31st August 2010: Started work on the scabbard Yes, I have after nearly a year, started work on Hien's scabbard!

I have cut the shape out of the cardboard (after much difficultly with scissors, I switched to using a knife) and trimmed the shape so that it fits as close to the sword as possible. I'm doing my best to avoid a... "chunky" looking scabbard. It's not the look I wanna end up with!

It's all temporarily held in place with cellotape and I will now being paper mache-ing it! I want it to be ALOT stronger than my flimsy temporary scabbard I made last time T_T

21st October 2009: Hien - Complete! Yes! Well, you've probably already seen the pictures since I put them up a couple of days ago now but the sword part of Hien is now complete!! I really love the flame part on it ^^ I've also made a temporary scabbard for the expo. I'll make a proper one at a later date :)

So now Syaoran is ready for the expo!!! :D

10th October 2009: Not much time left Unfortunally I won't have the time to finish Hien 100% before the expo due to me having a bit of trouble with certian subjects at college T_T This mainly refer's the those funny tassel parts on the scabbard. I had no idea how I was going to do them and I certainly don't have the time to figure them out now ^^; I will do them, but just not untill I have the time to do them. :) But fear not! The main part of the sword should be complete... If I get on with it ^^;;

The blade has been spray painted sliver at any rate XD

3rd October 2009: Paper mache is messy! My goggles came yesterday! Hurray! They look very good, exactly like the picture :)

I've also been paper maching Hien. It looks pretty good (I think!) so far and I don't think it'll need any more layers... it has 2 on so far (maybe more since my paper strips go around more than once!) and it seems pretty hard and stiff enough. Plus I don't think I have time to be doing loads of layers ^^; I don't have any brown paint yet so I'll probably make a start on the scabbard in the mean time!

20th September 2009: Goggles! I've brought them, finally XD Ebay FTW! I brought the pair I considered to be closest in terms of accuratesy (Lol, bad spelling), I went for ones that had the most rounded glass and had sliver rims :) I didn't wanna make them and have them look really fake.

Hien is also still going well! I've attatched the guard and stuck the 2 half's together! It now looks like a sword! :D

18th September 2009: Sword progress I've been working on Hien the past few weeks on and off (work experience and Dissidia have been getting in the way!) and I have now got the design finalised and cut out! :D Took me awhile to get there though, I changed the orginal design (the one I had drawn in pencil on the cardboard) several times because it wasn't right to me. I then changed the piece of cardboard I was using because I deemed it to be too flimsy XD I got another peice from my dad which is MUCH better and I've now cut it out. Now I need to design the guard... lol. How long will that take me? XD

After that I'll do the details on the hilt before paper maching!

3rd September 2009: First test run Okay, you've seen the pictures already. Syaoran has had his first test run at the Somerset cosplay meet :P

I worked really hard to get him finished in time for it! I made the black dangly parts that are on the top and boots from some black fabric I had left over and brought some buttons. But it was only after I had painted the buttons that I realised that they were a bit too big! Oops! So I had to go and find some smaller ones :P

I did have problems trying to figure out what colour the buttons should be. They seem to be a different colour in different pictures. After some thought I came to the conclusion that the colour of the buttons tends to match the colour of the trousers. Since mine were cream-ish I painted the buttons cream. Which seems to look okay, thankfully XD

I just need to make a few repairs and adjustments (fix hole in boots, take a tuck in the trousers, continue to stretch top) and buy the gloves and goggles and it'll be complete apart from the sword, which will begin shortly! :D

21st August 2009: Main costume nearly done My fingers... they HURT DX

The boots are now complete! Hurray!! I got my hands on a couple of old belts (they are a slightly different black colour, but you don't know that!!! D:), cut them up, sewed the ends so they looked nice and part sewed and glued them onto the boots I had brought :D I hope they look good!

I've also now solved my trouser problem. I'm now using an old pair I had (they developed a hole in the bum area, which I've now fixed!!) and taken all of the pockets off. You can tell where I've taken them off but I hope that it won't be too noticable!

