30th October 2009: Bracelets As easy as they look I tried 5 different methods of fastening for these bracelts. Problem is getting them on and off - they have to be tight on the wrist yet somehow expand over the hands when sliding them on and off. Velcro, poppers, elastic, laceup - all of them looked untidy. This is the final solution which worked for me. It is another Gold lycra band which slides over my hand and then over the loose open bracelets and holds them clamped shut. It also gives the bracelets the enclosed all around look like the artwork design.
Photo also shows the detail patterns I stencilled onto Gold card with a fine tip permenant marker pen. Then cut the circles out with a circle cutter. These discs will be fixed onto the bracelets later, when I have made up the jewels that go in the centres.
30th October 2009: Bracelts Here cardboard strips are slid into Gold lycra covers, and the ends then sewed shut. The cardboard stiffens the bracelt shape.
20th October 2009: Final skirt panels 20 Oct Here the inserts have been covered in the gold lycra material, a combination of fabric glue and sewing gave the neatest result. I want the costume parts to all match, as they do in the artwork, so the hard armour parts are all being covered with the same Gold lycra material to match the bodice.
20th October 2009: Skirt piece inserts To make the final costume skirt pieces I settled on using Mountboard, which I got from an art supply shop. Mountboard gives the rigid and flat quality I need for the skirt panels - in the artwork and anime Galaxia's skirt is like armour and each panel swings seperately like little daggers. If I can manage I want my skirt to also have this quality of movement, so each piece has to be rigid enough to hold its shape on its on.
Here the mountboard has been marked out using the pattern and has just been cut out on a cutting mat.
20th October 2009: Trial run of the rough bodice and skirt This is the test fit of the skirt and bodice patterns together. I'm happy with the fit and shape so this is the pattern I will use to cut the Gold material.
20th October 2009: Making the skirt pattern I made the skirt pattern by cutting up cereal packets to get the right size and shape. It took two attempts, then I had the right shape which fitted my waist. And a bit of maths division to get the right amount of skirt pieces.. I'm pleased to say the skirt has the correct amount of pieces as per the artwork - 8 across the front and 8 across the back.
In the pic the cardboard pieces are selotaped together so I could wear it to test its fit.
20th October 2009: Making my bodice Rough Here is the Rough of the bodice in progress. Using the pattern I have just drawn I begin constructing a rough of the costume (just using some old spare material). Lots of alterations are made to this rough until it fits me exactly.
20th October 2009: Making pattern for bodice - 19 Oct This is how I have to start. No patterns so I have to make my own. First stage - draw on greaseproof paper using the art ref to get proportions and details. I start with centre line and mark the nipples (sorry I don't know a polite way of putting that) It helps me make get bust shape in the right place.
9th October 2009: 9 Oct Bought the material to cover the costume pieces with today..
Shiney Gold streatch lycra ftw. I am going to gleam. ^_^
9th October 2009: 9 Oct Blade now covered with top layer of nice smooth card.
5th October 2009: 4 Oct 09 Made some more progress on the hilt details. I made a crossguard out of an off-cut of hardwood that was lying around. I cut a slot through its middle so it could slide down the handle grip and glued into place. Then I cut the 2 rain guard pieces (just below the crossguard) out of hardboard using a blow up of a screen capture to get the shape right, and glued these on too.
To make the teeth/spikes which are on the ends of the crossguard I used car body filler. It is pretty smelly stuff to use, and also contains chemicals you have to be carefull with, but we use what we're used to. Anyway..the pic left shows one spike which has been filed to shape and you can see the other spike is still just a blob of filler on the crossguard at this stage.
Both spikes are now completed.
21st September 2009: 21 sept 09 - sword construction The beginnings of my sword..
As usual I start with some ref images - this time grabbed from final episode on YouTube. I studied the pics until I understood its 3D form.
I then drew out and cut a cardboard template of the hilt - and modified it a few times until it looked the right size and shape in my hands.
Then I selected a piece of wood to be an internal spine for the sword, this will hold it all straight and provide the main strength.
I shaped the sword handle out of the wooden block using wood files and sand paper. I also thinned the blade spine down toward its edges. Then I cut out the sword blade out of some packaging cardboard. (always save large cardboard packaging when you have new stuff delivered..) Then I cut the cardboard blade in two and wedged both pieces onto the sword spine, so it pushed into the cardbaords internal layers. Then I glued the two piecs on permenantly using wood glue.
At this point the sword blade feels quite solid, but the surfaces look untidy so I will add a further layer of paper card on top to neaten it all up...
2nd August 2009: 2 Aug 09 Now in progress. I don't want to be rushing last minute for Expo again so I've made my start now, this gives two months.
Ref pics gathered, (from trawling the net). Now I have a good understanding what Galaxia's costume looks like all around.
Started making up a 'rough' of the bodice.
Also started building a mock up of her sword out of cardboard first - just to get the right size and shapes worked out.