NDK 2014

Wow.

What a crazy weekend.

It started rough because the Marriott hotel where NDK is held seriously overbooked. Like, are you new here? The reservations fill up the day they open, why would they do that? People desperately try to obtain those rooms and I know that the vast majority of them are NOT going to cancel. These are highly coveted spaces. And if this was the first year NDK was this big, we could forgive them. It's not. This hotel is always filled to capacity during NDK. So their egregious error sent many people (my party included) to other hotels. Of course, the three in the immediate area (which are all within walking distance) are already full of all the people who could not get into the Marriott in the first place.

The place they sent us to was NOT within walking distance, which irked all of us. It was also more expensive (not by a ton, but enough). And to top it all off, the Marriott originally wanted to do NOTHING to help us out. We FINALLY got them to fax over the official "walking" papers. Walking is what it is called when one hotel sends you to another hotel and is usually attached to a special rate and arrangement between the hotels. We didn't know that until later. So we got the first night at our original rate and could get our second night at the new hotel rate (we were at the Double Tree, which is a Hilton hotel). They were very nice and helpful, but understandably their hands were tied. They needed the Marriott paper work so they could make sure they got their money and could do little for us until the papers were faxed. Also, they gave us cookies, which certainly helped matters.

Later, they apparently came to an arrangement with the Marriott to offer the second night to us at a cheaper rate, which we liked. And when we checked out, it turned out that the Marriott covered our first night altogether. Nice to know that they came through in some way. Of course, we went back and complained, and then another person in our room went and complained, so maybe they were just tired of hearing from our room...

Anyway, we were off to a rocky start, but we got settled and changed and hung out with our friends. The rest of the evening was casual. Of course I wore my Nausicaa costume. But I don't have a picture from this year because I am lame... But here is one from last year! And yes, I brought my plushie Ohmu.

Saturday we began around 9-10. We had breakfast and mimosas (because that is our tradition). We went to a panel by Cupcake Cosplay about hoop skirts and dresses, and that was pretty neat.

I wore my Lady Fourth Doctor costume. Again, I didn't get any new pictures except this one with the TARDIS and the following selfie I took after my hair had lost most of it's friz.

I feel awkward about taking and posting selfies, but I love my Doctor costume...

And here are some other random pictures I took:

Amie and Cat as characters from Kill la Kill

Pixel style Miyazaki balcony!

Miss Frizzle and Captain Marvel (I believe). And yes, that is Night Vale on Miss Frizzle's skirt. Totally awesome.

I think these characters are from Final Fantasy? We LOVE their light-up staffs!!

Hiccup, Toothless, and Valka (I'm pretty sure). Cute!

Some of our friends joined us down there. We did lots of wandering and went back to Cat and Drew and Ben's room for late lunch, beer, and a couple rounds of Tsuro, which was very entertaining.

Looks like a disaster waiting to happen.

We ended up back at NDK later and wandered/sat around to watch people. People-watching is one of our favorite NDK past-times.

Later a bunch of us went back to the room I shared with Amie and Kai and had some coffee, snacks, and drinks (this makes us sound like crazy party-ers/alcoholics, but I promise we aren't. This is just part of NDK tradition now-a-days...). Then some of our friends left to go to late night panels and karaoke (which I never make it to because it starts at midnight and I am too tired to stay up so late).

The next morning we all had to check out of our hotels. So we all had to get into our Sailor Disney costumes and check out. Of course, there were normal people staying at our hotel, so we got several weird looks. That's OK. I worked hard on this costume and I wore it with pride!

Here are a couple of pictures. We also invested in a professional photo shoot. We will have those pictures in a few weeks or so. I will probably post some of those when we get them back, as well as info about our photographer (who was very cool).

Selfie!

Not the best photo location, but here is our group! So fun!

After the photo shoot, everyone dispersed. It had been a long, full day! Thanks for reading and I will post about the photo shoot when we get the pictures!

NDK 2014 Costumes Part Six

I finished the handkerchief. It looks a little weird, especially in the front, but it's too late to fix it now!

