#i need to get into fabric/cosplay/tailoring shit so i can make it...

[lucaanis]

just had a funny thought: lleyth and lucanis both have some kind of bullshit on their outfit that definitely takes an awkward amount of time to remove. good luck with that you guys

[in-tua-deep]

tua s1 rewatch with my roommate

episode one (I forgot for the first episode oops):

I have been treated to pictures of a lovely cosplay of Klaus who won a cosplay contest my roommate was in !!

Klaus putting his arm in front of Five during the funeral fight is good shit

“I have heard like nothing about Vanya” “yeah that’s pretty much how she’s treated in show as well”

“I can see why he’s the fandom favorite” - about Klaus

“Istanbul is in the firST EPISODE?”

I forGOT about the “rapists can climb” line when he breaks into Vanya’s apartment omg but also like,, his dumb arm wound

Episode two:

HERR CARLSON

Aww baby fives first time travel his little smile. Baby. Baby boy. And the dawning horror in the apocalypse baby nO

Five: you got anything stronger

Also five: takes one sip and then fills up more, takes another sip, and then immediately puts it down ?????

The motel dude for hazel and cha cha just looks at them like “yeah these are serial killers” and just rolls with it

Also actually why tf doesn’t the commission spring for better stuff?? Why would they cut costs?? They time travel? They could game the stock market so hard ?????? Give the assassins their own rooms omg

Also why didn’t five like. Crush his tracker. Why did he just leave it whole and intact outside of the Griddys.

Forgot how much I love Agnes

(Oh man it is storming bad here it just BOOMED)

Also idk if Diego actually deserved that taser hmmmmm but also like,, communication lads five was literally right there killing people and Diego is like “hmm something is up here” like. Yeah Diego ur big brother “I can get my sibling in trouble for something” senses are tingling

Wow I really did repress all these Allison and Luther scenes huh. Also it’s still super cute that Allison read Claire moon books

Allison: dads heart gave out, which wasn’t how I was expecting to find out dad had a heart but it tracks

“SHUT YOUR PIEHOLE BEN... said with love 😘”

Did five actually sleep at Vanyas?? The sofa looks undisturbed but he had to wait for work hours to interrogate the meritech people,, five,, please sleep. The whole “IF YOU CALL ME YOUNG MAN ONE MORE TIME” interaction makes more sense with five on. Zero sleep.

I didn’t remember that Patch straight up knows about the umbrella academy oops. Like she clocks Diego as overcompensating for his childhood. Queen

Is that an umbrella adademy Diego cross stitch on Diego’s wall?? Did he buy that? Make it?? Did grace make it?

Vanya, walking into the academy: five??? five? pspspspspsps

Also like. Who was Vanyas therapist??? Clearly they did not help her

Aww the tow truck driver :(

I know the show wants me to dislike Patrick I KNOW,, and I think her fathers funeral is extenuating circumstance?? But still Patrick is valid for not giving an inch regarding his ex who mind controlled his child. Vanya didn’t really deserve Allison snapping at her but like. She had some good points. Allison arguably would have had to deal with vanyas book more than anyone else

Five smiling proudly at Klaus’s drama at meritech bless but also KLAUS DONT BREAK GLASS ON YOURSELF

Me, spotting Leonard: BASTARD

Love how everyone greets Diego in the gym and don’t question all his knives or anything like “yeah that’s Diego he lives here and loves knives :)”

Why could Leonard have not been like. A normal ass guy. Vanya needs friends who sympathize with her holy shit get this person some socialization

Pogo really did have to lead these kids by hand to the recording rooms because literally no one was super invested in reginalds ~murder mystery~

ahafahJAGSJWGAI MY ROOMMATE JUST SAID POGO IS THE BEST CHARACTER SO FAR,,,, I will probably never include pogo in my fics because I do Not Care About Him lmaoooo

Aww five does to see Dolores and being like “it’s been a rough couple of days :(“,,,,, baby,,,, but also tag yourself I’m hazel going “elastic wrist splint yesssssss”

Five I am begging you PLEASE get some sleep

OH FIVE SHAKING DIEGO IN THE APOCALYPSE TO TRY AND WAKE HIM UP OHHHHH OH :(

Episode 3:

my roommate is super faceblind which is an issue bc she identifies people mainly by hairstyle so seeing the s2 stuff on tumblr is tripping her over bc she keeps seeing diego and going ??? who is that again? bc she’s seen his longer hair

okay there is no way that the eggs that grace put in that pan are the ones that ended up on the smiley face breakfast plate,,, but also grace that whole scene was a mood honestly i would be like “okay maybe mom killed dad BUT he deserved it sooooo”

