Word Out 2013

~submitted by Amanda Sun, author of Ink

When it comes to crafting, I’m someone who likes to try my hand at everything. I like knitting, sewing, origami, painting, working with craft foam and beading. As a writer, I also love storytelling and roleplaying. A few years ago I attended an anime and gaming convention with a friend, and saw everyone dressed in these beautiful, elaborate costumes. I wanted to know more, and soon I realized I’d found my new crafting hobby—cosplay.

What is cosplay? Well, it comes from the words “costume” and “play.” It’s dressing up as your favourite characters from animes, manga, games, cartoons, TV shows—just about anything! Some people buy their cosplays, some use items from their closet. Some people use thrift store finds and others hand-make everything. Some people like to act in character and others don’t. There’s no right or wrong way to cosplay. It’s about having fun, making friends, and learning new crafting skills!

I’ve been cosplaying for four years now, and have made over fifteen different costumes for myself and others. I started by taking a beginner’s sewing class to learn the basics. My first cosplay was Yuna from Final Fantasy X. I made beads out of model magic and poked holes in them with a bamboo skewer. After they dried, I painted them and strung them into an earring. Painting the skirt and obi (belt) took me over two weeks, and the rest of the cosplay took about two months. Everything is painted and made in exact detail and proportion—I’m a cosplayer who enjoys making my cosplays as accurate as I can'to the original character. Some cosplayers go for the general look, and that’s fine too. Whatever makes you enjoy the process!

Anime and other conventions often have masquerades, where you can go on stage and show off all your hard work. Some people act out a skit or a scene. Others walk on stage so we can admire their cosplays. I love this part, because it’s a chance to act as your character, to make everyone smile, and to feel proud of your accomplishments. I also love the shiny ribbons I sometimes win! I’m a sucker for shiny ribbons.

Cosplay is a great hobby to get into, because there are so many different ways to approach it. You learn all kinds of new things (once I made a suit of armour out of craft foam!), and you meet great people in the process.  Hope you try it out sometime!