viciousfrockery

[viciousfrockery]

Unusual Saints To Pray To

[viciousfrockery]

I've been bad about updating this blog with new patterns, so as of October 2024, here is everything I offer! All are patterned directly from antique garments in my collection (or collections I was given permission to work with).

Most are sizes XL, XXL, and/or 1X, and I have a couple down to S and several up to 3X.

All patterns have detailed size info in the listing, but for general labels I use this size chart.

Available on Etsy here!

I also have several free corset and brassiere patterns from antiques, 1870s-1920s (graded sizes are available for purchase).

Next pattern up, currently in testing, is this stunning ensemble....

(Should be available by December.)

Happy sewing!!

[viciousfrockery]

Essek's expressions in the newest episodes have been so precious that i Had to draw some of them. these are only the TIP of the iceberg of all of my favorites, but gods willing i will draw more

special shout out to the confused puppy head tilt Essek did at Ashton's head, which is a mannerism i chose to headcanon he'd picked up from Caleb

tip jar!

[viciousfrockery]

i have finally watched episode 94! welcome back hot boy 💜

y'all might know that i am a staunch supporter of short haired Essek, so when i learned about his new hairstyle i went mmmmm not sure about that! but it took me like. two and a half hours to change my mind. it's cool to experiment with your appearance! the dude deserves some cute fancy curls, as a treat. also zmeess you've been growing out your hair from a buzz cut for years, now he's just like you fr or whatever the kids say.

so yeah, i support you man, you go and dazzle everyone with your fabulous Xhorhassian looks

tip jar!

p.s. haven't watched eps 95 and 96 yet, please no spoilers! \o/

[viciousfrockery]

i thought i could post my realistic studies of the wizard husbands together. just cause 💜🧡

here are the links to Essek and Caleb posted separately + some of my musings on the process : )

tip jar!

p.s. please don't spoil the recent stuff in the tags _(┐「ε:)_ thank you!

[viciousfrockery]

[viciousfrockery]

Church of Whale Fall

[viciousfrockery]

[viciousfrockery]

Short answer: Designed objects that are not based on IRL objects will *always* fail somewhere in the cosplay construction phase, be they props OR costumes, and the solution is to simply: simplify. Fearne's staff is a series of very pretty arcs and lines, but since it is not based on a simple IRL object like a stick, its weight and balance get really tricky. There are ways to combat this with some careful material choices and some serious design simplification.

Long answer: Since the staff bends away from a load-bearing structure (like a straight line), has the same visual weight all the way down, is TALLER than the wielder, and has a lot of weight at the top, the whole design is destined to fail in a lot of places. MANY cosplayers way smarter than me have already simplified it into a working IRL object that solves its weight and balance issues, but here's my take on why it's failing.

I want to point out first off that there are lots of things about costume design that are not taught in normal art courses, nor in vis dev, and many things that are taught in costume design do not translate to costume CONSTRUCTION and vice versa. No one is an enemy here, nor am I advocating for a Fearne staff overhaul in the design stage (hi agarthan, BIG RESPECT), I just like doing breakdowns and I make a lot of things in and out of theatrical costuming and cosplay, so let's break it down where an "accuracy or bust" approach may be hindering the practical magic. There is definitely a good and genuine "I want to see people succeed in their pursuit for accuracy" angle here, and I want to honor and fully celebrate that. In some cases with large companies, like PlayStation's "Aloy cosplay guide" page linked here, suggestions and designs are well-meaning but not really practical. Why would Aloy from HZW wear velvet in the technofuture? Is velvet next to the skin practical for an area that sweats as lot, like your neck? Does this material actually look and drape like velvet? (the answer to all these questions are: no.)

That said, I love this sort of guide, and I'm glad to see CR artists continuing in the tradition of putting out explainers to help cosplayers out.

Back to Fearne's staff. The design itself? Breathtaking, but not based in a physical use case (it didn't really *need* to be designed that way, but if we're making it physical, we gotta get picky here). In the grand tradition of many high fantasy designs, we're departing from reality in a way that makes it difficult to construct in an "accurate" or semi-accurate way:

As I illustrate in the sketch above, the weight of each piece follows gravity downwards, and the staff's top is pointing out in all directions. The first 1/3 of the staff seems to have no central structure or cantilever for each bend, so we're in tricky territory already- a branch like this IRL would balance itself with leaves, small twigs, or be supported by a thick central trunk, but neither exist in its now-dead state. There are also thin areas in the top of the staff that would fail to support these bends. To my eyes, I would try to find a central structure to build off first, like a piece of PVC pipe. Weight issues can usually be solved by making the material LIGHTER than the central structure.

