Monthly Magic

Sewing a fantasy to life is my hobby. I look at dresses and costumes from animation, TV shows, movies, videogames, and storybooks then I create them. I don’t just create a simple dress, I create a moment of magic that makes people stop and stare. From elegant ballgowns that change colors when you dance to large fairy wings that glisten in the light, these are the fantasies I would share. There is a problem within the cosplayer and costume-making community where more experienced craftsmen keep every little secret they can for themselves. This secrecy creates a large and expensive barrier between the novices and the experts. I wish to remedy this by creating a channel in which not only the basics are taught but also more advanced techniques as well as more budget-friendly resources. This will allow those who wish to learn more to have the experience shown to them. This is a lot cheaper than wasting the money experimenting and failing on expensive materials.

A monthly membership-exclusive clientele group would vote on which project would be the next fantasy come alive. These costumes would vary from children to adults and even just larger complicated prop pieces. This channel would have steady updating that keeps subscribers intrigued but also allows enough time for me to create these complicated pieces and overcome any difficulties that may arise during the crafting process. Updates every two weeks would allow my followers to not just watch it come alive but also show them how they can do it themselves.

The first project updates would consist of exactly where I choose my source materials from along with what designs and sewing patterns I chose to start the project. The next update would consist of the details about the fabrics or materials chosen for the project and exactly where to purchase them along with cost and quantity. All the other smaller items needed would be listed as well such as; beads, bias tapes, gems, and any other detailing pieces. This would include videos of the material selection under different light sources, so that followers could choose to use different colors for their own projects if they wanted.

The following updates would be detailed videos of how each portion of the costume is sewn or crafted together. These updates would be the longest videos ranging from around 45 minutes to an hour, as full crafting tutorials can be longer than the average person wants to watch. These videos would not only include the details of crafting but also all the safety measures needed to craft without injury. The more tedious portions of the crafting would be removed, such as cutting individual pattern pieces out. I would include mentions of what steps can be skipped for more novice creators or what techniques might be simpler. Each of these videos would also have a question forum so that I could clarify any confusion or misunderstandings about a technique.

The final update would be a live session where members could ask questions that might not have been answered previously. This video would also include the step-by-step process of donning the full costume, as larger and more complicated pieces can be confusing to put on without a tutorial. This live session interaction would allow my followers to also feel as though they are more involved and are able to interact with me directly.

Occasionally, guests craftsman would be invited on to do tutorials about their crafts and possibly collaboration pieces. This would expand the content of my service but also create a different dynamic of combining multiple art styles such as jewelry crafting, woodworking, metalsmithing, foam crafting, painting, fabric dyeing, sewing, and so much more. This would help my audience find new crafts they haven’t tried before and allow them to follow the step-by-step process of how these different techniques can be used to create just one thing.

After the costumes were finished they would either be auctioned off and half the proceeds donated to charity or the costumes would be donated to charities directly, for example, Make-A-Wish Foundation. Every year the members who have kept a full-year membership would be entered into a raffle. The winner would not only pick the next project but also receive it at the end of completion. By only entering those who have at least been subscribed for a full year, it thanks them for their continued support and also encourages others to become long-term subscribers. These tutorials and updates would not only help break down the barrier between novice and expert costume makers but also allow everyone to have a chance to create their fantasy.

Thank you Yenra Photography for working with me throughout my creative experiences.