. I bought lots from hobby craft which included:

• Googly eyes
• Pompoms
• Glue gun
• Felt
• Wire
• Interfacing
• Dress pattern
• 22inch zip
• Plastic leaf

I also got some nice grey fabric and some cream velour type fabric, and then last weekend I set to work. I started by measuring myself and then cutting out the dress pattern and then I cut it straight out of the fabric. I was a little lazy this time and didn’t make a test dress first. I ended up with so much extra fabric I was confident that if it went wrong I had enough to cut new parts. This was my first attempt with using a dress pattern, I decided to go with a pattern to make it easier for me rather than trying to guess as I went along.

I made the bodice first and worked out how to sew on the furry tummy. That took the longest and also making sure the bodice fitted. Once I was happy I hand sewed the ‘beans’ as I kept calling them on to the tummy bit.

It was happy that it fitted so well first off, I just had to edit the darts slightly to fit. The capped sleeves were slightly awkward too but after a lot of head scratching I worked out how to do it! Then came the skirt part and that actually went on quickly and easily.

Then it was time to sew on the zip. Now I have NEVER sewn on a zip before and I found out that I didn’t have an invisible zipper foot but thank goodness for YouTube I found a video showing how you can sew on an invisible zip with a regular zipper foot.

It was tricky but I managed it and then came the moment of truth, I put it on and zipped it up for the first time. I was so happy when it fitted. It is a little snug across the chest and arms when I reach up or move a lot but nothing that is that noticeable. I came running out of the bedroom twirling and jumping with excitement.

It all came together very quickly and I finished the dress on Saturday. I planned on leaving the head band until another weekend but as my sewing machine was still out I ended up starting the ears and then before I knew it I had made the whole thing haha!

I made the ears and then sewed them together and turned them inside out. I then shaped wire to the shape of the ears and pushed them inside. They were a little floppy so I used some cotton wool to pad them out a little and sewed them up at the end. I then used the wire sticking out of the bottom to wrap around the headband to attach them. I had to massively trim done the leaf I had bought to go between the ears that I also attached with the wire. Then with the help of my new glue gun I wrapped some grey fabric around the headband to hide the wire and the headband and then stuck googly eyes to a pompom and stuck that on the leaf to hide the wire.

I am so pleased how it came together and how it looked. I am proud and impressed with myself with the dress I made and also the headband. I now have a wig on its way and MANY sprites to sew onto a t-shirt for Matt. I am also considering making an underskirt to attach pompoms to that too! 

I also have some elastic and netting to make an underskirt so I can attached more pom pom sprites to it. I plan on doing that one weekend soon as I don't think it will take too long. I also need to hand sew a lot of felt sprites onto Matt's t-shirt. There is also a lovely grey wig on its way too so once it is completed I will do a full finished cosplay post.

I am so pleased with how this came out and also how quickly it came together. I cannot wait to get it all finished and to wear it to the party now!

New sewing project with a dash of self confidence boosting.

Sorry things have been quiet here recently. I have rediscovered Tumblr. Actually I have distanced myself a little from blogs and Instagram recently. I started to feel like they were effecting my self confidence. When you have these perfect lives, styles and bodies thrust at you every waking hour of the day, you start to question yourself. I know deep down that these bloggers and Instagramers only show the best parts of their, lives much like I tend to do. But I really did feel like it was having an effect on how I felt about myself and my life. It also changed the way I started to blog. I wanted to use this space to document things in my life and to share it with like minded people. Instead I started to focus on how I could look like these perfect people and have lives like them. Does that make sense? I hope it does.

Tumblr for me is more of a safe place full of fandoms. They give me a warm feeling and make me proud of myself and my interests. Although I know I use my fangirl ways as a type of escapism, it doesn't effect or decrease my self esteem, it actually makes me feel far more content and happy.

Anyway, this was meant to be about some sewing I have done this weekend, bit of a heavy start to the post huh?

So this year I have gotten my sewing machine out a few times, after years of it sitting lonely in a box in my parents loft. I made a skirt earlier in the year which you can see here.

I had planned on making more, but I sort of forgot about it. I have been so desperate for some just plain coloured circle skirts to wear with t-shirts and jumpers, basically an all year round skirt. If I do find ones I like, and that's a big if. They are usually far too short. Or if they are long enough the fabric is usually horrible or the pattern or colour isn't to my taste. So basically although I have searched long and hard I really haven't had much luck. I know exactly how I can fix this and have something that is perfect, I know I can make them really easily, but you know.... I'm pretty lazy haha!

