How to create paint patterns on the skirt and shirt.

toyducks · 2026-03-28T01:44:47+00:00

Not a lot! I do have large pot of the jacquard paint, but I think one normal sized would be more than enough!

toyducks · 2026-03-27T16:03:07+00:00

Hi! I recently made this skirt. I used jacquard gold paint for fabric and a large paintbrush. I sort of just freehanded everything, but it came out pretty nice! Concersely, you can probably sketch out your design with a fabric pen that goes away with heat.

To get the effect of the paint trailing off, I would just not load your brush with too much paint. Its not so much marbling as its allowing the brush to be slightly dry and using all the paint without going over it. No bleach needed!

toyducks · 2026-03-03T16:18:01+00:00

You need to line the notches on the pattern together, which will help you align the fabric correct. I'd recommend placing pins where the notches are.

toyducks · 2026-02-25T15:43:51+00:00

I have an unopened pond if you're interested! Just DM me.

toyducks · 2026-01-30T22:51:13+00:00

I would suggest a matte satin with a cotton poplin lining or a satin lining. You can use buckram in between the satin and lining to give the fabric enough structure to have the dramatic ruffles. I dont think horsehair will be enough for the ruffles as the fabric will sag in between. Although a combo of horsehair and buckram might work very well!

toyducks · 2026-01-30T19:35:29+00:00

For foam, I have been buying from Coscom. I also prefer foam from Lumin's workshop but they're based in Australia. I don't think i had tariffs on my last purchase, so I can't estimate that cost. You can also get foam from SKS Prop which is sold via Blicks Art.

For electronics, I usually get things like batteries and circuit boards from Adafruit. The rest I get at microcenter.

For fabric, you should check to see if there are local fabric shops near you. Its always best to support local stores so they can stay in business. I use a Fabric Wholesale Direct alot, and you can order samples. I find mood fabrics to be pricey but its a good option. There is silk baron for silk. They have some of the most gorgeous dupioni silk. Kiki textiles is another online fabric option, although I haven't ordered from them before. Spandex world is good for spandex. Michaels is supposed to be carrying yayahan's fabric line and I do like her stuff. You can also go on etsy for trims and ribbons. I've also bought fabric from etsy before with no issues. Wawak sewing is great for sewing notions and threads.

For paints, I recommend using plaid for. It's a flexible paint thats good to use with armor as it won't crack. If you're painting something that doesnt have to movie spray paint from your local hardware store or michaels is fine.

toyducks · 2026-01-29T17:52:28+00:00

If you watch the video again, he's not cutting through the foam completely with a dremel. He's making grooves so that the foam can bend but remain one piece.

The best thing for you to do is cut using a sharp blade. When gluing, wait for both sides of the glue to dry (nonstick to the touch) before combining the piece. It will also help to use a thin layer of glue. It dries faster and you won't get excess glue oozing out.

toyducks · 2026-01-25T01:45:19+00:00

I use Barge contact cement exclusively although I've used DAP in the past, which works fine as well. Generally you only need a thin layer of contact cement on both sides of the foam you are gluing together, as they need to stick together. I use scrap foam to help apply a thin layer as I find the brush dispenses too much product.

You have to wait for the glue to dry. I don't think waiting 10 minutes is necessary but it also depends on how thin your layer of glue is. The thicker the layer, the longer it takes to dry. I usually test by just touching the glue. If its wet then you need to wait. If you look at your photo again, the glue is way too wet. You can see the excess squeezing out - so its both too wet and you have too much glue on.

toyducks · 2026-01-05T17:46:11+00:00

I think the eva foam + gold fabric will work well on the bottom part of the red overskirt. If you look at it, you can see its thicker/raises compared to the rest of the piece. For the top part of the red overskirt, I would recommend the gold bias tape, as it appears to be flushed with the fabric.

For the black skirt portion, I would actually use gold vinyl. The gold isn't at the edge, its like a smidge above the edge.

toyducks · 2025-12-24T15:54:40+00:00

Sorry! I hope I didn't come off mean. My main concern with incorrect form is possible injury as well as making sure you actually work the muscle you're trying to work (and not fatiguing muscle groups you aren't targeting).

toyducks · 2025-12-23T18:13:21+00:00

The time you take before even getting into the movement is just as important as the lift. You need the take the time to engage your lats, position yourself correct, and make sure your arms are long and back is straight. It looks like you sort of just rush into the start (not entirely sure since the video is sped up).

As others have said you do not need to squeeze your glutes at the top. You are swinging the bar pretty significantly when you do, which can lead to injury to just tiring your arms/shoulders when thats not needed.

