To be completely transparent, you should know I got sent samples from all of these companies and even got sponsors for some of my videos. This post however is NOT sponsored and I am sharing my own personal opinion and experiences with all of these companies.

If you wish to purchase from any of the companies below, I do have a discount code ‘ALICECOS’ . Contrary to what you would expect, I don’t necessarily get a commission if you use my discount (I do in some cases) but you will get up to to 20% off in some cases or a little extra gift.

Before you buy contacts

Wearing coloured contacts looks awesome, but you should keep in mind they are not a toy and you run the risk of damaging your eyes if you don’t use them properly or if you don’t use a quality product. Always follow the recommendations and instructions in the box and make sure your lenses are certified.

In some countries like the USA, you will need a prescription to be able to purchase them. Don’t trust a company who does not ask for this prescription. Even if it is not required where you live, you should visit your eye doctor first just to make sure you are able to wear contacts. Even if you have a 10/10 eyesight!

Good and not so good Small Shops

In this section I will show you a few less known brands. They may not have huge catalogues but they may surprise you as you can find here some very specific contacts for some specific characters that are not easy to find anywhere else.

Fresh Lady

This company isn’t very big nor very impressive but I never had an issue with their contacts. Their short catalogue doesn’t have many contacts specifically for cosplay but they do have a few character specific options that you may not find anywhere else.

Their style is mostly suited for natural looks, with very few options for the enlarged anime eye effect. In general, they have quite simple contacts which are usually 2 to 3 colours, this can vary from very natural to very bold in some cases which is absolutely fine if that’s what you are looking for.

They ship from China but also have a US Warehouse, which can be useful if you are located in America. Otherwise, expect a couple of weeks for them to arrive to places like Europe.

MisLens

My personal experience with MisLens was not the best. In general, I found their contacts slightly less comfortable than other brands, but I did have a big issue with one pair in particular.

One of their pairs of contacts (Hu Tao) I would never recommend. Mesh contacts that cover your pupil can create a blurry vision which is absolutely normal, however this pair completely made me feel blind. Taking off contacts while completely blind was a very stressful experience and they are one of the reasons why I stopped accepting contact reviews. I comfronted the company about the issue and they fully admitted that this particular design is faulty, but the fact that they knew and did not fix it makes me question the brand.

In a second incident, they took my video review and uploaded it to their own video channel without permission, so, make sure you keep an eye on them if you share their contacts and are not happy for them to use your image without consent.

Nevertheless, they still have some lenses in their catalogue some people may be interested in. They have mostly natural looking contacts with a few crazy shapes like hearts, squares or hello kitty contacts that make them unique. They also have character specific contacts for certain anime characters but not many big eye anime style options.

They are located in China so feel free to calculate times of arrivals depending on your location.

Known brands I have not tried

It wouldn’t be fair to post this list without two of the biggest companies of contact lenses that I hear everyone talking about all the time. I have personally not tested their contacts but I did gather some information for you to save you some time.

TTDEye

I have not tried this brand and I personally don’t have any intentions of trying it. Unfortunately I have heard some terror stories coming from cosplayers. But also found a notification from the FDA in the past saying that some of their contacts were indeed not certified and had to be recalled. I believe in the past they were selling contacts without prescription in the US (which is illegal). This may not be the case anymore but it makes me question the reputation of a company which has had so many oopsies in the past. I don’t oopsie with my eyes.

I have indeed declined collaborations with them. This is however my own choice based on the information I found on the internet (always check your sources, don’t trust me) and you are free to test their lenses as they do seem to have a varied catalogue of contact lenses of all styles.

PinkyParadise

This brand is perhaps one of the go tos for cosplayers, and no wonder as they have a huge catalogue of contacts for all tastes. From natural looking, to crazy styles to anime large eye effect. If you can’t find anything here, you probably can’t find anything

I have personaly not tried them yet as I always found their page stressful with so many things popping up and moving and shouting at you all the time. But this does not mean they are a bad brand. They do have a huge catalogue but sometimes that only makes it difficult to choose. However, I must also say their items are not always in stock which can become a bit frustrating as you don’t know if they will ever be back.

My TOP 3

These are the shops I continue to go back to for their quality, reliability and excellent customer service.

3. Coloured Contacts

I have reviewed this brand in the past, and they may not have a huge catalogue of contacts, nore be super known and popular, but the contacts I got from them have always been good quality and comfortable. They have an assortment of lenses, mostly focused on natural ones but with a few striking ones as well. Unfortunately not much of the anime style effect.

Bonus point, this is the only company in my list I know is based in Europe which means you will get your contact lenses fast if you are in this side of the planet as they have a warehouse in the UK. They do have options for Free Delivery in the US as well so something to keep them in mind.

Bonus Bonus point, their prices are very competitive, and probably some of the cheapest I have seen for the quality. Only the shipping cost is much lower than most of the competitors that ship to Europe. So if you are looking for good price and good quality, maybe this is your brand.

Bonus bonus bonus points, their customer service has always been super kind to me and that is something I really appreciate.

2. Uniqso

I was an ambassador of Uniqso for many many years (they do not do long term collabs anymore) I still advocate for them as they have a huge catalogue of contact lenses and they constantly release new ones, often inspired by they newest animes and series.

Not only they have lots of contacts to choose from in any style you can imagine, their contacts are actually very comfortable as well. And they don’t sell only contacts, they offer a variety of good quality wigs as well, so this may be your place to go if you want a one stop shop.

I have continued to use their products even after I stopped getting sponsored by them. And the only reason why they are not number one in my list is because of their stock issues. I find it very difficult to purchase contacts that I have bought in the past and even if you see a huge catalogue in their page, I am often disappointed to see they do not stock my prescription (0,0 Plano) for many lenses, which causes me to check their catalogue one by one trying to find something in stock. You can fix it by clicking the filter in the side, but it still annoys me how difficult is to buy the same pair twice.

Another reason why they are not number one in my list is they have recently changed their system and they now sell individual lenses and not pairs, which makes it look like the contacts are cheaper than what they actually are. T

Expect at least three to 4 pop ups before you can even check their catalogue.

1. Moco Queen

It is to noone’s surprise Moco Queen is my number one contact lens brand at the moment.

Am I biased? Probably yes. After all, I have been sponsored by them for a long time now and I have been quite spoilt to be honest. However, believe me when I say I wouldn’t risk my eyes with a bad company. After testing several not so good brands in the past, this company was a revelation of what good contact lenses should feel like.

They may not have the huge catalogue of Uniqso or PinkyParadise and they are definitely more expensive than colouredcontacts.com, but they have just enough to make everyone happy.

