Suckerpunch Complete! Some Anime Expo Photos

So I guess I've learned my lesson, if you wait till the last minute before a con to do something, blog updates shall not happen.  I swear it's not my fault though!  I work almost full time and I go to school full time and have lots and lots of homework of the fashion design variety!  I HAVE NO TIME!  So first, the bad news.  Due to a crazy work schedule since our staff went from 6 to 3 in the matter of a week, I didn't have enough time to work on Princess Tutu, which was oh-so-sad.  I have the bodice done, and the skirt bottom was made but, pushing through 80 yards of tulle ruffles, just didn't happen.  The good news is, that the Babydoll Costume was completed and was so popular that I made it through 3 days of con without boring anyone. :)

First things first.  Anime Expo was AWESOME and AUH-MAZING!!!  I have never been to a con of that caliber and it was just out of control!  I have been to Sakuracon in Seattle, and although I have heard it has grown quite substantially in the last few years, when I attended a handful of years ago it was quite small by Anime Expo standards.  I still loved it though, and I did get to go once in an almost full costume and there is a great story behind that one buuuuut, this was a completely different situation all together.  The sheer amount of people was just mind boggling!  It was also an AMAZING ego stroke.  Even if you're not the prettiest person there, and I definitely wasn't even in the top half, people are still really stoked to take your picture!

This was my first time getting swarmed and it's seriously like being attacked by the paparazzi.  There was a few times I couldn't move for 10 minutes or more because that many people wanted a photo.  It made me feel just a little bad about being on the paparazzi side of some of those picture swarms later on...but really some people's costumes were just SOOOO cool I had to take a photo!

I also came out of my shell towards the end of the first day, said f**k it, and did some action poses!  WHOO!  I felt like Babydoll, it was so B.A.!  Now I get it.  I get cosplay, 100% and now I'm totally and completely addicted.  I already have my next 10 costumes planned, and some crazy ones at that.  I really hoped to keep you guys entertained over the next year.  I know that I have at least two more cons in my immediate future.

So now the only part you probably care about, PHOTOS!  Here are a few shots from Anime Expo, and I will update these when I get some more. I have a few photographers that gave me cards to hit them up for the photos later so I'll get on that when my crazy 7 day work week is over and I have some time to recover from my finals-> 40 hour work week -> con-pre -> con  month.  I seriously haven't had one day off without an obligation in the past 3 months.  I have two days coming up back to back and while I'm recovering from my bout of con-plague, I'll get a hold of some of those photos.

 

 Yay, pretty shot of the costume!  This was on the first day, towards the end.  I found it on flickr, with the photographers name being Mr. Muggles.  Here you can see that the sleeve didn't turn out just right.  I did a placket on the sleeve in matching fabric and it made it just a bit too stuff.  I am planning on taking the placket out and replacing it with a matching cotton one.  I also would like to take the entire sleeve out and add some more fullness to the bottom.  FInall I would like to make the sailor color smaller in the back.  I have never made a sailor collar before and I followed my drafting instructions to a T and it just didn't look the exact same, so I'll be redrafting the collar.

 My first action shot.  It took me a little while to warm to the idea, so the first ones were a little awkward.  Still  I thought I would share, because it will be fun for me to come back in a year or so and see where I started to forget what other people *MIGHT* think and got into character for the first time.

 Yes, things got better as the days wore on.  Now I'm IN TO IT BABY!  I spotted this Babydoll in the hall and had to get a picture.  I thought she was really adorable  and it was interesting to see how other people interpreted parts of the costume.  I think that's a really cool part of cosplay.  Alot of us never get to see things out outside of pictures and games and on the rare occasion that we get to see something live action - it's still not always clear what something is- so it's rad to see what people take from it and how they perceive what the costume is.  If I find out who this cosplayer is, I'll be sure to add!

I'll be adding more pictures soon so keep checking this post if your interested!  Also I'm considering adding some pictures from Anime Expo, just so you can see some of the other cool costumes walking around!