FIN

Two weeks ago, the Project was presented in my college's BFA showcase. It was well-received! I wish actual Disney-nerds stepped forward to talk to me about it, but that's alright.

The Project is still-ongoing, tho! I've been doing more Creative Costuming for other aspects of WDW, such as the resorts (been posting them to my art tumblr) And my good friends are making some of the designs~

The Living Seas: Wig Construction

I had mentioned it here and there before, but I'll mention it for the new people. Some of my super-talented friends offered to help me with this project by making some of the designs on their own! The first one who jumped on board was my dear friend (and my 'Disney Sister'), Laura! She called dibs on The Living Seas, as well as The Land to make for her boyfriend. How adorable is that?!

A couple weeks back, I went into NYC to help Laura pick out fabrics for Seas. I offered to craft the wig for her, since I LOVE making crazy wigs.

This was the most complex wig I ever made in all my 10 years of cosplaying. But I am SO proud of the results and the time spent on it was oh so worth it! So were the many hotglue burns!

The wig started out as a rather long 3-tone wig I luckily found on eBay for $21 even! JACKPOT!

Long time, no post! Well, at least a post on something related to this project!

This past weekend, I wore my completed Animation Courtyard dress to a convention in Maryland. I was absolutely STUNNED how well-received it was; I was tearing up at so many instances because of the kind words people said about it, no joke. I've been cosplaying for about 10 years and I don't think any of my costumes ever received as much praise as this one. Considering this was one of my own design? That meant the world to me.

Bah, enough of me being sappy, PHOTOS!

Even B&W suits this costume!

I made a quick lil' palette as a prop. Get it? Animator's Palette? dohohoho

It's the thingamabob

Three years ago today, I started my role at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in the Magic Kingdom, as part of the Disney College Program. It'll be three years since I've *been* to WDW, come June, but that's depressing to think about...HAPPY THOUGHTS INSTEAD!

So I thought, hey, I never posted a whole lot of the photos I took during my 4-month stay (or at least publicly I should say), so why not share em'?

Save everything.

My curiosity usually gets me in trouble most of the time. But today it proved to be a good thing! While I was in my basement, I felt a certain...force, drawing me to these filing-drawers. I opened one and went down the list of folders...

Hmm, now what's in here...?

My mom, much like me, is very sentimental. She keeps a LOT of things, but not like those Hoarders on TLC, thankfully. Turns out she saved just about every piece of paperwork from our Disney trips over the years! I also found photo-negatives from the trips as well but those aren't included here. 

Let's see what she saved!

Just an update of sorts~

First off, Animation Courtyard dress is at 90% completion!

Close-up of the bodice. All the Mickeys are freehanded with a ballpoint pen, because you can't trace with vinyl pleather :(

I originally had craft-glued the cells on, but that was before I switched to Heat n Bond. I then proceeded to rip off the glued cells and reattach them with HnB. I'm nuts, what else is new...

After literally a day's worth of pattern-drafting for the underskirt, I set up the "sheets" and what sketches I wanted on each one.

A day and a half later, the tracings are done and the 'papers' are stitched in place on the dress.

After the skirt was sewn together with the zipper installed, I had to hand-sew the filmstrip border on. Again, an annoying thing about vinyl-pleather: hates sewing machines.

Fun Fact: Total number of Who Framed Roger Rabbit viewings while making this: 7.5

What's currently being worked on are the gloves. Hot-glue + gloves + pencils and paintbrushes = Voila!
Once the dress is fully done and out of the way, I'll proceed to the final part of the project, the small-scale float model.

Another thing I wanted to post in here were the VERY FIRST sketches of this whole entire project. Like, even before the whole concept popped into my head.
See, these were originally designs I wanted my friends to do if we were going to D23 Expo together. That plan fell thru in that respect (tho I DID get to attend for free!). But I held onto the designs just in case they could be useful later. Which they did!

Adventureland and a very faint idea of Frontierland. I tried to got for a pirate/tribal combo here.

Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, which didn't stray too far from the final concepts for the project!

Ye Olde Photo Dump

So this is just one huge photo-post that has nothing to do with my project. If anything, it's proof for how long WDW has been a part of my life!

Caribbean Beach room '91. No Nemo here, yet. Notice the 20th Anniversary bags on the table.

Castle, '91

Chef Mickey's in its original location at Disney Village (now The Marketplace). Fun Fact: I severely burned my hand on a light right outside this restaurant. This is clearly me getting revenge.

Chef Mickey's, post hand-burning. '91