From this brand you can expect comfort, a stocked and varied catalogue, and reliability. And also very fast shipping if you are located in the US! I am not, but I still get my contacts pretty fast. And I know you will not use my discount code because they have an almost permanent 2 for 1 code available in their page.

Further advice

Never EVER buy cheap contact lenses for cosplay from dubious places like Temu, Shein or eBay unless you are absolutely sure the lenses are certified to be safe for you (spoiler alert, most of the time they aren’t).

You should ONLY get contacts for cosplay that have been approved by the appropriate health commissions. You will know your contacts are safe if they have FDA and or CE stamps. These certify they have gone through rigourous testing and they are safe to wear. But can’t guarantee your complete safety so do make sure to follow the instructions in the packages. The companies above are FDA and/or CE certified to the best of my knowledge.

Finally, remember some of the basic rules when you wear contacts. Soak your lenses in All in one contact lens solution for 6 HOURS before you wear them for the first time and also to store them. Never EVER use water to clean or store them. If they look damaged, still feel itchy after a few minutes or something feels wrong, BIN THEM, your eyes are not worth the risk.

The post Where to buy coloured contacts for cosplay? appeared first on Alice in Cosplayland.

I started Patreon in early 2021 and 3 years later it has grown bigger than I could ever imagine (Well, you know I can imagine more, so there is always extra room for newcomers, hehe). Last year, I made a dozen new cosplays, some of them really complicated if you ask me! And I documented every single one of them with photos, tutorials, videos and much more. And you can see them all on my Patreon!

There is already dozens of tutorials on my site with invaluable information, tips, detailed photos and hundreds of hours of cosplay information (15 years of cosplay knowledge at your fingertips!). Of course, organising all this information in biteable sizes is super challenging and for those of you have been following me month after month I think it is just fair to still make sure you have the best perks! So here are some of the readjustments I will be making this year.

GENERAL CHANGES

So far, I have been trying my very best to work around the clock, that means I would start a project on the 1st each month and try and finish it by the 31st. Including patterns, photos, videos, rewards, etc. Of course, month after month I FAILED, and despite your infinite kindness and understanding it made me feel miserable and like a failure every single time.

Improved Cosplay Process

I have decided to embrace the fact that I may not be able to finish a full new cosplay every single month, because what I do is not easy! And I do like my very complex cosplays. I will still be offering very clear rewards each month, but you will be seeing progress photos, photoshoots and videos delivered at a reasonable time depending on how difficult the cosplay is.

Example. I start a project in Month 1 and show you the work in progress. Offer the patterns and finish the cosplay in Month 2. Deliver all the photos, videos and patterns in Month 3

Effectively this is what is already happening on my feed and I just want to make it formal. In a sense it is good news for you, because that means you get to see different cosplays at different stages each month! As I can carry on sewing the next cosplay while I do all the boring writing and editing in the shadows without having to do a full stop between projects.

Update Frequency

Another thing I want to change is the frequency in which I post, because so far I was posting virtually every day and I think that can be a bit too much for some people and definetely it is for me.

From now on, I want to post in blocks. Easy cosplays may only get one WIP update, but I will still make sure to split difficult ones into several posts. Same amount of content but in more organised chunks.

CHANGES BY TIER

I am going to be moving a few rewards around and taking down a few others which I don’t think are so interesting. I will probably still add those as a bonus every so often but not necessarily every single month.

Free Membership!

Introducing Free Membership! Yes, you can be part of the club for free! A few months ago, Patreon introduced the option to become a member without paying for it. This is just amazing! The option has been on for a couple of months and I do know you are there, so I will make sure to upload some free content every single month. This includes knowing my cosplay plans before anyone else, dropping some links of interest every so often or getting a few freebies every now and then! If you just want to know what’s going on (and maybe just sneakily grab a month’s reward whenever you fancy), this is a great way of catching up with me without spending a single penny.

• Know my new cosplans first
• Links and News of interest to the cosplay community
• Updates to my shop
• Extra perks and freebies every so often

£1 Mome Rath

The Mome Rath Tier will still get the most updates! I believe in sharing, and honestly, you can figure out most of my techniques just by looking at them. It is cheap and cheerful and your support means a lot. Cosplay previews and Sketches have been moved or gone, you may still see some but not every month.

• Work in progress
• Behind the scenes
• 10% off my store

£3 White Rabbit

Get all the juicy stuff early. This year I will be trying my best to deliver all the videos early, what’s more, this year I want to make more videos than ever before! You will also see my finished cosplays early, including selfies, and although it may not be every single month, I’m still planning on sharing small blueprints and downloads on this tier depending on the project.

• Cosplay previews
• Early access to videos
• Selfies
• 15% off my store

£5 Cheshire Cat

My favourite and your favourite Tier. Although everyone else in the cosplay community is doing it, I will not be increasing the price of this Tier for the time being because I want to make cosplay affordable for everyone. Here you can get 1 FULL PATTERN for a cosplay each month. Of course, every so often, rewards my be split if the cosplay is huge (Example Month 1 Kimono + Month 2: Kimono underwear), but in general they will be full projects by themselves that you can still use on their own.

As always, all the cosplays are fully sized so they fit YOU. As explained above, I will be increasing the delivery times but other than that this tier will remain the same. I am also moving the photoshoots to this tier because I think they make more sense here.

• Cosplay Sewing Patterns
• HD Photoshoots
• 20% off my store

£10 Dormouse

You guys are incredible. For many months this tier was just here just in case you wanted to help a little bit more with no clear rewards set. I want to change it. I want to add a bit more in depth knowledge to this tier so I will be adding a different extra each month. It can be an in depth booklet showing you how I made a particular piece, a short video explaining a topic, or an extra pattern if I happen to finish more than one that month.

On the other hand, with the new changes to Patreon it is easier than ever to access previous files, so I don’t feel the need of sending separate links anymore. If you previously joined “The Vault” with access to past files, you still have access to all those files up to the end of December 2023 I will also you new links with an updated list of the 2023 files for easy access. From January 2024, access to the vault is no longer available for new members.

• Booklet or Masterclass or Extra Pattern
• 30% off my store

£25 Mad Hatter

New Tier unlocked! Have you been away for the last 3 YEARS? Do not worry, you can catch up here. Every year there is more and more content on my page, which makes it more and more valuable. On this tier you can get access to ALL THE FEED, including all the blueprints and downloads I have ever posted on my Patreon! These cost a lot of money seperately! You also get a 50% discount you can use on my store for any sewing patterns you would like.

• Access to past files: photoshoots + blueprints + booklets
• 50% off my store

LAST KNOTS

Have you joined my Patreon yet? What are you waiting for! You definitely will get the best value for your cosplay journey.

