Click for the enlarged picture!
We’ve shared several cosplay shoe cover tutorials before, like Sora Shoes, Shoes Painting and How To Make Shoe Covers. This one is about Ciel Phantomhive’s Boots. It’s made by Mir Dominance from deviantart.com.
Author: Kevin
Crossplay Tutorial – Manly Makeup
This tutorial is made by MK from deviantart. She is definitely an expert on makeup. You might find this tutorial very useful for your famale to male crossplay.
Cosplayer Interview – Laura
Lots of excellent cosplayers have shared something helpful with us, especially with cosplay freshmen. Today, Laura also joined in. Living in Brisbane, Australia, she has a wide interest on J-rock, anime, collecting, photography, etc. Kaori Yuki is her favorite artist and games she likes include Soul Caliber III, Dance Dance Revolation and Para Para Paradise. You can also visit her at here. Now, take a look at her interview content below.
1. Please introduce yourself first.
Hello! My name is Laura and I’m a cosplayer from Australia! I enjoy long walks on the beach, romantic dinners, violent and hilarious fight scenes and ridiculous costumes that I will someday regret.
2. What does cosplay mean to you?
That’s a hard question! For me, it’s perhaps best described as a challenge, to recreate my favorite characters and designs.
3. What and when was your first cosplay?
My first cosplay was Hatsune Miku in 2009. I’d chosen to cosplay her just as her popularity took off and got mobbed at a convention by photographers. Thankfully one can now cosplay as Miku and be fairly ignored.
4. What is your most memorable cosplay experience?
In August 2010 I cosplayed in Singapore for the first time. I did a somewhat casual Sheryl Nome outfit. I got lucky and was in the country in time for the Youth Olympics as such there was a lot of lighting drills going on. On the night we shot I was stood out in the middle of a pier, wearing a VERY short dress and obscene heels, there was lights flashing all around me and a live outdoor concert for the band BEAST playing behind me. The lights, the outfit the music, in that moment I felt like Sheryl Nome.
5. What’s your favorite photo shoot?
My favorite shoot was the shoot for Sheryl Nome’s Obelisk outfit. I did that shoot in Singapore with the wonderful Shiroang. We spent the whole day shooting with him, talking, fooling around and running from the rain. It was a very relaxed and fun shoot and I enjoyed it so much! Honestly Most of my shoots are great fun.
6. There’re many of your pictures are Miku and Sheryl Nome cosplay. You must have a crush on them! ^^ Why?
For Miku, it’s her huge range of outfits. She’s gotten everything from awesome, to pretty, cute to downright stupid. It’s wonderful! Sheryl also has a lot of amazing outfits and I really like how womanly she is.
7. Any cosplay plan in future?
Lots of plans! Too many plans! My current plans are to do Siesta 00 (Umineko no Naku Koro ni) and Bellatrix from Harry Potter.
8. Do you make your costumes yourself or buy them?
I do both depending on my time and budget. To buy costumes always needs a lot of work to make them fit nicely and often need details replacing but the bulk of the work is done which is handy when you work full time like I do. I make costumes when I’ve got either lots of time or absolutely no time left and need it in a hurry.
9. Any other cosplayers you like?
I’m a huge fan of queencattabby. She makes stunning designs and her performance on stage is amazing to watch!
10. Do some changes happen to you after cosplay?
Cosplay is a bit of a niche hobby that not everyone goes along with or knows about. Costumes are often outlandish and stand out, after a while you just get more confident.
11. Any advice you wanna share with cosplay newbies?
I still consider myself a newbie to be honest. I guess though I would recommend not to stretch yourself too thin. Don’t agree to do cosplays with people unless you 100% intend to, can afford it and can get it done in time. It’s not fair to the other people who put in the effort only for you to not do it. It’s also stressful so know your limits. Also carry a small sewing kit, safety pins and super glue to every convention.
How to make your own Lolita/Maid Headdress
Thinking of cosplaying as a maid? Love Lolita fashion? Want to stand out from the crowd when waiting for the bus or train? Well this is a tutorial that will show you how to make your very own super cute and elegant Lolita headdress. The tutorial will show you how to make the headdress below.
Lolita fashion is based on the aesthetics of the Rococo and Victorian periods. The most classic colours used are black and white. These colours are perfect for those who are new to Lolita fashion. Lolita headdresses are typically rectangular in shape and generally have a focus point that runs along the middle of the headdress and lace trims for the edges. Repetition and balance are also key aesthetics that we have to keep in mind when designing our headdresses.
What you need:
• Light cotton fabric – this is our base colour
• Interfacing – this will strengthen the fabric and make it easier for us to work with
• Fabric binding glue – can be sold in a small roll or by metre. This looks like a web and is used for appliqué.
• Ribbon – find a colour that suits nicely with your base fabric colour. A ribbon colour that is opposite to the base colour is usually pleasing to the eye and it also gives emphasis.
• A variety of lace trims – the reason for a lot of different ones is that you never know a certain type may look better when you are putting fabrics together 😛
• Plain black headband/hair band
• Hot glue gun and glue
Here are some examples of different types of headdresses you can make when playing around with fabrics and lace.