I did a trial run of the costume. I will need to put band aids on my feet, I bet. The shoes aren't very comfy for a long day walking around.

Otherwise, I think it looks OK.

From the front

The back

Randi and Katie were nice enough to make everyone's tiaras! Which is amazing because everyone was running out of time. Thanks guys! You rock!

I only got one vote on the gloves, but it was Cat and her opinions are worth more. Cause she makes costumes professionally and I trust her judgement. She said they'd be alright gold, so I am painting them. They will need a few coats, so no pictures (because they are going to take a while to dry all the way and then I still need to sew the blue bits on). That's OK. There will be plenty of actual NDK pictures.

The wig is... A process. It's SO LONG! But the wig I bought online is much nicer than the one I was originally going to use. If I finish it in a reasonable amount of time, I will post pictures.

Otherwise, I ironed my costume and am generally ready to go.

NDK is so soon! I'm excited and nervous!

Here is my line-up:

Friday- Nausicaa (I know, I'm cheating)

Saturday- Lady 4th Doctor (And again...)

Sunday- Sailor Jasmine (plus a photo shoot! Exciting!)

There may have been talk of Katamari? But Amie was the only one who asked me. We will see if more people decide to do it. We worked so hard on those heads, it would be a shame not to bring it back at least once. Maybe next year.

NDK 2014 Costumes Part Five

Things are starting to wrap up here.

I made this little choker:

The fabric glue is still a little wet in this picture, as you can plainly see.

I made and sewed sleeves onto my leotard in true Jasmine fashion:

And I ended up having to redo the ribbon under the bust a little. Despite my best efforts, sewing the whole thing down made it too tight to fit over my thighs...

So I undid the back stitches and put a snap on the end so it will snap closed once my leotard is on.

I have mixed feelings about my gloves. I want gloves so I can cover my wrist tattoo and because all of the sailor scouts wear gloves. However, I am afraid that the white is too weird with the rest of my costume. I might be able to dye them gold or blue? Only if I can find the right shade, and that makes me feel nervous. Or I can paint them the same sparkly gold I used for my shoes:

I kind of like the idea, but sparkly gold? Is that too much? Any one have any thoughts on the matter? Otherwise, the little blue pieces that will attach to the ends of the gloves are finished, but I am waiting to attach them.

I sewed on my front bow. I also finally sewed the back bow on so my skirt is officially finished (for better or for worse).

I am finishing the handkerchief so that I can figure out how to attach it to the rest. I am thinking snaps. I can't sew it on because I'm not sure that I will be able to get the costume on if I do.

I FINALLY got my wig (I was starting to panic) and I need to style it (heaven help me, I am really no good at dealing with wigs). Then I will do a trial run of my costume and make-up. I also need to remember to dig out some gold earrings to wear in my ears.

Oh! And I need to make my tiara! I am worried about this piece because we will be using a lot of stuff that I am not familiar with. I guess there is a first time for everything.

NDK 2014 Costumes Part Four

First off, my wig is on its way. Yay! Of course, once it gets here, I still have to style it. Oh well.

Second of all, I am starting to hate this costume. Mostly because of my lack of pattern and issues with making a circle skirt with this particular fabric. I knew what I was getting myself into, though, so I guess I can't complain to much.

I tried to finish the skirt and other small, blue pieces, but got frustrated and decided that I needed a break. I wanted to work on my bows with my gold fabric.

The back of my handkerchief

Sorry it is so blurry. I threw together a little draw-string bag to carry my stuff around in.

This site: Cupcake Cosplay: How to Make a Sailor Moon Fuku has very good directions on how to make bows. I also used it for the waist band (thing) of my skirt, which, due to my fabric choice, sucked... Anyway, I basically followed the "bows" section of the page to make my bows. The only thing that I really changed was not stuffing the bows. I used interfacing (despite my hatred of interfacing) on all of the pieces instead. Of course, then I had to finish the skirt so that I can attach the back bow... Here are some pictures:

Back bow

Here are the tails of my back bow attached to my finished skirt.

It isn't sewn on yet, but here is how it will look!

My front bow!

