Eur..I mean Cosvision

I know Cosvision is still going on today, but for me it was only Saturday and I went back home the same day. I feel a tad sad I missed most of the actual con and would've actually been able to go to some lectures today.(Next time then!) Normally I never go to a con for only a day, but the last week and the whole day was just simply so draining, I decided a week before I would return the same day and thus didn't find a place to stay for the night. I'm hoping everyone else is enjoying their Sunday there though.
(And does anyone know if the lectures are being filmed, 'cause I would love to check some of them?)

(c) Santtu Pajukanta





Someone might already know that I was invited to take part in the first Cosvision's guests competition, meaning all the contestants were personally asked to join in. The concept was interesting change I think, and I was really honored to be invited.  (Baffled too. Still am.)
The competition also included making a skit and that was definitely the hardest part for me. I've never made one before, and well the experience was definitely ..educational. I already mentioned earlier that I have a terrible stage-fright and I'm really not very good at thinking up theatrical stuff, so it was a challenge. The biggest issue maybe was that the preparation time was left really short, most of the invites were sent around February I think(I got mine in Desucon Frostbite) and that left a bit over two months to do everything. I knew that with school, internship worries, commissionwork etc. I didn't really have time to pick a new character, try to come up with a skit and source for materials and things needed, so I needed to pick one that I already had 'in the works' so to say. Also one that was easy enough to finish in two months and had at least something to work a skit around. Since everything else I've started is mostly from LoL or of other games I went with Nonon from KillLaKill. It was actually meant to be more of a 'let's try this little costume out on the side of things' type of costume, but like I said, it was pretty much the only one that had a thing to work on for a skit. That being said Nonon is ...not my type of costume really, and by the end of the day I felt really weird in it, like I was wearing someone else's cosplay actually. (Need to get back to my armors asap to recover from this!)
Making the skit felt like banging my head against the wall in all honesty. I had an idea, which turned out we couldn't do because of lack of technical skills(I had help from someone who knew a bit how to use the editing program) and then after a lot of fidgeting we really ran out of time and just had to throw something together. Let's just say I spent most of the preceding weeks in a not-so-happy tones.


The skit definitely could've been/gone better, but apparently it wasn't a complete failure either and I did get some nice feedback from the judges afterwards. It made me feel a bit better about everything so I'm really thankful, they were so nice *sobsob*. In conclusion, I'm proud that I made it, barely in time but I did, I went there and performed and am one experience richer. In afterthought I'm a tad sad because of the short time and all the other troubles I had because I kind of feel like 'I wasn't able to give my best', but when you start from the bottom the only way is up right? Yeah... I said to myself that if I survive from this then I'll sign up for the other comp I want to try. Time to start pondering about that then I guess.
All in all the guest-competition was incredibly sharp, all the costumes were fabulous and I have to say the winners totally deserved it, congrats to all of them. And to all the other contestants too in general because woah.


So Nonon it self was more of try and I doubt I'll be doing something similar right away again. I much more prefer my armors and suits to these little dresses. I also doubt I would have made the costume without the character because I kind of like Nonon. Originally I would've wanted to make her Regalia Grave but didn't think I had enough time. And even if it is kind of a simple costume but hell I had challenges. Like, a dress ugggghh, and pleats how the hell do you make pleats and don't even mention a mandarin collar urgh. I couldn't find a light enough fabric and couldn't afford to wait around to order some online so I dyed the light blue fabrics. First time dying, so nervous and I'm just glad it was something this easy. The hat is made simply from cardboard, skull is finnfoam and jogamatress, the wings, buttons etc. are cut from a PVC board. The hat has hooks inside to keep it fastened on to the wig and I had a separate pocket for my stuff under my skirt. The prop is a wooden stick with a finnfoam ball-base and a thin hose I cut in half glued around it. I think what I really liked making most was the underskirt, and I can't wait to use the cutting technique on some other more complicated design. The one thing I'm proud of is the collar front, the black appliqué. 






Ugly boots I got for free, I had to cut the sole to match the ref a bit better. Uncut on the left, cut on the right.




But seriously wigs are my cryptonite, it's just like... there's a bunch of fibers and they all have a different idea what they should be doing and none of them wants to listen to my ideas. (I just want to cosplay characters whose wigs don't need styling is that too much to ask for??) Anyway, the sucky thing is that Nonon has her hair tied up. I bought a long wig, cut it, made wefts from the extra and sewed them on the sides and under the hairline so I don't have to worry about the wigcap showing so much. I've made wefts once before by sewing them on tulle, but that only works when you fold the fiber in half ie. you need double the length you want it to be. Since I cut mine from the tips I didn't have enough length and I hate that with it you still lose a lot of fiber when you comb it, so I made them with hotglue instead.







I will most likely wear this again, if nothing else then just for getting some proper pics because I didn't get to photoshoot at Cosvision. Like I said, I feel a bit out of place in it so definitely not my favorite or the best costume I've made, but it came out ok. Needless also to say that stressing about the competition and spending my day in the backstage I didn't take photos my self at all. Had I stayed for today I would have probably photographed to my hearts content, but alas next time it is~



(c) Santtu Pajukanta

(c) Santtu Pajukanta

(c) Santtu Pajukanta

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2 comments

  1. Thanks a lot for detailing your progress on different parts of your costume! It helps me a lot with my own. :)

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