I’m honestly very excited for most of these changes! And yes, throughout the year there may be a few more tweaks, so make sure to check on Patreon and social media for the latest updates. Overall, I aim to simplify my work in order to provide you with the best experience and content. And of course, I will still be releasing lots of free content on all my other platforms like Youtube or Instagram so make sure you follow me there too.

I want this next year to be the best cosplay year yet! And I would love to make it happen with your help.

Thank you so much for your support, always. I am looking forwards to see what this New Year is bringing!

To the next adventure!

The post My 2024 Patreon Rewards Update appeared first on Alice in Cosplayland.

For those of you who live under a rock I will briefly explain what Patreon is. Patreon is a membership platform that connects content creators with fans and supporters. Followers or patrons will receive rewards in exchange for a monthly fee (it varies).

Do you really want a Patreon?

It sounds like a good deal but, do you really want a Patreon? Before you answer this question, think about it for a moment. Actually, let me help you, probably the short answer is no… But wait! Let me explain myself! Patreon is a platform that needs a lot of time and effort. It is literally like having a full time job. It could easily become a burden unless you are absolutely sure you can commit to it. I just want to give you a fair warning early in the game. Before you open your Patreon ask yourself these questions:

• Do you have a large base of followers?
• Do they usually interact with you and your content?
• Are you making at least a new cosplay every month?
• Have you got enough monthly content to fill your Patreon?
• Do you have enough time to create, edit and post rewards in Patreon?
• Is there anything unique you can offer to your followers?
• Do you often get messages asking to see more of your content?
• Have you got other means of supporting yourself in case it fails?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, probably you are ready to go! However, if no was the main answer, you may want to take a step back and think about opening your Patreon at a later date. Personally, even after being in the game for many years, I don’t think I was ready when I opened mine! But you will never be ready enough until you give it a go.

The price to pay

Of course, Patreon is not going to share all its awesome features for free. It needs to make money somehow, and it is going to take a good chunk of your money. The biggest chunk goes to the Platform fees and how much they get will depend on the plan you choose (Lite, Pro or Premium). They will also keep some money every time one of your patrons makes a pledge, the Payment Processing fee. Both of those will be charged for each patron every month. The next fee is to transfer the money to your account, this is the Payout fee, that costs money too. Finally, if your patrons happens to use a different currency than your one, which is actually quite likely, you will also be charged a fee.

Did I mention that they also charge VAT and stuff directly to your patrons? Yeah… It’s starting to get pricey.

The table above is just an estimate. You will be able to access the exact figures when you choose your preferences. In particular, the payout fees greatly vary depending on your currency.

Let’s have an example taken from my own Patreon in the UK when I first started, if I have 2 patrons, one pays £3 and another £6 a month, I should get £9 a month but… £9 – 8% – 3.4% – £0.35 – 2.5% -£1 = £6.4. Basically Patreon was taking almost one third of my cake. And here it doesn’t even include the VAT my patrons may have been charged on top of my Tier Price! Doesn’t look like a great deal to me.

But let’s think that you actually get something like 20 Patrons which pay well, which is a good start, and you are making like £150 a month, which is fairly good for Patreon (not like I make that). That’s ok you may think. Or is it? How much are you offering on it? How much did it take you to prepare all the content? And the materials you used? What about the photoshoot? How many hours did you spend just uploading things to Patreon and creating files? If you were working for a company, would you accept that kind of money for the time you spent? I can tell you, in general I post almost daily. And I make new Cosplays every month, and photos, and tutorials, cosplay for me is a full time job, and I do spend a lot of time of my day just doing files for my Patreon and believe me, when I was working I was able to make that money in 2 days virtually just having to seat on a chair for a few hours, which takes me to the next point.

Preassure

Baby, if you can’t handle the pressure, you better get ready. Because this is going to get underwater.

As I mentioned before, when I first started I only had a couple of followers on Patreon. Which was kinda nice! Of course they were my friends so if one day I couldn’t post or if I was gone for a month for personal reasons, nothing happened. The real pressure started when I actually started getting new followers, and oh my, how it changed.

I found myself having to post daily, trying to think of new rewards to attract people. Getting as many pictures, and sketches, and videos and behind the scenes as I could. Setting myself stupid unachievable goals and falling short each time. Taking a holiday meant missing deadlines and followers, having a family emergency meant having to catch up. And being late for something lead to disappointment for everyone. I had quit my job to be free and now I was more stressed than ever.

My patrons in general are always very kind and forgiveful, and understand that I am human. But there was the occasional feedback that left you cold and hollow inside. All that work you were doing wasn’t enough…

Why carry on with Patreon?

I do not have a good answer for this. The most accurate would be, I’m stubborn and I don’t like to give up.

I would love my Patreon to become a hub where like-minded people can hang out and learn together. In where I can share the most tiny details of my Cosplays without getting lost in a sea of social media updates. And somewhere where you can find help to make your own cosplays even if I posted my own take on the same build years before.

Having Patreon is exhausting, I am always busy and always thinking of sharing new content. Even if you are the one patron that was there for 5 days and decided I wasn’t active enough. I mean, instant access to 183 posts is not going to be enough for some people. But that is fine.

I think from now on I am going to take it easy. And for me, taking it easy doesn’t mean slow down with my cosplays. I’m having a blast and that’s not likely to happen. However, I am going to accept me for how I am. I am sometimes late. I tend to put too much into my plate and I work a lot, but sometimes I need a rest too. Sometimes I get distracted from big builds to make little silly dresses, but I always come back on track. And above all, I always keep my promises.

If you can accept me for who I am, I will be waiting with open arms. And if not, try finding a better deal somewhere else. I bet you won’t find it.

Do you like my posts? Remember you can support my blog in many ways, using my affiliate links, buying me a Ko-fi, or visiting my Cosplay Store! Following me on my Social Media and sharing my posts helps too! With your help I can create more cosplays, articles and tutorials to share with you!

The post Starting a Cosplay Patreon? The reasons why I almost quit appeared first on Alice in Cosplayland.

Full disclaimer, this post is not sponsored and I didn’t get paid to make it, however I did get the contact lenses for free and I may get a small commission if you click on any of the links in this article. Of course, I will be making an honest review, and these are my real thoughts about the product.

About Colouredcontacts.com

As I was saying, a few weeks ago I received a message from Amy, who asked me if I would be interested in reviewing some of the products from their contact lenses store. Now, I do get a few emails throughout the year asking me to collaborate or make reviews and I usually say no, but as I do use contact lenses a lot for my cosplays, I took a look at their website and decided to give it a go.

Coloured contacts is a company with over 20 years of experience and it delivers its products to many countries around the world, they offer fantasy coloured contacts as well as prescription and toric lenses for astigmatism.