I also worked on my leotard. Since I decided not to show my midriff, here is my solution in action:

I used my gold ribbon to separate the pieces. And yes, this is how I did it because I don't have a dress form...

I couldn't just sew it on because the leotard is stretchy and I would never get it back on. So I sewed the ribbon down in a few places like this.

Jasmine may not have been the best choice for a conversion to sailor scout mostly because of the style and fabric I decided on. Even the gold was slippery and made it impossible to get straight lines even with a ruler and pins. I think everything will look alright in the end, but it's been a tough one. I am still really worried about the skirt and wondering if I will have to re-do the whole thing. But I really don't want to. Well, you live and you learn, I suppose. 

Side note:I have worked on all of this in my living room where Remus is a pretty constant companion. He usually dozes under a blanket, but I tend to throw all of my costume pieces around and sometimes he gets buried.

My cute helper!

NDK 2014 Costumes Part Three

I finally started working on my Sailor Jasmine costume.

I tried buying a wig at a local costume store, but it is way too cheap and thin to use so I am going to have to return it and order one online. I found the one I am going to use though: Jotei long black wig.

I decided not to a) bare my midriff and b) not replace the middle of the leotard with skin-toned fabric. I decided to keep it solid and put some gold under the bust. This idea was partially inspired by this: Sailor Jasmine by PinkPetalEntrance.

I bought a pair of while gloves. I thought gold or matching blue would be better, but those options weren't available, so white it is. I'm not sure how many people in our group will do gloves, but mine have the added benefit of covering the tattoo on my wrist. 

I fudged making a pattern for a circle skirt--how silly is this?

I know it is difficult to see, but this is my pattern that I measured and drew (it is 1/4th of the skirt) on several pieces of paper taped together...

But it looks nicer cut out. The waist is bigger than I meant it to be, but it has to be gathered and such so it will be OK.

I also cut pieces for the handkerchief, and the pieces for the top of the skirt, the tops of the gloves, and the bands for my hair.

A glove band.

I got some gold fabric, gold ribbon, and other miscellaneous things I will need, but haven't done anything with them yet.

I've been hitting some snags with this one. Part of it is the fabric that I am using. I am also using horsehair braid for the first time and feel completely at a loss. Another part is the fact that I am not using any patterns (except for the little one I had to make myself for my skirt), which is not something that I am used to doing. I figure that it is only a costume and most of my mistakes won't be visible in the end... These are the things I tell myself, anyway. I will post more when I have more to show for all of this work...

Here are some of my references for the skirt that I (and probably several of my group members) use:
By Hand London: Circle Skirt Maths - explained!
Tutorial-Putting in Horse Hair Braid/CLAMP Ruffles by RuffleButtCosplay

I will post more references as I get to them.

Oh, and in case I didn't tell anyone: we decided to do ruffle-y circle skirts instead of pleats because no one wants to sew those... In case anyone was confused.

NDK 2014 Costumes Part One

Is it that time already? Why yes, yes it is.

Most people who find and read this know, but NDK stands for Nan Desu Kan and is one of the local anime conventions that my friends and I attend. We always manage to have a good time and we make our own costumes. All around good fun.

I am excited to announce that the Sailor Moon/Disney cross over is happening this year! And we have a pretty big group involved! I am going to be Sailor Princess Jasmine. Is that how we should write our names? Sailor Jasmine? Anyway, it is going to be fun!

I am hoping that we bring back our Katamari group costumes. I don't know that a decision has been made. I am planning on bringing back my Lady Doctor costume as my alternative. Because I love it.

I also think that I want to make a Hiccup costume. I probably will--I think it will be easy enough.

So the Jasmine scout costume will be the most difficult on so many levels. First off, my skin color is pale. Some of my friends would tell you that I am so pale I am almost blue. This brings a whole new problem: should I try to tan or color my skin so I look more Jasmine-like? (I am thinking no.) Also, I don't want to bare my midriff. So my plan was to find a skin colored leotard and make my two piece costume over it (so my midriff is covered). After not finding anything in my skin tone, I finally found a leotard that was the color of Jasmine's outfit and decided that I will cut out the middle and add in a mesh or something. I also ordered tights that looked my skin color. If they are too dark, I will dye them. I found it all pretty cheap online so I can justify having to alter them. Plus, covering my midriff and wearing tights will cover two of my tattoos. And then I don't have to do so with makeup.

