Anglicon 2017 I'm going, dash it all!

I have missed this Northwest event every year since I heard about it, because it was in the summer and summer is just full of stuff.
When they announced that it would be in the winter, I reserved right away.

I have to face the fact that all my Dr Who costumes are Dalek. For those who don't care, The Daleks are probably the most recognized villains from the show. They are "mutants in mechanical shells" that shoot death rays and speak in a mechanized voice and got a significant upgrade in the rebooted series.
They used to roll. Now they fly.

They are the only Whovian villain NOT entirely owned by the BBC. Contractually speaking, they belong to the estate of Terry Nation, and get their own credit as such. It is rumored that they do not appear in the first episodes of the reboot because their contract was still being negotiated.

Now THAT is a villain!

I'm kinda invested in them. I almost started a Dalek formal ballgown the other day, and then the sheer amount of time and money that whim would involve caught up with me.

Me and the Dalek at EMP  MoPop! 

Fifth Avenue Dalek

The fascinator doesn't read very well, it needs a bigger base, but I'm going without it. And man, I look so pissed off here. I'm not a good unfriendly Dalek. I can't go mean.

I also fail at the Dalek weaponry.

The paint roller weapon cannot readily be made from a paint roller. The paint roller handle is very very thick (so it won't bend while you roll) and there's no point in wasting time on cutting or bending it. The roller caps, however,are a good model for how to build one from plastic bottle caps and coat hangers (my chosen media)

I like to think of this as Dalek Accountant. A little Seventh Doctor in the hat, a little 12th in the Paul Smith flipback hem (and yes, that's an Issey Miyake jacket V1664),  and a whole lot of "I should be carrying a briefcase"

Will take the onesie. Jammie time.

The sundress works well under thermal underwear in winter. This was 2016 Halloween.

The shirt was my beta test item for Spoonflower's 2015 Sew Shirt, their 'cut and sew' which turned into Sprout Patterns.

And the self-drafted culottes. I will put the pattern up online someday, but if you stare at this, you get it. It's one piece, it's pretty simple. 

I am not the Perfect Whovian. I have....never seen a Pertwee episode. All we got here on West Coast television in my tender youth was Tom Baker and David Tennant's father in law. The latter will be at this said event. Also Sylvester McCoy, who I adore from many other things. Big doin's! I am looking forward to fist fights about #13 being a lady and all. I've got my plunger ready and I'm spoilin' for a fight.

---
I went, I had a lovely time.
Sylvester McCoy made a comment about the Whovian fans, that they were the most inclusive lot he'd ever seen in the pop culture convention world. And it's true; there are more differently abled folks in the ranks, more entire families (three or four generations) in attendance, and there was no guff, no rolled eyeballs, no fights.

There was patience for the newer fans, and abundant love for the younger ones and those with a different language or perception of it.

And I'm sorry that I don't have a picture of the Tardis lady chasing her toddler time lord, but I don't take photos without asking, and they were in a hurry.

And this would have been very appropriate.

I stole this from Roisin at Dolly Clackett. Love you.

Simplicity 8276 The Dalek Onesie

Four yards of Spoonflower printed cotton knit, three yards of cheap poly knit lining, zipper by the yard and two days later

Yes, I made one. A Dalek onesie. 

The huggable, lovable exterminatin' Doctor Who villain!

I do love a mashup. It's true. I can't do anything straight out; it has to have a twist to it, or I just can't pay attention.

I made no weapons for this one. Because my weapon is LOOOOOOOVE.

(ew)

The cotton spandex jersey shrank three inches in the wash/dry (this is the one yard piece. No idea about the shrinkage in the three yard piece in the other print. Same fabric so I assume roughly the same ratio).

I needed to shorten the whole garment anyway by four inches, not just two, so it worked out just barely

Attaching the center panel to the sides in a knit would be tricky.

Wonder tape sticks to this knit (it doesn't like texture) so WonderTape! to attach, then stitch.

My initial thought was that a minky fabric would be too heavy, so go with a cotton knit. Which is too lightweight (perhaps if it were a darker print in a slicker fabric this would work) so it needs lining.

This is the cheapest poly knit I can find. Thanks Pacific Fabrics for keeping the lights on for my emergencies.

I sewed a center zipper instead of the button overlap in the pattern. I sewed the lining to the fabric for the front and the back at the seams.

I added a crotch zipper for convienience. Sewed the crotch together to sew that. Then shoulders. Then sleeves. Then pockets to sides, adding seam tape to prevent total stretchout for pockets (woven pockets, larger than ones indicated).

I was going too fast to take a lot of photos. I thought I took more.

I changed out the hood to a two piece model, cribbed from this model

Two side pieces and a center panel make a hood that is easier to wear and see out of. 