I sent a message back to Amy, I just had to wait for the delivery. And let me tell you something, it was fast. I literally got my contacts two days later, and this was just the standard shipping! Coloured contacts deliver to the European Union, the USA, the UK, Canada and Australia. And although shipping time varies depending on where you are, I can tell you that in the UK and the USA it is about 1 to 3 working days. The shipping price is also quite reasonable, and you can get more information in their webpage about the shipping costs before you purchase anything.

I think their page was super well organised and transparent, and you can search for contacts by colour, style or prescription among other things. In particular I like their info about comfort and transparency levels, because if you have dark eyes like me, not all lenses will look good on you.

About the lenses

The lenses came super well padded and in a little box and they actually included a little mirror and a travel size contact lens bottle, which I find is a life saver. I was sent three pairs of contacts but I only got two cases for them, not a big deal because I get a free case every time I buy contact lens solution. I chose three different styles, a hazel brown colour for a subtle effect, a star patterned contacts which I thought would look super cool for Raiden, and pink UV light reactive lenses for Yae Miko because I just needed to try these.

One of the things that I love the most about their contacts is that they are both CE and FDA certified. If you don’t know what that is, it means that they have been tested and approved by the European and the American public health bodies. And I have researched this in the past, it is quite difficult to get an FDA certificate for contact lenses so you know you are going to be safe.

The duration of these lenses are between a month and 90 days, but you can get daily lenses as well, which I think are a great solution if you have itchy eyes or if you only use lenses once a year.

Pure Hazel

The first pair I chose was called Pure Hazel. I wouldn’t say these contacts covered my brown eyes super well, but they did add a little bit of definition to my eyes and overall I think they did enhance my gaze.

The Pure Hazel come in a light brown colour with yellow tints and a grey rim on the outside. I used them to test my Kujo Sara wig as these were the most natural looking yellowish lenses I could find in their store. These contacts come in up to a -6 power prescription and were only slightly bigger than my iris, which makes them look very natural.

These lenses last 30 days and they were super thin. Actually, they were so thin at some point I couldn’t remember if I was wearing them or not. They looked super natural in my eyes and they were very comfortable, but as the effect was so subtle in my eyes I am giving them an overall score of 3 out of 5.

Violet Galaxy

My next choice was the Violet Galaxy. Personally I love contact lenses with little designs on them, they are actually very subtle and make the eyes look more interesting.

These contacts are a mixture of lavender and violet and they were a perfect match for my Raiden Shogun, which after all is an ancient god who looks for eternity. They feature a swirley galaxy effect with little white stars around it. They were pretty well balanced and they pretty much stayed in the same position without any visible rotation effect which is common in this type of lens.

Overall, I loved the effect, they were actually lighter in colour than I expected, but this just added to the mystique effect. They were comfortable and last 90 days, which is perfect for a few shoots. These lenses are also available in grey and blue but they seem to only come as a non-prescription plano power. My overall score is nevertheless 5 out of 5.

Pink UV-I-Glow

The Pink UV-i-Glow were by far my favourite lenses. Just think of the possibilities for cosplay. They are striking and bold, and they shine with UV light!

The pink glow lenses are just pure pink. They are almost fluorescent without any light shining at them. However, their full potential strikes when you hit them with a UV light torch and they simply glow in the dark. It is a really cool effect that makes a perfect match for Yae Miko in her final form. I actually can’t wait to finish this cosplay to take pictures with these contacts.

These contacts are available in several colours, some of them with prescription and you can choose between daily and monthly pairs. The effect is amazing, although remember it will only work if using the correct light, and remember to do so carefully, you don’t want to stare directly nor for a prolonged time to a UV light. They were simply magical, another 5 out of 5 from me.

Overall impression

I think Colourecontacts.com is a great contestant for fancy contact lenses. Their strongest points are by far their quick shipping times and their safety regulations. Getting those CE and FDA certificates gives me a peace of mind that I don’t always have with other brands. However, for my own needs as a cosplayer, they do have one flaw. They need a bigger selection of contacts! Yes, I know it is difficult to get a bigger catalogue that is also safe and tested, but I would love to see more colours and bigger diameters in their lenses. I am very much missing the big anime eye which makes your eyes look like a cartoon. I would love to see more of these coming in the future.

Thank you so much colouredcontacts.com for giving me the opportunity to review these products. I am looking forwards to use your contacts in the future and you will see them featured in some of my new cosplays that I am already making soon.

Do you like my posts? Remember you can support my blog in many ways, using my affiliate links, buying me a Ko-fi, or visiting my Cosplay Store! Following me on my Social Media and sharing my posts helps too! With your help I can create more cosplays, articles and tutorials to share with you!

The post Colouredcontacts.com Contact Lenses Review appeared first on Alice in Cosplayland.

How I made my cosplay

For my Moka Akashiya Cosplay I slightly modified my Corset Bodice Pattern and my Circle Skirt patterns which I sew into three layers. I used velveteen in red and burgundy colours. Actually, I had this fabrics in my stash for almost TEN YEARS. That’s how long ago I had decided I wanted to make this cosplay. For some reason I never found a chance to make it even if I don’t think it was a particularly difficult build. Actually, in a sense I am happy that I made it now because I have improved so much during this time I think it was worth the wait.

Underneath I am wearing a petticoat that you can make as well following my tutorial. You can download the pattern for the bat wings as well and finally all the details are fake leather.

Cosplay Reveal

I had a lot of fun making this photoshoot and video. Of course Vampire Moka was the perfect cosplay for Halloween and I set my improvised studio to look like a spooky halloweeny place. It was actually quite difficult to shoot this cosplay, providing my room was small and I kept knocking everything with my puffy skirt. Billy Bones was the one that suffered the most. Also, I almost set myself on fire a couple of times with the candles! All worth it.

Despise all the trouble and not being able to breath much while wearing my corset, I am very happy of how all the photos and videos turned out. You can see all the extras and behind the scenes on my Patreon! I’m sure this won’t be the last time you will see my Moka Akashiya Cosplay!

Do you like my posts? Remember you can support my blog in many ways, using my affiliate links, buying me a Ko-fi, or visiting my Cosplay Store! Following me on my Social Media and sharing my posts helps too! With your help I can create more cosplays, articles and tutorials to share with you!

The post How I made my Vampire Moka Akashiya Cosplay appeared first on Alice in Cosplayland.

How I made my Echidna cosplay

The main feature of Echidna’s outfit is the striped fabric. Instead of painting the fabric, which is a method I have used many times in the past. I chose to find fabrics that already had a pattern on them. I just fell in love with some off cuts which I matched with some of the fabrics of my stash. Indeed, this cosplay is actually full of tiny details.

