purplewindranger

[purplewindranger]

Well, I started hyperfixating on the Dante (Dantette?) cosplay, and I ended up buying fabric. I don't even plan on making this for a few more months, but here we are.

First time buying fabric online since Joann's has finally met its demise. I did buy some swatches and settled on the top one for the coat. It's red on one side, and an almost metallic black on the other, so I might be able to get away without doing a lining. I'm not competing, so I don't really care about doing a lining. Also, it frays like crazy.

Bottom left I bought for the vest. Now because I want to do a kind of gender-bent with a skirt version, I figured the pants should be leggings, and here is where I took a chance on a stretchy fabric without ordering a swatch. Bottom right. I swear the two bottom fabrics looked nearly identical in color on the website.

Now, I didn't intend to completely match the coat color with the vest and pants, because of lot of the reference images, especially in the 2007 anime, show them as different shades. But yeah, those pants and that vest aren't going to match... What I might do, if I have enough fabric leftover (which I think I will), is make the vest out of the same material as the jacket. That way I'm only down to two varying shades... idk. It doesn't have to be perfect... (I mean, I'm not even lining the coat!) but it's going to nag at me.

I already bought some boots too.

[purplewindranger]

I've barely even started my power rangers cosplay, and I've already decided on what my next one will be...

But like, gender-bent, and with a cute skirt. Because I want to wear a cute skirt.

[purplewindranger]

Well, just found out that the local power rangers convention has been pushed from September to March, basically as a result of trying to avoid price hikes. So I mean, I appreciate that. And it gives me way more time to complete my ranger cosplay. And hopefully get into better shape for it too.

I haven't actually been to this con before. I haven't been to any con in over 10 years actually, in large part because I hate driving into the city. I'm still a little on the fence, partly because I can't help but wonder if I'll still be employed by then. I survived this year's layoffs, but they usually take place in March, and I don't imagine this year was the last of them.

[purplewindranger]

Finally an update on the cosplay, which I finally started sewing. Sort of. The mock up anyway. Mostly because the patterns I bought on etsy were reaching the point where I wouldn't be able to leave a review, and I wanted to be able to do that.

So here's what I've got so far.

I'm trying to make a power rangers suit in the Ninja Storm style, and if you look at it closely, the sleeves appear to be a separate layer from the torso.

So to achieve this, I took a basic bodice block for the outer layer (bodice/skirt), and a bodycon dress for the sleeves. That way, the sleeves would actually be separate from torso, because they're attached to a different layer. Not sure if it worked.

I mean, it worked in that they are two separate layers, but the seam where the sleeves meet the torso on the inside layer is visible outside of the outer layer. Now, I will have to add a gold trim to the arm holes on the outer layer, so if do so in such a way to make the shoulders a little wider, that might help. And ideally, this cosplay will have some sort of shoulder armor, which will definitely help cover the seams. But I don't know if there's a better way to do it. I'm hesitant to go the route of just going with one layer while doing the sleeves/bodice in the different fabrics, because 1) I don't think it'll look right or accurate, which would bother me, and 2) I still have to add trim to the arm holes, which I'm already kind of dreading, so...

Then there's the collar. I just sewed it to the neckline, and then stitched the seam down to help hold it up, knowing the stitches would be covered in yet another gold trim. I don't like how this turned out though, and am thinking I may have to do the collar as a separate piece that extends past the neck under the torso. Which I kind of already wanted to do, but wasn't sure about another layer under the torso. I'm still not. Maybe if I just make the collar extra long and clip a few notches where it sits under the neckline? (I don't know, anyone have any ideas here?) I already cut out the one I did anyway, so I'll try again. Good thing this is just practice. (Fun fact: I accidentally added seam allowance to the side of the pattern that sits on the fold, so I also made the color too big around.)

Then there's the skirt, which I'm pretty sure I'll have to make a little shorter. The pattern called for a too short skirt, so I just added a ton of inches knowing I can always remove, but not necessarily add.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how this is turning out. It looks, odd, to say the least, using this spare fabric. But I do think that once it's in the right colors, has the chest emblem, and the belt, and the cuffs, and the gloves, and the boots, and the pants... (oh man, I still have to do all of that, except the boots), it'll look right. But I see the shape. I see the suit within this project, so I think I'll get there.

Fun fact: Because I knew this was just practice, instead of buying another zipper, I used one from an insulated reusable grocery bag that was falling apart. I was so proud of myself for reusing a piece of something that was otherwise going in the trash... until I repeatedly pulled the zipper tab off of the teeth because this thing doesn't have anything to lock it in. Oops. Safety pins it is until I move on from the practice suit.

[purplewindranger]

That moment when you make a new piece of clothing, and it looks terrible, and you don't know if it's the pattern, your sewing skills, or because that's just how it looks on you.