“what the FUCK” - my roommate about cha-cha’s shitty wound care where she holds a curling iron against her arm

i didn’t remember that five got shOT AT THE DEPARTMENT STORE did i just erase that from my memory?? i mean yeah it’s a graze but he stitches it up and then slaps a bandaid on it so he has a wound that needed stitches on his shoulder for the entire show ??????? is he okay???? that would make moving your arm,,, painful,,,,,

a bandaid just slapped over it i’m actively yelling

“Sometimes when I see a million gifs of a show before I watch I get really surprised when they talk but he is exactly what I expected” - my roommate, about five

“I noticed they’ve only really showed diego in really badly lit scenes so far” - my roommate defending her lack of ability to recognize diego

i’m still laughing about pogo literally having to point out the murder tapes and now allison and luther are investigating and just. allison is lowkey defending grace and i’m laughing

“why is he saying woodwork is embarrassing that’s like one of the most middle of the wood hobbies to have. you’re respectable to grandpas who used to carve wooden ducks AND twenty-year-olds who can’t make anything to save their lives” - my roommate on leonard peabody

“i think he’s already crossing some lines he’s met this lady ONCE” - roommate on leonard/vanya

five having flashbacks in the car :(

did allison and luther draw straws for who went to fetch which sibling?? allison was like “dibs on vanya” and luther was just like “aww :(”

five luther and klaus in the van - BOYS NIGHT BOYS NIGHT let’s go pick up diego

“the coat he’s wearing does have a nice swish to it” - roommate about klaus’s coat

luther being like “you’re just as messed up as the rest of us and we’re all you have” like luther,,, baby,,,,, you literally ARE all he has,,,,,, his family is the only thing he’s really cared about since he was thirteen and maybe before then :(

“I can’t tell if those are supposed to be cake or yeast donuts... i think extruded donuts are cake donuts but she said she lets them rise so maybe they’re yeast?” - my roommate focusing on all the things that i do not

sometimes i forget that hazel and cha-cha pretended to be private detectives trying to find a lost child in a potentially dangerous situation,,, five would be disgusted

“she shouldn’t get a vote” “i was gonna say i agree with you” “she should get a vote!!” this is peak sibling energy honestly i think i’ve had that exact interaction with my siblings voting for a movie or something

“hashtag android rights” 

“I want to be the tailor who gets a call one day that says ‘i want you to make clothes for a chimpanzee”

is it telling that only luther in the flashback didn’t really talk to grace at all,, i mean five didn’t either but i think he was gone by that point in the flashback ???? 

wait diego tells grace that she worked for him for thirty years,,, the kids are 29 and later it’s implied she was built bc vanya kept killing nannies when they were like four but maybe s2 clarifies that some more?? or diego just is rounding up

“that’s an interesting fabric to her skirt” - my roommate about grace’s outfit

forgot that hazel and cha cha broke the door to the manor busting in,, do they ever fix that?? we’re only at episode three do they spend the rest of the season with their door open to anyone on the streets

okay that bathtub is WAY too small to allow for klaus to be moving his elbows about like that underwater smh

“how is HE useful on mission??” my roommate about klaus

where is the SECURITY SYSTEM??? luther LITERALLY said that reggie was more paranoid and yet some assassin can just bust down the door and have unrestricted access????? he built a whole ROBOT but no security system????????

“maybe it was like,, practice for the kids? someone breaks in and they take care of it? wait no that doesn’t explain the thirteen years they’ve been gone?”

“why WAS he on the moon?” - about luther

“I want to see what she’s embroidering!!” about grace during the gunfight in the living room she’s absolutely ignoring diego getting shot at

what is a rope-a-dope,,,, diego yells “EVER HEARD OF A ROPE-A-DOPE???” at luther but like. no i haven’t. what does that MEAN diego

aww i forgot they played sinnerman, love that song

“what are you doing dude, rumor has it you’re not shooting at me that’s all you need to do” i mean. the roommate is not wrong. allison could just end the fight with a yell. i understand she’s pissed off and has rumor trauma but like cha cha is actively trying to murder them

how is luther not winning he literally has super strength. does hazel have super strength? just punch the man and knock him out jesus y’all suck at this smh

why is there such intense music we all been knew about luther’s strength - oH HIS BODY

forgot about that

is it allison’s fault that klaus got kidnapped because she didn’t literally just rumor them to give up?? like she literally has that power. she could have been like “i heard a rumor you left and forgot about us” it didn’t even need to be violent?? i understand she has rumor trauma but this i feel is allowable circumstances

diego showing his worry about vanya by getting angry which honestly i think all the siblings do that rip none of these idiots have even heard of healthy communication in their LIVES

you know,, i don’t think vanya can drive. she takes the bus. she took a taxi to leonard’s house. we see her walking a lot. does she know how to drive?? i imagine that the umbrella academy were taught bc of mission related stuff but,,, vanya wasn’t?? that’s just depressing tbh

[mangled-dreams]

Reader goes on tour with Mark, Sean, Bob, Wade, Ethan and Tyler, and ends up taking a bullet in the stomach for Sean? How do they all react to reader being hospitalized, or reader dying in their arms?

