Ghost

Hi! I am just wondering, what kind of fabric is it that you used to make the cape? Anonymous

The fabric I used for Reaver’s cape and coat is white Bull Denim from Jo-Ann Fabric’s Sew Classics line.

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More Reaver’s Dark Seal WIP.

*sigh* How I do hate slow production weeks.  Priming and sanding going on in these photos.  Just need to do all the fancy metal and rust textures now.

Hope everyone entering the Femme Reaver Contest gets their entry in on time.  Going to tie off pretty soon.

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Reaver’s Dark Seal prop WIP

What I’m working on today.

Which will look like this when done (if all goes well).

Reaver's Dark Seal as seen in Fable II

Hoping to finish this baby up tonight.

Although I will be making one for myself, this particular prop is for a prize I’m donating to a Reaver-centric contest on deviantArt. Go check it out!  Last call for entries is Thursday, December 8th.

Sorry I haven’t been Tumbling lately.  I’ve had drawing/painting oriented duties to attend to, so there hasn’t been much time for costume work.  Unfortunately, the costume updates are going to be sparse this month while I continue with my 2D work, and deal with other pressing issues, but with luck, I can return to it more steadily after New Years. *fingers crossed*  

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Yeah… so this is how Kurai and I spent Thursday night.  Got that cape stitching done, yeah! I hope this doesn’t make me seem like a cold bastard, but Kurai and I have seen so many Emergency Rooms and Doctor’s Offices in the last two years, we can’t help but poke fun at the situation. I’ll explain for those of you unfamiliar with what’s going on…  Kurai has faced many challenges regarding heath the last couple of years, which first manifested in chronic kidney stone development and has progressed to severe pain and leg weakness, and this year, to occasions when Kurai is unable to walk at all.  Kurai started walking with a cane almost full time since January, and relies on wheel chairs when we go shopping.  It has been an extremely frustrating process to find out the exact cause and get proper treatment.  Most doctors seem to just want to throw pain meds at it.  Kurai has a stack of unused prescriptions, because he wants answers and treatment, not lazy bullshit.  So it has become a cycle of saving up to see different doctors in hopes of finding real help and running into the emergency room when things get unbearable. We feel it is important to post this here on my cosplay blog, so that others can understand just how important a past time cosplay is to us.  We met through cosplay in 2005, and it brought us close together in 2006 at Project A-kon (when we both dressed as the same character. XD)  Since then, we’ve always been together, and have weathered many terrible situations.  I am trying my best to be strong at Kurai’s side during this illness, as Kurai was (and still is!) for me when my family experienced several consecutive, crushing deaths from 2008 to 2010.  Kurai and I both have such a great love for costume construction, role-playing and the characters we portray, and we constantly feel a great sadness that circumstances have pulled us further and further away from this hobby and the great people we’ve met through it.  We are both very aware that there may come a time when Kurai is unable to cosplay due to physical limitations (Kurai is already very limited on which costumes he can wear and for how long), and of course, we are both limited financially by this (and other constantly unexpected circumstances), so it makes every costume we complete and every convention we are able to attend that much more important to us (and that much more devastating when I have to miss one).  We have to treat every set of costumes and convention trip like it may be our last. I thank everyone who has taken such an interest in the work we’ve been doing on the Reaver and Barry Hatch costumes.  Thank you for following, liking, re-blogging and commenting.  It means a great deal to us to see others as excited as we are about these characters, and encourages us to keep our chins up, keep at it, and do the best we can, not just for ourselves, but for all you fans of the Fable game series and characters, as well.        Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. And try to remember, as we do…  

Yeah… so this is how Kurai and I spent Thursday night.  Got that cape stitching done, yeah!

I hope this doesn’t make me seem like a cold bastard, but Kurai and I have seen so many Emergency Rooms and Doctor’s Offices in the last two years, we can’t help but poke fun at the situation.

I’ll explain for those of you unfamiliar with what’s going on…  Kurai has faced many challenges regarding heath the last couple of years, which first manifested in chronic kidney stone development and has progressed to severe pain and leg weakness, and this year, to occasions when Kurai is unable to walk at all.  Kurai started walking with a cane almost full time since January, and relies on wheel chairs when we go shopping.  It has been an extremely frustrating process to find out the exact cause and get proper treatment.  Most doctors seem to just want to throw pain meds at it.  Kurai has a stack of unused prescriptions, because he wants answers and treatment, not lazy bullshit.  So it has become a cycle of saving up to see different doctors in hopes of finding real help and running into the emergency room when things get unbearable.