1) First cut out 2 rectangles 25cm x 9cm or 10 inches x 3.5 inches.
2) Fold in the edges roughly 1cm or 0.5 inches and iron down. Do this for both rectangles
3) Where the fabrics overlap at the corners, cut it at an angle. Do this for both. This will make sure when sewing the corners, it will not be too thick.
4) Lay your rectangle on the interfacing and cut around it, slightly trimming the edges so that the interfacing piece is a bit smaller than your rectangle.
5) Iron down the interfacing onto one of your rectangles. The interfacing seals the 1cm flaps you made.
6) Cut out 2 pieces of lace, make sure the lace has at least 3cm [1 inch] hanging out on both sides. My lace piece is much wider than the headdress so I decided to fold it in so that when 2 pieces are next to each other and the combined width slightly goes over the edge. The folded parts also become a feature on my headdress.
7) Using the binding glue/web put this along both lace pieces, making sure that it runs along the middle of the rectangle and iron down. NOTE don’t forget to change the iron temperature to low, the lace might shrivel up.
8) Now thread your sewing machine with black thread and sew along the middle of the headdress. You should be sewing one line for each lace piece. It’s alight if you can’t sew straight lines, the sewing will be covered later.
9) Lift up the lace flap on one side and sew a strand of ribbon along the edge leaving a small gap. Do this for the other side as well.
10) Cut your desired ribbon/lace etc that will be the centre focus of your headdress. Make the length of it slightly longer than your headdress because it will be folded in later.
11) Cut the binding glue/web to the same length as your headdress and place it in the middle and then put the ribbon over it then iron down.
12) Choose a lace trim and cut it to a length that is slightly longer than your headdress. To add more volume to your headdress you could sew on a few more layers of lace trims or frills.
13) Sew the lace to the back of the headdress using white thread. Make sure to sew as close to the edge as possible this way the thread does not cross over to the ribbon. Do the same for the other side.
14) Place your other rectangle piece under the decorated side, make sure that both the 1cm folded flaps are facing each other.
15) Fold over the black lace and sew on that side of the 2 pieces.
16) NOW change over to black thread. With the extra lace hanging off the sides, cut it at an angle to make a triangle and fold this in between the 2 rectangle pieces and sew together the 2 shorter sides.
17) Change back to white thread. Doing the same step as 16
18) Cut off the lace trim to the same length as the headdress.
19) Grab your headband/hair band and place your headdress over it. Find the perfect position for it where it will be in the middle and balanced out on the band.
20) Holding one end of the headdress and band, put a dab of hot glue in this spot and press them together. Wait for the glue to dry before continuing. You may find that hot glue goes over the band, don’t worry too much because it will be hidden when you wear it.
21) Once you have finished gluing the headdress to the band make 2 bows out of ribbon the same width as your headdress and glue them to the sides of your headdress. This will cover the black thread underneath as well as make it extra cute. You could also add flowers, bells or whatever you find awesome.
And there we go, a cute and elegant Lolita style headdress.
Other ideas:
Check out my page at mixiao.deviantart.com for more maid lolita costumes, accessories, anime inspired stationary such as vampire knight folder covers and other artworks. Thanks for reading! o(^0^)V
Top 10 Cool Boys in the Anime World
There have been so many anime characters that leave a deep impression for us. Cool boys listed below absolutely belong to that range. Now, let’s take a look at the top 10 cool anime boys.
Top 1: Kuran Kaname from Vampire Knight
Being gentle, cruel-hearted, callous, aloof, proud and graceful, this is Kuran Kaname, who steals the show in the Night Department where are filled with elites. He advocates peace, innocence and opposes rumor. He exists like a prince.
Comment: Kuran Kaname has an incomparably handsome appearance and gentle personality. He has advantages that are desired by all girls. It seems like the word of prince exists only for him. Drawing attention from almost each girl, he is an eternally appealing character in the anime industry.
Top 2: Sebastian Michaelis from Black Butler
Being dignified, intellectual, gentle and handsome, Sebastian Michaelis is an ideal man. He speaks in a soft manner. But he often feels distressed due to the servant’s incapability and even comes up with some rude words in the heart. His love for cat is incredible. But he hates dog and consider dogs to be scum who bow their heads to get reward from people.
Comment: Sebastian Michaelis looks handsome and perfectly deals with household duties. But also, he is a demon steward who smiles gently yet feels rather wily. He exists only for his master. But he spares no efforts to take his master’s soul away. Everything about Sebastian Michaelis is mysterious. The more you want to understand him, the more fascinated you will feel with him. It’s said he obtains favor from all girls at the first glimpse. This is really not exaggerating!
Top 3: Usui Takumi from Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama
Being handsome, intellectual and capable, Usui Takumi gains affection from most girls. He is good at English, international chess and has ever learned Shaolin boxing. Also doing well in Cuisine and winning the first place even though not reviewing before examination, Usui Takumi is absolutely a perfect man with incomparable capability.
