Finished Labyrinth Cosplay @ The Groovy Geek Gathering

Even though we were starching sleeves and gluing on jewels the night before, we finished on time for the Groovy Geek Gathering. Our costumes were a big hit. I can’t wait to take it to an Indy Con.

We had a good time meeting up with other friends in costume and purchasing from vendors. Rylee got an Ash hat for his next cosplay and Kylie got a Supernatural vanity plate. My son even learned how to play love letters.

Here we are with some of our friends who also cosplayed at the event as Rambo Bright, Star Wars and Young Justice characters.

I think they all did a fabulous job on their costumes. Here are some of my favorite pics from the con.

And a few where we were just goofing around. That dress barely fit in the car.

As you all know, I’ve been practicing contact juggling for this event. Here are a few pics of me doing the tricks and a link to the video on Facebook if it will work.

Please watch and let me know what you think. Now I promise, no more cosplay post for awhile, except for the final installation of my centaur DIY that I promised some of you I’d post soon. Sorry for the delay.

I have thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth

Only one week left to finish our costumes, but it feels like thirteen hours. There’s still so much to do and so little time.

We need to finish the Hoggle mask, close the back on the  corset, finish the skirt, attach the sleeves to the dress, and glue jewels on the jacket.

Here are some photos of our finished work. We finished the brooch and the dress skirt. The corset just needs grommets and the sleeves and it’s officially done.

With one week left, I doubt I’ll get a lot of down time–or sleep. I can’t wait to share pictures of the finished project.

Labyrinth Cosplay:Week Three Progress

This was a week of ALMOST. I almost finished my shiny Bowie shirt.

It looks finished, but I still need to sew the buttons in the back. I found some really pretty buttons from JoAnns but they didn’t have enough in stock, so I have to wait for more to come in. At least the sewing part is done. I’m really happy with the way the shirt turned out. I think my sewing level might have increased from beginner to intermediate. I still can’t master zippers, but there’s always an alternative to a zipper.

I almost finished Rylee’s Hoggle pants. I just have to sew the patches and a button on them.

Other than that, my sis bought the clay to make Hoggle’s accessories. She hasn’t been feeling well, so that is as far as she got.

We also looked at fabric again. Monday, I’m going to buy the fabric for the jacket.

My goal is to finish the pants Monday and start on the jacket and finally cut the pattern for Sarah’s dress. There’s still so much to get done. I just realized I need to make the brooch that he pins on his ruffled shirt. I saw one online, but the colors of the beads are wrong and it’s 50 dollars. I could probably make it for 10-20. So another thing to add to the to-do list.

Stay tuned for next week, when hopefully, I have some more photos to share.

Labyrinth Cosplay: Week Two

Even though I have 7 weeks left, I feel like time is running out, much like the thirteen hours in the Labyrinth. Probably because I’m moving a lot slower than I thought. It’s taking me roughly a week to finish one article of clothing. Considering I have a shirt, gloves, jacket, and dress to sew, this is too slow.

But I’m going to focus on what was accomplished and not what’s left to go.

It’s Hoggle

his shirt and vest is officially done. I’m really happy with the vest. I love the fabric, and the patterns were not as hard to sew in as I thought they’d be.

I was going to start the Jareth shirt, but I lost page one of the instructions, so I had to re-order the entire pattern for the instructions. I did cut the pieces out so they are laying in a silky pile waiting to be sewn.

Other than that, I attempted to sew the gloves, and I cut the patterns for his pants and the dress. This was a week with a lot of setbacks. But I’m going to keep plowing forward.

Labyrinth Cosplay: Week One 1/2

I don’t usually dig the 1/2 thing, like Lion King 1/2, but this is technically not week one since I started a little bit before last week, so roll with it.

So what have we accomplished so far.

Goblin King

 

I found the fabric for my shirt. It’s so shiny. I’m excited/not excited to start working on that. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be perfect because only the collar shows. That’s this week’s project. Other than that, my wig came in. I have mixed feelings. It’s a little dark. But it seems like the wigs either come in too dark or too light. What I’m more annoyed by is the length. It’s way too long on top–another common problem with Jareth wigs. I’ll probably have to take it in and have it trimmed.

