kerravonsen | Costume on Short Notice

Okay, I'm asking for your help, y'all, for ideas on how I could make a specific costume idea, given that I'm going to a convention in a week, only have one weekend to do stuff in beforehand, don't have time to sew anything, will have to make do with things I have... because it's just too much of a fun idea not to try to do it.

Thing is, my eldest niece gave me, for Christmas, a plushie Darth Vader, which I'd forgotten about until I had to start clearing out my partially unpacked suitcase to prepare for packing for the convention. And it occurred to me that, it would be great fun to dress up as a teenage-or-child version of Kylo Ren (aka Ben Solo) with the plushie as the main prop for it, considering how much Kylo Ren hero-worshipped him.

So what could I wear that would scream "I am Kylo Ren" to fans looking at me?
I do have black trousers and turtleneck, so that would do as a base, but what else? A toy lightsaber would be obvious, except that it might violate the convention's no-weapons policy. And I'd have to actually find and buy one first!

Another question would be what to do with my hair, it being very long. If I put it into two pigtails, I could be a genderswapped Ben, since the idea would be to look like a little kid and pigtails definitely look like a little kid.

Ideas, ideas please?

Current Mood: rushed
Crossposts: http://kerravonsen.livejournal.com/1064085.html

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

tptigger

Han Solo style vest?

From:

kerravonsen

Only if the vest I already have is sufficiently of that style, and I'm not sure whether it is or not...

From:

watervole

Pony tail. That feels more Kylo Ren.

Ask the convention if a light sabre is okay as that would help a lot.

How about a black judo belt? Or any kind of fabric belt.

From:

kerravonsen

Pony tail. That feels more Kylo Ren.

Good point. If I could bind it into a queue, that would be even better, but I find it difficult to braid my hair behind my head.

Ask the convention if a light sabre is okay as that would help a lot.

I found a toy one, I think it will be okay as it looks obviously like a toy.

How about a black judo belt? Or any kind of fabric belt.

I am too fat. It has been years since I have been able to find any kind of belt that fits me. And I don't have time nor materials to make one.

From:

watervole

Judo belts are much longer than normal belts, as they are designed to go twice round the body with an allowance for the knot as well.

The odds are high that you could find one to fit you if you only wrapped it round once.

From:

vilakins.livejournal.com

Curl your hair (plait when wet, maybe?) so it's a bit wild and make a toy light-sabre out of say rolled-up and painted newspaper or cardboard as if Kylo made it himself. Make up a report card from his teachers, giving grades in various subject and comments about young Ben Solo's refusal to part with his plush Vader in class, and the staff's refusal to call him Kylo. Pout and be emo. ;-)

From:

kerravonsen

Curl your hair (plait when wet, maybe?)

Yes, that would work. My other thought was to definitely be Benita Solo, do my hair in looped plaits and say that I take after my mother...

make a toy light-sabre out of say rolled-up and painted newspaper or cardboard as if Kylo made it himself

Mm, yes, I was pondering that myself. Toilet rolls I do have. I may even have a cardboard roll from paper towels. I think it would have to be a light-sabre hilt only, of course. A bit difficult to make a retracting fake laser out of toilet rolls. 8-P

Make up a report card from his teachers, giving grades in various subject and comments about young Ben Solo's refusal to part with his plush Vader in class, and the staff's refusal to call him Kylo.
Don't think that would work, too much to read. I was thinking about making a name-badge, though, written with my wrong hand so that it's all shaky, saying "My Name Is Benita Solo".

Pout and be emo.

Definitely! (grin)

From:

jaxomsride.livejournal.com

For an extendable lightsabre effect you need a sword flicker
http://www.bakerross.co.uk/paper-sword-flickers-1
I remember making these in Primary school, though I can't remember how!

From:

kerravonsen

Hmmm, interesting.

From:

vilakins.livejournal.com

That'd work! Maybe you can find a longer, thinner tube you can colour like Vader's sabre, so it's permanently out (and obviously a toy). $2 shops wouldn't have any light sabres, would they? The do have plastic swords.

[looks at your icon] I need to make myself a steampunk raygun to use in Oamaru and also buy some goggles and maybe a leather jackets - I have a leather pilot's helmet. Because Oamaru is the steampunk capital of NZ and is actually celebrating this long weekend which sadly I'll miss (we're moving later in the month). But never mind, there's an airshow to go to on Monday up here.

From:

kerravonsen

$2 shops wouldn't have any light sabres, would they?

I was planning on going to the Reject Shop today to see; I remember seeing something like a light sabre at that particular shop, but that was months ago and who knows if they still have it, but I won't know if I don't look.

Because Oamaru is the steampunk capital of NZ

Oh wow, lucky you!