I went out of order for this one because I didn’t want the idea I had in my head disappear. So without further waiting:

Killing Shot

You’ve been psyched up for the past three months in preparation for the tour and now that your actually on it, nothing else compares. Sean and Mark have done their own shows either solo or with friends and this time is no different. Improv, a few rehearsed sketches, singing, dancing—the show has it all! Not to mention you get to be apart of it!

“I’m so pumped!!” You hear Ethan cheer from across the stage. Right now everyone is getting ready with costume/wardrobe fittings. Hiding your smile behind your hand you turn to Mark again adjusting the sleeves some.

“How does that feel?” You ask stepping back from Mark to let him move freely.

He does a few of his favorite dance moves nodding his head. “It’s good. I’m glad you could come with us.” Mark says super happy to have your skill set and comedy talent on the tour.

Taking thread and needle you do a quick few stitches to secure your adjustments and remove the pins. “Glad to be of service.” You laugh then tell Mark to go change and give you the clothes when done. Sean walks over for his last minute fitting once Mark is gone. “Any areas that feel to loose or not loose enough?” You ask beaming at your handsome beau.

Sean indicates it feels a little loose on the inside seam of his pant on the right side and you concur. Taking your dress maker pins and a fabric pen you secure and dot where you need to sew together. You would normally use your needle and thread but it’s a sensitive area and quite a large spans of fabric you’d have to thread. Standing you ask Sean to move and bend his legs. “Are you getting the pins? I’ll be taking in the fabric quite a bit but is that comfortable?”

Sean does as you ask giving thumbs up in approval. You nod and remove the pins from his pants. “Can we take in the jacket too?” Sean asks looking down at you. He likes this angle.

“Focus on the important things Sean.” Your grouse playfully.

“Oh believe me, I am.” He teases back liking the flush of heat to your face. Standing again you look at the jacket and agree again it does need to come in some.

“Shit! Y/n, wardrobe SOS!” Ethan calls from the other side. Twisting you see Wade and Bob have crashed and Wade’s coat is missing a sleeve.

Gasping you rush over with Sean. “Are you okay?” You ask Wade. He’s on his feet again and looking quite embarrassed but tells you he’s okay.

“Bob?”

“I’m good. We were trying something new for the show tonight but, it didn’t work.” Wade replies rubbing his back and head. You sigh and look at their costumes. You don’t see anything to terrible to fix, but most importantly there’s no blood anywhere.

“Can you salvage the coat?” Wade asks holding up the sleeve now complete detached from the rest of the coat. You take it and look at the seam. It appears okay and simple enough to fix.

“Yeah, I should be able to make it good as new.” You say confident in the fix. “Bob any damage to report?” You ask looking Bob over again.

Spinning Bob tells you no and you feel a small amount of relief. Taking Wade’s jacket you tell everyone to take it easy and go back to adjusting Sean’s jacket. Sean gives you words of encouragement to which you are regateful for, but it’s more than just the costumes that have you stressed; Sean insisted that you accompany them on stage tonight. You’ve helped with props and other little things while the show is going on, but being a star in it frightens you.

In your sewing room once everything is done and you’ve collected the costumes you set to work sewing. You feel euphoria when you sew. Its your life’s purpose and it’s so fulfilling to you. You’ve made so many costumes for yourself and others I’ve the years you can just abou eye ball a person and know their measurements.

Of course that’s how you met the gang. You’d been cosplaying at a convention when you been stopped by Mark and Bob. They really liked all your detail and craftsmanship. You’d managed to get them o take your card and basically the rest is history. You’d made the costumes for a lot of Mark’s Darkiplier and Wilford videos, a few personal costumes for both Wade and Ethan. It was during a shoot for a Darkiplier vid that you met Sean and there’s been instant chemistry.

Looking back on all you’ve done it feel amazing and surreal, as if all a dream. Today will be the third city and ninth show. You're nearly two months into the six month tour and you've been apart eight show so far as a backstage hand, now you'll have at least one show under your belt as being a participant.

“Hey, how's going in here?” Tyler asks coming to check on your slave shop. Taking your foot of the petal of your sewing machine you look up with a smile.

“Doing fine. How's practice going?” You ask clipping the small bit of threat still attached to the machine and shake out the coat.