[purplewindranger]

Went to Joann's today to get some more fabric while I could. (Apparel fabric was 50% off). I mainly bought knit fabric for athleisure-type shirts, but I also got more of the purple fabric I need for my cosplay just in case. And the woman cutting my fabric couldn't stop talking about how she had been cosplaying at a con all weekend, and when I told her I was putting together a power ranger cosplay, specifically a custom ranger because "there aren't enough purple rangers," she agreed and immediately dropped the names Kendall and RJ, and I can't tell you how excited I was that she just had that knowledge at the ready.

[purplewindranger]

me: oh man, Joann Fabrics is closing. That's going to really suck for a lot of people

Sophia, the Victorian ghost who haunts a lamp I bought at Brimfield: not the least among them Joanne. though I suppose her business acumen must have been wanting if she gave the shop her Christian name- it just seems undignified. was that what drove her customers to other establishments?

me: well, nothing- it's a chain, and in most places, there weren't any other fabric stores.

Sophia:

Sophia: there weren't. any other dry goods stores. selling fabric.

me: not usually, no.

Sophia: in a whole town

me: no.

Sophia: and now there will be nowhere to purchase fabric at all in those towns

me: not in person. I guess people can buy it online

Sophia: what if they don't know what different weaves feel like? how will they learn if they never get to handle them?

me: some places have free swatch service on their websites-

Sophia: so they'll wait a week or more for a swatch, decide if they like it, then send away for the full amount of goods they need and wait even longer for that? what if they want something finished sooner?

me: they'll just be frustrated, I guess

Sophia: wait, why did Joanne's shops close? if she had such a monopoly, surely she'd have made quite a profit regardless of the name

me: an even bigger company bought them and couldn't use them to make billions of dollars, so they're forcing them to close

Sophia:

me: wait- PUT MY SNOW SHOVEL DOWN AND STEP AWAY FROM YOUR LAMP

[purplewindranger]

hyperfixation please stay with me long enough to complete the project. hyperfixation do not fade. hyperfixation finish what you started for the love of god

[purplewindranger]

When it comes to this cosplay, there was one thing I knew without a doubt that I would not be able to make myself, and that was the boots. I wouldn't even know where to begin. I did toy with the idea of buying some cheap boots and making boot covers, but I still couldn't get over the idea that it just wouldn't look right. So I settled on commissioning a seller on etsy to make them for me.

And omg, I love them. They are dang near perfect. They look exactly like they should. They fit! And best of all, they're purple.

Except, they're the wrong purple.

Now that is not the fault of the seller. At all. I sent them a picture of the fabric, and they said they could probably match it about 80-90% and I said that was fine, because I knew 80-90% would be better than anything I could do. Except after I placed the order, and after it was too late to make any changes, I made the realization that I'd shown the seller the wrong fabric.

Seriously, I did not realize I had two different shades of the same fabric. This is what I get for running out to Joann's after the initial "second bankruptcy" news and buying back-up/extra fabric, and not paying attention. This is especially frustrating because one of the main reasons I decided to finally do this cosplay is because I finally found a purple fabric that was the shade I wanted. Then I go and buy the wrong one.

Anyway, here's the boots, next to both of the fabrics (and the helmet).

The topmost fabric is the one I really want to use. It's the one that speaks to my purple-loving soul the most. (And I think it being brighter fits with the overall color grading of the team). The bottom fabric is the one I shared with the seller. I don't know about anyone else, but the bottom fabric clearly matches almost perfectly. (The helmet seems like it could go either way, to be honest). Also pictured is the fabric I'm using for the legs/arms.

And now I'm torn. Do I go with the fabric that clearly matches the boots? Or do I go with the fabric that inspired me to make the cosplay in the first place? Would the mismatched shades look horrible? Or does it not matter since this is fan-made design, and even the silver fabric isn't show accurate?

I'm kind of musing to myself, just blogging about my cosplay "progress." If I'd never bought the wrong fabric, and these boots showed up exactly like this, I'd probably be like "still better than anything I can do!" But seeing them next to the "wrong" fabric is messing with my brain and my ability to make decisions. So honestly, I'd appreciate anyone else's insight if they're just passing through.

[purplewindranger]

Ninja Storm! Ranger Form! (In my continued journey of making everything for my cosplay except the actual cosplay).

(I'm going to be long-winded because this one was fun to do).

Can't become a power ranger without a morpher! Especially when cosplaying as a Ninja Storm ranger, since the morpher is actually a part of the suit. But unlike many of the other morphers throughout the franchise, each one on this team is unique to the ranger. Which meant I had to make some changes.