My third crystal ball came in, so now I’m going to start practicing some new tricks.

Sarah

On a positive note, all of the jewelry pieces for Sarah are done. I’m so excited about this. I like to consider myself artsy, but jewelry making was just never something I excelled at. Cosplay has given me a chance to really test myself. I re-created the earrings, bracelet, and the necklace that Sarah wears in the film. The necklace was a real challenge. My sister wanted to order it, but I just wasn’t happy with the ones online. For 70 dollars, they really skimp out on the beads and they are more “inspired” by as opposed to being replicas. For probably the total cost of $20, my sister now has a replica that I think is pretty spot on. Let me know if you find one online that is more of an exact replica. I know that’s pretty egotistical, but I’m a stickler for detail.

Hoggle

I cut the fabric for Hoggle’s vest. I had a hard time finding a fabric that has multiple colors. I don’t like painting fabric. I think this one looks great. I also almost finished his shirt. All i have to do is ad the grommets and ties at the neck.

On another note, my sister purchased a baby doll for Toby and ordered him a striped onesie. It’s coming along. I’m hoping to have the Jareth shirt done this week and maybe the vest. More next week.

 

 

Next Cosplay Officially Underway

In March, my city is having a con. I believe it’s being held in a ballroom or some form of reception hall, so what better cosplay than Jareth and Sarah from the Ballroom scene of Labyrinth.

With David Bowie’s death in 2016, it seems like a good time to honor his memory with a cosplay of one of his most iconic roles.

Even though the movie was made in 1986, the year I was born, I didn’t watch it until I was almost thirty. The first time I watched it, I remember thinking what a great cosplay this would be, particularly the ballroom scene.

So I will be cosplaying as the Goblin King. My sister will be Sarah, and my son will be Hoggle. I was hoping he’d go as Toby, partially for the easier costume, but he’s 8, so he’d be embarrassed to be a baby.

I have roughly two months to complete this cosplay. It will be particularly time consuming, requiring wigs, mask, sewing, props, etc. The costumes are elaborate. The dress and jacket are glittery and diamond encrusted. Everything Bowie is glittery and shiny, like a diamond in the ruff.

Once again, I want to make as much of it as possible instead of ordering it.

The Wow Factor

We always like to have a wow factor. For this cosplay, it will not be enough to look like Bowie, but I must be able to play the part. We are going to learn how to dance and I will learn how to perform all of his crystal ball tricks. This is known as contact juggling.It takes several years to master it, but I’m hoping to be good enough by the con to at least do several tricks well. I’ve seen many cosplayers carrying the crystal ball, but none of them juggling them. So far, I have two balls and a third is in the mail. I’ve been practicing for about a month now, and I think I’m starting to get the hang of it. I love learning new things, so this is exciting for me. I think it will come in handy at birthday parties or while I’m waiting at the dentist.

I haven’t started sewing yet, but I found patterns for all of the costumes. The dress, believe it or not, was the first one we found. It is almost perfect, requiring few alterations. I also found a pattern for Bowie’s jacket. I already have the boots and pants. I could not find a pattern for a shirt with a jabot or a pattern for my son in his size that I could use for Hoggle. I finally found some online. For Rylee I will modify a pirate pattern circa 1986.

My hair is the right color for Bowie, and I wish I was brave enough to cut it, but my hair grows so slowly, I went ahead and ordered a wig.

I am brave enough to do the makeup, however. It will take some practice to get it right.  here’s round one.

My sister was going to order the jewelry pieces but I made the earrings and the bracelet. I’m still struggling to make the necklace. Jewelry making is not one of my specialties. I think these turned out good. Not to brag, but I think of all the bracelet replications, mine is the best. I’m a stickler for detail and selected beads in the right color and shape. It’s harder than you think to find beads the right colors though.

 

That’s pretty much what we have done so far. It’s not a lot, but we’re trying to settle on fabrics and purchase those so the real work can begin.