“It's going well. Sean asked me to check on you.” He says twisting a free standing chair around and sits down facing you, his arms and chin resting on the back of the chair. “Is that Wade's?”

Nodding you show it to Tyler. “I didn't loose any length of the arm, which is a blessing.” Tyler nods quite impressed at your skill despite his lack of facial reaction. You know Tyler well enough to pick up on his micro facial features. “I have just about everyone's costumes ready for the show,”

“Including yours?” Tyler asks quickly. You look away from him with a little bit of guilt. “That's what we thought. You can tell us you don't want to do this.” Tyler tells you meaning it. You already know he's right, but you don't want to let Sean or anyone else down.

“I promised you guys I'd try more new things.”

“Within your comfort zone.” Tyler shots back instantly. “We don't want you to feel forced into this. It's supposed to be fun for everyone.” He adds his features softening.

“I know, Tyler, but I—I want to try this.” You say folding Wade's jacket, setting it down before taking up your outfit and look it over. It's already tailored for you, it'd been the prototype so it looks a little different from the rest, but each outfit reflect the wearer.

Tyler watches you for a few minutes then ask you, “How much do you like Sean?”

“Is this a trick question?” You ask. It's very well known how much you “like” Sean. It's been known since before you met him face to face. “It's pretty well known my feeling about him, I am dating him. I don't see a point in a closed partnership if there isn't at least some kind of romantic feeling.” You explain fixing a patch on the shoulder of your jacket.

“No trick. You've been dating what? Four years now?”

“Ugh, you're starting to sound like my mother.” You groan rolling your eyes at Tyler. “She's always asking, “When are you and Sean going to get married? I won't be young forever.” It gets real old real fast.” You mimic your mother tone to the best of your ability.

“Don't you want to get married?” Tyler asks a little shocked at your response.

You shrug. “Sure, eventually. Sean's at the peak of his career. He's happy with the way things are. If he wants more than what we have now I'll take that path with him. There are people expecting us to tie the knot, but I don't want him to feel tied down.” You explain calmly. You've seen how badly relationships can end if two people rush into marriage, especially with celebrities.

“Do you think he'd cheat on you?” Tyler asks getting the hidden meaning behind your words.

Do you? Yes, part of you always worries that your partner—despite who they are will cheat. It's common culture now to have at least one or two relationships end in unfaithfulness. “Yes, but I'd rather avoid that heartache if it's in the cards. If I'm no longer what he wants, even if he's what I want, I'd rather part on good terms than in a ball of flame and hatred. I love this life I have, with and without him. I don't want to feel like regret when thinking upon these days.”

You miss the former green hair Irishman standing just on the other side of the door. He'd come down to check on you when Tyler didn't come back to the stage to finish up. He'd heard Tyler ask about marriage and curiosity got the better of him. It hurts that you expect him to be tempted into cheating, but the more he listens he understands you're being logical about it.

"What about kids and stuff?"

"Animals are good for now. I mean look at us right now.  We're on tour for six months visiting at over twenty cities, what about this says kid friendly?" You laugh smiling cheerfully at Tyler. "Kids would be nice, but I've imagined using whatever wealth I accumulate to take in older kids in the foster system." You add winking. You'd imagined growing old with a wall filled with kids you helped get to a better place.

Tyler smiles at you. He likes the idea of that. "That's a good plan." He tells you quite proud of your plans.

Sean smile to himself. He knew he found the perfect person for him when he met you. Turning Sean heads back up the stairs. He's can see you're doing just fine and having a nice conversation with Tyler. Hearing you talk so candidly with Tyler solidified his purpose for asking you to join him on stage tonight.

"AND NOW! WELCOME THE STARS OF TONIGHT'S SHOW!! MARK, SEAN, WADE, ETHAN, BOB, TYLER, AND INTRODUCING A SPECIAL GUEST Y/N!!" The house announcer shouts the crowd already on their feet cheering.

One by one everyone, you included, run on stage waving, blowing kisses, and cheering along with the crowd. You can't see much in ways of facial features past the first few rows, but it doesn't quell the nausea you feel.

Sean and Mark dance around separately while Ethan and Tyler do a hoedown kind of dance. Wade and Bob slap their thighs in time with Ethan and Tyler's dancing. You laugh watching the spectacle before you.

Sean spots you by yourself and rushes over to you lifting you into his arms and swings you around, carrying you over to rest of the group. Laughter erupts from the crowd at the scene and a few minutes later everyone settles down and the guys take their turns talking to the crowd, thanking everyone for coming out to see them stand on stage and have fun.

