February 2013
2 posts
Delinquency
I realize I had not supplied a post in over a year! However I have a good excuse - I spent most of last year pregnant and now have a colicky three month old son! As he ages, I get more free time, and hope to continue to post helpful costuming ideas as they come to fruition in my workroom. Things I’ve been working on in the past year: A lynx costume Baby outfits (painted) Learned to crochet!...
Anonymous asked: Hi! My daughter has to make a costume for school and we are looking for claws that we can stick or sew on her furry gloved hands. Any ideas of what to use/where to find?
December 2011
7 posts
Finished Eyes
I neglected to post finished photos of Branwen’s eyes on her head. Here’s a few.
Seeing the photos I took I can tell the eyes are not both on there precisely in the same manner; I’m disappointed but it’s subtle and if you are in person watching the mask move, it’s probably not even A Thing.
Bird Hands!
I ordered a pair of 23” black satin gloves (not so sure on my material choice, but we’ll see how it goes) and purchased two packages of plastic eagle talons from Hobby Lobby. What I wanted was a set of hands that looked like birds’ feet. What I got is spot on. My first glue attempt was using rubber cement in a similar fashion to how I glued on the eyes to the mask. The nail dried...
Feet Inspirations
If you don’t want to make specific feet for whatever creature costume you are making, consider shoe styles. Vibram Five Fingers are paw-like, and could work for many animal types. In my case, I had a pair of Japanese tabi boots on hand, and my search for bird feet is over before it began.
If you don’t want your character to wear actual shoes, then you’re rather out of luck....
Bird Tails
I didn’t really take many photos of this process like I should have but let me just say it was a bit of a pain. I used black fleece for the backside of my raven tail and used both the long- and short-pile furs for the visible side. I sewed dividers between each “feather” and stuffed them with polyfill, and stuff the base as well just a bit. The attachment I decided on includes...
The Eyes Have It
Those eyes I talked about last time? So I worked on them, using that tutorial I linked. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be but I definitely learned some important things along the way. I acquired 40mm wiggle eyes from Hobby Lobby. Being very careful not to punch through and scratch the clear plastic, I removed the backing to all four of them and took out the wiggly bit inside. I...
Not Quiiite Finished
All right, I’ve had a week to play around in my raven and ultimately, I don’t like her eye setup. Pros: Great vision, great ventilation, and ability to use own eyes for expression Cons: My eyes are set too deeply in the face of the mask, making it very creepy and eyes are not visible from most angles; looks creepy and weird in general because of that I’ve acquired some large 40mm...
November 2011
7 posts
Comparison of Masks
I would like to go over the pros and cons of the two mask types I have worked with.
I liked the sturdy feel of the plastic mesh base. I was able to install fans in the forehead and switches for them in the ears. It is a larger fit, making it able to be worn by other people if desired. I can drop it and smush it a bit and it’s pretty resilient. HOWEVER, the foam layers for the facial...
Mask #2
Since I went over my first mask in the last post, I can now do a comparative piece with the making of my second mask.
Mask #1 was plastic mesh with foam, then furred. Mask #2 is a balaclava hood, with another mask sewn to it and then foam, Paperclay, furred. Typically what I see when people make balaclava masks is the mask on a dummy head, and foam glued to the mask in the same manner I glued it...
To Begin with a Mask
Now, in order to discuss my current project I have to back up and first address the one before. This particular costume is a partial fursuit (for those of you not in-the-know, a partial is any combination of parts such as mask, hands, feet, tail, etc. that does NOT include a bodysuit/specialized clothing for the full creature effect) so today I’ll be going over how to start a fursuit. For...
4 tags
I'm Crafty
I’m working on my second fursuit mask, and I had a lot of trouble with many aspects of its creation. The Internet failed me and I had to figure out many things on my own, resulting in many hours of wasted time. It was then that a family member suggested I make a blog to keep track of all the things I make, and how I made them, so perhaps someone else could benefit from my experience. Here I...
tumblrbot asked: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INANIMATE OBJECT?
