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Cosplay Fabric Shopping Masterpost

Alright, here we go--a master list of as many (verified) fabric stores as I can think of, and what they specialize in! I will be focusing on fabric stores, as a notions shopping list will come at a later date. They'll be sorted by Name | Types of Fabrics | Brief description, and primarily US-based, though some overseas, so here we go:

--- "JACK OF ALL TRADES" FABRICS ---

Fabric Wholesale Direct | [Various, Budget] | Lots of all kinds of things, specialization in more inexpensive fabrics. Their rayon challis is a great lining fabric, and their poly dupioni is one of the most popular, but they have a little of everything. Processing takes a HOT SECOND, shipping is okay at best.

Fashion Fabrics Club | [Various, Mixed] | Have bought several weird things from here, including various velvets and wools. Great for non-stretch things. Pricing is average, but their sales are amazing if you catch it; shipping is a little slower.

Zelouf Fabrics | [Various, Budget] | A newer fabric store, has literally EVERY SHADE IMAGINABLE of some fabrics, such as their poly taffeta. Also, their swatches are MASSIVE, like half yards or something. If you need a specific color and know your material, try this place out.

Denver Fabrics | [Various, Mixed] | Similar to Fashion Fabrics Club, HUGE variety of stuff. The search feature is not the best but I've found some good gems here, and well categorized.

Sy Fabrics | [Various, Budget] | Similar to Fabric Wholesale Direct! The site is hideous, but very comparable in quality--great basics.

Cali Fabrics | [Various, Budget] | Ships FAST, great for lots of yardage or cheaper mockups. Smaller selection but still plenty to look at.

--- STRETCH FABRICS ---

Blue Moon Fabrics | [Stretch, Formal] | LOTS of stretch fabric, but specifically stretch sequins and very "funky" fabrics. Sales are few and far in between but if you need something glittery or with sequins that can stretch, this is the place.

Spandex House | [Stretch] | Comparable (but not to be confused with) Spandex World, located in the Bronx in NYC if you wanna go and visit! As the name says, lots of stretch fabric, some very unique; this is where I got my stretch glitter tie dye velvet for Exarch's arm. Pricing is "meh".

Spandex World | [Stretch, Basics] | Comparable with Spandex House, but located in the NYC Garment District if you wanna visit! I actually prefer Spandex World as far as /quality/--great for basic stuff like stretch scuba and power mesh or milliskin. Pricing is "meh".

MJTrends | [Stretch, Vinyl/Pleather, Latex] | THE place to go to for things like latex, vinyl, pleather, and stretchy stuff in that avenue. Great for "liquid look" or stuff like Eva plugsuits.

--- FUR FABRICS ---

Big Z Fabrics | [Fur, Various, Fun Colors] | They actually have things BESIDES fur, but I'm going to recommend their fur specifically due to the large selection, at various price points. This is where furries shop, if that gives any nudge to how legit it is.

Shannon Fabrics | [Fur, Pricey, Naturals] | Primarily used for stuff like blankets BUT does have some weirder patterns, in more neutral colors. Their long pile fur in particular is quite nice to work with.

--- SILK + FANCY FABRICS ---

Silk Baron | [Various, Pricey, Real] | You've heard of it, but here it is--the go-to spot (minus literally ordering from an Indian seller) for real silks of various types. Expect at minimum $18/yard for their dupionis and around $22/yard for their taffetas and to go upward from there. Color is unprecedented; if you need a duochromatic silk or a specific type, from organza to matka, go here.

Dharma Trading | [Raw, Budget, Real] | Primarily a dye seller, Dharma also specifically sells raw and finished silks in white, natural, and some in black. These are made to be dyed and come in various finishes, but their raw silk in particular is a great budget option for projects and takes to dye well.

Fancy Styles Fabric | [Pricey, Various] | Though this place also carries poly, specializes in real silk too. Lots of taffeta, dupioni, jacquard, the type of stuff you'd see on a baroque wallpaper. Great sales/deals on their IG, so check there before buying. Pricing is sometimes a bit overpriced, so wait for sales.

Promenade Fabrics | [Pricey, Various] | A "better customer service" version of Fancy Styles, with a storefront in New Orleans. Also has good trim selection. Fair mix of real and false silks, good luxury stuff.

