GILLIAN CONAHAN
Gillian Conahan is a cosplayer, handcraft nerd, and lifelong geek. Most of her time is spent making things or thinking about making things; when she isn’t busy with sewing, she’s embroidering, doing beadwork, or drawing. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Patterns magazine, and has written and researched for Discover magazine and elsewhere. Originally from Portland, OR, she studied physics and writing at MIT where she received both undergraduate and master’s degrees. She now lives in Brooklyn with a well-fed fabric stash.
HANDWEAR HANDBOOK
C&T Publishing / Fanpowered Press
Making gloves is a notorious test of cosplay craft. Novices and experienced costume makers alike find them fiddly, time-consuming, and tricky to fit, but too often essential to complete a look. Handwear Handbook guides readers through all the techniques and tips to create all forms of hand and arm-wear, building up from basic cuffs and bracers to fully gusseted gloves, armor, and more! Covering every step of the process ― from material selection to final embellishments ― professional stage costumer Gillian Conahan demystifies glove making and offers crafters of all levels a repertoire of basic pieces that can adapt to any style.
- Hand and arm wear are costume staples across all popular genres, from princesses to wizards and superheroes to anime!
- Get all the expert coaching you need to create unique costume pieces from basic cuffs to gusseted gloves.
- Includes basic sewing and decorative techniques and instructions on working with knits, wovens, and leather.
The Hero's Closet: Sewing for Costuming and Cosplay
Abrams, 2017
Cosplayers rejoice! The Hero’s Closet is the ultimate DIY guide to creating unique and fantastical homemade costumes.
This essential handbook offers detailed, step-by-step instructions that cover the basics of sewing costumes (which often require skills not found in standard sewing guides) to help even the most novice sewists create the costumes of their dreams. A skilled crafter and avid cosplayer, Gillian Conahan walks readers through finding inspiration online and through their fandom; shares insight into translating character art into real-world garments; and offers advice on pattern selection, alterations, fabrics, and embellishment techniques. The book also features 11 original step-by-step basic patterns—such as jumpsuits, jackets, and pants. It then suggests ideas for mixing and matching these basics to create costumes of all styles, including superheroes, pirates, elves, school girls, and adventurers.
The Hero’s Closet is the first how-to handbook on the art of sewing for cosplay. A must-have guide for Comic Con and Halloween, it’s essential for all ambitious fans with a DIY spirit who love the idea of cosplay, but need the inspiration and technical tips to make an awesome costume.