Construction Delays Part 1: Meeting Crafting Challenges

I’ve made maybe a dozen costumes in varying degrees of complexity. Having ridden this creative roller coaster several times, I’ve noticed several limiting factors when it comes to making a new cosplay costume.

• Materials – for me this usually means fabrics. What fabrics can I get for this character at my local craft store? I prefer to see and touch the fabrics I buy.

  • For example, I’ll buy high-quality quilters cotton online, but I am hesitant to buy anything that has a sheen. 

  • I really like to see how the light moves on fabrics and understand how the materials for my cosplay costume will drape and fall.

  • Seeing how fabrics reflect light and how they move is important for me.

• Skill – Each cosplay costume I’ve done, I’ve had to learn some new skills. Whether that’s altering a pattern slightly, or trying a new sewing assembly technique, I must spend some time on YouTube and blogs learning new cosplay techniques.

  • This means trial and error, and failed attempts. I’m okay with that!

  • One tip I have is to sew first and surge second!

• Mess – My crafting space is in a bedroom, and it explodes. Good thing, too because I have to take breaks to tidy and clean up my crafting space.

  • I try to mitigate the mess by cleaning up when I get to pausing points in the project. I get a sense of accomplishment after finishing one step of the cosplay costume. Then, I like to pause and clean up my space. This allows me to have a clearer mind for my next steps.

  • I clean up my space especially when I’m unsure about how I need to approach the next step. Disconnecting from the problem at hand and giving myself a break is restful, so I can then look at the challenge with fresh eyes.