Comment: Usui Takumi is flirtatious and has never expressed his real personality to anybody. He is clever and has excellent outsight. This is a perfect man without any shortcoming on the capability.
Top 4: Syusuke Fuji from The Prince Of Tennis
So far, Syusuke Fuji’s real power is still a secret. Often smiling with eyes close and feeling indifferent even while playing ball, he is rather mysterious. However, once meeting a forceful rival, he will become serious instantly. If you scrutinize carefully, you will easily find Syusuke Fuji will seriously play ball while opening his eyes.
Comment: outsight, forecast ability, speed and skill, which are considered to be crucial elements on tennis, are all perfectly embodied on Syusuke Fuji. To see his match is like to see a wonderful performance. Each time when he defeats a rival, he will often bend his eyes. His smile is as warm as the sunshine, making so many girls feel fascinated. What’s more, Syusuke Fuji is unafraid of vegetable juice. In a word, he is so cool, XD.
Top 5: Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha
Sesshoumaru has argenteous hair and a moon mark on the forehead. There are two demon lines on both sides of his cheek. Several sakuras decorate his white kimono, making it seem more splendid. Being aristocratic, Sesshoumaru is a handsome boy combining ice and fire.
Comment: having a completely different personality with Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru is indifferent and arrogant. He is incredibly perfect. His Metamorphosis is rather horrible. But in many cases, he is a noble boy. His ideal image makes all boys feel envious and girls feel fascinated.
Top 6: Ciel Phantomhive from Black Butler
Having a spacious territory, Ciel Phantomhive is the proprieter of a toy fruit manufactory. Queen ruler in that era took a fancy to him and wished him to eradicate all tenebrous and vicious power for her. Ciel Phantomhive gained much respect from both gangdom and righteous groups. He wears a black eyeshade on his right eye and only takes it off while sleeping and bathing.
Comment: comparing with fame, Ciel Phantomhive is more interested in seeing how Colin Sebastian looks like while failing. He is calm, sedate and overbearing. He has almost never smiled due to the childe-like individuality. Like black tea and white rose, he is also a master-hand on any game, feeling rather proud.
Top 7: Lelouch Vie Britannia from Code Geass
Lelouch Vie Britannia is calm and sedate. He maintains his target unhesitatingly and spares no effort to realize it. In order to make his dream come true, he is willing to be lonely. Leaving a route of retreat and hiding the identity while fighting, Lelouch Vie Britannia can master warfare like controlling a game. He is clever and incredibly talented in international chess. So he has joined in so many gamble games as an agent.
Comment: Lelouch Vie Britannia is extremely cold-hearted and also rebellious. Having outstanding acting skill, intelligence and potently special power, he makes so many girls fall in deep love with him at the first glimpse. What most helps him win favor is his handsome appearance. An elegant prince-like look seems tall and cool. You will even feel envious to him when he wears females’ clothes. The last episode is an especially crucial part, in which he sacrifices and creates another new immortal monument in the anime history. Lelouch Vie Britannia is absolutely a great male character who can’t be neglected or forgotten by all people.
Top 8: Edgar. JC. Ashenbert from Earl and Fairy
In spite of being born in an aristocratic family, Edgar. JC. Ashenbert was sold out by an organization mastered by the prince. On the one hand, he plans to revenge. And on the other hand, he shows his love to Lydia Carlton Ashenbert. It’s really difficult to understand his real intention. Anyway, he owns a wise head and aristocratic obligation.
Comment: Edgar. JC. Ashenbert inherits Green knight earl’s name and has blond hair and purple eyes. It’s unknown whether he is a gentleman or a rascal because his personality is unpredictable and mysterious. He is cool and cute, XD.
Top 9: L (L•Lawliet) from Death Note
He often wears a white long sleeved or middle sleeved T-shirt and light blue loose jeans. His back is bent. He has obvious dark circles because of drinking too much coffee while staying up all night to handle a case. L•Lawliet is interested in eating dessert and reasoning. He is accustomed to sitting on a chair, with both legs life up to the chair. People call him a world-class detective.
Comment: L•Lawliet is incredibly clever. He always thinks calmly and behaves strangely. He is naive. And it’s definitely such a boy, who combines incompatible features on his personality, creates the most legendary image in the detective history.
Top 10: Kaede Rukawa from Slam Dunk
Kaede Rukawa is a basketball player with all-sided skills. He is called as the super new star. Meanwhile, he is the player who wins the most favor from girls. As a main player to score in the Shohoku Team, he is considered to be an attack ghost. He has a strong intension to win and a powerful group of fans.
Comment: Kaede Rukawa seems like indifferent. But actually, he has capabilities to gain an insight to everything. He is unsophisticated, kind and doesn’t hold a grudge. He has a heart that is as clear as a transparent crystal. Having a simple and pure individuality, Kaede Rukawa more quickly feel the true and kind personality of other people. He dislikes speaking. But he isn’t lonely, indifferent or awkward on speaking. His laughing at Sakuragi Hanamichi is just a joke among companions.
So, is your favorite character also included above?