THET228O Journal

Jan 25, 2023

Today is my last first day at UMD and its not off to a great start considering I was late to this
class. I woke up today at 9:12am and rushed over in time to hear part of the discussion of the
syllabus. Out of the 3 projects we’re going to be doing, I think I’m most excited for the mask.
I’m also excited for the hat project coming up but I wish we were doing it in full-scale so I could
actually wear it. However, I understand that we have limited materials/time and I suppose if I
really like the hat design I come up with, I could make a full-scale version myself. Thankfully,
I’m already acquainted with the costume shop policies and most of the materials I’ll need I
already have. We also don’t have to complete shop hours for this class, which is helpful in
terms of my schedule. Overall, I’m feeling excited about this class and I’m looking forward to
learning more skills that will help me in the field of costuming.

Jan 30, 2023

Today in class we made paper mock-ups for our hats. I decided to go with the bonnet and
overall, the patterning process wasn’t too far off from what I did in costume construction. It was
a bit frustrating to get the cardboard and tape to cooperate when putting the hat together but I
made it happen. As of right now, I’m not entirely sure what I want my alteration to be. I’m
considering make the brim wider and bigger, and possibly adding bunny ears. I’m not sure if the
ears will be too much extra work though so I might just settle for adding more of my own
personal flair during the fabric/accessory portion of the project. While looking at pictures online,
I found myself drawn towards the lolita style bonnets, and that style definitely focuses a lot on
the additions rather than the style of the bonnet itself, other than a possibly exaggerated
silhouette.
Feb 1, 2023

Our goal for class today was to decide on what alterations we wanted to make to our hat, and
then create a new pattern and mock-up for our design. I decided to make the brim of my bonnet
both longer and wider, and alter the cheektabs to be more rounded. I considered adding a
scalloped edge to the brim, but ultimately decided against it since it would make the sewing
process more difficult and I knew I could achieve a similar effect with ribbon or lace. I somewhat
struggled with the slashing and spreading part, which I found much easier to achieve when
working with the pattern piece flat on the table rather than attached to the mock-up. I’m still not
sure if the shape is entirely where I want it to be, but I’m also not entirely sure why I don’t like it.
I may rework it at some point or I might just roll with where it is right now. This is my first time
ever making a hat and its not even going to be in full-scale so I think its okay if it doesnt turn out
totally how I want it. Most importantly, I’m excited for this to be a learning experience over
anything else.
Feb 6, 2023

The next step of the hat project was cutting and quilting our buckram. Looking back at the final
mockup I had made in class last week, I didn’t like the extra slice I added to the top of the brim
so I removed it from my pattern and taped it back together. I then cut all three pieces of my
pattern out of buckram, and added the pattern markings and sewing lines for quilting. I was a
bit rusty with using the sewing machines in the shop, but I got more comfortable as class went
on. I’m still not the best at sewing straight lines on a machine but thankfully the lines do make it
easier. I think I ended up making the diamond shapes on my crown too wide but Lisa said it
was fine. I didn’t realize I could’ve used my ruler to make perpendicular lines so now I know
that for next time.

Feb 8, 2023 : NO CLASS

Despite class being cancelled today, I still worked on quilting my buckram so I’d be more
prepared for next class.
Feb 13, 2023

At the beginning of class today, we went into costume storage to pull fabric for our hat. I was
thinking of using a pink fabric for my bonnet, so I immediately started looking through the pink
scrap fabric bin. There was a really soft and sparkly pink fabric that I really liked the texture of,
but unfortunately it wasn’t the right look for my bonnet so I eventually put it back. I decided on
two silky fabrics, a pink one with small white details, and a cream one. I’m most likely going to
use the cream one as an accent to the pink but I’m not sure how yet. After coming back to the
costume shop, I finished up the last few stitches I needed to finish quilting my buckram. We
then started working on adding wire to the tip of our hats and I learned new stitch, the blanket
stitch. I became frustrated with my thread because it kept tangling but ironing it out helped. I
was pulling the stitches a little too tight for the first part of the wiring, but then i eased up but it
looked a lot better.

Side note: My pink fabric wasn’t showing up as the right color in my pictures, probably because
of the lighting in the costume shop. However, when I took a picture with the flash, there was a
heart shape in the fabric, which I thought was very cute! :)

Feb 15, 2023

During class today, we added bias tape on top of our wire to hide it and smooth out the ridge on
the edges. To do this, we used a backstitch which is thankfully a stitch I’m familiar with. It did
take me a little while to get back into the swing of it, but once I did, things went a lot faster. After
sewing the bias tape on the tip, we then cut tabs into the seam allowance of our crown and
began pinning the two pieces together. I used a lot of pins to make sure it was extra stable
when I went to go sew it together.
Feb 20, 2023

Today in class I realized that I forgot to add wire and bias tape to the scoop part of my crown, so
I had to take some extra time to do that. I also needed to add a small backstitch where the ends
of the crown met. After that, I began cutting my fabric. I have decided to have the pink fabric
cover the tip, crown and the top of the brim, and the cream fabric will cover the underside of the
brim. Lisa also gave me the idea to add ruching to the underside of my brim, which will add
some nice texture and also solve the issue of the cream fabric being thinner than the pink fabric.
I was able to cut out my fabric pieces for the tip and crown of the hat, and iron them. I’m hoping
to start covering my bonnet with my fabric by next class.
Feb 22, 2023

