TwiliteSea (New Jersey)
Harley Quinn
I actually made this on a whim, and it seems I do my best work on whims! The costume is constructed out of 4-way stretch lycra, which really is the best stuff to use for form-fitting bodysuits, and super-hero costumes in general. It also came in super handy for this costume because of the hood/mask thingy; just slips right over my head with ease! I don't use official patterns so everything I did as I went along and with some trial and error. The gloves I made my own pattern for so I can nail the pointy-fingers that all of Bruce Timm's women seem to have. Same goes for the shoes. The diamonds were first painted on, but I hand-sewed red diamonds on because the paint didn't look very nice.
The hardest part of this costume was getting the back of the costume to line up, while having a zipper thrown in there. The mallet, one of the few props I've made, is made entirely out of the cardboard box the fabric came in! It's a lotta fun to bonk people on the head ;) I'm STUNNED the costume came out as well as it did, especially the hood. Easily my favorite costume.
Oh I freak people out all the time when I do Harley's voice. If you knew me, you'd know I LOVE doing voice mimicry and when I wear this costume, her voice just comes out naturally! People always ask me, "Where's Mistah J?" and I respond (in character), "Oh Mistah J's on vacay!". Commence the fanboy/girl squeals. But I love it. It just means they love this character as much as I do!
I always loved dressing up as characters and acting stuff out on my own, so I was gonna end up in all this eventually haha. My first "costume" was awful and sadly, there is evidence of it, haha. My first "big" con was Otakon 2004 and from then on, I was hooked on the hobby. My first few costumes were all handsewn - learned from my grandma - and the first time I sewed something via machine was for Katsucon 2005.
What does cosplay mean to me...(geeze why do I feel like this is a pagent question?) Cosplay to me, plain and simple, is just a dorky little hobby where people play dress up. Whether they choose to do it for fun or to be famous is totally their choice, but for me, I do it for fun. I could really care less about the "proper" construction of my costume or whatever; so long as I'm having a good time and I'm not having wardrobe malfunctions, I'm hap-pay. :D I still feel like a 4-year old wrapping rainbow construction-paper strips around my limbs and thinking I'm Sillywhim!