Mood Fabrics | [Various, Pricey] | Mood is my go-to for when I want a luxury fabric OR if I want a strong brocade or jacquard that a "simple" pattern won't do for me. There are however some great sales every now and then, including clearance. Every swatch order also comes with a 10% off coupon! As a bonus, their button and trim selection isn't bad, so save yourself some shopping.

VincyStore | [Various, Unique] | This is their Etsy, although they do have an Ali storefront, the prices are very close. Very "weird" unique fabrics, mainly poly silks folded in weird ways or the kinda stuff you'd see on fantasy gowns. Good unique finds.

--- OTHER SPECIFIC STORES ---

Tandy Leather | [Leather, Pricey, Accessories] | It's real leather, and mostly heavier weight, but you can occasionally find good deals here. They do have physical stores and often the stores have BETTER deals. Less apparel weight in my experience.

District Leathers | [Leather, Pricey, Apparel] | Also real leather, and a good various selection, including a physical storefront. I really like their very light suede and similar stuff--good for cloaks, etc.

Fabrics Store | [Linen, Mixed] | This site has other stuff, but, JUST BUY YOUR LINEN FROM HERE. It's great quality, has EVERY color and weight, has both hourly and daily deals, often has coupons. If you need linen, go here.

Sewstine | [Historical, Mixed] | This site has a nice masterlist of historical fabric resources, so I'll share it here to explore rather than link everything individually.

