November Update

Hey all! Haven't done an update in a while...

This month has been super busy, school is taking over my life. But I thought I would let you all know what I've been doing in the meantime. I am currently working on the rehearsal wardrobe for a production at school, which means I have spent a lot of time altering the corsets to better fit the actresses. This involves a lot of disassembling and reassembly. It's been a pretty amazing learning experience, and I have a much better insight of how corsets are patterned and constructed, even if I didn't get to make any myself from scratch. I hope to incorporate what I have learned into a future costume at some point... but what costume I am not sure yet.

Sadly I have run out of pre-prepared blog posts, so content may be pretty slim for the next few weeks. I'm also sad to say I did not carve a pumpkin this year...

In other news, for those of you that don't follow me on facebook I have been hard at work on my original design costume for CostumeCon, which is coming up in April 2014. It's an elven archer. I have been posting progress shots so be sure to check those out! ;D It's going to be pretty rad.

As soon as term is done I will be madly working on Christmas presents.

That's all for now! ;D

Asuna Kagurazaka - Harisen (Paper Fan) - Negima

The much more compact and travel worthy version of her giant sword! This prop was made in record breaking time with whatever leftover materials I had on hand as a sort of last minute prop idea. The weapon really helps make the character more recognizable.

I had been debating whether or not to bother making it at all, seeing how I already had a weapon for this character. However as much as I love the sword form, it's really heavy and I couldn't take it to the States because it is just too large to fit in the car. So I made this the day before I left, entirely from scrap materials. Not bad for a rush job, eh? ;D

For anyone who doesn't have the confidence, time or materials to make her sword, I highly suggest making the harisen (fan) as it is a great beginner level prop, and it doesn't cost much to make!

I cut out 4 pieces of illustration board that would be the fan. (Ideally I would have liked to have more, but I only had this much board left.

I taped them together in an accordian pattern. Using a marker I neatly wrote the inscription "Ministra Magi Asuna" on the outward faces.

I made the handle in the same way as the large sword, minus the sculpted piece. I left a socket in the end where the fan pieces would attach.

Then I hot glued the fan accordian in place. I put some small wedge pieces to keep the fan slightly open, so it didn't look like flat slats sticking out of the handle.

I must have had this in mind (somewhere in my subconscious) when I was making the sword, because I made the ribbon detachable by using a carabiner instead of an actual chain link. This means I only need 1 ribbon, which I can attach to my weapon of choice, instead of making 2.

The fan part is very bendy, and doesn't stay rigid, but I rather like it that way, seeing how it is kind of the "fail" version of her sword. Hahaha