Mortem's Tricks or Treats: The Galactic Existential Crisis

During the last month or so, I was collaborating with a friend from High school; she came to me with the desire for custom made costumes to attend the Calgary Comic Expo this year.

I was reluctant at the time, as I usually am when people approach me to make something for them; I have exponential commitment and focus issues, so I tend to pardon myself from most anything of the sort. But y'know, I grew tired of turning people down, and she caught me at just the right turning point in my way of thinking... so what the heck, I committed to making her a costume! I figured if I can complete this, I have a an inkling of hope yet to start a clothing business.

It first began with one costume-- I should say, one part of one costume. She requested a wonder woman costume, but with a vintage Airforce twist. She told me the only thing she wanted from me was the corset, so I sketched a few ideas and she agreed to a concept. For a brief time, I was meeting the drafting and mock up deadlines after the decision had been made.

During the process, she came to me yet again with another idea, for yet another costume. She wanted a Storm Trooper pinafore apron.
I began feeling that ol' reluctant feeling again, but this time for different reasons... my inner Trekkie was screaming 'NO'... but my heart and my mouth spit out 'okie dokie!'.

I did some research into pinafores and sketched a concept which I haven't come upon in my searches; I have seen darth vader, and I have seen trooper helmet on the apron, but not the suit completely adapted.

Yeah... so, after I sketched this, it turned out that I was super proud of the concept...
She was pretty excited about it, too.

I found feelings within myself that couldn't possibly come from a self-proclaimed Trekkie.
The worst part about it, is this costume didn't give me as much grief as her first request... it was easy, and painless.

I was making it completely from scratch; I had no pattern to really work with, I was just piecing it together when I could find the time to work on it. I made small templates for the side "flaps" and the breast portions, but only to keep proportions right. I honestly don't know why this felt so right. Scary.

Of course, when I finished, my room didn't quite appreciate the spontaneity of its construction...
To think, I'll be moving in a week, and I have only made matters worse in my sewing room.

But here it is! And yes, the pride is still very present...

The back pack was actually an after thought (sketched in last minute), and it was supposed to be a mini... but it turned out to be bigger than I had really intended. It's supposed to mimic that detail on the back of a troopers suit. The shapes on it are also reversed, which I noticed after the fact...

Well, at least the straps are fully adjustable!

Source

I've been working on so many Star Wars related things, I have started suffering a geeky existential crisis...
Just a couple weeks ago, my husband came to me complaining of back problems due to his computer chair, and asked that I make him a cushion. It came to no surprise that he requested it in Star Wars fabric...

At least I got to bomb his Wars happiness...

For a self-proclaimed Trekkie... I am sure making a lot of Star Wars related goods.

The things one does for love and friendship...

Fashioning My Cyber Microcosm: The Life of A Bat

As a self proclaimed Halloween-aholic, it comes to the surprise of many that I actually have no plans for Halloween this year. I didn't even give much thought to a costume.
... Well... I didn't last year either, but anyway-- at this point I would have at least been looking forward to doing something.

Luckily, one of my husband's colleagues threw a pumpkin carving party over the weekend, and gave me a damn fine reason to celebrate the only special holiday I look forward to each year.
Sadly, I forgot to take my own camera along in the frenzy and excitement to get ready for the party... but my friend gave me permission to use some of the ones she took of the event.

It was just the occasion to wear my pretty eyeball dress to, but I spent the majority of my time baking bat cookies with my friend to put much thought into what to accessorize the dress with. Happily she came to my aid with a pair of bat wings, which was just enough for this batty gal to be happy with.

You might notice I am lacking my second pair of eyes, aka spectacles... that is because I finally took the dive into wearing contacts. This is the first time in what feels like forever, that I've seen without the weight of glasses on my face. I vaguely remember the same foreign feeling when I was first prescribed glasses at age 14... I never thought I'd get used to them on my face, and now I can't really remember what it was like never having them, even though it's only been 11 years!
Anyway, I like them despite that nagging little thought that perhaps I am forgetting something...
Now I have to pick which color I would like-- I narrowed the choice down to violet or honey colored yellow.

Either way, I would like to make my gaze as interesting as I'd like to believe I am...

Again, usually I have meticulous plans for what I would like to do during this joyous holiday...
Last year I carved a sugar skull onto my pumpkin. This year I decided to wing it, and came up with something along the traditional lines of jack o'lantern carving.

It reminded me more of Jack Skellington than I initially intended... we even had someone carve the pumpkin king himself onto their pumpkin.

I was far more impressed with another friend's pumpkin. It was surely the party favorite among the lot of carved goodness; hers was the headless horseman that sits right beside the Jack face. Up close, you would easily see why-- this does not do it enough justice!

The pumpkin that belongs to the friend I went with is the one that says 'boo' in its mouth, that I also find all kinds of cute. And of course, the Star Trek one is near to my heart, too-- though I don't really know who carved it... I myself was debating whether or not I should do something similar, but my love of Halloween far exceeds my love of the United Federation of Planets.

There was a surprising amount of Trek love in this party, besides the pumpkin. The friend who carved the headless horseman was wearing a Star Trek command shirt; she also gave me a deck of Voyager cards to gush over. Oh what joy to find two of my passions in one place!

And so to wrap up this exceedingly wordy post (feels a little more than usual), I and my fur babies bid thee a happy halloween! (even if in reality they hate dressing up!)