So the only thing I really needed to change was the power disc. That gold round thing on the top that spins when you activate the morph. For those unfamiliar with the series, the disc is the most unique thing. There are three different morphers among the six rangers, but all six have their own slightly different disc. And I had to make one for a completely original character and theme.

In order to do that, I took a 3D printed disc from a 3D printed morpher I bought off of etsy years ago. These were the first 3D printed things I'd ever bought or painted, and I found out recently that the red one snaps onto the official toy morpher like a perfect replacement, so I thought "perfect!" Did not bother trying this with the yellow or blue one...

I took the blue disc though (which I did not take a picture of prior) because it was the best one suited for modifying. The core rangers of this team have not just elemental themes, but also animal themes, which is represented in the discs. The blue ranger (water/dolphin) has three spokes on it that look like fins. So I took that one, sanded down the original paint job, then added six additional spokes with eva foam. I even turned three of them facing a different direction. Reason being, my original ranger's animal is the fox, and I wanted the nine spokes to represent the nine tails of a kitsune. Then I repainted the whole thing, doing much better than the first time, in my opinion.

Next came the image on the center. I found the image of this fox online. I take no credit for it. (I don't even know if that's the right link, it was the first one when I reverse image searched, and I've had it saved for too long to remember exactly where I got it from. But I'm also not making any money off of this cosplay, so). Very simple, I made it purple and printed it on sticker paper. Less simple was getting it right. The original morpher has the animal image metallic and reflective. Technically the whole thing is, but the animal is more mirror-like. I can't draw to save my life, so cutting out something that small with a knife was not an option either. I tried using holographic sticker paper, and that looked cool, but it just wasn't working for me, since the paper I had displayed the holographic effect in a grid pattern. Then I had a revelation, because this sticker paper actually came with a clear backing layer (which I swapped for white backing originally because I thought I couldn't use it), and I realized, duh... just use the clear backing, and stick the sticker to a metallic paper. Now, it's not as good as it could be, because two layers of clear laminate block some of the reflective nature, but it still looks metallic, and much more like the rest of the discs.

So below is a picture of my completed disc, next to the only disc I have that came with the original morphers. Below that is the 3D printed version of it, from the same set I got the blue one from. And under the finished one is my very first attempt that I tried to make with sculpy and my lackluster drawing skills.

Now you may remember I said that the red 3D printed disc fit on the morpher no problem, snapped on like it was meant to. Yeah, turns out that was the only one of the three that did. The blue one was about a millimeter too small on the back. That's what prompted me to spend far too long when I should have been doing other things, using sandpaper and an exact-o knife to shape the back to make it fit. Never quite got it perfect, but with a little hot glue the disc is in place, and it's not going anywhere when I spin it.

Overall, I'm happy. The only thing I don't like is that I couldn't quite match the color of the disc with the gold on the morpher. But, part of the lore I established for this ranger is that her morpher was made with the design of the Wind Ranger morpher, but cobbled together with spare parts from the Samurai morpher, so maybe it being a little mismatched works. If anything, maybe I should make the whole morpher look a little more mismatched, though I'm not sure the best way to go about that. For now, this will do. I'll add a strap later once the suit starts coming together.

[purplewindranger]

power rangers ninja storm: a summary

[purplewindranger]

I'm dragging my feet on the actual clothing part of my cosplay, for a couple reasons I can get into later, but I certainly haven't been ignoring the project. I present to you: The Ninja Sword. ("It's also a handy laser blaster!")

I first bought a 3D print of the sword and sheath on etsy. (Same seller where I bought the EVA foam pattern for my helmet). What I received was several pieces in pink and white. This was expected. (Well, the pieces. Not the colors. I had no idea what color the pieces would be). With the help of two 12" long by 1/2" wide dowels, several tension pins, and some E6000, I put everything together and got this:

At the risk of boring those who can probably already figure out what came next... sanding, priming, painting, sealing. I mostly used the store-brand Liquitex that you'd find at Michael's. I tried craft paint, but even with a primer coat, it just wasn't covering the same as the other paint. They don't dry as smooth or glossy, but that's what Modge Podge is for. As for the metallic sections, I did what I did with my helmet... started with a coat of a flat color (gray and yellow ochre), then went over with a thin layer of the metallic. I learned that lesson after trying to paint a 3D printed morpher years ago, where the gold just wasn't working on it.

Anyway, it's done now, and I'm so excited. I'm 11 years old again, swinging this thing around pretending I'm a power ranger. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. The print itself is a little off in places, like the fact that the buttons are on both sides, when the in-show sword isn't like that. Even the sheath is inverted. Also, the top half of the blade is supposed to be hollow through, but I get that would be a lot harder to accomplish while keeping a piece of plastic structurally sound. On top of that, I'm too lazy to sand all the layer lines out of it, and the brush marks are kind of obvious in spots. As for the Ninja Storm symbol? That's about as good as it's going to get.

