For “normal” people, Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer and Labor Day marks the end of summer. For those of us costume hobbyists, Memorial Day means there are less than 100 days until Labor Day weekend when we bring our favorite costumes to DragonCon in Atlanta, one of the largest pop culture conventions in the United States. So we retreat to our dining rooms, craft rooms, and workshops in a frantic scramble to finish costumes and props, and try not to add any new costumes to the list at the last minute (ha!). My house is a sad mess, especially my dining room (which has been taken over by my sewing machine and stacks of patterns and fabric). And around my craft room, there are bits and pieces of costumes in various stages of completion. I wanted to share a preview and works in progress for the costumes my husband and I will be bringing to DragonCon this year (IF they all get finished in time).
James Bond and Mexico City Bond Girl from Spectre
These his and hers costumes are from the opening scene in Spectre, the most recent James Bond film where 007 and a random Bond Girl walk through Mexico City on All Saints Day, or Day of the Dead stalking a villain during a parade. I’m happy to report these two costumes are finished and we were able to take them out for a test run at Comicpalooza in Houston last month. I painted the tuxedo, modified a Mexican dress from the 1970s, made a flower crown, and assembled the rest of the accessories from Ebay, Etsy, and Amazon. Done!
Artemisia and Queen Gorgo from 300: Rise of an Empire
Eva Green is my girl crush, so of course I had to make her gold dress from “that” scene on her ship. I’m also happy to report this is complete and well worn at Comicpalooza in Houston last month. I handmade the entire dress as well as made modifications to some jewelry bought on Etsy. Love love LOVE it! Also from Rise of an Empire is Queen Gorgo from the final battle scene. I wore this to DragonCon last year but with borrowed armor, so this summer I will be making my own set of armor (though it probably won’t look as good as the set made by Wags).
Pilots from Battlestar Galactica
Also worn last year at DragonCon are our pilot uniforms (minus the jackets). No modifications are needed for the costume itself, but we did purchase harnesses and gun kits that need to be assembled and painted…*looks at husband’s honey-do list*
Burlesque Loki and Kilted Hawkeye from The Avengers
Usually I stick to either screen accuracy or inspired concept when selecting costumes to make and wear. This year a large group of us are doing burlesque superheroes (women) and kilted superheroes (men). I’m almost finished with my Burlesque Loki, with an exception of the horns, and not even close to being finished with my husband’s Kilted Hawkeye. We’ll get there!
Claire Randall and Jack Randall from Outlander
I am OBSESSED with Outlander. I’ve read all the books, rewatched the available seasons, and have been building an 18th century wardrobe like a mad woman. Last year I wore one of Claire’s season 1 outfits to DragonCon and just about died of a heat stroke (I exaggerate a little bit). So this year, I’m wearing a different 1745 outfit from season 1 (less crochet around my neck) AND her 1945 dress she wore before she traveled through the stones. All I have left to work on for the 1745 outfit is her basket. For her 1945 dress, I made a mock-up this morning that went well, so with another four hours at the sewing machine, I’ll have the real deal finished. The biggest challenge this year will be my husband’s Jack Randall uniform. We start cutting fabric tonight, actually. Wish us luck!
Diana Prince from Wonder Woman
Just like most women, I saw Wonder Woman last weekend and DIED of happiness. Although every costume in that film was fierce, I fell in love with her blue gala dress in particular, and on a whim ordered a sword and boots, and purchased yards and yards and yards of royal blue silk. It’s happening…
So, what are you wearing to DragonCon this year?