We feel it is important to post this here on my cosplay blog, so that others can understand just how important a past time cosplay is to us.  We met through cosplay in 2005, and it brought us close together in 2006 at Project A-kon (when we both dressed as the same character. XD)  Since then, we’ve always been together, and have weathered many terrible situations.  I am trying my best to be strong at Kurai’s side during this illness, as Kurai was (and still is!) for me when my family experienced several consecutive, crushing deaths from 2008 to 2010.  Kurai and I both have such a great love for costume construction, role-playing and the characters we portray, and we constantly feel a great sadness that circumstances have pulled us further and further away from this hobby and the great people we’ve met through it.  We are both very aware that there may come a time when Kurai is unable to cosplay due to physical limitations (Kurai is already very limited on which costumes he can wear and for how long), and of course, we are both limited financially by this (and other constantly unexpected circumstances), so it makes every costume we complete and every convention we are able to attend that much more important to us (and that much more devastating when I have to miss one).  We have to treat every set of costumes and convention trip like it may be our last.

I thank everyone who has taken such an interest in the work we’ve been doing on the Reaver and Barry Hatch costumes.  Thank you for following, liking, re-blogging and commenting.  It means a great deal to us to see others as excited as we are about these characters, and encourages us to keep our chins up, keep at it, and do the best we can, not just for ourselves, but for all you fans of the Fable game series and characters, as well.       

Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

And try to remember, as we do…

 

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Getting back to Reaver… coat WIP pics.

One of the reasons I’m posting this concerns the “cape”… in the screen shots, I’ve never found any actual dash marks or dots to prove that there is stitching on it like there is on the tails, shoulders, cuffs and straps of the coat and down the sides of the pants legs… just a dark line indicating there is edging on the cape and a slight shadow beneath in the area where stitching would be.  So, I guess it’s not that bothersome on the game (unless you’re obsessive, like me!) that the cape doesn’t match the rest of the coat it is supposed to be a part of when you really don’t see it that often anyway… But now in the real world, on what is basically a 3-d wearable model of Reaver’s coat, the missing stitching on the cape seems so much more noticeable when compared to the rest of the coat.  I can’t not notice it, because every time I look over at it, I think, “Damn, you forgot to put the stitching on the cape!” …but did I? *sigh* So bottom line is, I’ve been hung up on this detail for a few months now, and I’ve decided that I’m not going to care if the stitching is really there on the game or not.  It’s my coat, and I say the cape looks strange without any stitching.  So… enjoy these photos of the non-wide-Fablely-stitched cape edging, because the next time you see it, it will match the coat. ;P 

Anyway, once that is done, the coat and pants need a washing, tinting to an off-white/cream (Just dim lighting in the photos.  The white  of the fabric is actually very bright. :/), stain-proofing,  and buttons sewn on.

I will post full coat and pants process sequences once they’re 100%. :)

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So, yeah… I made these gloves.  I suggest, if you can help it, buy and alter some existing gloves whenever you can, because making them from scratch will try your patience like nothing else! O_x*  In this case, making them out of a super high quality pleather remnant I had was way more economical than buying a pair with enough fabric to alter.  I chose the white pleather, because it is more durable than cloth.  I’ve had costumes with white cloth gloves before, and even with a stain-proof sealant on them, after one day at a con they are basically ruined.  I hate that, and I didn’t want my partner to feel like they couldn’t touch anything to “protect the gloves”… where’s the fun in that?  Plus, I like the feel of the pleather. <_< 1.  I traced a pattern off of an existing pair of gloves and altered it to have a flare at the wrist, then traced those pieces onto the back of the pleather.  (You can find some nice glove patterns at the fabric store, so don’t worry about having to make a copy like I did.  Watch for those $1 & $2 each pattern sales at the local craft and fabric stores and stock up on the good stuff. ~_^) 2.  I cut all the pieces out, then carefully pinned the palm & finger parts together and stitched them.  No, really… this is not fun.  Please heed my warning at the beginning of this description, if you can! ^^; 3. Yay!  Time for a thumb.  Can’t hold a bottle properly without a thumb, after all!  4.  Now that one thumb is pinned down, the other one is lined up to match.  Dig that crazy thumb hole I had to cut out!  5.  The thumb is stitched on, the glove is flipped right-side out, and I’m working on adding the edging, which is a piping made of more pleather and some aquarium tubing.  I used the aquarium tubing to hold the flare out and add a little more dimension… came out a little toony in the finished product though, I think.  I’m considering changing it, but I’ll see how everything looks all together and behaves in action before I make any major changes. (I’m having enough trouble right now with re-dos and adjustments on Reaver. X_X) 