This weekend I had, had enough. I wanted to wear some at work with clear tights and t-shirts as it gets so warm in here. So Saturday I popped to the fabric shop and picked up two colours and on Sunday I got to it!

I had my pattern from my previous skirt, which I had altered length wise so that cut a lot of time off compared to the first one I made. I was too safe and made it far too long, and after washing the fabric I got straight into it!

I picked a lovely hot pink colour for the summer, I also thought with black it could add a real pop of colour to miserable cold days too. Again this one was far too big round my waist like the first one I made, I believe it is to do with cutting it on the bias of the fabric. One website suggests making the pattern smaller but I didn't alter that as I thought it was far more easy to cut some extra off than try and add some if it was too small.

The skirt came together really easily and the waist band looked really good on it too. I was so happy with the end result!

I also picked a charcoal grey colour with a hint of blue to it. Both fabrics were a thick jersey material. I like this material as it flows nicely and doesn't cling and has a good weight to it. But it is also super soft and comfy so will be great on warm days and casual days (which are most days for me at work).

This skirt was a little trickier to sew. The pink fabric was stiffer and had a texture to it, where as this one was very soft and more stretchy which meant the ends kept rolling up and was harder to control. I took my time with this one more and I was happy with the result.

The only thing I wasn't as happy with was the waist band as you can see the seam through the fabric, but that doesn't matter too much as I tend to wear my tops over the top of the waist band.

This one also came out too large as well, and i discovered its actually easier to sew the waist band on and then cut it afterwards as I know the waistband is a good fit.

I am really happy with the end results, and I am also really happy to have something that is the exact length, colours and style I want. The price also isn't too bad. One reason I am reluctant at times to make my own clothes is it can cost considerably more. But these two cost me just under £30 and that was for 2 meters of fabric each, I think if I did it again I would only need 1.5 meters. 

I am super happy with these, and I hope you agree but I think they look fab with a t-shirt or even a jumper style top (FYI the top at the top with the cherries is my absolute favourite!). I don’t have any plans at the moment to make more but I will be keeping an eye out for fabric. Also if you made it to the end (kudos to you) and know of anywhere that sells jersey geeky fabric then please PLEASE point me in that direction as I would love to make some Star Trek, or Walking Dead  or or or… to be honest with my list is huge so please do send me a link!

I did mention in my previous post, but please do check out AnnikaVictoria’s YourTube channel, this is where I found the tutorial to make these! She has LOADS of amazing videos and idea to get you DIY-ing! 

I really hope to do some more sewing this year, including two cosplay ideas! Fingers crossed I can be less lazy for the second half of the year ha!

Lets start again with a new week.

So I was unwell last week, struck down with a hideous cold. I was SO thirsty and tired and by Sunday evening my throat was hurting and I felt ill.

I went into work Monday and that was ok, I was late in because of an appointment but by the evening I felt pretty rough. I was off Tuesday and only did a half day Wednesday. No Gym and comfort ate all week! UGH! Did not need to get such a terrible cold right now.

I am however feeling much better and thank goodness my nose has finally stopped running.

This weekend has been usually busy for us, but a productive one. I started sewing again hurrah!

I've been looking for a year or so for just some plain skater skirts. I just want some simple colours that I can wear through the winter and summer. Can I find any? NOPE... they are either horrible colours or too short or too clingy or bunchy. Something so simple has been impossible to find. 

While in town I visited the fabric shop and this time I actually left with something. It was a spur of the moment buy, but I want to start sewing again this year so I thought why not start with a skirt!??

I followed a YouTube video and started to make my skirt. It was REALLY easy actually. I picked a stretch fabric that was a nice heavy weight so it will lay nicely and not cling too much. It meant it would be easy to make too no need for a zip. 

I really regretted buying the fabric, I was convinced I would screw it up. I did have a few hiccups along the way but I am SO SO pleased with the final result. 

I love how it looks with T-Shirt type tops, I love this kind of geeky yet girly look. It works so well with the grey and black too! 

I am also really pleased how it looks with jumpers too. The fabric lays very nicely and it isn't TOO clingy so if I wanted to tuck my top in I think I could! I usually end up untucking them though as I find them uncomfortable though. 

I want to make a grey skirt too, so I might look for some fabric in the week to do that. Then I will have a nice selection to wear with different outfits! 

I haven't sewn in YEARS and my machine was so dusty and dirty, but I was surprised how quickly I picked it up again! I am hoping to show off some handmade dresses at some point this year!

So although this weekend WHIZZED by and I feel like I missed most of it, at least I have been super productive woo!