Edelgard von Hresvelg from Fire Emblem : el3phantbird // photo : @shanafeeleyphotography Two, two an

Edelgard von Hresvelg from Fire Emblem : el3phantbird // photo : @shanafeeleyphotography

Two, two and a half [years] The project went through a lot of iterations. First it was intended to be a quick project to bring with me when I studied abroad in France. Unfortunately, my study abroad program was set for March 2020… We all know how that went.

With nothing to do, no plans, and nothing to really look forward to, I filled the time with needlework. Small, repetitive tasks I could fill my days with to keep my hands busy that I didn’t need to think too hard about. That’s how I started incorporating things like goldwork and smocking. I was having a hard time concentrating on my actual schoolwork through all this, so it was really out of necessity that I turned it into a school project. It worked out well! The costume ended up being the centerpiece of my graduation portfolio. It was interesting to think about my cosplay in an academic and fine art context, try and explain cosplay as a legitimate creative art to a bunch of people that had never heard of it.

The most challenging aspect was definitely staying motivated. Making it into homework helped a lot, since it gave me hard deadlines and significantly freed up my time to work on it. Still, a lot of it had to be self motivated, especially after I graduated and still had a lot of work to do. I had to be very disciplined about making steady progress to finish a build this big. The pandemic was a blessing and a curse. No cons meant no deadlines, but it also meant I could take my time without worrying about missing out. Online communities of crafters kept me going.

Making regular updates to my build thread and seeing people get excited as the costume progressed was really incredible. I’d never gotten any sort of social media attention for my cosplay before this build, so that’s been weird and wild. I’ve even gotten recognized at cons once or twice now that they’re back! People tell me they followed my build thread, or that it inspired them to try embroidery. It means a lot to me.

Learning that I *can* do something big like this was a big motivation boost. I started and abandoned a lot of projects during college. I’m really proud that I finished that. But just technically, this was the biggest and most ambitious build I’d ever taken on. I learned a lot about pattern drafting and proportioning in trying to get the shape to look right on me. The sleeves especially were a huge challenge. I made my first corset and touched worbla for the first time. I’d be talking all day if I tried to list every new thing I learned.

More than anything, I’ve learned that I love these big, slow builds. They’re just so rewarding. I also know I want to compete more– I’d never competed before Edelgard. I’d always been too intimidated, but after two years of work I felt like I wanted that chance to show her off and put my skills to the test. New York Comic Con was especially exhilarating. Being on stage in front of a huge screaming crowd is the best adrenaline rush. Winning sure doesn’t hurt! It’s hard to move on from something that consumed my life for so long, but I’m excited for the next adventure.

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