So, yeah… I made these gloves.  I suggest, if you can help it, buy and alter some existing gloves whenever you can, because making them from scratch will try your patience like nothing else! O_x* 

In this case, making them out of a super high quality pleather remnant I had was way more economical than buying a pair with enough fabric to alter.  I chose the white pleather, because it is more durable than cloth.  I’ve had costumes with white cloth gloves before, and even with a stain-proof sealant on them, after one day at a con they are basically ruined.  I hate that, and I didn’t want my partner to feel like they couldn’t touch anything to “protect the gloves”… where’s the fun in that?  Plus, I like the feel of the pleather. <_<

1.  I traced a pattern off of an existing pair of gloves and altered it to have a flare at the wrist, then traced those pieces onto the back of the pleather.  (You can find some nice glove patterns at the fabric store, so don’t worry about having to make a copy like I did.  Watch for those $1 & $2 each pattern sales at the local craft and fabric stores and stock up on the good stuff. ~_^)

2.  I cut all the pieces out, then carefully pinned the palm & finger parts together and stitched them.  No, really… this is not fun.  Please heed my warning at the beginning of this description, if you can! ^^;

3. Yay!  Time for a thumb.  Can’t hold a bottle properly without a thumb, after all! 

4.  Now that one thumb is pinned down, the other one is lined up to match.  Dig that crazy thumb hole I had to cut out! 

5.  The thumb is stitched on, the glove is flipped right-side out, and I’m working on adding the edging, which is a piping made of more pleather and some aquarium tubing.  I used the aquarium tubing to hold the flare out and add a little more dimension… came out a little toony in the finished product though, I think.  I’m considering changing it, but I’ll see how everything looks all together and behaves in action before I make any major changes. (I’m having enough trouble right now with re-dos and adjustments on Reaver. X_X) 

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Barry Hatch coat cuff process.  What gives these ridiculous armor-y-lookin&#8217; cuffs their shape is craft foam, heat n&#8217; bond and heavy interfacing.  (You will never get me not to use craft foam for everything&#8230; er&#8230; ever! ;P) Just a note, most of the work on these cuffs was done during the time that the water heater broke and flooded my workshop, so some of the sequence is missing, since we weren&#8217;t taking pics as frequently. If you have any questions, just yell out! 1.  The actual patterns for these were made from craft foam.  (That&#8217;s how I usually make mock-ups for my armors that require curves and crazy angles. ^^;)  In this picture, I&#8217;m tracing out the fabric that will be heat &#8216;n bonded to it, vinyl in the case of this piece. 2.  These stacks are the vinyl covering, craftfoam structure (heat n bond already adhered), and lining for both of the flared edges at the elbow/upper forearm area.  What you&#8217;re not seeing in this photo&#8230; lots and lots of ironing of rectangles of heavy interfacing to the black jacket fabric, then sewing it together to make two cylinders, with lining in the same fabric. 3. Bonding the vinyl to the craftfoam. This is one of the edging pieces that goes near the wrist. 4.  Those elbow-flare-pieces (&lt;&#8212;-is there a better name for this?!) again.  Bonded, pinned to the lining, waiting to be stitched together 5.  The flare parts are together and I have now stitched them to the &#8220;cylinders&#8221; of the cuffs.  You see that heat n bond on the craft foam there?  That is so I can flip the lining over and iron it down for a smooth finish.  Yay!  I get waaay too into this, I know. 6.  The wrist edging has been stitched on as well, and flipped over.  The raw edges will be folded and stitched down.  The elbow flare will be folded over to reveal the gold edging, the cylinder excess will be trimmed away, and the black lining of the flare tucked in and glued down. 7.  Another view incase #6 didn&#8217;t make sense. 8. A completed one on the left and an in-process one on the right that still needs all the tucking and gluing. See a cuff with a glove!

Barry Hatch coat cuff process.  What gives these ridiculous armor-y-lookin’ cuffs their shape is craft foam, heat n’ bond and heavy interfacing.  (You will never get me not to use craft foam for everything… er… ever! ;P)

Just a note, most of the work on these cuffs was done during the time that the water heater broke and flooded my workshop, so some of the sequence is missing, since we weren’t taking pics as frequently. If you have any questions, just yell out!