I made the dress and the cloak with stretch fabric. This was troublesome to construct with all the scalloped edges but in the end it was worth the effort. I probably could have made a pattern with darts to accomodate non-stretch fabric, but this fabric was the one I had. I embellished all the edges of the cloak and dress with white embroidery floss and a white trim cut to fit. The skirt is a slightly sheer flowy crepe fabric, and the bodysuit is a stretch ruffled fabric with ribs. I fell in love with it when I saw it.

You can see all the Work in Progress photos as well as a full tutorial on how I made my Echidna cosplay on my Patreon for free. And there is also some extra content available in there if you decide to support me, like the behind the scenes, the full photoshoot and a step by step dossier explaining all the steps I took to make this cosplay. It has plenty of tips and tutorials as well.

Wearing Echidna

Echidna’s photoshoot was a big experiment. As it was still lockdown I decided to take the photos at home. However, this time I got to play with quite a few new gadgets including a few new lights. I combined this with some trinkets that I had at home to recreate her tea party. Overall I am pretty happy with the results. It was also a delicious evening.

As usual, I took and edited all the photos myself (check my how to take photos at home for cheap). Perhaps in the future I will wear this cosplay again on a different setting as I still have many ideas for it. Maybe I can gather all the witches as well

Echidna Patterns and Downloads

You can download the pattern for Echidna’s butterfly hairpin for free below. For the inner long sleeve under the dress, I decided to make a bodysuit for a better fit. And you can also download the full cosplay which includes all the pieces including the skirt, dress, a t-shirt and the capelet.

Download Here

Download Here

Do you like my posts? Remember you can support my blog in many ways, using my affiliate links, buying me a Ko-fi, or visiting my Cosplay Store! Following me on my Social Media and sharing my posts helps too! With your help I can create more cosplays, articles and tutorials to share with you!

The post How I made my Echidna Cosplay appeared first on Alice in Cosplayland.

Best equipment to take photos at home?

If you want to make this short, the best equipment you can use for your photos is the equipment you already have! I know, I am not helping much, but it is true. You should try first and improve on your cosplay poses before you invest a lot of money on things you may not really need. I put a list together with the equipment on a budget that you may or may not need to take your photos at home, you may not use them all but they will definetely help.

1. The only essential equipment

Fairly obvious, you need a camera. If you don’t have a camera you can’t take a picture. The end. However, do you need to spend a lot of money on it? Yes and no. Now a days most smartphones come with super advanced cameras. They are certainly much better than some old compact cameras I have used in the past. If you can’t afford a new camera do not worry, you can still get some cool images from your phone. They will work very well on social media. However, if you want to offer digital downloads or prints you may want to invest on a DSLR or a mirrorless camera.

DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are the big cameras your favourite photographer brings to the convention. Many people think these cameras are super expensive. And they can be. I would recommend you to get a starter camera on a budget and upgrade later on. Think second hand too, perhaps you can borrow one. I didn’t have my own camera for many years and I was lucky enough to borrow my brother’s.

DSLR and mirrorless cameras do have a learning curve. Although you can shoot in automatic, I recommend you to learn how to use the manual mode as soon as possible, once you learn how to use it you will achieve better photos. I have taken most of my photos with my Nikon D3300, an entry level camera that you can get for about £350 (every photo below was taken with this camera). I have recently purchased my second (more expensive) camera, a Canon M50 MKII, but I have yet to organise my first photoshoot with it.

2. The key to success

The key to a good photo is the light. The better the light, the better the photo. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on lights. In fact, you don’t need to spend money at all! Lights do not have to be expensive. You can just place yourself in front of a big window, buy some cheap softboxes for less than £30 or go all out with more professional strobes. I have used just lamps with daylight bulbs in the past (the regular bulbs have a yellow tone that may not look good on photos). Once you understand how to use light you can get more expensive equipment. And you can always combine it!

The important thing here is how you position yourself in regards to the light. Just at the very least, make sure your face is illuminated and there aren’t any unwanted shadows. Don’t be afraid to move yourself or move your light until you achieve the desired effect. Get near a window or go outdoors if you can’t afford lights.

Of course you can add multiple lights, play with coloured lights and intensity and mix and match things. This will take some trial and error but you can achieve some amazing photos with a bit of practice.

3. Hold it there

You have your camera and you have your lights. Is there someone willing to take the photos for you? If the answer is no you are going to need a tripod.

Keep in mind that cheap tripods are less stable and they may fall. I used to put weights on the feet of mine so they were more stable. However, it is well worth it to invest on a better tripod for your camera. You don’t want to be dropping your very expensive camera to the floor. You can get a basic but good enough tripod for less than £50.

Selfie sticks, clamps or a stack of books will also make the trick in a pinch. You just need a bit of imagination and maybe some duct tape if you are really really really on a tight budget.

4. A click away

You have your lights, your camera and all your tripods set up. But still noone to click those buttons for you (I know the feeling). Here you have two options. Of course you can use the timer on your camera, set it for a two seconds delay, run back to your position, strike a pose, discover that the photo was blurry and start all over again. Not fun.

Or, you can buy a remote for less than £5 and take several photos in a row. Most cameras come with settings that allow you to use remotes. Choose a 2 second delay on your photo and quickly hide those remotes so they don’t appear in the frame. Noone will know. The newest cameras will come with an option to connect them directly to your phone, which is quite cool. And you can also use special cables to connect the camera to your TV or laptop, but that needs a longer explanation on how to take self portraits.

5. Make it cozy

It doesn’t matter how good your camera or your lights are if your setting is bad. Maybe you think you need an expensive backdrop and lots of space to take amazing photos but that is not necessarily true.

If you have the space and you can afford it, you can get a stand with several backdrops in different colours for as little as £30. But you don’t really need it. You can use any fabric or sheets hanging from a clothes rack or taped to your wall. Actually, do you have an empty wall? That will work too! Just make sure everything is as smooth as possible.

You know what? Forget about the backdrops, you can actually take the photos anywhere in your house or the garden! You just need a good spot and good framing. Just make sure there is no clutter or elements that don’t fit in the photo. Some of my best self photos were taken in some spots of my house.

6. The final touch

Postprocessing. This is the magic that makes a good photo great. If someone ever tells you that you don’t need to edit a photo, don’t listen to them. I say there is two reasons for them to say this, either they can’t be bothered or they have no idea of how to edit a photo (sorry not sorry).

Even when I took photos manually with my brother’s very old Yashika I had to edit my photos! (yes, I learnt how to use one of those ancient machines with film inside! and procesed the photos myself). The good thing about digital photos is that you can correct (almost) anything. Maybe your photo was too dark or two light. Change the exposure. Bad skin that day? No worries, remove the pimples with the healing tool. Your background got crinkled? Smooth it out. You don’t need to add a flying dragon to the background (if you don’t want to), but you can definetely make it look a little bit nicer. I even edit the photos I have taken with my phone!

