Evenstar Designs

My bestie and I went out to take more pictures of the Bucky cosplay. It was raining a bit, but I think it added to the aesthetic. I'm so happy I was able to finish and photograph this cosplay before going back to school. Speaking of which, I have to say goodbye for the fall - it's back to nursing school for me! I'll be back over winter break with new ideas - so until then, bye bye! for the record, my aesthetic is still pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows ;)

It's finished!! I made the jacket out of faux leather I got for $14 from Hobby Lobby. The rest is mostly EVA foam I got from Walmart, stuff I had lying around the sewing room, and a whole lot of determination! Here are a few in-progress pics, then some from our first photo shoot (we plan on doing two.) This cosplay was definitely a team effort - my sister made the arm, friends let me borrow combat boots and airsoft guns (the things I thought about trying to make but then thought better of it...), and my bestie and sister were my photographers.  I'm super happy with how this cosplay turned out! The accessories are mostly EVA foam, cardboard, and leather scraps. Here are a few pictures from our first photo shoot! Also, my sister did my assassin makeup :)  Thanks for reading!

I'm not dead!! I started college, so sewing has kinda taken a back seat to nursing school. But I got a nice long Christmas break, so I decided to whip up a new gown. It's inspired by the Sissi Movies like my pink one . I think I might decorate it more when I come home again in the summer, but I didn't have enough time to hem yards of ruffles and bows. Also, my mom got me a "Sissi Star" necklace from Vienna for Christmas. Empress Elizabeth was known for the star jewelry she wore in her hair. Jewelers in Austria make star hairclips, necklaces, brooches, and earrings to commemorate the Empress. I was hoping for snow to take pictures, and two days before I left, it did! Oh, and I finally cut my hair! I donated 14 inches on New Year's Eve.  New Year, new hair.

New stays! I always say I'll never make another pair again, but then I do. This time I used American Duchess's Simplicity Pattern  with the accuracy "hacks" on the American Duchess blog. For example, I made hand sewn eyelets instead of grommets (did I ever mention I HATE grommets?), and I sewed the lining in after binding which is a more accurate 18th century construction method. I used off-white cotton for the outside and interlining, and linen for the lining. The entire garment is sewn by hand, but I did cheat and use plastic zip ties for boning. I love that these stays lace in the front and back which makes them much more adjustable and more comfy to wear. I also added some embroidery details just because I can. I successfully taught myself how to embroider the detached buttonhole stitch, which is great for making larger shapes on which you don't want to use the satin stitch.  This is the inside of the stays with pink satin ribbon lacing up the back:...

I call it a "faux polonaise" because it was a mistake... the kind of mistake you make when you try to hand sew a gown by yourself in about four days. I only had 2.5 yards of the fabric which we figured was enough to make a short gown. But while a was burning the midnight oil, I forgot that tiny detail, and cut the skirt full length. This meant that the skirt would be awkwardly narrow. So I decided I could disguise the lack of fullness by decorating it in the 1780s style and pretending it was a polonaise with out the "polonaised" skirt. It worked well enough. It was so much fun to fit the gown to a real person instead of a dress form! I spent hours hand hemming and gathering white trim, but I love the way it looked! It's also really fun to sew outside when the weather is nice! And here she is wearing it in Williamsburg with a neckerchief: Not my best work, but she wore it well, and I think the ruffles are darling!