phoenix

Name: Phoenix Wright
Series: Phoenix Wright
Debuted: Anine USA 2007
Status: Active

Nephrite

Name: Nephrite
Series: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Debuted: Katsucon 2006
Status: Retired

Notes

This costume died. Twice. I came home from Katsucon only to discover that the tissue thin pleather I had been using tore right down the seam on my butt. Luckily the jacket covered it.

It was completely remade for Anime North 2006. This time, the heat and sun actually warped the pleather so much that the costume no longer closes correctly. I give up.

Maya Fey

Name: Maya Fey
Series: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Debuted: Anime Mid-Atlantic 2007
Status: Active

Notes

This costume debuted in two parts. Part one was at Anime Mid-Atlantic. I borrowed the wig from my Yomiko Readman costume, and I was missing her jacket. The reason? My sewing machine up and died on me halfway through! The only reason I was able to wear it at all that weekend was because we split the hand sewing. I finished the kimono base and Kali made me the obi.

Part two was at Otakon. This time, the costume had its own wig, and I sewed the jacket successfully on my shiny new sewing machine, which is superior in every way to my previous one.

Kali made the Obi, the jewelry, and donated the wig. I made the jacket and the kimono.

Kunzite

Name: Kunzite
Series: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Debuted: Anime North 2006
Status: Being Repaired

Notes

This costume is HOT to wear, since it’s pleather and it has that heavy cape. Diastelo pretty much fainted in the middle of the dealer’s room at AN.

This costume was made in conjunction with the remake of Nephrite… all in one week! The hardest part was all the detail on the sleeves, which you can’t see unless I’ve got my arms up.

As stated above, the costume was originally made for Diastelo to wear, but it has been kidnapped for me since Nephrite has been retired. I am currently fixing the shoulder armor (which kind of sucked.)

Kaylee

Name: Kaylee
Series: Firefly
Debuted: Katsucon 2006
Status: Active

Notes

Kaylee Frye is a cheerful and outgoing mechanic onboard the ship Serenity. It’s hard to keep her down, and she always looks for the best possible outcome. On my good days, I can be just as overwhelmingly cheerful, and I’m certainly geeky enough to relate to that side of her.

The coveralls came out great, and buying a used pair really gave them that authentic look. I’m annoyed that I was never able to get the right fabric for the jacket. Sure, I found something shiny and blue, but it’s not brocade or silk, like the one in the show.

The easiest part of this costume was modifying the coveralls and adding the patches. The hardest part of this costume was making the parasol. There’s no easy way to draw a spiral, let alone paint one with three stripes.

Frost

Name: Frost
Series: Mortal Kombat
Debuted: Otakon 2004
Status: Active

Notes

Poor Frost has been a work in progress for over three years now. I’m never quite satisfied with her construction, but at least it means that everytime I wear her there’s some improvement.

Her mask is made of Crayola Model Magic. To get the “invisible” attachement, the band that goes around the back of the head is actually a clear bra strap.

Edgeworth

Name: Miles Edgeworth
Series: Phoenix Wright
Debuted: Anime Mid-Atlantic 2007
Status: Active

Notes

Edgeworth started life as a off-white size 14 suit. I am a size 2. There was a lot of tailoring involved (not to mention a heck of a lot of dye).

The hardest part of the costume is the cravat. There’s no way to create those three layers of ruffles naturally, so you have to rely on some form of stiffener.

The Objection! parasol is one of my own hand-painted creations. It was a PAIN to make because of the strange font that had to be replicated by hand.

Rock Lee (ANBU)

Name: Rock Lee (ANBU)
Series: Naruto (original)
Debuted: AnimeUSA 2006
Status: Active

Notes

The hardest part of this costume was not the mask, but the vest. My sewing machine started to die in the middle, so some of the seams are atrocious.

The mask is made of paper clay and is quite light. Unfortunately, the elastic gives me a headache (I have a wussy head) so I can’t wear it for long.

The red squirrel that goes with it is by far my favorite part.

3rd Movie Lee

Name: Rock Lee
Series: Naruto
Debuted:Otakon 2006
Status: Retired

Notes

I debuted this the same day that the 3rd Naruto movie came out in Japan. No one knew who I was, and that includes my fellow Narutards.

This costume was created by ripping apart my Rock Lee costume and inserting the stripes. I did have to make a new pair of legwarmers, because for some reason Lee’s have no stripes in the movie.