Cosplay: Things I've learned the Hard Way

We got back from a wonderful JAFAX weekend, exhausted and boiled like taters. As far as cosplay goes, it was the most successful one we've ever done...for everyone in my group but me. Well, it was a success in that I sewed my first costume in a week and am no longer scared nauseous by my sewing machine but otherwise, it was a trial-by-fire learning experience for me and I will be completely revamping my Fluttershy cosplay. Here's what I now know.

1) Don't wait until the last minute to buy materials. This only leads to poor choices. My poor choice was a seemingly perfect pair of quilting cottons. The yellow fabric was perfect in form, lousy in function, at least for a kimono. It was far too light to hold up my beast of an obi and the pink fabric I made that from was much heavier than it was. I spent the whole con readjusting myself because the obi would slide down, dragging the kimono backward. I would then pull up the front of the obi and it would plummet backward even more.

2) Don't buy too much wig the first time out. I had an Arda Le Tigre in Bubblegum pink and it was half my 5'6" in length. I also fought with this the whole time. Also, make sure that if someone is doing the bobby pinning for you, that they pin the wig, cap and your hair. The person pinning me in didn't get my hair. Wouldn't you know that it decided to epic fail while I was in the Crash Bang Laboratory's Cosplay Level Up panel, when they were talking about how to keep one's wig on. My wig cap slipped right out from under the wig and was sitting happily on the little pig tails I had that the base of my neck. Combine this with number 1 and I should have offered myself up as a "What no to do" for the panel.

3) If your fabric is a little on the thin side, for the love of Pete and his brother Joe, LINE IT! Don't do what I did and wear and extra layer of silky underthings to maintain your modesty, especially if it's a freakin' summer con. Plus, it was one more thing for my to yank at all day.

4) I failed at being recognized. I was walking around with my husband, who was the con's only Big Macintosh (with Smarty Pants) that we found and a dang good one to boot, the best Rarity of the con and the only Vinyl Scratch. As one of the many Fluttershys and the odd kimono-ed one, I was the weak link in our group. I don't feel I did Fluttershy justice. It seems such a crime considering I love her so much and can otherwise portray her effortlessly. I'm completely embarrassed about that. I can't say it was an epic fail, but it was bad. I put waaay too much me into my Fluttershy, and while we are very alike, that's not the point.

5) I learned to be proud of myself despite all this. I worked really hard on this and I was the only one in our group who made my costume nearly entirely as I cannot make wigs, tabi or flip flops. I put myself out there and even if it didn't turn out like I wanted, it wasn't a bad start. Next time, because I will be Fluttershy again, I will pay more attention to her, less myself and make it that much more awesome.

I'm definitely posting pictures later, including a cute series we call " The Courtship of Big Mac and Fluttershy". For now, I will leave you with this:

Whoever did this, please tell me. I love you!