As the hour mark slowly comes to pass you find you've taken to the improve and sketches with ease. It'd been fun and in the end Mark won the little contest they do at each show. So far the score is Mark with three wins, Sean with three, Tyler one, Ethan with one, Wade with one, and Bob with none; but with all the shows still to go, it's anyone's game.

"Now! We're going to take some questions before the end of the show and share some of the gifts we've gotten at the beginning of the show." Ethan says smiling. The couches had been rolled out during the last sketch battle and everyone takes a seat. You perch on the arm rest next to Mark since Sean is in the middle.

Two lines of ten are made and one by one each fan gets to ask a question of the guys. And to your surprise you get a few questions of your won. Sitting up straight you give the young girl you're pretty sure you've meet before your full attention.

"I've been watching your channel for two years now, and I just wanted to know when did you know that costume designing was what you wanted to do? And follow up, how would you suggest someone interested in sewing start out?" She asks in a shy tone you can't help but coo at.

"Well, I was about your age I guess. I used to watch shows like BDZ and Sailor Moon and I really liked their costumes but no one would ever have the designs I wanted in the stores and the places that did would have very poor quality. My grandma used to sew me clothes as a kid and I asked her for help. We'd go to the fabric shop and she'd help me mix and match patterns to get the right design." You tell her smiling. "I've been working on my craft since then as for beginning, start slow. Buy a stuffed animal building kit, start with doll clothing then move up from there. I'm sure if you look around you'll be able to find a club or group of avid seamstresses that would be glad to teach you unique tips and tricks of the trade." You add encouraging the young girl as best as you can. "My e-mail is always active and I'm usually able to respond in a few days."

The girl smiles big, thanks you, and walks back to her seat where you see the adult with her smile just as big. The next person steps up and asks Sean a question about Chase and Henrik's next appearance on the channel.

You have to hide your smile at the amount of trolling Sean does before answering the question. The whole group is laughing and cheering by the ends of the question.

"Admit it, you're having fun." Mark says lowering his microphone to talk to you privately. Glancing down at Mark you nudge him a little smiling back.

"Before me move on to the next person!" Sean says shooting the next fan an apologetic glance. "I need to ask a question of my own."

Confused you have to look to the others for help when Sean walks before you and kneels. "Sean, what are you doing?" You ask red faced as the scene before you becomes crystal clear. "No. Sean y--you can't..."

Sean smiles at you. One of the camera operators rounds to get a shot of Sean's face at this moment. "Yes, I am. Y/n, I've been wanting to ask for a while, but will you make me happy and marry me?"

Behind him the crowd goes completely insane at his question before it goes dead quiet waiting for you to respond to his question.

"A-are you sure?" Sean nods his head. Teary eyed you nod your head saying, "Yes Sean, I'll marry you!" The world exposes around you, literally as small fireworks are set off. Sean slips the ring on your finger and quickly gathers you in his arms. You share a long passionate kiss before parting. Sean smiles for the crowd holding up your hand.

"I'm enraged!" He cheers. The rest of the group stands up, hugging and congratulating you both on your commitment to each other. Mark moves to let you sit next to Sean, keeping your hands locked together.

You can't contain your happiness as the ask section comes to a close as does the show. Standing up with the others you join in the closing thank you and give a long bow. Sparks of light rain behind you in a controlled display. Waving goodbye you notice something a little out of the ordinary.

Despite everyone jumping and cheering, clapping their hands, and whistling a single figure a few rows away from the stage stands still. It feels different. You don't know what it is about the person standing eerily quiet in the crowd of cheering people.

Keeping an eye on the man in the crowd you walk over to Sean. Being close to him gives you some amount of comfort but it doesn’t last. Glancing at the man in the crowd you notice his eyes are trained on Sean beside you.

Tugging on Sean’s jacket you say, “Sean you need to get off stage.”

“What?” Sean follows your gaze to the man eye wide as a gun is pulled from the man’s pocket. All it takes is a split second to react. Using all your power you knock Sean out of the gunman’s line of fire.

You don’t feel the bullet pierce your stomach, no, it’s the impact of falling back that elicited your cry. People are screaming as bodies scatter, running to get away from the gun fire. Only when you twist to crawl away do you feel the pain and sticky red liquid spilling from you.

Pausing you look at your now wet red colored shirt. Sean screams scurrying to your side. This doesn’t make sense but it hurts. It hurts so much.

“No. No, no, no!” Sean looks from your abdomen to your face watching the color drain. “Y/n, can you hear me?” Sean asks turning you to face his chest.

“Sean... it hurts.” You whine grabbing his shirt as your strength slowly fades.

“I know, I know. They’re coming. We got people coming to help.” Sean says pressing his hand tightly again your stomach. Mark and the others rush over with towels.