The directional nature of the print made the layout more exciting than usual (yes, I flubbed a sleeve and recut). It's about a 6" repeat print. I did print a fat quarter of matching cream colored knit for the hood.

You can't see the ears. They are there.

Lined the hood with the 'vent' fabric, also used it for cuffs at wrists and ankles.

Now for the pattern review.

It goes together well enough, the instructions are clear enough, I did not use their ear patterns but they are similar enough. The tails on the photographed models are being held by the models because they will need more support than the seams will give them - they will be dragging badly.

You can hang them with a string from further up the seam 

The legs are in the wrong places, but the process is valid enough. Strings!

. The center section is over a yard tall straight from the envelope, and the other pieces eat up a lot of length, so alter first and buy yardage second.

My biggest issue is the width between the legs.

To get the design to read properly, I'm standing with my feet about two feet apart in this photo. I don't do that very often; I had hip replacement surgery about ten years ago, and it's just not a natural stance.

Probably not for you either.

I just don't think so. And pardon my lack of Converse high tops; they don't fit my wide feet anymore

Yes, I look silly. I also have my feet closer together and the center is pretty baggy and foldy. Doesn't read really well. 

All the poses are ...awkward to hold for any amount of time.

There's a lot of fabric in this pattern. I knew how ridiculous this was going to be, and I am happy with it for that. If I were looking at this for a lounging pajama, I'd.....change that up.

So, in the field, how'd I do?

Whenever I stood with my feet apart, people recognized what I was.

When I didn't, I got the usual "I see that you are dressed specially for this event, but what you are is beyond me" glance. "That's a Doctor Who thing, right? You always do Dr Who, right?"

I got a few 'oh...wait...I know you're....oh yeah!' and one "OH MY GOD YOU'RE SO CUTE!" bear hug. I did get more smiles from little kids, because clearly I was in my pajamas as well as they were.  Which is about what I thought.

This is going to get more wear next winter at the Anglicon weekend in December, and will be perfect for the hotel sleepover breakfast lounging. Dalek casual.

As for convention floor wear, it gets pretty warm pretty fast. Not as awful as a suit of EVA foam armor or a Chewbacca fur suit (they faint, but luckily the padding helps the landing), but not as comfortable as it would appear.

As for the restroom issue: a zip crotch would need to run from ankle to ankle to pull up the bottom and be fully functional. My zipper was not long enough. Dropping the top in a stall involved managing a lot of fabric you'd like to keep off the floor. It was really tricky.

Frankly, a robe would be easier.

And I met a customer in the field!

I did not get her name or permission to post online, so I have removed the face of this fine human being (with some super Doctor Who tattoos) but that fabric on her dress is another of my Spoonflower prints. 

As ever, I had a wonderful time talking with other cosplayers, comic book artists and more comic book artists. I bought art from great people. A wonderful time was had.

And did I go to SewExpo?
Unless I go tomorrow morning and blow off my familial obligations: 
Nope. There just aren't enough hours in the week anymore.

Fun with Simplicity: Emerald City ComicCon Edition part one

The Simplicity 5 for $5 always gets me.

I don't need anymore patterns. I have a lifetime supply, but I do enjoy reading the catalogs.

As a child, I was victim to a similar ruffle butt outfit.

These are wrong.

I am disappointed that the catalog illustration does not feature a photo of someone in the shark bag. I guess it's up to you to realize "Hey, they're being eaten by a shark!" I just pray my Jaws obsessed niece does not see this.

No. Just no. It's a blatant ripoff of the ThinkGeek Bantha sleeping bag.

Another unlicensed spin on a Marvel character. I do love the 'wink wink' aspect to these costume 'tributes'

Baby Groot!

As a Whovian costume completist, I feel compelled to post this. But no. 

Although the fabric dog toy versions of the plunger and the death ray/paint roller are cool.

But this was dangerously close to the previous pages.

And now I have a horribly wonderful idea for a costume for Emerald City ComicCon

(March 2 - 4)

Because I can always use another one.

You know, lazy Sunday cosplay onesie suit. As one does.

  

Side seam pockets in a wide onesie aren't very practical, but after I reinforce the side seam from the shoulder down, it should be stable enough

Also going to add a crotch zipper for restroom ease

(it's damn hard to disrobe enough in a convention center toilet stall to pee)

Altering the pattern to fit the 5'2" person (me): I want it big but I don't want to drown in it.

The center panel is just short enough now to fit on a Spoonflower yard

  

Fabric ordered, rush $$ paid,pattern altered, new pockets cut, all ready to cut when the fabric arrives on the 28th. I can knock this out in a day and a half.