Let it Begin!: Undertaker

Okay, so my last post got out a little late...but I'd like to let you all know that...the Undertaker has been started~!
I have, in fact, begun work on the bottom layer of my favorite undertaker, and I'd like to let you all in on my current progress. The pattern I used for the coat is actually for a civil war uniform.

Here's a picture of it. The pattern number is M4745, so if you ever have need of it, go get it! I'm very fond of it...even if it is a bit of a pain to make. I've had to modify the uniform a bit, but not so much that I'll get confused...so I'm confident!

So far I've purchased the material--I chose a very nice, medium weight, and super soft, black for the main material and a sleek dark gray for the lining--and have begun the long process of cutting all the pieces out and putting them together.

Because the pattern for the front is actually in two pieces--a section that goes to the waist and the panel that goes below it--it hasn't been too much trouble to lengthen. I used the basic length for the dark blue image above, and then lengthened it further by another six inches or so to optimize my chance of getting it just right.
I used the front of the second image, however, for the straight up-and-down buttons.

So its kinda a mix between the two...but the pattern is working very well with itself, so I'm not concerned. I've actually already pieced together a large section of it, and I'm infinitely pleased with how its coming out.

\

As you can see from this image--look at the back for either A or B, but B is the closest to what mine will look like--the back is actually pretty cool to look at. That shape helps it conform to my shape, which will give me a really nice figure when its all done. Its meant for a masculine form, however, so it won't actually accentuate more curves than it should.

Once I start working again today, I'll take some pictures of everything and post some. For now, however, just know that I've got the basic upper form done, and will be putting the sleeves on after I cut out the lining. I'll check to make sure its gonna fit before I continue though so...to the ACE Bandages!

StalkMode: Undertaker

Okay. So I've fallen in absolute love with the undertaker from Black Butler. Yup, the psychotic, corpsetastic, laugh-obsessed loon that spends his days digging through human chests. He's my kinda guy. ;D

Anyways, even though I've promised my kidnapper that I will do a Shikamaru, I am deadset on starting, completing, and wearing the undertaker's get-up to Ikkicon. I dare anyone to try and stop me, that's how determined I am. So here's the Stalkmode! Get ready for some drool-worthy psycopath, ladies and gents!

Alright. The basic dealeo for the Undertaker is very simple. He wears primarily black, with a gray lining to his underjacket, and a gray sash over one shoulder. Most notable features include his charming grin, long silver hair, impressively black fingernails, and a rather wobbly top-hat.

Also notable are the scars around his various parts--the ones most obvious are; the loop around his left pinky finger, a circle around his throat hidden beneath his collar, and one that seems to go from the top of his left temple over his nose, beneath his right eye, and to his right ear. Those of course will have to be done with make-up. ;3 Which...shouldn't be too difficult to figure out.

Aside from body marring and a wig which will require some styling, everything else appears to be quite capable of being run through a machine. This image, which is probably the best image ever, breaks almost everything down nice and clear.

Okay. So the bottom layer on the undertaker is a high-collared, fitted sleeve, knee length coat. It has eleven buttons running down the front from just below the collar to just below the pantline. The sleeves are split to just below the elbow and have seven buttons on each side. Numbers are, of course, not too huge a deal. Lord knows the number probably changes incessantly throughout the anime and manga...but I like numbers. They give me security blankets, yo! D8

Aaanyways. From this image you almost get the impression that he's wearing another shirt beneath the lower level...but I think for simplicity's sake...as well as comfort's sake, I'm going to do a falsie. It'll be lined in dark grey, and if necessary, I'll add an extra layer on the sleeve and collar to make it look like there's another shirt there. Its just waaaaaaaay too many layers to add another shirt. And I like being comfortable and not burning my flesh off. ;D

So on top of this "shirt"..."jacket"..."thing", is what I'm going to refer to as the overcoat. It isn't an actual overcoat, obviously...but now it is. Accept my logic. ;P

The topcoat/overcoat will require the most material without a doubt. It goes aaaaall the way to just above the ankles, and has very large sleeves. A flexible but strong material will be the best choice, something that allows for various flailing but is sturdy enough to keep its shape. The topcoat has a very unique collar, and from what I can guess by looking at it, I would think it works similar to the triangular shape of some biker jackets. With a little help from my pattern-wiz of a grand-parental, I think I should be able to mimic that pretty close while keeping that nice "loop" in the back.

Hehheee. It makes me think of a rounded sailor collar.

Aside from the two jackets, there is also the gray sash. For that, I'll probably hem a long piece of fairly nice fabric, rig the knot and then either tack or safety-pin it into that position so it can be easily removed and put on without having to tie it. It looks like a fairly loose knot, and I like that concept...so I don't wanna MEGA KNOT it....if I don't have to. P: Although I might depending on how lazy I am when it comes down too it~ I am a bum.