“Hold on, they’re almost here.” Mark pleases hating how weak you look. None of them are willing to believe you’ll die here in their collective arms.

Your vision is coming and going as your eyelids droop down. You need to stay away but the pain, the loss of blood, the tiredness you feel it's all so overwhelming and you can't fight. You don't know how much time has passed but it feels like hours, days laying in Sean's arms. Your heart breaks at the sound of his sobbing pleads to stay alive, to stay with him, to not go wards the light you can't even see.

Burying his face in your neck Sean clutches you to his chest. He's a broken man and the only mend is for you to survive. But as the minutes tick by his words of reassurance turn to prays for mercy. Mark closes his eyes, turning his head away as he cries. Ethan turns to Tyler unable to watch you die.

"Please, don't leave me." Sean pleads.

With your last bit of strength--your last breath you force your eyes open, try to smile, and manage to say, "I love you."

Breathe.

[gaslampsglow]

hey corey, this is a bit of a shot in the dark but i'm trying to buy a men's waistcoat for something and wanted to know if you had any recommendations for places to look. it seemed like something you'd possibly have thoughts on. thanks!

Of course!  I am always willing to rant about my clotheshorse habits at the drop of a hat.  (I hope you don’t mind that I’m answering publicly.  If it is at all an issue lemme know and I’ll fix that.  But I figure blathering about where I buy clothes might be of interest to some folks.)

A lot of it (obviously) depends on the style you’re looking for and your budget expectations.  I’m really lucky to have some thrift stores nearby with a donation pool that comes from some wealthy areas, so I’ve lucked into great pieces that way, but YMMV.  Cincinnati also has a super fucking fantastic store called Talk Of The Town, which is a (I shit you not) vintage clothing store/costume rental house.  Every item has a rental price and a purchase price, and the woman who owns the place is really nice and really fun and gives price cuts for really minor cosmetic flaws.  I’d see if there are any similar places near you, since rental houses often have more items than they know what to do with and may have a “for sale” section.  I’m not sure of your height, but given your body type you may be able to find vintage waistcoats in your size for really cheap.  I can almost never find any, since no one my size even existed in the 1920s.  Not literally, but you know what I mean.

That said!  For modern clothes my first stop is almost always Macy’s.  People’s eyes bug out when I tell them that, which is understandable, because their women’s clothes tend to be bland and uninspiring, but their men’s stuff is G R E A T.  Seriously.  That bright red velvet vest I got for my birthday?  $20 bucks off the clearance rack.  Their website is pretty solid, too, so you’re not missing out on any deals by shopping web only.  And, since they’re in a nosedive because retail is an all-consuming tirefire, they keep throwing massive sales to try to beg people to buy their clothes.

Express Men is another solid choice for fast fashion, and they do some weird experimental stuff.  My favorite vest of all time is from there, a black velvet double-breasted number with a silk shawl collar.  H&M is similar, though again I fit in NOTHING they make so I don’t own anything of theirs myself.  Great prices though.

Men’s Warehouse is home to some of the world’s ugliest dress wear, but if you need a basic tux vest and don’t mind everything feeling like its made out of recycled prom dresses, you could do worse.

If you’re looking for something of a slightly more period bent but can’t find any reliable vintage clothing, consider historicalemporium.com.  They’re garbage, but they do have a good selection.  Their quality has gone farther and farther downhill in recent years, though, so caveat emptor.

If you want to spend some serious money for a piece of clothing that will last you for years, and you also happen to love tweed, WALKER SLATER.  WALKER SLATER WALKER SLATER WALKER SLATER.  AUGH.  I WANT ONE SO BAD.  I NEED IT IN MY LIFE.  THEIR WAISTCOATS ARE LIKE 120 BUCKS ONCE YOU HAVE THEM SHIPPED TO THE US BUT HOT FUCK SUCH BEAUTIFUL FABRICS.  I COULD DIE.

Ahem.

Overall, though, finding vests still sucks.  They were Such A Thing like three years ago (which I didn’t like for exactly this reason) but no stores actually carried them, and now no stores carry them AND ebay prices have SKYROCKETED compared to what they were.  Trendiness is the enemy of success.

Oddly, depending on the style and cut and fabric you want, and how frequently you intend to wear it, you may want to consider getting a vest custom made (which is something I’ve been poking with a stick lately.) . There are a TON of really fantastic cosplay and costume makers out there who charge nothing for their services compared to if you asked, say, a traditional tailor for make you a bespoke vest.  If you find a pattern you like, look for good deals on fabric, and recycle some buttons, you may be able to get a piece made to fit you for less than you’d expect.

But if you can’t afford a personalized bespoke clothing item, store bought is fine.

(I had to.)

If I think of any others I’ll let you know!