You can tell when someone has just not spent the time fixing those little things. You don’t need to go crazy, but it is totally worth it to play a bit with your photos. Nowadays you have software like Lightroom or Photoshop which make an amazing work. There are also many others for free, like Gimp. It is worth giving it a go. Go ahead and experiment, you may get something really cool.

So, are you a photographer yet?

Does this all mean that you will become an awesome photographer just by doing this? Absolutely not. Unfortunately there are a million things to learn in order to get really awesome pictures. But you can certainly get better if you keep practicing. I still will recommend you to go to a photoshoot with a professional to highlight your beautiful cosplay work. It is totally worth it. But at least now you will have some photos to show while you wait for that awesome photoshoot.

Do you like my posts? Remember you can support my blog in many ways, using my affiliate links, buying me a Ko-fi, or visiting my Cosplay Store! Following me on my Social Media and sharing my posts helps too! With your help I can create more cosplays, articles and tutorials to share with you!

The post How to take cosplay photos at home (for cheap) appeared first on Alice in Cosplayland.

But before I give you the list, I am going to seize the opportunity to promote my own channel as well, because hey! I make cosplay videos too! So… check me out? Maybe? Like and subscribe perhaps? We’ve got cats :p

Cosplay YouTube Channel Selection Criteria

As you can imagine, I are lots of video channels to sort. I had to decide which ones made it to the list and which ones didn’t, so in order to make my list fair I decided to follow some selection criteria to give everyone a fair change. The criteria to be included in the list is the following:

• Channels over 1K followers
• Cosplay as the MAIN topic
• Focus on Cosplay Tutorials or relevant Cosplay Talk
• Life Vlogs and convention vlogs channels are excluded
• Channel needs to be alive at the time of posting this list (aka, posted within the last year)

If you are missing any big names, probably it is because they didn’t pass the preselection, or maybe I don’t know them yet! Many historical garments, lolita fashion and make up pages didn’t make it even if they had some cosplay related content. They are very informative and I do follow quite a few myself, same for specifically original characters or crafting channels but I needed to draw the line somewhere. Also, I decided not to add vlogs and convention video channels to the list, as these were quite regionally specific and even if they were interesting, they were not always specifically cosplay related.

my favourite Cosplay YouTube Channels

I have taken the time to categorise the channels into categories. Even in cosplay, there are several specific niches and I personally find myself more attracted to some more than others. Although the channels listed here usually cover a variety of topics, I tried my best to categorise them on the list that in my opinion best suited them just to help you out deciding what to watch first.

Sewing and general Cosplay

This category includes mostly sew alongs and cosplay tutorials which do not necessarily have to be made with foam and worbla but can have parts of it. This section is quite broad and varied.

• Alice in Cosplayland Hey! That’s me! Check me out! I mostly post sewing tutorials and cosplay advice. I show you how to make cosplays step by step!
• Casey Renee Cosplay Sew along cosplay tutorials with often big builds and a touch of goth
• Tiffany Gordon Cosplay She makes her own cosplays and props and shows you how to make them
• Bat Cosplay Studios (Koumori no Hime) Sew alongs for sewn cosplays
• Hendo Art Step by step cosplay tutorials mostly from videogames with sew alongs, prop making and make up
• NDLWKShop Step by step sewing tutorials
• Lizard Leigh Sew along original twist cosplays with deep dives on fandoms
• A.K. Wirru Sew along cosplays, giant builds and funny videos
• Colleen Cosplay Easy sewing tutorials and props as well as dissability info and con vlogs

Larger than life

In this section I include a few channels that in general make huge builds using a ton of different materials and techniques

• Miss Twisted Very elaborate cosplays often with huge details and inspired twists
• Littlejem Huge builds and animatronics
• Simrell Crazy builds, in particular videogame with
• Sarah Spaceman Cosplay tutorials of mostly big builds and entertaining convention vlogs focused on cosplay
• Bella Mae’s Design Extremely detail recreations, mostly gowns from films
• Crescent Shay Larger than life cosplay and fashion builds often with a twist

Armoured Cosplay

Using foam, worbla or 3D printed pieces these masters will show you how they make their full armour builds. Usually from beginning to end. Also check out their tips on how to use common cosplay materials and techniques.

• Kamui Cosplay Everything cosplay, plenty of tutorials on armour builds with foam and worbla, but also 3D printing, cosplay talk and electronics
• Jessica Nigri Cosplay tutorials, mainly working with foam and funny videos
• Lightning cosplay Armour builds, props and casting and resin techniques
• Downen Creative Studios Foamsmithing tutorials and extremely detailed cosplays using cutting machines and other techniques.

No longer active (no new videos in the last year) but still interesting:

• Xieng Prod Mostly big male armour builds in foam
• Cosplay Apprentice Foam armour and useful techniques to use on your cosplay builds
• Grace Willow Formerly Zonbi Cosplay. Cosplay tutorials, mainly armour and foam builds

Props

If you want to master foamsmithing and other techniques, make sure to check these prop makers out. I separated this category from the armoured cosplay because you will not usually see full builds on this channels but rather single props like masks or weapons to use with your cosplays.

• SKS Props Mainly masks, swords and weapons made with foam
• Punished Props Academy All kinds of props made with different techniques including foam and casting
• Evil Ted Smith Props, masks and armour pieces made with foam as their main material
• Odin Makes Mostly props and some cosplays from popular fandoms in foam but also 3D printed pieces

Wig styling

Although the following channels have plenty of other cosplay related tutorials, I particularly find them useful if you want to learn a bit more about extreme wig styling.

• Kinpatsu Cosplay Main focus on big ponytails and wigs but lots of other cosplay tutorials and cosplay builds as well
• Cowbutt Crunchies Extremely detailed wigs tutorials and very elaborated cosplays are the signature of these cosplayers, you will find cosplay talks as well

Make up and prosthetics

If you want to step up your game with some characterization make up, check these out.

• Alyson Tabitha Incredible movie characterisations and also cosplay tutorials and wig styling
• Kleiner Pixel Cosplay make up tutorials, mainly from anime characters as well as contact lenses recommendations
• Jedimanda Many cosplay tutorials mostly from films as well as make up and prosthetic tutorials.

Cosplay Talk

Do you want to know what it is like being a cosplayer? These youtubers will share with you videos about their views and anecdotes on the cosplay community

• Kirilee Cosplay A lot of cosplay talks and good vibes encouragement, she makes full cosplay tutorials too
• AnyaPanda Cosplay talk, reviews and anecdotes
• MangoSirene Although no longer active, this channel has some good tips and tutorials for cosplayers
• ShePropTalk Podcast style cosplay discussion featuring female, non-binary and transgender cosplayers

Other languages

Happy with subtitles? Maybe English isn’t your first language? Don’t for get to check these amazing youtubers as well.