Then there's the boots, which won't be much trouble. They basically are a pair of high-heeled, basic black boots with short brown or black belts wrapped around them. I'll get some belts, tear them up, get some buckles, and go from there. -fistpump-

The pants seem to either be tight-fitting or maybe black breeches.

Accessories...are a ring on his left hand and a series of small picture frames around his waist. The little frames seem to have designs and names...so I'll try to look in a bit more into it.

Last but not least is his hat, which at first glance looks like a warped tophat, but what I think is more likely a tophat wrapped in fabric...which for some reason is actually a fairly popular thing to do to tophats. oxo; Go figure.

Either way, that'll probably be one of the last things I worry about...namely because I don't believe myself capable of making a hat....

Anyways~ That's the Undertaker! Look out for a new post very soon!

Back from the Dead!

Okay, so...I've been bulldozed by school the last couple months.
Literally, figuratively, and theoretically bulldozed, mind you, so nothing at all has gotten done over this last period of time...at least not in the world of cosplay.

Currently, I've been involved in our playhouse's production of Macbeth. Its going fabulously, but because I've been working as an impromptu costumer's assistant as well as working as a stagehand, I've been veeery busy. Even my schoolwork's been put on hold in order to make and now maintain our cast's costumes.
However, with MacDaddy now moving on from opening night and onto its two weekend run, I'm able to relax a bit more and concentrate on other things too!

So now that you know what's usurped my attention and my hands, time to get onto the good stuff!
In the cosplay universe, while nothing has been done, a few things have been decided. Because I'm being kidnapped to Ikkicon in January, its been determined I need to step up my game and have a costume ready. My kidnapper and her confriends are mostly Naruto cosplayers...so that means in order to blend in with the enemy, I have to take on the guise of a nin....and Shikamaru has been selected for me.

Now, everyone, what you've been waiting for!

Pictures of shiny things!

Have your brains been rotted out by the sheer awesomeness of this Giant. Shiny. Ball?
Yeah. Mine too.

Back to business. This, is Shikamaru Nara.

More specifically, this is Shippuden Shikamaru Nara...and this is who the infamous jackalope--coughhackyeahiknowinfamousmyasscough--is being convinced to cosplay as. While I am not ecstatic about having a pineapple 'pon the back of my skull....I do agree with the Nara's laid-back attitude and use of the word "Troublesome." Humans are troublesome. >P

Anyways~ The costume itself isn't going to be too much work for me. The fishnet shirt I can purchase...or in order to match the leg "warmers", I can make. My family owns a surger--which makes the seams you find in shirts--so it wouldn't be too difficult to manage the mesh material.

The black pants and shirt would also be easy to make...even if pants are the bane of my existence, and depending on my time constraints during this years production of Christmas Carol--we do it every year and I work on it every year--I'll either make or purchase the vest.
Of course, the wig and headband I'll have to order, and I'm not sure about the shoes just yet. If I can find a nice pair online that'll work.

Unfortunately, the need/violent forcing to do Shikamaru means that I won't be doing Colonello this time. He's been slowly pushed to the sidelines for a while...and I can only hope I'll have time to make him before A-kon. I have a busy schedule next semester though, and since I set my sights on him, there have been cosplays to come up that I feel are more in tune with my personality...and therefore are higher on my to-do list.
Gokudera Hayate, however, has not been removed from his place on my list, and I'll try to work on him after Ikkicon. What I'm really hoping I have time to work on, though, is the Undertaker from Black Butler.

I...have...recently fallen in love with this series, and the Undertaker is without a doubt one of my favorites. I would love to take him on as a challenge, and while I'm not currently sure if that's going to happen, it very well might if I can find the time and gain the assistance from my costume/clothing magician of a grandparent. xD I'm still "in-training" as a costumer, yo! ;P

I am definitely looking forward to making my attempt at him. Hes a marvelously psychotic character, which as far as I'm concerned is the best kind! And he's an /undertaker/. I mean c'mon. What's more fun than giggling madly and tapping out tunes on the skulls of corpses? Psh. Nothing, that's what. ;P~!
And I'd have a marvelous excuse to terrorize my beloved kidnapper<333




Look out for some work on both these get-ups very soon! I have to get my ass in gear very quickly if I'm going to have time to work on them and my school before January rolls around!

Up-Keep

Well, I've been moved in at the dorms for a few days now, and have settled in nicely. I've had a lot of free time, but haven't really done much aside from sit around and watch anime. I have serious plans to work on Colonello, but funds are tightening unexpectedly, so I'm beginning to fret over whether or not I'll be able to manage what I need to manage before its too late.
Luckily, my cosplayer friends / cow prods will be arriving by Wednesday, so I'll have someone to work with soon!

