Last night, I dreamt about arriving at dragoncon. It was basically just us moving the van and parking the van and trying to figure out if we could check into the hotel or not.
That totally stems from us not having any kind of plan for tomorrow. Them moving pre-reg pick-up up to 10 really threw us off. We’ll probably be getting in around noon – but were fairly certain we won’t be able to check into the hotel and unload that early. (If we ARE able to, it’ll be a miracle.) We’ve decided that Chase will drop Ash and I off, go park the van somewhere, while we go pick up the badges.
Then? I don’t know. We wanted to go to Ikea but if the van is still full to brim there’s really no point.

I don’t like not having a plan, my friends know how OCD I am about having a plan, having everything ready to go and of course my “red folder.” (I have a really nice leather red folder that for the past 6 years I used anytime we’re traveling. I keep all of our hotel or car confirmations, directions, badge pick up info, fedex shipping info if I need it, etc in it)

Anyway, last night I got Surprise costume #2 finished off (just needed velcro) – I really love it. It’s actually really comfortable, cute and eye-catching. I got all of the hoops for Gaga figured out, although I ran short. I ended up having to use an old petticoat hoop and some old boning to finish it off, and it’s still not really enough, but it’ll do for now. Also got Magik tried on and mostly finished – it’ll need a few fit-tweaks (attaching some elastic, etc) at the con before I put it on so I need to remember to give myself an hour/hour-and-a-half to get into it Saturday. I don’t want to run late to Marvel.

Today I’ve got to cover my Gaga hoops in the holographic stuff, hand sew the snaps in place, and finishing sequinning the other arm and the neck of the Gaga suit. I’ve also got to finish packing and pack the cooler, plus clean the garage out so I can park my car in there over the weekend.
Around 4 I have to go pick up Ash so we can get the rental van. Chase is going to try to get off early so hopefully we can be on the road by now later than 6. I hope packing the van goes well… we’ve got two big bins, a small bin, two boxes, all of Chase’s camera gear and loose pieces (my gaga skirt won’t fit in anything, some of Chase’s costume pieces), the cooler, Chase’s suitcase, my bag…. once again it’s going to be like playing Tetris to get everything in there.

Lady Gaga:
sew one more weft into the wig, curl it
sew snaps on bodice to hold hoops in place
finish applying sequins to bodysuit (got about 75% done today! Finish it up tomorrow morning.)
apply finish to hoops

Surprise #2:
Gather edges, stitch onto top, gather back
figure out placement of velcro and finished!

Magik:
hand sew a few last pieces of velcro in place
make sure everything fits.
Sew one piece of ribbon in place

Starfire:
clean up wig
glue beads onto brooch

Tomorrow I’m going to get up and start knocking it out of the park.
I’ve got one big thing left to do – finish my Gaga hoops – and everything else is rather small.

Lady Gaga:
sew one more weft into the wig, curl it
sew snaps on bodice to hold hoops in place
finish applying sequins to bodysuit
apply finish to hoops

(I finished the bottoms tonight. i have sparkley underwear now.)

Surprise #2:
Gather edges, stitch onto top, gather back
figure out placement of velcro and finished!

(Got quite a bit done on it tonight. I’m SUPER excited about it.)

Magik:
hand sew a few last pieces of velcro in place
make sure everything fits.
Sew one piece of ribbon in place

Starfire:
clean up wig
glue beads onto brooch

I’m going to just start going down the list and finishing stuff up – I want to have wednesday to finish packing and time to clean the house before we leave.

So last night I finished installing the bra in the front of Starfire. I’m really nervous about wearing it. I’m going to be taped to high-heaven, but it’s been a long time I’ve worn something like this and I’m worried. I went ahead and sewed the boots back onto the bodysuit, too – I just need to fix the brooch (a bunch of the beads fell out, chase painted some new ones for me – luckily I’ve got a ton of those particular beads – just need to glue them on) and clean up the wig. Wig clean up will take two seconds – the vines from Poison Ivy were just clipped in. It’ll probably need a little brush, too.

So we’ve decided the hooping I got for Gaga is too heavy. I had a few other small things to use as back up but it’s not a lot, so I’ve got to run out at lunch today and see if I can find more, and Chase is checking Joann’s by his job, too. Fingers crossed!

Magik is coming along, I finished the suit last night, need to try everything on again tonight.

Surprise #2 will also be getting tried on tonight and finished up.

Really most of the work I have left is on Gaga – figuring out the hoops and finishing the bodysuit. I didn’t work on the bodysuit this weekend, I left that to do on my days off tomorrow and wednesday, when I’ll be home all day by myself LOL

So the surprise costume #1 was Queen Alyss Heart from “The Looking Glass Wars.”
SO glad to have it done!
From the beginning – here’s a little write up.