• Shappi Videos in Polish with English subtitles. Cosplay tutorials and cosplay talk from an expert in foamsmithing.
• Igna Thyme Prop and foam tutorials in Spanish
• Ainlina Cosplay talk in French

Honorable mentions

Here is some honorable mentions with channels that have good cosplay content but have a shifted focus to other topics and aren’t cosplay exclusive

• Rachel Maksy Although her videos are mostly about general crafting, she makes cosplays from old films and fandoms every so often.
• Ginny Di Although mostly you find D&D and funny videos in cosplay these days, you can also find some sewing tutorials and cosplay talks.
• Moth Faerie (minjalinjee) Sew alongs and detailed explanations, mainly historical cosplay adaptations she mostly does vlogs and renfaire content now
• Hazariel Atelier Fashion inspired cosplays and home decor adding her own twists. Now focuses on her own designs.
• Mira Scarlet Sew along livestreams, tutorials, cosplay talk and props. Has now shifted to live vlogs.

There is a full world of possibilities out there, as well as new videos and cosplayers sharing their experiences each day. Need a bit more help? How about getting cosplay patterns with full instructions and step by step tutorials? And if you are bew to the club and not sure of where to start, don’t forget to check my Cosplay for Beginners page to get you going.

Do you like my posts? Remember you can support my blog in many ways, using my affiliate links, buying me a Ko-fi, or visiting my Cosplay Store! Following me on my Social Media and sharing my posts helps too! With your help I can create more cosplays, articles and tutorials to share with you!

The post Cosplay YouTube Channels you must watch appeared first on Alice in Cosplayland.

First things first

When wearing contact lenses make sure you do so safely. If you are new to contact lenses I recommend you to visit an ophtalmologist first, some countries require you to get a prescription even if you have perfect eyesight. Always get your lenses from a trusted seller to make sure your contact lenses are safe.I have been buying mine from Uniqso for years and you can get a 10% off if you use the code “ALICECOS“. However, you can choose any other trusted supplier.

Of course, also keep in mind that contact lenses need maintenance and you want to make sure you keep your contact lenses safe and clean. Lenses do have a limited lifespan, it is best to keep track of the ones you own. You can do this easily on my Cosplay Planner which also includes lots of extra pages to organise your cosplays and conventions. If you have any doubts or questions, feel free to visit my Contact Lenses FAQs or ask a specialist.

It is (not) all about the colours

Of course, the first thing you look at when searching for lenses is the colour. However, it is not so straight forwards. There are many other factors that will affect your choice of contacts.

Tones and hues

Let’s say you are looking for blue circle lenses. Just a quick search is going to give you over 300 choices. This is because not all blues are the same. There are many hues and subtleties to each lens.

This is a comparison of the Sweety Bella grey and the EOS New Adult Blue. I absolutely love both pairs when I need blue contacts, but I would use them for completely different characters. I find the first ones are more realistic, whereas the second ones wouldn’t be something you would see in the real world but would be perfect for my anime characters.

Number of colours

Lenses rarely have only one colour. Actually, that usually results on very unrealistic lenses. The most realistic lenses will have at least two colours, 2-tone and 3-tone lenses are the most common and more belieavable looking. You can also get rainbow ones!

The Sweety Crazy Lens Mirror contact lenses I used for my Carmen Sandiego cosplay only have one colour and they create and odd unrealistic effect that can be perfect for some cartoon characters.

Diameter of the lens

The human iris is on average 10mm to 13mm, however, contact lenses are slightly bigger in order to cover it completely. The most natural lenses tend to be on the small size, around 14 mm. Circle lenses that make your eyes look bigger are around 14.5mm. For a more drastic effect you can try minisclera lenses, these are around 17mm. Finally, the sclera lenses are 22mm, they cover virtually the whole eye but they are also more uncomfortable and risky to wear.

Notice that some lenses with the same size may get bigger or smaller coloured areas, this means that even two 14 mm lenses could have a different effect. My Sweety shining brown are only 14.5 mm but make my eyes look bigger than many other contacts I have worn.

How much coverage do you need?

Contacts are supposed to cover your eyes, but how much of your eye? From very realistic contacts which will just cover the bare minimum to hide your true eye colour to contacts that will cover the whole of your eye, there are many possibilities. Not only that, you can also choose a lens that will blend with your eye or ones that will completely change its appearance.

Transparency of the lens

You would expect coloured lenses to be completely opaque but this is not necessarily the case. Actually, those lenses which are slightly translucent tend to blend better with your eyes. Of course, if your eyes are very dark and you need a very striking colour like yellow, you need lenses that cover your eyes very well. Furthermore, the effect may be different on blue, green or brown eyes, that is why it is always a good idea to check all the reviews to get an idea of how they will look on eyes similarly coloured to yours.

Green lenses like these Sweety Devil Green tend to have not so good covarage on dark eyes, which makes them look darker. It is always a good idea to check the customer photos to make sure they will look as expected on your eyes.

Pupil width and full coverage

Although contact lenses tend to have a similar pupil width you can actually get narrow or wide pupils on contacts. Of course, using contacts with wide pupils will show more of your iris and those with a narrow pupil may create a tunnel vision. You can completely make your eyes look one colour, usually with a mesh or with a translucent plain colour. These lenses however tend to be more uncomfortable as they slightly blur your vision.

The Sweety Cyan mesh cover your eyes completely. Your vision may get a bit blurry but nothing drastic. They create a very unique effect.

The circles inside your circle lenses

The rim of the lens is the outer circle of your contacts. You may not have noticed, but most lenses will have a different tone on the inner and outer circles of the lens. These can either be completely uniform or fade to blend with your eye.

Rim or no rim

It is very common to find contact lenses with a rim, this actually helps define the iris even more. Usually this rim is black or very dark, but you can also find contact lenses with no rim at all. The absence of a rim can make your lenses look odd depending on the style you choose.

Even a subtle rim like the one in my Sweety Devil Red will make your eyes pop up and look more believable.

Inner ring definition

In order to blend better with your eyes, many contact lenses tend to fade on the inside. A scattered pattern that gets less dense towards the pupil is another common method. Fantasy lenses are in general more striking and there is a sharp edge around the pupil, this also makes them less realistic. You can also get lenses with different shapes on the pupil like hearts or stars

You can clearly see both the inner ring and the outer ring of the lenses in my Sweety Harajuku Blue contacts. The colour is often darker than the main lens or even black. Also notice that the pupil opening on these lenses is wider than usual and they let my true eye colour show.

Outer ring definition

Similar to the inner ring, you can get all kinds of effects on the outer ring of your circle lenses. A sharp or slightly faded edge is the norm. Some lenses have a scattered rim or little lines around it. It is also possible to get lenses with some kind of geometric design around them, so don’t expect them to be necessarily all round!