Seattle Fabrics | [Outdoor, Mixed] | Primarily outdoor and "technical" fabrics, which makes this a great candidate for sci-fi, star wars, and any other more "modern" garment you're making in that realm.

~~~ More will probably be added over time, but here's our starting line! Feel free to comment and share your own! ~~~

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Hella Big Skirts panel

Ever wanted to make a hella skirt? Wondering how to keep your hella big skirt puffy? Join cosplayer fabrickind to learn the ins and outs of patterning, sewing, and supporting the large, fluffy skirts of your dreams!

This is just the bare bones of the panel, as many of the examples were elaborated on in-person, and it is just the slides, not any of my notes. It is not meant to be exhaustive or definitive, and is just meant for general advice and suggestion purposes only. If anyone has feedback they would like to give, feel free to do so. That said, I hope that people find this information useful.

Here is a link to a pdf of the presentation. You may download for personal use, but please do not alter the presentation, repost without permission, or do any sort of other unauthorized use. (If you have a question about how you can use this presentation, please send me a message with your question and we can work it out. I promise I’m not scary. ;]) Feel free to reblog this post as much as you want, though. I do these panels and post them because I want the information to be shared.

I hope someone finds this helpful! :]

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Wig Styling: Working with Foam pt 3 - Wrapping Flat Objects and The Wonders of Clear Glue

Wow I sure did forget to post this in a timely manner!  This is the third part of our guide to working with wigs and foam, and lately it’s been my favorite!  This is a great method to use on wigs like Ivysaur, which require a lot of clean, flat-ish shapes.  While I could technically use the hot glue wrapping technique covered in part 2, this is a bad choice for a number of reasons.  First, the edges of my object are not hidden, which means I’d have a big, visible hot glue mess at the edge of my weft.  Second, it’s difficult to keep hair taut on a flat or gently curved object, so I’d have a hard time keeping the tension up while gluing the hair down.   And third, this method is just plain nicer looking.

Instead I used 100% tacky glue on this wig.  I recommend this method whenever possible because it is VERY clean, very secure, and mistakes are easily fixed.  This is a difficult method to use on a bun or round object because you’re fighting against gravity, but you could always use tacky glue after hot gluing down your edges.  Instructions under the cut:

[ Working with Foam part 1 / part 2 / part 3 ]

[ More tutorials on Tumblr ]

[ More tutorials on Patreon ]

Keep reading

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Photo editing step-by-step semi-tutorial

Trying something new here on the blog... I don't do much tutorial writing but wanted to share a little behind-the-scenes on how I typically edit my cosplay photos. A lot of this is cobbled together from various tutorials or trial-and-error over time but I think the results are pretty nice. I use Photoshop but a lot of these tips are generalized enough you might could use them in your editor of choice.

Let me know if this is helpful or cool, if you'd like to see more of this sort of thing!

First off I just use the default photo editing tools to clean things up a bit. Tighten the crop and adjust the levels and white balance... mostly just "eyeballing" it. Notably I already like the pose, lighting, and composition - anything you can take care of in-camera rather than post is preferable! Then I gotta black out the gun tip - select the tip, tint orange toward blue, lower the saturation way down, then tweak the levels. Of course it still looks like a cap is on the tip, but the focus of the photo is kind of off the gun barrel anyway so who cares.

Next up we're going to swap out the background. In this case I want it to feel kind of indistinct - not a "scene" Wick is actively interacting with but more just scenery he's in front of. Wet nighttime streets are pretty prominent in the opening of Chapter 2 so I selected this photo. I try to use sites like Pixabay that offer free-use photos rather than just pulling whatever from Google Images.

Once I have the photo, I crop it to where the horizon line looks good, add a Gaussian blur to imply depth, and mask it in the background. Photoshop's auto-select has gotten pretty robust, I tweak the cutout just a bit for clarity and to add some light leaks around the outline

In this case I set the transparency to 92% to get it a little lighter. In any case, I then add an Exposure layer to darken it for mood lighting.

Next bit is color correction. In this case I wanted to evoke the look of Chapter 3 promo art... pulled a few reference images and took note of the orange/purple contrast and gradient they use:

I don't recall if I used the eyedropper tool but I created a similar gradient, set to split on my face so the two halves of the background ended up as different colors. Set the layer to "Soft Light" (in this case I actually duplicated it and set that duplicate to 25%), and I masked out some parts where the light is hitting particularly hard (left of face, hands, edge of gun) to keep a more natural look.

Since it's raining, I added a subtle "fog" look to the background. Created a single-layer duplicate of everything so far, masked the background, Gaussian blur - then set that layer to "Lighter Color". You can see it in the building lights, mostly - brings back some brightness after the multiple darkening we've done.

Finally bringing in some rain, again referencing the poster above.

To make the rain layers, I first make a solid black layer then "Add Noise" (monochromatic). Tweak the "Levels" so you get pockets of pure white against black (with a couple mid-grays layered in), then resize the layer so the dots are bigger than single pixels (it's fine if they get blurry). Finally, apply a motion blur to get the "falling" motion.

I do this twice to get a sense of depth. First layer is set to "Overlay" at low opacity (~25%), which also slightly darkens the image.

The second layer is set to "Screen", again at low opacity (~20%). Combined, it gives the effect of rain in front and behind throughout the scene.

Finally I add a cooling "Photo Filter" layer, masked out to points like my face and hands, to add a little contrast. Sometimes I'll do a final pass with "Levels" or "Exposure", "Add Noise", or use some subtle Instagram filters to make sure it looks good on the small screen, but not really in this case.

All said and done, I usually spend less than an hour per image. Despite ending up with 10+ layers it's not too complex and I find the results quite satisfying!

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[ VANNY / FNAF / COSPLAY].

Fandom: Five Nights At Freddy's (by Scott Cawthon and Steel Wool Studios).

Character: Vanny.

Cosplayer : Monotone Inkwell  / M0n0t0n3 Inkw3ll.

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https://a.aliexpress.com/_mt0EVZi