I will certainly need a wig. I looked a little online and found some truly terrible Jasmine wigs. That will be another hurdle.

We have already had a meeting to start planning our Sailor Disney costumes. We know how we will be making our skirts and our bows, more or less. We even have tiara patterns and everything. I will post more about these as I get into it. I need my leotard first so that I can match my colors. I am excited!

As a side note, some friends and I are running (or mostly walking, in my case) the Boulder-Boulder 10k. Katja, Jhenn, and I want to do super hero themes with tutus (cause that's what we do). So Katja will be Batman, Jhenn will be Leonardo from TMNT, and I'm going to be the Pink Ranger. So we were making tutus (tho Jhenn already has a green and blue one that she made). Here is mine so far:

Like pink, fluffy clouds! We are dorks and I love it! I just need to finish it up and paint a shirt and headband to match!

NDK 2013: Finishing Touches and the Main Event!

Yesterday was the last day of NDK 2013. Sad faces.

This year's program. Pretty, yes?

First things first, I had to finish my costumes! Namely my Jareth costume.

My wig! Starting to put in the blue. I used a sharpie. They seem to work fine.

Coming along!

Before I put rhinestones on, I sprayed the whole thing with fabric glitter spray (which I actually used on the wig as well). It added a general sparkle. Then I created a paste with mod podge and lots of glitter (like I did for the lace cuffs) and painted it on the lapels, shoulders, and back where the rhinestones go.

Dried glitter paste.

Rhinestoning! (That's a word now). I got tons of blue, black, and silver ones and just rhinestoned (see, it's a verb!) until I achieved a 1980's level of tackiness.

It had to look tacky from the front, too. I watched a lot of Sailor Moon during this time.

Nan Desu Kan 2013!!!

Unfortunately, Colorado had some pretty major flooding the week before NDK. I couldn't get down to Denver on Friday to join in the fun. The roads did open back up so I could make it there on Saturday morning.

My first cosplay was Nausicaa:

How it turned out!

How it is supposed to look.

I think it came out alright! Plus, my good and talented friend, Cat (here is her little company page: Addict Outfitters) made me a plushie Ohmu! I love my Ohmu!

Aww, Ohmu!!

Here was our big group cosplay this year:

The whole gang! (Minus our Totoro)

This was a fun one. Not everyone really realized that we were there as a group, but people kept noticing that they were running into a lot of Ghibli characters.

Saturday was when my friend, Jhenn, held her NDK panels. Her first one was on Japanese book binding. I know they were short on time, but she managed to gather a large group of interested people, which was wonderful! It was too full for most of us to sit in on, sadly.

I was supposed to wear my Jareth costume on Friday evening, but since I didn't make it, I wore it Saturday evening. Cat, my Sarah, wore her beautiful Sarah dress Friday by her lonesome. Sad. But here she is looking absolutely beautiful in her home-made ball gown:

So pretty!

Here is my Jareth costume. There are actually a few floating around on the internet, too. That's cool, right? It's OK, most people won't know that it's me.

Trying to glare in a menacing fashion.

How it's supposed to look. Not too bad a job, right?

I bought colored contacts that were not prescription nor were they fitted to my eyes so they were very uncomfortable! But here they are with my makeup that my friend, Katja, did much of.

I also have a decent amount of glitter on my face, which is difficult to see.

On Saturday night, Jhenn had her second panel: Ink! This one I managed to sit in on. Which was nice because she sketched a picture of me with my rat babies for an example. It was a good panel and very educational. Jhenn is a good teacher. Go to her panels! Plus, she is a great artist. She had some art pieces up for the art show that they hold every year. Both were beautiful. People bid on both! So proud!