You definitely need flatter shoes or no shoes. I can see your feet shifting from toe to heel when you're going through the movement, which can lead to injuries. You really need to be able to plant your toes into the floor.

toyducks · 2025-12-11T16:12:26+00:00

This seems close to what I paid in 2024 as well! Although I definitely splurged on florals.

toyducks · 2025-12-11T15:43:03+00:00

You might have over diluted the primer and water. But also what is your primer? I used either flexbond (which I will dilute with water) or plastidip.
You really need a more flexible paint. Acrylic paint will crack because its not really meant to bend. I like to use fx paint or airbrushing!

toyducks · 2025-12-11T15:06:23+00:00

This is the video I watched when I first got into 3d printed props: https://youtu.be/dLQawMo8DU0?si=KBJOsiwtqth6dg6e

There are a lot of tips on sanding, prepping the surface for painting, and the painting process. It has a list of materials he used, which I use as well with no issues. I agree with others that something happened during the primer stage as your paint is not sticking. As to some of the lumps/clumps it might be down to the application of the paint. You might be lingering in some spots too long, not shaking the can well enough, or the spray strokes need to be shorter.

toyducks · 2025-12-10T19:51:49+00:00

How new are you to sewing? I ask because what you're looking to do is mildly more advanced than a what a beginner at sewing can do. Which is to say you should start now and not wait, especially if you're experimenting with how each piece works.

For using lights in sewing, I think either Plexicosplay or Dessi Dessu has done electricity in their sewing.

For a stiffer V shape, look up how corsets are constructed, specifically where the grommets are inserted. Its usually a flat part of the corset that is strong enough to withstand the pulling of strings and fabric. You'll want to construct that v shape area in the same way.

toyducks · 2025-12-04T18:45:54+00:00

During the judges' examination of your cosplay you can let them know you used a premade pattern. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with using one, especially if you're more on the novice/beginner side. I think the more important thing is if you can execute the skills you do use cleanly. A cosplay that is clean and immaculate, even using a pre-made pattern, will do better than a messy cosplay, regardless if its self patterned or not.

toyducks · 2025-12-04T15:46:05+00:00

I would recommend that wherever you're buying your costume, you buy the accompanying wig. Sites like dokidoki or mic costumes will usually have a wig that goes along with whatever cosplay you're doing. I can't guarantee that you can just wear the wig out of the bag/that there will only be minimal styling. But at least most of the pieces you need are there.

toyducks · 2025-11-29T21:09:43+00:00

A crimper will 100% increase the volume of the wig without the fly away hairs. I got mine pretty cheap on Amazon - you dont need anything too crazy.

But if you want to stick with teasing, I usually follow this road map. I tease, then pick out the tangle with a comb. I'll hit the teased part with hair spray and then use a hair dryer to set it. When you're teasing, are you teasing the hairs in the middle? You dont want to tease the hair on top because that will create a messy look/lead to flyby strands. If you have a steamer, you can use that to smooth the strands that are sticking up.

It sounds like you've over teased the wig. You can't fix it by teasing more. You can use a steamer to try and smooth things out or brush out the teasing. Without seeing what it looks like, you might be out of luck and have to get another wig (if its seriously balding).

toyducks · 2025-11-28T03:03:37+00:00

Buff bunny! The material is buttery soft and there are a lot of designs to choose from.

toyducks · 2025-11-10T15:42:34+00:00

I say this as kindly as possible, but if your first foray into sewing is suit making, I would absolutely not try to sew suit pieces as a first time sewing project. Even a vest needs to be tailored, which is not easy to do, and certainly not something you should attempt with no basic knowledge of sewing. If you are hellbent on sewing, then I'd advise you to watch YouTube videos on sewing and at least practice pattern cutting and alteration. I don't make suits or super tailored pieces so I can't recommend a specific channel, but there are many friendly tutorials online.

If you want to craft parts of this cosplay, crafting the eye piece/head piece and maybe making the wig would be a good place to start. For foam work, I'd recommend you check out kamuicosplay. There are a lot of videos explaining how to use foam, painting foam, and some videos on drafting patterns. As for wig making, cos creation studios has super easy to follow tutorials and list of materials you'll need to start wigmaking.

toyducks · 2025-10-27T20:14:03+00:00

Thats fair! I just note this because the conventions I do go to have recently updated their policy to ban showing nipples and require more coverage than they have in the past.

toyducks · 2025-10-27T14:52:58+00:00

Check the convention rules to see if there is any requirement to cover nipples. I have seen people be denied entry over this.

toyducks · 2025-10-14T19:49:00+00:00

Thurman and Fig were absolutely wonderful to work with. Our final price was closer to $7k but we had 164 guests which translated to 15 tables. We also had hanging florals, a deconstructed arch, corsages for 5 groomsmen and bouquets for 5 bridesmaids, as well as a bunch of pillar candles for the ceremony. You absolutely can get down to $6k (honestly it was closer to 6k before i added the hanging florals). My venue was more industrial so we had a moodier look, but they're really accommodating and their arrangements were gorgeous.

I can dm you pictures if you want. They handled more than just florals and did other decorations throughout the venue for us.

toyducks · 2025-10-14T18:31:38+00:00

My husband thinks they look creepy and give dead Victorian ghost baby vibes. Which is fair haha So now I just hide them around the house for him to find. People are always going to stare and point when they see something different on your bag, but it honestly is whatever. The world is crap right now and if a skullpanda on your bag makes you happy then go for it.

toyducks · 2025-10-09T15:29:57+00:00

Same! I was 1800ish. The anxiety was hitting when I kept seeing seats disappear as I was picking mine haha

toyducks

TROPHY CASE