To solve this weight and strucutre issues, it's smart to start with a normal and lightweight cosplay material like foam, PVC piping or 3D printed plastic. But, then we're in hot water- you attach PVC pipes together with connectors and 3D prints and foam with glue. PVC connectors are usually heavier than the pipe itself, which makes adding all those bends in the top half very tricky, since they are supporting themselves against MORE bends and no central pipe. Foam could be used, but would not stand up on its own very well, and would end up needing a central structure somewhere before it shakes off your flowers like dead leaves. Gluing 3D prints together with 2-part epoxy creates brittle failure points and adds weight, so we're looking at at least a handful of heavy attachments. At this point, we are gluing connectors to connectors and angles to angles, with no central supporting force, which makes it a HUGE challenge to balance without tipping over or breaking.

Adding hot glue, texture elements like foam or thermoplastic, flowers, and then the lantern to the top adds MORE weight, which means a cosplayer making this would be essentially carrying around more than 3/4 of the weight in the top 1/3 of the staff. PVC or ABS (printed) plastic are simply not strong enough to carry that much weight and distribute it downwards with that many bends and failure points, hence the snappage. Constructing this out of steel or other metal would solve this, but that's not really an accessible cosplay material, so that's out.

Then, about halfway down the staff we have one big critical bend- essentially one big stress point, where you'd have to add glue or a big weighty PVC connector or both. Bad news. The rest of the staff goes on in the same thickness as the top half, which fails to support the weight of the top or direct the gravity of said weight downwards, ending the whole thing in a wobbly, weightless flange that makes it difficult to carry. If you've ever cosplayed a character with a staff, you may know exactly what I mean- you've worked so hard and added so much detail on the top half that you end up with a wet noodle of a staff that neither supports your weight nor supports itself. In the end, you're carrying around an upside-down broom that makes your arms hurt.

But wait, not all is lost! The solution for me is to simplify the staff down, and consider weight, length, and distribution.

A great example of an ultra-simple top-heavy staff design that I think solves these issues is Marceille from dunmeshi:

There we go, an obvious connection point, weight distribution, and a short staff that's easier to carry without bonking it against stuff until it breaks.

The suggestions here can absolutely be applied to Fearne's staff without totally redesigning it, and many cosplayers have already simplified it enough to make it work. TinkeringPixie's Fearne staff has dramatic bends that make the staff a real showstopper, even while simplifying the bends and lengthening their arcs for support, i believe using PVC pipe:

Seirin Cosplay's Fearne staff utilizes a strong central structure to evoke the same design of the OG without creating many failure points:

And there are tons of other examples and ways to approach this staff without losing the overall design language of the thing.

Since we're creating something based on a FANTASY object, and it's ultimately up to cosplayers who are passionate about these characters to really sit down and problem-solve even totally unreal designs. If it's fun for you to make something accurate, have at it. It's my personal goal to throw away accuracy in many cases and warp them so that they work for me, but both approaches absolutely work. Starting with simple shapes and IRL garments is always, always easier for me than starting with a design and trying to troubleshoot.

I always appreciate it when designers break down their work, but more often than not, actually constructing an object will reveal its limitations, and trying to reverse engineer a fantasy object is more of a headache than it is a help. Start with something real and time-tested, then add rather than subtract, and the difference in your costume will definitely show through.

A Fearne Cosplayer told me that the 3d prints of the staff- and often the non-3d prints of the staff- break with almost certain regularity.

Is this true? Has anyone noted a definite weak point? What is wrong with the design that causes that? Where does it break?

Help me help you. What can we do, here?

[viciousfrockery]

endless possibility 🔮

[viciousfrockery]

here are my THREE CARDS from @witchhattarot !! leftover sales just opened up go check em out!

[viciousfrockery]

yuzuka rei + mihane ai - labyrinth (fashionable empire)

[viciousfrockery]

so, sometimes when you draw the indulgently evil shadowgast art lurking in your daydreams, said art turns into a full-on homicide scene. what can i say? it's fun to watch the blorbos put other people in blenders for a change.

A close-up:

More sketches and other things under the cut.

The sketch from way back when! I free-handed some of the anatomy here, and it got me into trouble later. Don't be like me; use references.

And of course, our WIP bean buddies, plus another silly sketch that happened along the way. "Sky, what are they thinking about?" What, indeed.

Cheers, all 🧡

[viciousfrockery]

eyes you see in a forest

[viciousfrockery]

— Tamino for Fucking Young!, #21 EVOLUTION / December 2022 (x)

The evolution of the music industry is always in perpetual motion and social platforms are having more impact in addition to streaming. In 2021, one of the world's bestselling singers, Adele revealed the real reason for refusing to make music for TikTok. She explained that if labels are pushing artists to make music for 14-year-olds, who will do the music for her peers? The way we consume music now is based on algorithms and trends but yes, what about being more organic and independent from social applications and platforms? This is a topic we shared and discussed with Belgian-Egyptian musician Tamino in this piece.