[incorrectfeaquotes]

Wowie u sew??? What a lucky duck! I've always wanted to get better in sewing but I'm so horrible at it. Do u have any tips for beginner seamstresses?

Oh boy do I.

Putting this under a read more cause this is basically Mod Sully’s stream of consciousness in regards to sewing:

Okay so, I kinda had an interesting time learning how to sew because I started with a broken sewing machine. Like, it couldn’t even sew for more than a few inches before it broke down. Total nightmare. Also when I began I had like the bare ass minimum of materials (regular scissors, a ruler, pencil). And it was a bitch to try to measure/hem/cut anything. So it was funny cause as I got better I also got better equipment. I actually redid some stuff for this year’s con and things came out sooooo much better.Granted, I’m still rather a novice myself (I didn’t start cosplaying until Junior year of college), but I’ll tell you some stuff I’ve been learning so you can benefit from my mistakes.

So here’s some of the Essentials that I’ve found to be super helpful:

Fabric Scissors. Trust me there’s a big difference between fabric scissors and regular ones. And once you have fabric ones, don’t use them for paper and stuff.

Water soluble fabric marker/pencil (I have a white one I usually use, then some blue chalk for white fabric. Don’t use pencil trust me on this one.)

Seam Ripper (super important. if you fuck up you can use this to take out the thread.)

Box of pins

Iron. Always iron your fabric before cutting or sewing. Also when using an iron, please test it on some of your scrap fabric first. You never know how it’s going to react to the material. This way you can find out what it can tolerate. I had some polyester-blend fabric that would get all gunked up somehow if I tried ironing it at too high a setting.

Masking tape (cause a lot of times you’ll need things to temporarily stick together and don’t want to get tape residue on it.)

Seam Gauge

X-Acto knife

Self-healing cutting board

Measuring tape (the tailor’s kind, not the construction worker kind)

Ruler, preferably see-through and a kind that won’t get cut into by an xacto knife

Test Fabric. I cannot stress this enough. I’m lucky cause I live in New York and we have an entire garment district full of fabric stores, but if you can find a Michael’s or a goodwill or something they’re also good places to check. In a fabric store you can usually find a discount bin with clearance fabric. You want to find something similar in consistency and stretchiness to your final fabric. I got some fabric for $3 a yard for my Foo Fighters test fabric.

One thing I’ve found particularly helpful is that you can get these little sewing kits at like Michael’s. I got one and have been using a lot of it to this day. It’s usually like a little pouch about half a foot long with some basics, like that little tomato you put pins in (which has come in handy for me) and some little spools of thread and a tape measure.

Not as essential but I’ve found to be lifesavers:

Drafting paper. This stuff is amazing for when you have to make your own patterns. I got like a huge roll for only five bucks, and it’s marked up in a grid in inches so it’s easier to make straight lines. Butcher paper works too.

Rotary cutter: For cutting long strips of fabric this saves me so much time and stress. Just be very careful not to cut yourself on it. It’s sharp! Also when you use a rotary cutter, have the cutting board underneath everything. Otherwise you’re gonna ruin whatever surface you’re cutting on top of.

So when I first started out it was with hand-sewing (the broken sewing machine wasn’t mine so I couldn’t always use it) which is a bitch a lotta the time. I mean, if you wanna do it I’m not gonna stop you. But I don’t really have any advice in this category cause all that time I just spent winging shit.

Okay so, Sewing Machine.

Some things that you definitely want a sewing machine to have are a Straight Stretch Stitch, Zigzag Stitch, and Overlock stitch (this is in place of a serger cause that’s like a whole nother machine it’s easier to just get a sewing machine with this thingy).

This is the sewing machine that I have. Again, only have a broken one to compare it to so I can’t really say if it’s better than most or not. I mean, I love it. Occasionally eats stretch fabric though if you’re sewing close to the edge of the fabric.

Also, when first starting out, don’t jump right away into your project. Get some scrap fabric and test out some of the stitching. Each one handles differently. And be careful to make sure you’re using the right foot and needle for the type of stitching (some need a twin needle and such.)

Stuff I’ve found useful:

In order to sew a straight line, you can use the Seam gauge to make some markers occasionally where the stitching is gonna go. Then, line the fabric up with the sewing machine (pay attention to where the needle is going to land. Always start sewing with the needle already dropped into the fabric). Take a piece of tape and place it alongside the edge of the fabric. Now when you’re sewing, just make sure that the paper stays right alongside that tape. Your line should be pretty straight! The gauge is just so you can occasionally look up and make sure you’re still goin the right way.

Also, if you put your needles in perpendicular to the direction you’ll be sewing, you don’t have to take the needles out as you go, you can just do that at the end!