Special drawings and effects

Indeed, you don’t need to stick to boring looking contact lenses. You can find all kinds of designs engraved on your favourite lenses. Stars, dots, flowers, hello kitties, anything. Oddly enough, some of my favourite contacts have weird shapes on them which are not noticeable unless you get really close. There is a lot of possibilities out there.

In most cases you can’t see the drawings on your contact lenses from afar, but they create interest in your eyes. Can you see the Galaxy drawings on my Sweety Galaxy Green contacts?

All the lenses showcased in this article are from Uniqso. You can use my affiliate links or promo codes to buy anything from their shop. I get a small commission at no extra cost for you if you purchase anything following my links.You will also get a 10% off discount if you use my code “ALICECOS“. I got some of these lenses as free samples, however, every single restock has been since purchased by me.

The post How to choose contacts for cosplay appeared first on Alice in Cosplayland.

Can you really improve your sewing productivity?

Of course you can, there is thousands of seamstress that have to create many new garments daily. How come you cannot finish just that one piece in 5 months? Leaving aside practice and experience, there are many reasons why you may not be able to be as productive as you want. These are just some ways in which you can be more productive. If you ask me, I can give you one single word that summarizes it all: focus.

1. Find a cozy spot

First things first, find youself a nice spot and keep it. Ideally you want to have your own sewing space. If you have a spare room, you can use it as your basecamp, I recently refurbished my sewing room. Now, I know many people won’t have the luxury of a permanent sewing spot. That’s not a problem. Just make sure your machine and utensils are readily available and easy to set up whenever you need them, let’s say in a cupboard by the table so you can easily access them whenever you are ready to start.

2. Start with a clean slate

Keep it clean and keep it tidy. Personally, I have a little ritual before I focus and start sewing. First of all, I make sure everthing is in the right place. I tidy up the room and I clean and return any tools to their original places (if I didn’t during the last session). This actually puts me in a good mood. Because being comfortable is very important

Tidying your room is a great practice and it will actually help you during your sewing sessions. No more looking for the scissors under a pile of scrap fabric or . Just get ready to start sewing.

3. No interruptions allowed

Sewing time is me time and I want absolutely no interruptions. The one thing that distracts me the most is my phone or my computer. Getting all those annoying notifications while you are sewing is very distracting. Turn off your devices. Don’t worry, you do not need them. If the house is on fire you will know. Furthermore, make sure you make it very clear that you are busy and you are not expecting any visits. A keep out sign on the door is tempting, but if you are struggling, try to sew when you know you won’t be interrupted, perhaps after you have put the kids to bed (or fed the cats). And make sure you have everything else done in advance. Dinner is sorted, washing up done and all your homework finished before hand. Nothing worse than having that one thing to do stuck in your mind.

4. Set yourself a goal

I know that mostly you want to sew just for fun, me too! Deadlines can make you feel nervous or anxious, we don’t want that. However, having a goal will also make you have a purpose. And that purpose may motivate you to keep going. For example, you may want to finish your new dress for your sister’s party, or maybe you are going to a convention and you need to dress up. Is Halloween around the corner? If you don’t really have a goal (let’s face it, last year hasn’t been known for the abundance of parties) make up one. Let’s say, I would like to have a new dress by the end of the month. If you don’t get it done on time, it is not the end of the world, but knowing that you have a purpose may give you that little push that you need,

5. Materials assemble

There is nothing that annoys me more than starting a project and notice that I have forgotten to buy matching thread, the lining or any other silly thing. Not only is this annoying, but it is going to make you waste time. You will have to leave your sewing garment half way through just to go and buy that one piece you are missing (or wait for the delivery truck), just to realise a day later that you have forgotten something else! I like making a full list of materials on my Cosplay Planner just before I start and I won’t start a project until I have gathered all the necessary materials. No interruptions when you are in the mood.

6. Focus on a piece at a time

When I am sewing a new project, I find very useful focusing on one piece at a time. You dob’t need to finish the whole thing in one go. For example, you could focus on just cutting all the pieces one day, sewing the lining another day and finishing the garment the third day. Getting bored of the same project? No worries, choose something else for today, maybe finish hemming a skirt you left halfway through, or start gathering materials for your next dress. Just remember to go back to your initial project without leaving it unfinished for too long. Otherwise, it will become a UFO (UnFinishedObject) and we really don’t like those cluttering your space.

7. Boost your motivation

The time I am most productive is when I am motivated. You know I make cosplays , so watching a series or playing a game with the characters I want to recreate always makes me want to sew even more. Watching sewing programs like “The Sewing Bee” also gives me a good boost of energy and ideas. What’s most important about motivation is using it wisely. If I have just seen something I really want to make, I don’t stop myself and do something else I don’t want to be doing. Instead, I go straight to the project I really want to do at that exact moment. I find I get much more done if I am really motivated.

8. Switch before you get burnt out

Some projects take just too long. Sometimes it is as if they were cursed! If you feel like you can’t continue with something you are doing, just take a break. If your mindset is not the right one you will start commiting mistakes and that’s the last thing you want.Taking a short break from those projects is not a bad idea. Maybe you can take a day off and watch telly, it is absolutely fine. Just again, don’t let them wait for too long or you will completely lose interest.

9. Don’t overthink it

Personally I am very insecure. Sometimes I spend more time thinking or researching how to sew something than actually giving it a go. I have actually written a million sewing tutorials myself. Truth is, it is not going to work if you don’t even try it! There is always time to fix mistakes or start a new project if the first one didn’t work. Just keep sewing.

10. Let it go…

This is perhaps the most difficult advice to take. There are times in which simply you are not prepared to finish a project. That is absolutely fine. You can instead… let it go. You don’t need to finish something if you are not really enjoying it. Sometimes it was just not meant to be. Don’t be afraid to say I can’t do this (right now) or simply I don’t want to do this anymore. Maybe you lost interest or maybe you just don’t have the abiliy or resources yet. Take the project out of your list, pause it or get rid of it all together. Start with something new that really excites you right now. The time you spent on that project will never be wasted as you keep with you the experience and joy it gave you when you were sewing it.

Just remember, you don’t owe anything to anyone. It does not matter if you are productive or not. You are doing this for yourself. Enjoy the process and have fun with it! And you will see how you will improve with time without noticing it.

Do you like my posts? Remember you can support my blog in many ways, using my affiliate links, buying me a Ko-fi, or visiting my Cosplay Store! Following me on my Social Media and sharing my posts helps too! With your help I can create more cosplays, articles and tutorials to share with you!

The post 10 Tips to improve your sewing productivity appeared first on Alice in Cosplayland.