I started out with a champagne coloured taffeta – it originally had an empire waist but I decided it needed to be more fitted through there to work, so I added a panel in to lengthen it. It was the same pattern I used for Ozma, btw – just for Ozma I used nothing but the skirt LOL. I waffled for a LONG time on the sleeves. They look very full – similar to maybe Arwen sleeves or sleeves similar to what I did with Anne Boleyn – fitted on the upper arm and then very full on the lower arm. I decided to make it fitted and figure out the rest later.

For the ruffles I was originally going to do two layers – 1 layer of organza and one of chiffon. I made two like that before I realised it was not going to be cost effective, and I was going to use up all the organza that was supposed to have also been for Gaga. So I decided to switch to just one layer of chiffon – I cauterized the edges to finish them, though I know I messed a few places and I’m going to have to go back and get them later. I machine sewed them all on except for a few around the hips where it was just too hard to get into the machine.

I don’t know how much chiffon I ended up using. With Amidala it was easy to remember because everytime I went back I just bought another 10yds. This time I don’t know, I don’t remember because everytime I went back it was an odd amount. I ended up with about maybe a yard of made/dyed/finished ruffle I didn’t need.
Dying the stuff was fun, not really. I dyed them all and then wasn’t happy with the colour. It was TOO pink. I threw them in dye remover and lightened it down, then added a layer of tangerine in areas and was much happier.

The collar I made a little bigger than my reference, and also Heart shaped LOL… you can see the original look in this pic:

Last night I decided it was throwing the proportions off, so I shortened it down and it lost the heart shape unfortunately, but it looks more like the reference now. I had about 4 different kinds of red beads that I beaded the collar and the chest with. The “loopey bits” (I have no name for them) where a pain and were the last thing I did – clear tubes with dark pink chiffon threaded through. I handsewed them in place and hopefully they stay!
As for those sleeves I was talking about – I was going to add layers of the dyed chiffon (not the ruffled pieces!) to the sleeves at the elbow. When I pinned them on I just didn’t like them. This dress already has a LOT going on… and with all of that and the fullness of the dress, it just seemed like the sleeves needed to balance it out by being simple. I decided to dump the chiffon sleeves and just added some of the leftover ruffle to the edge. I think what I might do while wearing it is this – the dyed silk gauze coming from the collar (my fav part of the costume!) goes all the way to the floor in the back. I could wrap it loosely around my arms to create the effect from the reference pic without actually having the sleeves.
The wig was another adventure. It’s actually not a wig, it’s a hat. It is my hair hat.

Chase took a cast of my head, and I built off that. I built up the shape with foam – it was a little too tall originally, as you can see in the pic above. Once the glue dried I started covering it in a wig I picked up for super cheap in a cosworx sale.

I hated attaching the hair, it was not enjoyable. LOL. I also lost the shape a little with all the hair, but ah well. The tiara went much faster than the actual wig. I was pleased with that. I was kinda just doing what I wanted with it – the reference art is very soft and water-coloury so trying to get it exact would have been impossible. I COULD get it off the wig, but it’s made to all be one piece that I just left off and on my head.

So it’s finished. I’ve got little things I could nit-pick and go back and work on but I don’t have time – I still have other things I need to get finished, so I’m marking it all off my to-do list and worry about everything else later.

Spent this morning running last minute errands. Let me see…
CVS for eyelashes and bobbie pins, and looking for lipstick for Gaga. It’s an unusual colour and couldn’t find anything.
Chick-fil-a for breakfast!
Target for snacks for the cooler. I got reese’s, pringles, cokes and starbucks double shots. it’s what I usually subsist on at dragoncon LOL Also again no go on the lipstick.
Walgreen’s to look for lipstick, but again, no.
Best Buy so Chase could look at Ipad skins.
Michael’s for NOTHING because apparently they don’t carry prismacolour markers, sequins and were out of bra straps.
Hancock fabrics for velcro and the aforementioned missing bra straps.
Home Depot for stuff for Chase.
Ulta for lipstick again, found stuff closer but still not right.
Macy’s to go the MAC counter where I found out Gaga has a lipstick with them called Viva Glam, and it’s exactly the colour!! I’m so excited about it LOL The lady at the counter said it has a matching gloss but they’re not getting it til Sept 2. So I just got the lipstick and a clear gloss. It looks pretty good. Anyway –
Hobby Lobby for the marker and sequins Michael’s didn’t have.
Walgreen’s for cold cokes because I was out.

Whew! I was tired when we got home so I took a nap. By the time all that was over with, including the nap, it was 3:30

Despite losing half the day I do feel accomplished. I finished the tiara for Surprise #1 (with the exception of glueing on a few more beads. I didn’t have the right colour I discovered – once I get them it’ll be 5 more minutes with it to be done.), finished my Gaga shoes, finished beading the front of the Surprise #1 dress, and fixed the collar (I’d sewed the snap line on the wrong way) and started attaching the loopy things.
I will definitely have it done tomorrow. I need to finish the edges on the loopy things on sew them in place. glue a few beads on, and it’s done.