1.  The actual patterns for these were made from craft foam.  (That’s how I usually make mock-ups for my armors that require curves and crazy angles. ^^;)  In this picture, I’m tracing out the fabric that will be heat ‘n bonded to it, vinyl in the case of this piece.

2.  These stacks are the vinyl covering, craftfoam structure (heat n bond already adhered), and lining for both of the flared edges at the elbow/upper forearm area.  What you’re not seeing in this photo… lots and lots of ironing of rectangles of heavy interfacing to the black jacket fabric, then sewing it together to make two cylinders, with lining in the same fabric.

3. Bonding the vinyl to the craftfoam. This is one of the edging pieces that goes near the wrist.

4.  Those elbow-flare-pieces (<—-is there a better name for this?!) again.  Bonded, pinned to the lining, waiting to be stitched together

5.  The flare parts are together and I have now stitched them to the “cylinders” of the cuffs.  You see that heat n bond on the craft foam there?  That is so I can flip the lining over and iron it down for a smooth finish.  Yay!  I get waaay too into this, I know.

6.  The wrist edging has been stitched on as well, and flipped over.  The raw edges will be folded and stitched down.  The elbow flare will be folded over to reveal the gold edging, the cylinder excess will be trimmed away, and the black lining of the flare tucked in and glued down.

7.  Another view incase #6 didn’t make sense.

8. A completed one on the left and an in-process one on the right that still needs all the tucking and gluing.

See a cuff with a glove!

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Now for something completely different&#8230; Forte.EXE everybody! Lol! Just kidding. I&#8217;ve been helping finish up my partner&#8217;s Barry Hatch costume.  These cuffs and gloves look so anime-ish I can&#8217;t not think about Megaman designs&#8230; and wish I was making a robot armor right now! Still need to finish sewing the cuffs to the jacket (which is why it is still open on the underside, if you were wondering) and paint the buttons silver.  The gloves are &#8220;done&#8221; but&#8230; gosh, like I said, they came out so toony&#8230; I&#8217;m thinking of adding some of that Fable stitching to balance things out.  I don&#8217;t know.  Suggestions anyone? Armor Cuff process here! Glove process here!

Now for something completely different…

Forte.EXE everybody! Lol! Just kidding. I’ve been helping finish up my partner’s Barry Hatch costume.  These cuffs and gloves look so anime-ish I can’t not think about Megaman designs… and wish I was making a robot armor right now!

Still need to finish sewing the cuffs to the jacket (which is why it is still open on the underside, if you were wondering) and paint the buttons silver.  The gloves are “done” but… gosh, like I said, they came out so toony… I’m thinking of adding some of that Fable stitching to balance things out.  I don’t know.  Suggestions anyone?

Armor Cuff process here!

Glove process here!

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diko-hatch said: What type of thread do you used to sew through tough materials/leather like that? Just curious…

Upholstery thread can work for both vinyl and leather.  It is good for machine and handsewing depending on the kind you get and comes in polyester, nylon and natural fiber varieties.  For stitching leather by hand you can also use pre-waxed thread, sinew(mostly artificial varieties these days) and also leather lace. Here are thread examples and sinew and laces.  Craft stores like Michael’s, Hoddy Lobby and Jo-Anns also carry many of these items.  

For this project, all the “leather” is just upholstery vinyl and pleather I already had.  I’ve just been painting, aging and stitching it to make it look more like a leather.  I used nylon upholstery thread to stitch the vinyl with my sewing machine and did all the hand stitched details with cotton thread(it was actually size 3 and 5 crochet thread in this case, since that it what I had on hand ^^;) and suede lace.  I used a saddle stitch for almost everything.  You can see how a saddle stitch is done here in the last 5 pictures.

I want to add that using the right kind of upholstery and leather needles, whether you’re machine or hand stitching, makes things go much smoother.  You can find a great variety of upholstery and leatherworking needles at local craft stores as well.  Prepunching holes in the thicker varieties and multiple layers for hand stitching with an awl or punch also helps make it easier (and safer!) while you’re stitching.

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Someone needs to finish their pistol and holster…

Oh, I guess that would be me… damn.

Need to finish painting the pistol (finally!!), put a patina on the buckles and button and do some brown washes on the belts to match the holster. Then its final assembly for the gun belts/holster.  Hopefully I can get through a good deal of that this evening.

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