Homemade Costumes

[Russell Nash]

Schwankie's question about girl geek costumes got me wondering.  What creations have you made?  What did you do for a con or Halloween or Mardi Gras or whatever?  I don't mean putting on a fedora and wearing a rumbled suit and saying you're Philip Marlowe.  I mean really made. 

Germany (mostly southern Germany) celebrates Fasching.  It's basically Mardi Gras and everyone gets dressed up like it's Halloween.  My kids' kindergarten had an outer space theme this year.  Stupid me, I said, "oh, an astronaut costume will be easy."  It wasn't, but I got it done.  I do not know how to sew.  I didn't have any kind of pattern.  I finished at two in the morning the night before.



The name tags even have their real names on them.  Thanks to WhereTheWild for helping me do the patches.

I needed a place to brag and I'm also curious what you guys have done.

[eytanz]

I haven't made (or worn) a constume since I was 17, so I can't contribute much there, but wow, is that an adorable picture. And those looking like really great astronaut suits. I wouldn't have been surprised if you had told us they were store-bought.

[Thaurismunths]

Bravo!
Shwankie and I do sew, and those costumes look great!

[Russell Nash]

Bravo!
Shwankie and I do sew, and those costumes look great!

We're all waiting to see her con costume.

[Darwinist]

 Coming from a 16 year veteran of homemade costumes:  Those NASA costumes are great!  Where did you get the orange suits? 

[Russell Nash]

Coming from a 16 year veteran of homemade costumes:  Those NASA costumes are great!  Where did you get the orange suits? 

Orange fabric from Ikea.  None of it was pre-made it all.  Where are pictures of your costumes?

[Listener]

When I was in 4th grade or so, my mom made me an astronaut costume for "what do you want to be when you grow up" day... mine was blue but otherwise quite similar to those.  I didn't have the patches, but she did her best with paint and cloth.  It was probably the best costume of the day (though I was biased).

My mom made a lot of costumes when we were growing up -- one year for Halloween, my sister and I were Woodstock and Snoopy (respectively); I got a lot of use out of my sorcerer's costume; she even made me an executioner's outfit and we put plastic weapons on it.

I don't have any pictures of any of them.  Thank goodness.  *grin*

[Chodon]

Excellent job on the costumes, Russell.  I have recently tried my hand at sewing (nothing as complicated as clothing, only adding reinforcement to snow pants and making a pouch to hold clips for putting up Christmas lights).  I have to say those are WAY better than anything I have done.  I'm impressed.

I only dressed up a couple times.  I got in the Holland Sentinel (Holland Michigan, not Holland the country) for dressing up to see Star Wars, but that was just a wool blanket wrapped around me like a cloak and a light up lightsaber.  The other time was a home-made Vader costume for Halloween, but the focal point was the store-bought helmet.  I only made a couple capes (two to try to get the fullness of Vader's cape) and some lights in a cardboard box on my chest.  The box got busted when I tackled some kid trying to steal another kid's candy.  I should have made it tougher...

[Russell Nash]

I was copying this:



It's a NASA LES (Launch Entry Suit).  It's the suit they wear for launches and re-entries.  It's got some kind of atmospheric control and inflates like the flight suits for fighter pilots.

[Darwinist]

Coming from a 16 year veteran of homemade costumes:  Those NASA costumes are great!  Where did you get the orange suits? 

Orange fabric from Ikea.  None of it was pre-made it all.  Where are pictures of your costumes?

I'll have to dig out some old Halloween pictures.  Most are probably pre-digital camera. 

[Russell Nash]

Coming from a 16 year veteran of homemade costumes:  Those NASA costumes are great!  Where did you get the orange suits? 

Orange fabric from Ikea.  None of it was pre-made it all.  Where are pictures of your costumes?

I'll have to dig out some old Halloween pictures.  Most are probably pre-digital camera. 

That's why god created scanners.

[Darwinist]

Coming from a 16 year veteran of homemade costumes:  Those NASA costumes are great!  Where did you get the orange suits? 

Orange fabric from Ikea.  None of it was pre-made it all.  Where are pictures of your costumes?

I'll have to dig out some old Halloween pictures.  Most are probably pre-digital camera. 

That's why god created scanners.

N-sh invented scanners?   

[Thaurismunths]

Coming from a 16 year veteran of homemade costumes:  Those NASA costumes are great!  Where did you get the orange suits? 

Orange fabric from Ikea.  None of it was pre-made it all.  Where are pictures of your costumes?

I'll have to dig out some old Halloween pictures.  Most are probably pre-digital camera. 

That's why god created scanners.

N-sh invented scanners?   

See. That's why N-sh is so great; HE thinks of everything.

[ClintMemo]

Those costumes are awesome. 
The expressions on your kid's faces is priceless. 
She looks like she can't wait to explore the universe. 
He looks like he can't wait to shoot aliens.