I’d been planning on “revealing” what Surprise #1 is for a while, but I wanted a decent pic of it and I haven’t taken one in quite a while. So tomorrow once it’s finished I’ll take a nice shot and post what it is. The wig/tiara is a definite give-away if you’re at all familiar with the source material… anyway.

Tomorrow is also work-on-Magik day, and figuring out Gaga hoops day. Having those two things out of the way will leave just finishing up loose ends, and finishing the sequins on the Gaga bodysuit.

I have watched all of BBC’s Pride and Prejudice while working today LOL Rare I get to watch it all in one sitting! I’m out of things to watch, though. I’m bored with all the usuals. I need to get finished working so I can stop scrounging for things to watch!

Atlanta had a 60% chance of rain listed for next saturday, worrying a lot of people about the parade and some of the photoshoots. As least for now the chance has dropped to 0%! Who knows what will happen between then and now, but hope it stays that way.

I got my tiara for Surprise #1 about halfway done last night and ran into problems with Starfire that ate up the rest of my night. Found a solution today and will continue work today and tomorrow. New to-do list made and I’m about to start on it.

…Because last night I finally finished the stupid Gaga bodysuit, and actually got a whole leg from the knee down sequinned. YEH!
So tonight is more sequinning, and I want to try to finish up Surprise #1, and also Starfire.

I did end up trying a couple of things on yesterday – I had to put on Black Canary to measure the length the new straps needed to be (more on that in a second), so while I was changing I also put on Donna Troy, because I needed to see if I needed one of those deep plunge bras – luckily I didn’t so I don’t have to go spend an extra $50 this weekend But I did decide, Donna Troy is a costume about boobs. I mean you wouldn’t think it so much – but it is. I tried to take a pic of me wearing in the mirror (like the Black Widow one below), but it was like, “HELLO, GIRLS!” so I didn’t. LOL.
Then I went ahead and tried on Black Widow. Really happy with it! The belt seems to work fine and I love the wig:

So back to Black Canary. I don’t know how much longer that bodysuit is going to last. I screwed it up when I made it last year, and it’s seriously hollering at the seams (the material was a 2way stretch. I put the stretch going vertically instead of horizontally. Oops. So getting it over my hips is a pain.) the back lacing area is just kind of a mess. I think it’ll hold up for wearing it once more next friday, but JUST IN CASE… I’m packing my old Black Canary.

I love stats. I love making little lists and breaking things down and comparing. I’m just a nerd like that.
That and I don’t feel like working at the moment, so…

Dragoncon 2002:
Took 6 costumes: 1 Superhero costume, 1 Star Wars costume, 2 TV costumes, 1 movie costume, 1 original costume
4 new, 2 old

Dragoncon 2003:
Took 9 costumes: 1 Superhero costume, 1 Star Wars costume, 2 TV costumes, 1 book costume, 2 anime/game costumes, 2 movie costumes
4 new, 5 old

Dragoncon 2004:
Took 9 costumes: 1 Superhero, 3 Star Wars, 2 book, 2 movie and 1 original
4 new, 5 old

Dragoncon 2005:
Took 6 costumes: 1 Superhero, 3 Star Wars, 1 movie, 1 Disney
2 new, 4 old

Dragoncon 2006:
Took 12 costumes: 1 Superhero, 9 Star Wars, 1 TV, 1 Disney
3 new, 9 old.

Dragoncon 2007
Took 13 costumes: 3 Superhero, 7 Star Wars, 1 movie, 2 Disney
6 new, 7 old.

Dragoncon 2008:
Took 10 costumes: 6 Superhero, 1 movie, 2 disney, 1 book
6 new, 1 half new half old, 3 old

Dragoncon 2009:
Took 12 costumes: 10 Superhero, 1 movie, 1 Disney
6 new, 6 old.

Dragoncon 2010: (so far)
Taking 12 costumes: 8 Superhero, 1 Disney, 1 Star Wars, 1 book, 1 “other” (Gaga)
7 new, 5 old.

I think it’s neat to see my interests changing throughout the years. I was all over the place (in a good way) the first couple of years – had a little bit of everything. Then the amount of my Star Wars costumes go up, then they go down as I get more interested in comic book stuff again.
What’ll be next? who knows!

when i’m already 10 minutes late for work?
just a quick overview of last night.

Finished all the hand sewing on the gaga skirt – it’s finished.
figured out my gaga wig. It’s nearly done, just a few more tweaks.

Tonight is finishing the bodysuit and working on the Surprise #1 tiara, which once I get some decent shots of it on the dressform I’ll say for sure what it is.