I need to make myself a steampunk raygun

One of my frustrations with conventions nowadays is that they have a very broad no-weapons policy -- gone are the days when I could dress up as a bounty hunter with my augmented decorated plastic ray gun in the fabulous leather holster and belt that my friend the leatherworker made for me. (sigh)
This also means that I have no motive to make a steampunk raygun, even though I would like to, because there is nowhere I could wear it. (sigh)

If you want to make something steampunk, you'll need brass and/or copper pipe... actually, I expect the folks in Oamaru would know the best places to source that kind of stuff. Me, I managed to find assorted small lengths of pipe from an online shop that sold hobby tools and model-making stuff.

From:

vilakins.livejournal.com

Absolutely, there's a steampunk museum there and they or another group would be able to advise. Pity I can't use my Roman sword but there's no way to steampunk that. Boots, jacket, helmet, and goggles will go a long way to making up the look but I think I'll need something else.

I need something by November. :-D OK, I missed the teapot racing etc this weekend but yay! There's a steampunk shop in Wellington selling great stuff, so either I go there sometime or even on my way down, or I find out if there's a supplier in Oamaru (Google does not help).

From:

kerravonsen

8-)

Boots, jacket, helmet, and goggles will go a long way to making up the look but I think I'll need something else.

Fob-watch?
I had a lovely one, I got it on ebay, it was a proper wind-up working one, and you could see the clockwork moving! I replaced the chain with one I made myself. Then I broke the watch by over-winding it. 8-(

Gloves? I made this one for me, but I haven't made the other one to make a pair - yet. And leather gloves would go better with your Aviatrix getup, I think. Leather fingerless gloves.

Pity I can't use my Roman sword but there's no way to steampunk that.

Part of me rises up and says "But you can steampunk anything!" Then I thought about it, and realised you were right. I mean, you could use a concealed-sword-inside-a-cane, that would be very steampunky, but not a Roman sword.

Steampunk bracer that I made. I want to re-work it, because it kept sliding down my arm when I was wearing it. Probably take off the side-panels and replace them with something which has a little give in it, either maille done with half the rings being rubber, or knitted scale-maille. But it isn't high on my list of things to do at the moment.

From:

vilakins.livejournal.com

Yes, a fob-watch would be perfect! I could get a leather vest rather than, or as well as, a jacket as November might be too hot for a jacket.

Your glove and bracer are wonderful! They gave me the idea of looking on Ravelry for steampunk patterns and there are quite a few. Are you on Ravelry (crochet and knitting patterns)? I rather like these mitts, and I see one of the people wearing them has a sword. But I'd prefer a raygun. I also have some cool lacy mitts I can wear in hotter weather that would look pretty Victorian.

From:

kerravonsen

Your glove and bracer are wonderful!
Thank you!

Are you on Ravelry (crochet and knitting patterns)?
Yep. It's my go-to place for crochet patterns, even though it's biased towards knitting.

I rather like these mitts
Ooh, they are nice.

There are a couple of fingerless glove crochet patterns that I've bookmarked that are pretty cool, not exactly steampunk but have a fantasy feel:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/medieval-texting-gloves
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gauntlet-style-fingerless-gloves

From:

vilakins.livejournal.com

I saw the gauntlet ones and loved them! - for some reason I didn't notice the other pattern, which is lovely too, maybe because of my search terms. I was searching for anything knitted or crocheted as I'm happy to do either. In fact I bought some really nice ergonomic hooks so my hands won't hurt as much when crocheting (I do have a UFO - unfinished object - to finish crocheting, a Totoro). Maybe I grip to hard.

Anyway I've favourited those patterns as well, thanks!

I do have some bought mitts that would do nicely for non-aviator wear as they'd fit into the Victorian theme (Oamaru also does Victorian), especially the lace ones and the black ones with the gold swirly pattern embossed on them.

From:

kerravonsen

8-)

From:

kerravonsen

Maybe I grip to hard.

I dunno. I don't have ergonomic handles on my crochet hooks except for one (which I bought from Etsy, it was so expensive but so beautiful, hand-made out of ebony). But for my maille-making, I found it made a huge difference having ergonomic handles on my pliers; so much easier and much less painful.

Even with ergonomic handles, though, I can do myself an injury if I work too hard without a break, as I discovered to my chagrin when I was making my scale-maille bracer, I did my shoulder in because I wanted to get it finished ASAP. Oops.

From:

vilakins.livejournal.com

This was a KnitPro set of hooks with large soft plastic handles being sold where I buy yarn. They were very reasonable and I figure they'll be easier than the thin-and-hard-handled ones I have. I do love the KnitPro needles.

From:

vilakins.livejournal.com

Ooh, someone made the texting gloves in a dark metallic yarn which looks very cool. It's a Spotlight yarn, bought here in fact! The greys look good too.