But honestly, I'm proud of my work. It still took a lot of patience that my hyperfixation-prone self doesn't usually have enough of. (Especially when it comes to waiting for things like glue or paint to dry). And at the end of it, I have this really cool thing I've wished I had for the past 22 years. I absolutely love waving this thing around and posing with it, and sheathing it and unsheathing it, and I'm so excited to have a suit to go with it. (The fabric is acquired... I just. have. to. make. it.)

And with that, I leave you with a comparison to the first time I "made" this sword, years ago, when the bottom of my bedroom door fell out, and I grabbed some duct tape, and found something stupid but fun to do with my evening.

[purplewindranger]

GET. AI. OUT. OF. FANDOM. Stop making headcanons with it, stop making fanfic with it, stop making fanart with it. If I see one more "asking chatgpt *blank* about *character/characters in a fandom* I'm going to lose my goddamn mind. Use your own fucking brain, stop asking AI to do everything. You could even ask other real people what they think. Just. Stop. Using. AI. In. Creative. Spaces.

[purplewindranger]

Power Rangers Ninja Storm | Prelude to a Storm

[purplewindranger]

I have been watching Ninja Storm and Lothor’s army is such fun to watch.

[purplewindranger]

I just need to talk for a minute about how Joann Fabrics is closing??

So, I went today to try to return some yarn I ended up not needing, and some sewing needles that I bought, having forgot I'd already bought some. Unfortunately, I'd already thrown away my receipt, but according to the website, they take returns without a receipt, and issue store credit. I figured, that's fine. It's not like I won't end up back there at some point.

The woman at the counter goes through most of the return process, but can't find the cards needed for the store credit, and then is advised by their manager that they just changed the policy, and that they don't take returns without a receipt anymore.

I got home, and texted my sister asking if she wanted the yarn. She does, but that's when she let me know, and suddenly that whole experience at the store tonight made sense.

And talk about being bummed. Joann's has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. A.C. Moore too, but they've been gone for a good while. My mom would drag me to those stores all the time, before I sewed, or knitted, or crocheted, and so the trips were often boring. And then I started doing those things, so Joanne's in particular was my go-to place. And now they're filing for bakruptcy again, and the most likely buyer is planning on closing all the stores.

There's plenty of Michael's near me, so not all hope is lost. There's also one Hobby Lobby that I know of (though I know I'm supposed to avoid there). But where am I supposed to go for fabric now? I know online is an option, but I'm sure many crafters are like me in that I want to touch the fabric before I buy it, to know that it's what I want. And seeing it, to make sure the color is right, is also important.

So, now I'm also in this mindset where I have to go back to the store and buy like, twice as much fabric for my cosplay. I already bought what I needed, more than I needed for the purple actually. But I was worried about the arm/leg fabric, so I definitely don't want to gamble on that if the store won't be there three months from now. But I can't go tomorrow because I have to work, and it's supposed to snow all day, so it would probably be unwise to head out after work. Hopefully on Monday.

Anyway... anyone else disappointed? Anyone have recommendations for fabric stores? Online or somewhere in the PA/MD/DE area?

[purplewindranger]

In a way, I started this cosplay last year, though not with the intent of wearing it. I had found this pattern on etsy to craft the blue wind ranger helmet from Ninja Storm out of foam. I'd never crafted anything out of foam before, so this was quite a journey. I learned about contact cement, and the importance of pairing it with good ventilation. I bought a heat gun and understood the concept of heat sealing. I also learned that there are some fabrics that absolutely do not stick to hot glue. (That's another story).

The images in the middle are my design template, which I'd come to years ago. The original image of the blue ranger helmet (credit to CeeVee.co) was the base. Lore-wise, this purple ranger was supposed to have her morpher built off the designs of the core three rangers, but with pieces salvaged from the samurai ranger's morpher, meaning the ranger's appearance has elements from both. So the gold frame on the visor is supposed to be inspired by the Super Samurai mode for the green ranger. Also, the animal theming is that of the fox, so you see that too.

The bottom row is my first attempt. I didn't like it.

But the top is where I've landed, (and actually finished it up just this week because I had to redo the black visor). I ripped off the gold frame, redesigned it and added layers so that there's more dimension. I even found a fox button to use as the animal symbol to keep consistent with the rest of the team. And I expanded the notch in the mouth plate. I'm still not completely happy with the whole thing. But again, this is the first thing I've ever made out of foam (second if you count my first attempt where I printed the pattern pieces too big and made a comically large helmet). And ultimately, I like the way the rough 2D image looks better. But overall, I'm satisfied, and I still look at this thing and can't believe I managed to put it together.