I don’t know how other people do it, but when I have fabric that I’ve got to fold back to hem, what I do is put it on top of the pattern. The pattern should have the seam allowance on it marked. Then I stick a bunch of needles into it so the fabric and paper stay connected. Then, I use the rotary cutter/scissors to cut along the fabric so it matches up to the pattern’s shape. Then I take out the needles on one of the sides and start folding that side back to match up with the seam allowance, pinning a ton as I go so it holds in place, also putting some pins through into the paper too so it stays put for when I move to the other sides. This way you can make sure all your seam allowances are lined up!

If you want something to be symmetrical, make the pattern of just one half of it, then fold your fabric in half and pin it to the pattern. Once you’ve cut it out, if you unfold it it should be the full piece. This method also works for things like pants. Rather than cutting out both back legs at different times, you can just fold the fabric and cut through two layers to get two leg pieces.

Before you start sewing, make sure there’s enough thread in the bobbin. The bobbin’s the part with the string that goes inside the machine, rather than the spool of thread on the top (you use both). Sometimes you’ll be sewing a bunch of stuff and not notice the bobbin runs out, then you’re just left sewing completely unaware that nothing’s staying together and you gotta go back.

The sewing machine usually works with a pump. The harder you press down the faster it goes. Start out slow and then work your way to fast, but don’t go too fast cause then your sewing might get out of line if you’re not experienced with it.

Also keep an eye on where the fabric meets the needle and make sure the sewing machine continues to push the fabric forward. If it stays in one place, that means it’s stuck inside the machine. Fortunately with most sewing machines you can take the top part off that area and go inside and fish out the fabric. But there’s a good chance the fabric will be ruined.

Also, you will never have picked up all the needles. There are always going to be needles on the ground.

When you join two pieces of fabric together, make sure it’s on the side you’re going to have inside the clothing. In general just always make sure you’re sewing on the side you need to sew on.

Always cut a little bit more initially than you think you’ll need. You’ll narrow it down more when you get it over the pattern.

With stretch fabric, use either a zigzag stitch or straight stretch stitch. Also, if you attach stretch fabric to non-stretch fabric, it’s not gonna stretch anymore regardless of the stitch.

There’s a way to make it so that the stitching doesn’t show on the outside. It’s called facing, and I haven’t really mastered it yet. There’s tutorials for it online though.

If you have to sew designs to something, like letters or a patch, I’ve found that Heat n Bond works really well. It’s got this web stuff on the back that, while not permanent, keeps whatever you’re attaching stationary on the other fabric so you can sew it into place. When I do these things with stretchable fabric a straight stretch stitch is the best. You’ll have to go slow and also occasionally pick up the foot to slightly adjust the fabric for turns and such.

Also, since I’m doing cosplay I’m gonna reiterate something I remember reading a while back: Cosplay can be only two of these three things: Cheap, Fast, and Accurate. If you’re like me and want to go the Cheap and Accurate route, don’t be like me and start planning early. Don’t fall victim to Con Crunch.

Okay, that’s all I got for now, but if you got any other questions feel free to ask!

[danganronpacosplayhelp]

hey! i'm cosplaying Junko for AB and i'm super excited, but the jacket i got is way too big in the waist. it fits everywhere else, though. i don't have much if any sewing experience. how would i go about taking it in?

First off, if you don’t know anything about garment construction, don’t have a sewing machine, and/or have the funds for it, you might want to take it to a professional tailor. Making fitted garments isn’t an awesome beginner project.

If you’re like me and don’t give a shit that something isn’t a good beginner project, you’ll make it happen skills be damned, read on.

Here’s an article on darts. It’s kind of confusing but I couldn’t find anything else that really explains what a dart is and the different kinds there are. Just kind of use it as a way to start thinking about the ways you can alter the shape of fabric so it doesn’t lie flat, because people are curvy and not flat.

Get a buddy, turn the jacket inside out, and put it on. Have the buddy find the seams and pinch the fabric so it fits you more snugly and then pin you into it. Ideally, use chalk to draw the line of your body so you can sew Exactly on the line. Start by pinning the waist so it fits and then add other tucks and darts as needed to make the jacket shape look not weird. Depending on how the jacket is constructed and how much bigger it is you might not need to do that.

Then, all you have to do is sew along where you pinned. If you used chalk this is incredibly easy because you’re literally just following the line, but it’s still possible even if you just pinned it.

Try it on, make sure it fits, and if you’ve got it right trim away the excess fabric to minimize bulk. If not, get a seam ripper and your buddy and try again. If you wanna be really professional you can finish your seams but I’m a lazy bastard and probably wouldn’t.

Good luck and come back if you need more help!

--mod p