Kiki

Hey guys! Yesterday I got recognized while shoe shopping for my upcoming costume! The saleslady at Malabar asked me if I attended FanExpo 2 years ago, and then asked me if I cosplayed as Kiki from 'Kiki's Delivery Service'! She was right! XD She complimented me on my awesome broom, which I will admit is pretty awesome. :D Never before have I been recognized out of costume before, which makes me feel very proud, knowing that my costumes are memorable (in a good way)! :D

I realized I never posted this one, so here's a little blast from the past:

Kiki is my first costume, which I made in August 2009 for FanExpo. Like all of Hayao Miyazaki's characters, the design was very simple which is why I chose it as my introduction to sewing. :D Also, I absolutely loved the movie as a kid, and watched it way too many times to count!

I entered this costume in the Anime North Masquerade 2010 and won the Best Props Award (Artisan Division) for my skit. (Although, I do have to say that one of my props was a bottle champagne which I gave to the MC and never got back... that may have influenced the judges... XD) Here's the video of my entry! :D

I would have liked to make the skirt more flowy, as is I made a crinoline petticoat to puff up the skirt so it didn't fall straight. But I think that it could have used a bit more volume...

My older sister cut my wig for me as I have trouble cutting my own wigs while they are on my head. The bow is reinforced with interfacing so it stays upright. It's attached to a cheap headband that I covered in the same fabric.

My mum made Gigi for me out of an old Beanie Baby. She gave him an 'ear-lift' and attached the wide eyes with hot-glue.

 The broom is what I am most proud of. I made it using the dead daylilies from the garden at the end of August. I dried them out and hot-glued them to the end of a large wooden dowel. I finished it off with some rope to complete the look. The only problem is that they are extremely brittle, which makes it  difficult to carry in crowded places...

Alex photoshopped this picture for me. I am actually standing on one leg
 on a tall stool in the middle of the road... My expression isn't very good
 because I thought I would fall and die. XD

Kiki's shoes are actually supposed to be an orange-y brown, but I couldn't even find plain brown shoes let alone nice orange-y ones. D: I ended up finding this pair for cheap at Ardenes. Colour-wise, they're okay, but I don't plan on replacing them, as I don't plan on fixing up this costume (except for some slight repairs to the broom).

Jumping off the stool to get a fake 'flying' shot. We only did one attempt
 at this shot because on the first try I managed to smack the brittle broom
 tail on the stool on the way down. I couldn't jump far enough. XD