[Kurt Faler]

Those costumes are awesome. 
The expressions on your kid's faces is priceless. 
She looks like she can't wait to explore the universe. 
He looks like he can't wait to shoot aliens.

I think he looks like a mini Christian Slater from around the time he did Heathers 

[Tango Alpha Delta]

Coming from a 16 year veteran of homemade costumes:  Those NASA costumes are great!  Where did you get the orange suits? 

Orange fabric from Ikea.  None of it was pre-made it all.  Where are pictures of your costumes?

I'll have to dig out some old Halloween pictures.  Most are probably pre-digital camera. 

That's why god created scanners.

N-sh invented scanners?   

See. That's why N-sh is so great; HE thinks of everything.

I thought G-re invented scanners?  Or was it Cordwainer Smith?

[Tango Alpha Delta]

Okay... servers are up... 'puter with pix is free... no kids to kick the DSL out of the wall...  QUICK POST:





My wife is a super-genius with crafty stuff.  These are the boys' 2003 costumes.  I wish I had some shots of their Mario Karts from the year before, though... that was the best use of AOL CDs you've ever seen (headlights).

EDIT: Figured out how to make it bigger than a thumbnail! 

[Planish]

Sort of a costume, I guess.
A Tudor-ish doublet, which serves as arm and torso "armour" for SCA Rapier Combat. Much of the deviation from authenticity (especially in the rest of the outfit) is a result of making it practical for fencing and laundering.
My wife sewed it, according to my interpretation of a McCall's costume pattern, with unseen features to allow it to pass the mandatory safety inspection.


I made the gorget and the buckler from a sheet of 18-gauge mild steel. Since that photo was taken, I have made another (nicer) buckler out of stainless steel. See http://northernelectric.ca/medieval/armoury/buckler_stainless/ss_buckler.htm for the documentation.


When I'm not actually fencing, I like to wear the generic Tudor flatcap. The striped stick is to indicate that I'm officiating as a Marshal (sort of a referee) for the fencing.

If I could afford the high boots and the modified Burgonet helmet, I'd switch to portraying a Scottish Border Reiver.

Gee, pity I don't have any photos of me wearing my houppelande, chaperon, and poulaines - sort of a Burgundian ensemble.

[Thaurismunths]

If I could afford the high boots and the modified Burgonet helmet, I'd switch to portraying a Scottish Border Reiver.

High boots? Funny hat?
I thought it was looking out at the edge of space and going bibldy over it that made you a reiver?

[Planish]

Nah. If I wanted to go for that kind of reiver look, I'd quit the SCA and join the Tuchux (as below, the ones mostly in black leather, many with horse mane crests):





Photos are from a charity tourney to raise money to fight breast cancer, hosted by the Tuchux at Pennsic - an SCA annual war which the Tuchux usually show up at, as mercs for either The East or Midrealm. The blue duct tape on the helms indicates an ally of the Kingdom of the East. More photos at http://www.pbase.com/darter02/p34_013 .
They are only remotely related to the Gorean Tuchuks.

[wherethewild]

Hey, I got a mention! Just for that, Russell, you don't have to lend me money the next time I'm getting caned in poker. I'll suffer my defeat in noble silence.

[Planish]

I was looking for something else, and spotted this:



What it lacks in sophistication is made up for by cuteness.

[Thaurismunths]

Yes, right, costumes.
So, while Shwankie and I still need to write something about SheVaCon (was was that, a month ago now?), here are myself and Adam dressed as Hands of Blue from Firefly.
We're wearing black suits, white shirts, black ties and dress shoes, and blue nitrile gloves from Home Depot.

And here we are with our hero and mentor, D. Vader


For that whole night we tried to stay 'in character'. This means that we stayed in casual proximity to each other, didn't smile, and, because we'd been drinking, every time we took the elevator we stood side-by-side, really close to the doors, so when they opened we'd be all glowering and imposing.
Through out the evening we came up with a few other costume uses for black suits:
Pulp Fiction - add fro and guns
Blues Brothers - hat and sun glasses
Men In Black - sun glasses
'The Tall Man' from Phantasm - be tall
I think there were others, but they're lost in the fog.

[Planish]

Don't forget "The Gentlemen" from BtVS episode Hush:



Dayyum! Lose the blue gloves, get a bit of undead makeup, and you guys are there. Bonus points for gliding a few inches off the ground. Failing that, some concealed motorized mini roller skates should do it.

Add domino mask and katana, for one of those "Crazy 88s" dudes.

[Chodon]

I never realized the black suit had so many options for costumes.  Fantastic!

[Thaurismunths]

Don't forget "The Gentlemen" from BtVS episode Hush

Aah! That's one I forgot. We were actually going to try and pull it off, but we couldn't find a balled cap in time.
Crazy 88s are a good idea too.

