A New Approach To Cosplay and Fancy Dreamer Jade Pre-Construction!

Constructing Nonon helped me to discover the joy in focusing on a single costume at a time.. Honing in on one outfit, (without any other side outfit distractions), and putting all 100% of your effort in it is extremely rewarding. I get so much more satisfaction focusing on one costume that I’m completely enthusiastic about instead of running around trying to juggle many quick projects at once!  There is no excuse for not  putting my whole heart into a cosplay with this mindset. Honestly, taking my time with something really increases the novelty of wearing a cosplay multiple times! Lots of patience and no shortcuts result in a higher quality outcome, after all. ;D I have some retired costumes and while they’re cute, the quality isn’t the best and there just wasn’t any love in the construction process. Taking pride in your project is immensely important for any creative project, and cosplay is no exception. Lots of other people feel different from me, and that’s okay! This is simply how I am getting the most joy in the costume production part of cosplay. For my next convention, I am carrying out this creed once more. I am doing one new cosplay for SacAnime Winter; one that I truly put my heart in, and represents my entire spirit. Honestly, I have NEVER been so excited to make a new costume before...

Let me introduce my Fancy Dreamer Jade cosplay from Homestuck! <3 A design stemming from my own imagination which is basically a huge, yellow “Glinda dress witch” conglomeration. Which is, you know, basically what my soul looks like as a dress. The idea of wearing your soul is way more exciting than simply your heart on a sleeve.

Front (I don't expect anyone to be able to read my chicken scratch)

Backs, hat, and accessories!

A few notes: I'm not the best artist in the world by any means, but my skill is enough to get my thoughts onto paper! =P I'm also very sorry the quality of pictures themselves aren't great, either. I may actually upload them next time I have access to a scanner.

Jade actually has a running Wizard of Oz theme throughout the comic. Each outfit or appearance she takes on has ties to a a different character from the story, her starter outfit representing Dorothy, Jadesprite being the Cowardly Lion, etc.

A visual! Here's where I found this adorable picutre!

 I realized that she does not have anything that represents Glinda, which was odd to me! Glinda is the key to some major plot points, and of course the two are both adorable witches. I realize that at least in this artist's depiction, Dreamer Jade technically stands for the Scarecrow, but that personally did not resonate with me. So, my personal Dreamer design is an answer to this! I took the Witch of the North route and ran with it. This means that lots of sparkly organza, giant fairy sleeves, and a huge skirt! Glinda’s outfit in the movie is so gorgeous, and while I was definitely inspired by it, there was no way I wanted it to be a carbon copy. I wanted to put my own spin on it, and something that ultimately appeals to me one hundred percent. I’m adding an underbust corset (that’s really more decorative than anything else), a curled witch hat (she DOES have one in the original novel though!), and a magic wand that reminds of a lollipop from Disneyland more than anything. The staff will also be my first major prop, so here’s hopping that there will be enough time to get everything done!

Dreamer Jade’s due date is January 2nd. While I have started my dress, I won’t post any progress or writeups until it’s completely done. I want to save the entire thing as a surprise! In the mean time I have already made a few tweaks to my final design. The staff I have in my picture is actually physically impossible to make so that had to be scratched out, and the neckline of the dress was also modified.

I can honestly say that I have never been more excited for a cosplay. Jade is obviously a very special character to me, and it’s always a privilege portraying her! What makes this costume extra special is that I am cosplaying a design from my own imagination, meaning it’s truly tailored to my tastes. Dreamer Jade is also one of my “dream costumes,” meaning a cosplay that I pine about it but put off doing until the time is right and my skills are high enough. I’ve been sewing about three years and I finally decided it was time for me to tackle such an endeavor. This costume already holds such   high sentimental value because it stands for the progress I’ve made, and how I will continue to grow. It represents not only my love for a favorite character, but my hard work, hopes, and... dreams. c:

Cheers,
Sarah

I do not take credit for this beautiful pixel artwork-I just found it on Google and couldn't the original artist, sadly.

Nonon Improvement Plan! ♪

Sometimes, little details on cosplays just go unchecked before conventions. That’s okay, though! You cannot always expect perfection with your first attempt. And going back and improving your preexisting cosplays can be just as gratifying as constructing an entirely new piece. For one thing, you’re certainly saving your money, and it also saves you from so much extra stress (especially if you’re trying to get something done at the last minute!)

Nonon is in need of some TLC. Here’s what specifically:

Nonon Cosplay Improvement Plan!

• Starch pleats. My skirt is a total wrinkle magnet, so hopefully starching the pleats will help!
• Make lacy underskirt. I dislike relying on my petticoat for that extra poofy detail at the hem. It messes with the silhouette. So, a simple skirt is necessary! Though it looks tulle in her artwork, I am planning on using eyelet lace instead! 
• Sew on that stupid little tie thing. Need I say more? 
• Redo craft foam details on hat. Sure, craft foam is super cheap and easy to work with, but it always seems to get so beat up whenever I make anything out of it. This might have to do with my prepping process-perhaps adding more gesso will help with this?
• Add hat’s chin strap. Again, another stupid detail I keep forgetting. It will just be a simple, vinyl strap.
• Add and replace ribbons on baton. I want my baton’s plume thing to be even fuller! Some of the ribbons on it have grown kind of nasty, so fresh ones are needed!
• Do something about boots? Note the question mark. I honestly really like the white contrast they provide over a pair of matching blue ones. I might even prefer it. But I want to add the little details her’s have (scallops, tabs, angel wings, etc.), so I am not sure if I should I just leave those out, have the details be in blue instead of white, or bite the bullet and do everything in the correct colors.

Even with this tidy list, all of this actually getting done in time by January is still entirely up in there. I AM making a new costume for SacAnime Winter, and that is honestly much more of a priority then fiddling with an eyelet skirt or chin strap. So we’ll have to see what happens!-at the very least, this is a good reminder for myself.

What’s my next cosplay going to be? All will be explained in the near future...

Cheers,
Sarah

A small hint about my next costume!: It's related to the moon and stars! A YELLOW moon to be specific~