THE NEXT DIMENSION OF TAMINO

BY IVICA MAMEDY

Production   Fashion and Art Moroccan Association (F.A.M.A.) Photographer   Moz ERO

TAMINO-AMIR MOHARAM FOUAD known mononymously as TAMINO is the grandson of Egyptian singer and movie star MUHARRAM FOUAD and rose to fame in 2018 with his debut album “AMIR”. If at the beginning the press and fans were comparing him to JEFF BUCKLEY, quickly he pulled away these comparisons as the way he defended his music was unique. On stage, Tamino is hypnotizing and has the power to transport you to another dimension.

After a two-year social media hiatus, TAMINO came back in April 2022 with some new music and released his second record "SAHAR" this September. Once again, this album is a masterpiece and hauntingly beautiful. Before defending it on stage, we met him in Paris where we talked about how his process of making music changed during the worldwide lockdown in 2020 and his approach to using social platforms with parsimony.

THIS ISSUE IS ABOUT EVOLUTION AND HOW DID YOUR FIRST RECORD "AMIR" CHANGE YOU HUMANLY AND AS AN ARTIST DURING THIS WORLDWIDE LOCKDOWN IN 2020?

I feel like my life changed drastically in a short amount of time. I've been on tour for a very long time and I was just focused on that. Seems I gain maturity quickly. When I got back home during the pandemic, I realized how I neglected many things in my daily life and how I was more isolated on tour than during the lockdown. I took the time to see my friends and meet new people. I was evolving as a human being, not as an artist. This made me feel more comfortable writing new songs and creating was an easy and quick process.

IF THE PROCESS WAS QUICK WITH THIS SECOND ALBUM, HAS THE WAY YOU MAKE MUSIC CHANGED?

The process was still pretty similar but being alone with an instrument to find out how to create new sounds was important to me. It's about taking the proper time to create the most authentic and melodic sound.

DID THIS LOCKDOWN HELP YOU TO BE MORE OPEN AND EXPLORE MUSIC WITH NEW PEOPLE AND COLLABORATORS?

I worked with the same bunch of producers, and I also created myself as a producer on this album because I learned a lot about recording and the process to develop demos for example. I was actively part of the production which created some big inspirations in the studio. I have known the double bass player for a long time as he was living behind my counter. We were hanging out together but it was the first time we teamed up to make music. We developed the concept of a dark room for music. We were going into a room and trying to figure out which instruments we'll use to create something organic. It was a great time for exploration.

THE MAIN CONVERSION SINCE YOUR FIRST RECORD IN 2018 IS THAT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY DEPENDS A LOT MORE ON SOCIAL PLATFORMS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. I KNOW YOU ARE VERY DISCREET ON THESE PLATFORMS BUT DID YOUR LABEL RECOMMEND YOU TO BE MORE PRESENT ON TIKTOK FOR EXAMPLE?

For sure they suggested that to me as they do with other artists. I have a TikTok account but my fans know that the only account I'm taking care of is Instagram. My management helps me to update all the other social platforms so it gives me more time to enjoy Instagram in a good way. Two years ago, I deleted Instagram from my phone to avoid being distracted because enjoying pure moments is important to me. Take time to be bored and sometimes it's when you're bored that creativity comes. Now I'm back on Instagram to promote my new project and at the same time, I'm happy to discover beautiful inspirations and imagery on this app.

IT IS PART OF THE JOB OF A MUSICIAN I GUESS NOW?

Yes, but it has to be genuine….if I can give advice to younger artists who struggle on social platforms is the genuine way you communicate with your community.

THIS TWO-YEAR SOCIAL MEDIA HIATUS HELPS YOU TO CREATE THIS BEAUTIFUL NEW ALBUM. IT'S YOUR WAY TO UNVEIL YOUR INTIMATE SIDE?

It was a beautiful moment making this album. It's about maturity and those moments in the studio making these songs was a hundred percent pure. It can't explain how it was such a meaningful moment when we gave birth to "Sahar".

ANY SONG ON THIS ALBUM THAT YOU CHERISH THE MOST?

Oh man, it is so complicated to choose as they are all my babies. It depends, as my favorite song now will not be the same tomorrow. I need to start playing them to compare. The main difference with the first album was that I was already playing them live before they got released.

HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOUR ALBUM IS NOT EVEN OUT AND YOUR SHOWS ARE ALREADY SOLD OUT? ARE YOU MORE CONFIDENT KNOWING YOUR FANS ARE STILL HERE FOR YOU?

It’s amazing and I’m so grateful for this to happen. I mean, there are no words to express how it is a pure recognition for an artist. We have to look at laying bigger venues so people have more change to come. I like playing in small theaters as well as in a stadium. Both can feel intimate as well as people sharing the same energy.

YOUR MUSIC VIDEOS LOOK VERY CINEMATOGRAPHIC. THERE’S ANY MOVIE WHOSE AESTHETIC REPRESENTS YOU THE MOST?

I’m a movie freak and my brother is very into aesthetic images. If I need to name a movie, I will say one of my favorite movies, The Lord of the Rings.

[viciousfrockery]

This show is so good it's killing me

[viciousfrockery]

easwin community are yall still there