[Russell Nash]

Yes, right, costumes.
So, while Shwankie and I still need to write something about SheVaCon (was was that, a month ago now?), here are myself and Adam dressed as Hands of Blue from Firefly.
We're wearing black suits, white shirts, black ties and dress shoes, and blue nitrile gloves from Home Depot.

Are you the short bald one or the tall goofy one. 

[Thaurismunths]

Are you the short bald one or the tall goofy one. 

... the tall goofy one. Thank you.
And while we're at it, lets just get this out of the way:

Shwankie is the gorgous, sexy, brilliant woman you see pictured here... And I'm the guy who's 18 inches taller.

[Russell Nash]

Are you the short bald one or the tall goofy one. 

... the tall goofy one. Thank you.
And while we're at it, lets just get this out of the way:
Shwankie is the gorgous, sexy, brilliant woman you see pictured here... And I'm the guy who's 18 inches taller.

I still don't understand how you managed that one.  She says there was some carb-based drugging involved.

[shwankie]

I'm sticking to that story, btw.

Currently, I have a nasty case of the flu (is there any such thing as a good case of the flu?), and am having serious issues keeping food down. For some reason, though, cake sounds good; so, 'munths said he'd bake me a cake today when he gets home from work  This is the blackmail he uses to keep me.

[Chodon]

After seeing pictures of you and 'munths I'm really impressed that a person with as much obvious visual impairment as yourself is able to use the forums.  You're an inspiration to us all!
 

[shwankie]

Well, the advances in technology are helpful. These days, pretty much everything I do is in braille...

[Tango Alpha Delta]

(Coming late to the party... again...)

RE: the 'munths allure, it has to be the hat.  Us goofy fellas wear them hats, and they either makes us look cooler than we is, elsewise the ladies think "He ain't so bad... but the hat gotta go!"

By the time they figger out it ain't the hat... IT'S TOO LATE!!!

 

[Thaurismunths]

(Coming late to the party... again...)

RE: the 'munths allure, it has to be the hat.  Us goofy fellas wear them hats, and they either makes us look cooler than we is, elsewise the ladies think "He ain't so bad... but the hat gotta go!"

By the time they figger out it ain't the hat... IT'S TOO LATE!!!

 

Damn it Nash! Shwankie hasn't figured that out yet.
Do you have any idea how much I'm going to have to bake to keep Shwankie distracted so she won't continue reading this thread??

[Russell Nash]

(Coming late to the party... again...)

RE: the 'munths allure, it has to be the hat.  Us goofy fellas wear them hats, and they either makes us look cooler than we is, elsewise the ladies think "He ain't so bad... but the hat gotta go!"

By the time they figger out it ain't the hat... IT'S TOO LATE!!!

 

Damn it Nash! Shwankie hasn't figured that out yet.
Do you have any idea how much I'm going to have to bake to keep Shwankie distracted so she won't continue reading this thread??

That was TAD.  I was going to comment about that giraffe neck of yours.

[Thaurismunths]

(Coming late to the party... again...)

RE: the 'munths allure, it has to be the hat.  Us goofy fellas wear them hats, and they either makes us look cooler than we is, elsewise the ladies think "He ain't so bad... but the hat gotta go!"

By the time they figger out it ain't the hat... IT'S TOO LATE!!!

 

Damn it Nash! Shwankie hasn't figured that out yet.
Do you have any idea how much I'm going to have to bake to keep Shwankie distracted so she won't continue reading this thread??

That was TAD.  I was going to comment about that giraffe neck of yours.

Sorry. That was supposed to be "Damn it N-sh!" I was calling on you in an official capacity.

[Tango Alpha Delta]

(Coming late to the party... again...)

RE: the 'munths allure, it has to be the hat.  Us goofy fellas wear them hats, and they either makes us look cooler than we is, elsewise the ladies think "He ain't so bad... but the hat gotta go!"

By the time they figger out it ain't the hat... IT'S TOO LATE!!!

 

Damn it Nash! Shwankie hasn't figured that out yet.
Do you have any idea how much I'm going to have to bake to keep Shwankie distracted so she won't continue reading this thread??

Oh, it should be safe... that faux redneck "Ernest T. Bass" rendering usually keeps gorgeous and brilliant women from reading all the way through a post like that.

[Thaurismunths]

(Coming late to the party... again...)

RE: the 'munths allure, it has to be the hat.  Us goofy fellas wear them hats, and they either makes us look cooler than we is, elsewise the ladies think "He ain't so bad... but the hat gotta go!"

By the time they figger out it ain't the hat... IT'S TOO LATE!!!

 

Damn it Nash! Shwankie hasn't figured that out yet.
Do you have any idea how much I'm going to have to bake to keep Shwankie distracted so she won't continue reading this thread??

Oh, it should be safe... that faux redneck "Ernest T. Bass" rendering usually keeps gorgeous and brilliant women from reading all the way through a post like that.

I dunno... Shwankie's pretty good at reading while rolling her eyes. She does it all the time with stuff I post.