Saturday also held many of the main events of the convention. The AMV contest and awards are always highly packed. The costume contest happened this day, as did the "Mask-a-rave." They had so many events going on, it is impossible to keep up with! The best strategy is to pick panels that you want to see and make sure you hit those and do anything else in between. Oh, and for future con goers: get to your panels early! NDK has gained a ton of popularity since I started going. They offer so many things, but it is very crowded and space is limited!

And remember, there is always Artist's Alley where artists gather and sell their crafts. This is a favorite spot for me--people are so creative and talented! I actually bought a couple of beautiful dragon prints from an artist. I highly recommend checking her out: Little Wings Dragons by Carla Morrow.

They have two different gaming rooms, one for live games and one for video games, both of which can attract quite the crowd. You may have to wait a while for your turn at the games, but it is fun!

They always invite many, many guests who participate in panels, interviews, and autographs. It is always great to connect with the people involved in the anime and manga industries and hear what they have to say. This has always been a base for NDK. They have been very successful and lucky with participation from the greats out there!

And last, but certainly not least, is the Dealer's Room. It's a hot spot! The lines to get in are almost always long, but they move fast! My advice though? Watch what you are buying. Some of the venders mark their prices up quite a bit, which I think is unfair. Be aware of what is good pricing and what is oddly high. You can probably find these at a shop for a reasonable price. That's not to say that they are all there to rip you off, that's not true at all. Just be aware. Really though, you can find SOOOO many cool things here! It is crowded, but worth waiting and browsing.

And just sitting and watching people is part of the fun. Lots of cool and creative costumes to see. There are several sites where you can find costume pictures. I was pleased by the numbers of people doing female versions of strong, male characters. Represent, ladies! Speaking of which...

Sunday, Katja and I did our Lady Doctor costumes.

I probably shouldn't be smiling... And Katja lent me that hat.

The fourth and tenth Lady Doctors!

I did get many, many compliments on my scarf! Which made me happy because I love it! It is probably 13 feet long or so.

Every year in the past (since NDK has been held at this location, anyway) we have taken a picture of our group in the reflected ceiling windows at night. We actually forgot this year so we used this conveniently dark wall art to take our reflection picture in. You can kind of see us.

Our annual picture!

That's the end of NDK 2013! If I happen to stumble upon anything interesting that relates to this, I will be sure to post it for those who are interested.

Here is the official NDK website: Nan Desu Kan. Check it out! They are already starting registration for next year! And, yes, they do sell out.

Next year, our big group cosplay is going to be a cross between Sailor Moon and Disney heroines. Yes, you heard right. It might sound weird, but it will be fun! Maybe the boys can be Disney heroes crossed with Tuxedo Kamen. Who knows. I don't know what else I will do. There was talk of Power Rangers, so maybe I will be the pink ranger. We will see.

But, if you ask me? The best part about NDK is that it is a tradition for me and my friends (apparently we've been going for about 11 (or so?) years, though I know I missed a couple in the middle). We get to see each other and hang out together all weekend. We get dressed up, we eat our meals together, and we just hang out! I always look forward to spending this time with some of my best friends. I love you guys! You are the ones that make NDK fun for me. I look forward to next year!

NDK 2013 Costumes Part Nine

I am pleased to announce that my Nausicaa costume is pretty much finished! It may be a little rough around the edges (for instance, I didn't feel like adding buttons so it buttons to the top so I will be using safety pins), but it is ready to go! I just need gloves!

Not shown here are the leg warmer things, yellow tights, and belt. And the shoes.

My Lady Fourth Doctor (that's awkward to say... how are you supposed to say it??) is nearly finished! I have made all of my necessary alterations to coat and capris! I just need to finish the scarf, clean off the hat, and find a silly broach. Don't you love the progress? And the scarf is oh-so-close! It is about 12 feet long and just needs another foot or so and then the fringe on the ends!

Not shown are the capris, white shirt, and shoes. The scarf is nearly finished!

I wish I could say that I had progress on my Jareth costume. I left that one at home this past week because I'm scared of it. It still needs to have a lot done. But now I have this weekend and all of next week to finish! Yay! And keep your fingers crossed that my wig makes it in time. I still have to put blue in it and spray it with glitter. Oh, and I need to finish his broach! Don't let me forget!