A bit of an update for those who care, I've recently gotten into yet another new show. Well...new to me.

The last one I really fell head-over-heels for was Tegami Bachi.

For those who don't know, this show is a great watch! It is a bit depressing--especially if you're sensitive, or you get into the characters as much as I do--but its equally heart-warming.

My favorite part about the whole thing--aside from the plot, which I'm not gonna get into because every time I do I end up rambling for at least an hour, which would be quite a lot of typing...considering how many words-per-minute I actually type...--is the setting. Its a steampunk style set in a world split into cities across mostly barren territories. These territories are basically impossible for normal people to cross due to things called "Gaichuu," which basically look giant mechanical bugs.

Thus there are people called "letter bees" who deliver letters--and sometimes people!--across the danger-zones for the people who can't.

Currently, however, I've completed as much of Tegami Bachi as I can...which is the entire first season. The second season--which I am eagerly awaiting--will be out in the fall, supposedly.
Completing Tegami Bachi, however, meant running out of things to do in the long hours between working in which there is well....nothing for me to do.

The solution? FIND A NEW SHOW!

The result? DURARARA!

This show really made my day/week, guys. Its twenty-four episodes long, and it is probably the most fucked up show I've ever watched. Which is impressive, if you have the faintest idea of what I get up to.

Its unique, however, because while it introduces one of the main characters first, it actually stars several!
What I've decided, after watching it all the way through, though, is that it actually stars the city, Ikebukuro.

Some of the main characters, however, include:

Mikado Ryugamine, a young man just moving to Ikebukuro at the urges of a childhood friend!

Kida Masaomi is Mikado's best friend, and a total flirt who talks more than a parrot on steroids!

Heiwajima Shizuo is inhumanly strong...with a temper to match. Flying vending machines are his forte.

Orihara Izaya is the man with all the information in the world.

Celty Sturlson is Ikebukuro's "Black Rider," and is infamous for her black bike and...well...the fact she has no head!

Its hard to talk about Durarara without giving something away, so I'll be good and keep my mouth shut! Good descriptions and summaries are nearly impossible to find as well, simply because its such a complicated tale! I can only recommend going and watching it--its well worth the time!

Moving Pains

Okay, so I've been a bit quiet the last few days--not unusual, considering my schedule--and haven't even so much as looked at an anime or manga since I returned from my vacation. Packing them away doesn't count.

But that's what I've been doing. I'm moving back to college in...a day...so I've been packing up like a packrat on steroids, and almost all of my things-to-take lists have been wiped clean. Most impressive...is the fact that I've already forgotten how much manga I've packed. Hopefully I didn't store away more than what can fit on my two tiny shelves.....but I'll probably be having my leaning-towers-of-otakuness again this year.

Its an attraction that keeps the locals interested.

The constant changing of the Dynamic Tower is akin to the consistent migrating of my books.

Real-life-headaches aside, once I get to my school-year-home, I'll be back in the arms of the theatre world. Which is both wonderful and sad, because I've realized this will be the last year I'll be as intricately involved in the life of a theatre major...as I'll be changing my major in a whole new direction next year...and perhaps be taking some different classes this year.
Its a shocker...but even though I looove theatre and i love being around the costumes and the props and the 20'x20' Christmas Carol HOUSE that spins in the middle of the stage and actually took part of itself out on the cats.....I'm doing the right thing.

Zoology and Paleontology have always been my two greatest loves...and that's where I'm headed. Wish me luck along the way!
I'll need it...

Jack's Favorite Dinosaur. Kudos to anyone who knows what it is!

Anyways, things will be settling down soon...sorta. Settling to the school-year drive, anyways, and I'll be getting back to work soon. AnimeFest is on Labor Day weekend...which means I'll have to have everything done by the....fourth of September or earlier. The more I think about it...the more I don't think its gonna happen. xD;
But I'll do my best! My biggest fears, obviously, are the wig and the gun. The wig has a long road to get here, and I haven't even gotten around to ordering it...(badjackbad!!)...and the gun....I have no idea even if I'll get around to ordering it this time.
Especially since after watching the episode of Reborn practically starring our handsome blond shooting at Tsuna and Gokudera....I've been drooling n that gun so hard I've just wanted to make it myself out of wood. -dreamylook- Itwouldbesogorgeous...

Unfortunately...time's a bitch.
So we'll see what happens!

No matter what, though, I will get to work on my costume. After most of my things are packed(I drive a truck, so about 60-70% of my load has to be loaded the day I leave to avoid possible night rain), and most of Tobikuma's water is taken care of(he's my betta and he's HANDSOME DAGUMIT.), I'll probably get online and start searching some of the patterns available from some of the more big-time(cheap) pattern companies on the hunt for a military jacket.

Then it'll be a hunt to find the right pants...and maybe the right color dye...and the right color fabric.... -twitch-
That'll be work.