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mLbsmYk

woahh.. sorry to post something completely unrelated, but!! if any cosplayers see this, i'd really appreciate advice (and i wasn't sure where else to ask)!!!

I was considering cosplaying Tsukasa Yugi (attached image) and was wondering if anyone had any thoughts for items I could look for that would match his top and bottoms (though, if anyone has ideas for the hat, those are welcome too!!)? I was hoping to be able to find some things in-store instead of having to buy his cosplay online, since it's most likely cheaper, haha! Apologies if the wording is confusing, feel free to ask for clarification!!

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guys, what gel do you use to style wigs? i got my bayonetta wig the other day, but the gel i used doesn’t work on it.

the braids are already done but i need to style the curl on her bangs.

any tips/tricks or ideas to help?

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Cosplay Fabric Shopping Masterpost

Alright, here we go--a master list of as many (verified) fabric stores as I can think of, and what they specialize in! I will be focusing on fabric stores, as a notions shopping list will come at a later date. They'll be sorted by Name | Types of Fabrics | Brief description, and primarily US-based, though some overseas, so here we go:

--- "JACK OF ALL TRADES" FABRICS ---

Fabric Wholesale Direct | [Various, Budget] | Lots of all kinds of things, specialization in more inexpensive fabrics. Their rayon challis is a great lining fabric, and their poly dupioni is one of the most popular, but they have a little of everything. Processing takes a HOT SECOND, shipping is okay at best.

Fashion Fabrics Club | [Various, Mixed] | Have bought several weird things from here, including various velvets and wools. Great for non-stretch things. Pricing is average, but their sales are amazing if you catch it; shipping is a little slower.

Zelouf Fabrics | [Various, Budget] | A newer fabric store, has literally EVERY SHADE IMAGINABLE of some fabrics, such as their poly taffeta. Also, their swatches are MASSIVE, like half yards or something. If you need a specific color and know your material, try this place out.

Denver Fabrics | [Various, Mixed] | Similar to Fashion Fabrics Club, HUGE variety of stuff. The search feature is not the best but I've found some good gems here, and well categorized.

Sy Fabrics | [Various, Budget] | Similar to Fabric Wholesale Direct! The site is hideous, but very comparable in quality--great basics.

Cali Fabrics | [Various, Budget] | Ships FAST, great for lots of yardage or cheaper mockups. Smaller selection but still plenty to look at.

--- STRETCH FABRICS ---

Blue Moon Fabrics | [Stretch, Formal] | LOTS of stretch fabric, but specifically stretch sequins and very "funky" fabrics. Sales are few and far in between but if you need something glittery or with sequins that can stretch, this is the place.

Spandex House | [Stretch] | Comparable (but not to be confused with) Spandex World, located in the Bronx in NYC if you wanna go and visit! As the name says, lots of stretch fabric, some very unique; this is where I got my stretch glitter tie dye velvet for Exarch's arm. Pricing is "meh".

Spandex World | [Stretch, Basics] | Comparable with Spandex House, but located in the NYC Garment District if you wanna visit! I actually prefer Spandex World as far as /quality/--great for basic stuff like stretch scuba and power mesh or milliskin. Pricing is "meh".

MJTrends | [Stretch, Vinyl/Pleather, Latex] | THE place to go to for things like latex, vinyl, pleather, and stretchy stuff in that avenue. Great for "liquid look" or stuff like Eva plugsuits.

--- FUR FABRICS ---

Big Z Fabrics | [Fur, Various, Fun Colors] | They actually have things BESIDES fur, but I'm going to recommend their fur specifically due to the large selection, at various price points. This is where furries shop, if that gives any nudge to how legit it is.

Shannon Fabrics | [Fur, Pricey, Naturals] | Primarily used for stuff like blankets BUT does have some weirder patterns, in more neutral colors. Their long pile fur in particular is quite nice to work with.

--- SILK + FANCY FABRICS ---

Silk Baron | [Various, Pricey, Real] | You've heard of it, but here it is--the go-to spot (minus literally ordering from an Indian seller) for real silks of various types. Expect at minimum $18/yard for their dupionis and around $22/yard for their taffetas and to go upward from there. Color is unprecedented; if you need a duochromatic silk or a specific type, from organza to matka, go here.

Dharma Trading | [Raw, Budget, Real] | Primarily a dye seller, Dharma also specifically sells raw and finished silks in white, natural, and some in black. These are made to be dyed and come in various finishes, but their raw silk in particular is a great budget option for projects and takes to dye well.

Fancy Styles Fabric | [Pricey, Various] | Though this place also carries poly, specializes in real silk too. Lots of taffeta, dupioni, jacquard, the type of stuff you'd see on a baroque wallpaper. Great sales/deals on their IG, so check there before buying. Pricing is sometimes a bit overpriced, so wait for sales.

Promenade Fabrics | [Pricey, Various] | A "better customer service" version of Fancy Styles, with a storefront in New Orleans. Also has good trim selection. Fair mix of real and false silks, good luxury stuff.

Mood Fabrics | [Various, Pricey] | Mood is my go-to for when I want a luxury fabric OR if I want a strong brocade or jacquard that a "simple" pattern won't do for me. There are however some great sales every now and then, including clearance. Every swatch order also comes with a 10% off coupon! As a bonus, their button and trim selection isn't bad, so save yourself some shopping.

VincyStore | [Various, Unique] | This is their Etsy, although they do have an Ali storefront, the prices are very close. Very "weird" unique fabrics, mainly poly silks folded in weird ways or the kinda stuff you'd see on fantasy gowns. Good unique finds.

--- OTHER SPECIFIC STORES ---

Tandy Leather | [Leather, Pricey, Accessories] | It's real leather, and mostly heavier weight, but you can occasionally find good deals here. They do have physical stores and often the stores have BETTER deals. Less apparel weight in my experience.

District Leathers | [Leather, Pricey, Apparel] | Also real leather, and a good various selection, including a physical storefront. I really like their very light suede and similar stuff--good for cloaks, etc.

Fabrics Store | [Linen, Mixed] | This site has other stuff, but, JUST BUY YOUR LINEN FROM HERE. It's great quality, has EVERY color and weight, has both hourly and daily deals, often has coupons. If you need linen, go here.

Sewstine | [Historical, Mixed] | This site has a nice masterlist of historical fabric resources, so I'll share it here to explore rather than link everything individually.

Seattle Fabrics | [Outdoor, Mixed] | Primarily outdoor and "technical" fabrics, which makes this a great candidate for sci-fi, star wars, and any other more "modern" garment you're making in that realm.

