Ever since I attend my first convention (think ComicCon, only on a smaller scale) I have admired the cosplayers (the people dressed up as different characters).
Many People are able to literally bring their chosen character to life with detailed costumes, make-up and wigs. I have always loved dressing up. I would spend ages planning and looking forward to the Book Week dress up days at school. Cosplay also embeds another love of mine: acting, as cosplayers pose as their character for photos and do short skits on stage. I think that’s fantastic.
So of course I had to try it myself and over the past few years I have cosplayed at conventions, but I have never (successfully) made a costume myself. This year I have had the chance to attend sewing classes and learn from an expert dressmaker. Thanks to her I’m going fairly well (if not slowly) with my Lucky Star winter school uniform costume. It’s your basic Japanese sailor uniform, but is by no means basic in terms of making it for a beginner seamstress like me.

The class I’m attending, at the local neighbourhood house centre, is perfect for beginners like me since everyone there needs help with their various projects and everyone is really encouraging.
It’s funny I’m the only one there who isn’t married and doesn’t have any children…Everyone else is either a mother sewing for her kids or a grandmother sewing for their grandkids….