But its okay.
I'll enjoy every minute of it.
Even when I'm cursing the gods for making needles that stab me and get eaten by couches.
I'll still enjoy it.

Bit of Irrelevancy...BeachStyle!

So I got to go to the beach in Galveston, Texas, for the first time yesterday. It was a shell-searching escapade, as I'm not big on swimming period, and you'd be hard pressed to get me into water I can't see the bottom to. That's a big no-no in the Jack world.

But the shell search was a fabulous endeaver, and while one of my hip-bags now smells like ocean, I found some fabulous things. The thing that stood out the most was my Whatamajig--something my mom found! Here are some pictures of it.

My mom's holding it here--pay no attention to the pelican behind the curta..in the back ground--and is it weird or what?

The structure itself isn't too strange, there was a lot of strange "strung together" shells on the beach made by something under the sand that was spitting something out. I'm not really sure what it was or how it was being caused, but tiny holes that covered the beach were almost continuously shoving sand out, and some of them shoved this sticky substance holding shells together out.

While this is a lot bigger than those--even if we found one that was almost six inches long!--its made the same way...just...sturdier and older. The "sticky stuff" on this one was looong solidified, and almost black.

Here you can see a bit more what really confused me about this thing. See the black structure? We think its some sort of fossil! The material itself is natural, and you can see an almost spongey texture to it where the lines have been worn away. Its cool to the touch and while its impossible to tell how much it weighs with the rocklike thing attached to the bottom, its still fascinating.

I've been researching it since we got home last night--somewhere around 12am, and I stayed up for a while afterwards--but I still can't find any photographs or even sketches of a fossil like it. The closest thing I can find are the section of bone that connects a stingray's body to its fins and crinoids(sea lilies).

However, after a closer look into some other alleys, I've found an astonishing similarity to some species of fish gills...sorta.

Its not exact, and as much as I looove fossils, I'm no paleontologist and no expert, but that's what it resembles most.

Check out these tuna gills. See the white part? Looks an awful lot like my little mystery structure, doesn't it?

I'm going to try and get an expert to at least take a quick look of a picture of this thing, and maybe later be able to get someone to tell me if it really is a fossil or is something else completely.

Its awful close to that though. -stare- Too bad I can't find any images of "fossilized gill plates". For some reason, the most I can find is from a basking shark. Go figure.

No matter what it turns out to be, I'm still really fond of it. Its absolutely fascinating, and really fun to look at! Oh, and that bottom "rock"? Turns out its actually a black shell covered in what I think is coral! And the big mollusk has tiny barnacles.

I think its the greatest find since the pencil. Srsly.

Beach discoveries aside, I've actually been being good and working away at finding pieces for my Colonello cosplay as well.

After a long search through several toy guns stores, I actually found an assault rifle that was pretty much perfect!

Unfortunately, they were sold out of the model, which with only a few modifications--taking out the trigger and the "loader"...a bit of paint and some extensions--was ideal. So the hunt was on again...and this one was even harder. Having found something so good for the role, I was hard pressed to accept anything else. I did eventually find the closest thing to ideal at a completely different place.

While the coloring is really off, and the fact that it fires darts isn't ideal, the price is right at $11 and the shipping isn't bad either. The fact that I can't find it in stores seals the deal, and it'll be a top priority to get this and the wig ordered. 

CloseUp: Rifle Pommel

Okay, so I was on an online hunt to see if I could find the right sort of pommel for the assault rifle I'm building for Colonello...and I brought up some images as reference...only to realize that the back half of the gun--the pommel area--in one image, was brown. As in...wood.


This baffled me...so I started to sketch the gun from the images that I'd found...and I realized how gosh darn strange the gun was.

Here's a good example of what really took me by surprise.

The pommel is the part right beneath his elbow, and goes up into where the trigger should be placed near his hand. Closer inspection of all versions I could find of the gun...shows there's no trigger. At all. Nothing akin to a trigger, even. That little piece that he's holding? Logistically...that should be a place to store bullets, or it could be a handle...for the trigger...except there is no trigger. Instead, he looks more like he's pressing the safety...which I find really funny.

Look right in front of the block he was "holding". See that little square? that should be a safety or something...but it looked like he was using it as a trigger. 

I know, it seems a bit like "well what does it matter?" and it really doesn't. I love details, and I was trying to find the best match when I saw this. The gun, which looks fairly accurate and plausible from the first glance...makes absolutely no sense when you really get down to it.

Its funny how things work like this.

Anyways. My original plan will still work...but I think I might just get a machine gun as a fall back, that way if I don't manage to finish the weird-totally-doesn't-make-sense gun, I'll still have something for AnimeFest. ;3

But no matter what, I'm not displeased with my "discovery". It will make the gun all the more fun to figure out!