~~~ More will probably be added over time, but here's our starting line! Feel free to comment and share your own! ~~~

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Cosplay side of Tumblr!

I need help with knowing what kind of foam I should get for making the head of my massive hammer (see below)

It's going to about 5ft tall and (hopefully) lightweight

If anyone has an idea of what I should use please help me out

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is it this one?

Her skirt looks like a pleated skirt. This tutorial seems helpful

Cosplay help?

So there's this event that a bunch of friends are dressing in costume for and I have like a month or so to get ready. I would really like to dress up as Bee from Bee and Puppycat in that red skirt outfit from season 2. Unfortunately I have no idea how to even start. If anyone has any tips or ideas, it would be great. Thank you!

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ideally stretch fabric like spandex or lycra so u have some mobility then you can hand stitch it along ur arm and torso - for detailing, puff paint is a common go to

I want to make some stuff for a cosplay, but I’ve never done any crafting stuff before, so I’m hoping someone here has some tips. I want to do a spiderwoman cosplay and add in the underarm web wing/gliders that spiderpeople sometimes have. I’m just looking to build the web gliders as I bought the spider suit. How would I go about it, what materials would be best?

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trying expanding foam to carve out into a rectangular prism and also carve ur heart details

yoga mats and styrofoam are also good options and then use paper mache or bondo filler to smooth out, then I suggest using paper clay or thin foam for the fine details

Cosplay side of Tumblr!

I need help with knowing what kind of foam I should get for making the head of my massive hammer (see below)

It's going to about 5ft tall and (hopefully) lightweight

If anyone has an idea of what I should use please help me out

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Prestige Empyrean K'Sante @blackacecosplay / Photo @dtjaaaam

I am a cosplayer that just does what ever I find fun. Originally from the Bronx, I’ve been all over the place after college and join the Air Force. My love for cosplay started in 2014 when my dad brought me New York Comic Con tickets.I went on Friday with no costume felt out of the loop. So the next two days I went as my favorite Street fighter character Dudley. I made the costume in a night! Met Yoshino Ono and everything. 

Keep reading

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this is still a DEEP wip (for example everything on this is currently just pinned in place) but heres an update on how millions knives is going. this project has been driving me completely and utterly insane 

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Velouria from Fire Emblem Fates Cosplayer : @kimbearliii City: Anchorage, AK Velouria is a character whose design I instantly fell in love with upon seeing the images from Fire Emblem Fates. Her wolf meets Little Red Riding Hood design was too cute to not replicate, and I really wanted a character that I could take photos of in Alaska that would fit the beautiful scenery we get year-round. Her personality is borderline obsessive, but her lazy side I found super relatable. I started creating the outfit around March and finished in August, piecing together things as I found time between working and going to school full time

Keep reading

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Here you are the lastest photoshoot I did with my Miraak cosplay 💚

All the pics are done by Paintek:

https://instagram.com/paintek?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

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Assist Wigs LA // City: Los Angeles, CA

I’m starting to look for cosplay-related stores to visit and interview so when I was in Los Angeles, I visited a wig shop, Assist Wigs LA. From an interview with Kame and Ichiro at Assist Wigs on December 5, 2022

So the Assist Cosplay story started 30 years ago in 1992 with a Japanese company called NII, which stands for Nothing Is Impossible. They are a Japanese anime good’s brand who started exploring cosplay goods in 2006. At that time there was a cosplayer on the staff who was basically overseeing the production of the cosplay items, like wigs. 

Keep reading