So now I move onto the black dangly parts... go go goooooo!!!!

5th August 2009: Cape completion The cape is now complete! :D I moved one of the buttons over as I had said but I found it didn't make much difference. So my mum suggested putting a popper (or snap fastener, whatever you wanna call them!) in to keep it on better. I added one in, behind the strap so that it can't be seen, and it's worked pretty well! I then "roughed it up" after some help on the forums (thanks guys!) and took it outside and stomped around on it :P

The top that I ordered from ebay is perfect, if a little short. I'll have to see if I can stretch it out somehow =/ I didn't like it with the trousers though, so I'll either have to find another pair or make them.

26th July 2009: Leather hurts and leaves black stuff on your hands! Seriously!! So I made the strap for the cape from an old leather bag that I had noticed around the house not being used. I unpicked the stitches at the bottom and removed a nice stretch of leather. But I didn't cut out what I wanted quite yet!! I don't trust myself to get it the right size/whatever the first time so I gotta practice with paper first!! XD Once I had got it right with paper I simply cut around it :P I then put the stitch detail onto the leather (I'm picky like that), had my dad cut the button holes and it was done!

I also had sewn the 2 black buttons I had brought onto the cape where I thought they should go. I tried it on today and I need to move one of the buttons over some more as I'm afraid my cape will slip off otherwise! ^^;

Elsewhere on the internet I won my bid on the black top on ebay! Which cost me a grand total of... £1! HOPEFULLY it'll be what I want as I was disappointed with the trousers. When it arrives I'll try the both of them on together and see how it looks :)

20th July 2009: Cape progress Lol, I finally got some pictures to show you of the cape! ^^; I hope it's looking alright!! I finished sewing the hood this morning so all I need to do now if make the leather strap on the front which I'm cutting up and old bag for, sew the 2 buttons on and cut it up/make it rough looking! X3

I've also found a top that I think is good as well on ebay and I'm currently bidding on it!! I've still yet to find any boots though =/

11th July 2009: Setbacks?! I had an unexpected setback, well, not a set back just more work for me XD I just had to hem one side of the hood because it may show when I sew it to the main part of the cape :P So now that I've done that I can continue where I was and sew the two parts together! I also brought two small black buttons and I may be able to cut apart a brown leathery bag for the strap.

I received the trousers that I had brought from ebay but... I'm really not sure what to make of them ^^; They're made of a really strange material that I'm not sure will look right... but I really need to get the black top and boots to make sure. If not then I'll have to continue looking.

Also, Tsubasa vol 22 came on Friday so all is well! XD It also meant I was finally able to watch the first Tsubasa Shunraiki OAD X3 Which was totally awesome! To celebrate, there is a piccy of Clone Syaoran (Which you'll have to click on to see apparantly... XD)

7th July 2009: Starting the cape! I started making the cape today using an online tutorial I was given :) I've cut out the hood and the main part of the cape with the help of my lovely assistant: My twin brother! XD

I've also brought a pair of trousers that I think are pefect from Ebay! They're Next trousers and cost me a grand total of £1.70! Bargain! :D Still undecided on which top to get, I'll be sorting that out soon!

Now I shall continue to complain on how Amazon SUCK for not having sent Tsubasa vol 22... D:<

5th July 2009: Ebay! Ebay! Ebay! Ebay is a wonderful thing! XD I'm currently scouring the website for various parts of my costume... I've identified a couple a black tops that may be suitible so far. I've searched shops in town for trousers without any success, so I'll be searching ebay for them too! I think the boots will be the hardest part of this costume, it's so hard to find close to what I want without paying a fortune! @_@

7th June 2009: Getting started! Right. I'll be getting started on Syaoran very soon! I am NOT leaving this untill the last minute again!! I plan to buy the black top and trousers... it'll just end up being a hassel trying to make them. I can always modify them if I need to! I haven't a clue right now where I'm getting a cheap pair of boots from... But I have plenty of time to look. So hopefully I'll be done in plenty of time! :D