The first thing I did in class today was cut out the additional pieces of fabric I would need for my
brim. I decided to go with the ruching idea on the underside of the brim, so Lisa helped me cut
out a long enough strip of fabric to cover that area. Next. I pinned the pink fabric to the the tip of
my bonnet and backstitched it into place. I also began pinning the fabric for the crown, which
will get slipstiched. Now that we’re adding fabric, the hats are really starting to come together
and I’m excited to see everyone’s creations continue to evolve!
Feb 27, 2023

The next step for my bonnet was to pin the fabric for the underside of my brim. Since I was
planning on it being ruched, I had to determine how I wanted the fabric to look and pin it
accordingly. I initially was going to have it ruched from top to bottom but Lisa suggested try only
doing the bottom edge and I found that a lot easier. However, I kept running into the problem of
the ruching on the left side leaning towards the edge more, and the ruching on the right being
relatively straight. I liked how the leaning effect looked but I having a lot trouble recreating it
symmetrically on the other side. I was also very stressed and overwhelmed about things
outside of class so I was having a hard time concentrating. I got very frustrated and Lisa
eventually helped pin it for me. I still didn’t like how it looked so I’m considering unpinning it
again and trying to fix it at home.

Mar 1, 2023

Good news: I was able to take the brim home and pin the fabric in a way that I liked (and looked
more symmetrical). I found it helpful to pin the folds on the bottom half and then pin the top half,
as opposed to doing it the other way around. I then made a basting stitch around the entire
brim with a gray thread to hold things in place, and slip stitched the pink fabric to the other side
of the brim. When basting the ruching on the cream fabric, I decided to fold them towards the
corner, making sure to alternate when I got to the middle. This made it so that the ruching
folded nicely when I did the extra basting over it. Overall, I’m happy with how the bonnet is
turning out, especially since I finally got the ruching to look the way I wanted it to.
Mar 6, 2023

Now that my brim is finished, I was able to sew it onto the rest of my bonnet. I trimmed the
fabric, clipped into the curve and backstitched it onto the crown. I tried to match up the stitches
with the previous ones (from when I backstitched the fabric onto the crown) to make it look as
neat as possible. After everything was stitched together, I removed the basting stitches. I was
really excited to see the bonnet as all one piece!
Side note: Since there’s a possibility that I might have to miss class on Wednesday because of
jury duty, I came back to the costume shop later in the day to start working on my bonnet lining.
I decided to use the same cream colored fabric I used for the underside of my brim, so that one
side would be all pink and the other be all cream. I was able to cut the lining and add the
interfacing, so I’d be ready to start sewing next time I’m in the costume shop.
Mar 10, 2023

I was not able to be in class on Wednesday because of jury duty, so I visited the costume shop
late Friday morning to finish up my bonnet and turn it in. I machine stitched the two parts of the
lining together, and then slip stitched it to the brim. As a last step, I wanted to add some sort of
trim or accessory, and I found this perfect white flower trim that really tied it all together. I
wanted to put it where the brim and crown met and since it didn’t fit exactly, I adjusted it so that
the flowers were equally hanging off on either side. I then tacked the flowers on and…tada, my
bonnet is finally complete!! It’s really satisfying to see it all come together after all this work, and
overall, I really enjoyed the process of building it. It taught me several new skills, like quilting
buckram and sewing wire, and helped me improve on skills I already had, particularly my hand
stitches. My only complaint is that I wish the hat fit me :(
Mar 13, 2023 + Mar 15, 2023

We were supposed to move onto face casting this week but unfortunately Lisa got COVID (get
well soon! <3). On Monday, Lisa sent us 2 YouTube videos about Worbla. I had never heard of
this material before and I thought its applications were quite versatile. Worbla Black does seem
like a nice improvement from standard Worbla, especially since its more flexible. I do wonder if
the decreased adhesive is a hindering factor at all, in terms of things falling apart. On
Wednesday, we had a short Zoom meeting discussing our thoughts on the hat project and
reviewing the timeline for the armor project. Most of the comments I shared in class were the
reflections on that hat project from my previous journal prompt. In terms of the armor project,
I’m once again quite sad that we’re not constructing it in full scale, but I think out of all the
projects we’re doing this semester, this one is the least interesting to me in terms of the product.
However, I hope I will find the construction process enjoyable and I’m excited to work with a new
material.
____________________________________________________________________________

Mar 27, 2023

Today we started working on our armor project! Lisa gave us 4 different base options for our
armor and I decided to pick the more basic/simpler design of the two female options. Looking
back at the photo, I slightly regret my decision but I think I’ll still be able to make a cool piece of
armor regardless. It is also slightly comforting to know that this project, like the last one, is in
half scale so I can treat it more as a learning opportunity rather than something I can actually
wear (where I’d feel more pressure to make sure it looks nice). I’m really grateful that Kareena
had extra craft foam because I totally forgot to make sure to get some over spring break and
unfortunately I wasn’t able to find any near me in College Park the night before. We started the
project by cutting out two piece of worbla and two piece of foam, while starting to consider how
we will customize our chestplate further in the process. Right off the bat, I’m thinking of creating
some armor that my druid wood ellf DND character Fauna might wear, so I’d like to look into
some reference images for that.
Mar 29, 2023

While doing some research online, I found some really cool reference images to use for my
project. The first image definitely fits the “woodsy/nature” vibes I’m going for, I liked the color of
the second image as well as the swirly detail (maybe as a vine?) and the third picture has a lot
of cool leaf detailing. In class, I constructed my base pieces for my armor. Worbla is interesting
material to work with and I look forward to continuing to explore its capabilities.

Apr 3, 2023

Today I started attempting to construct breast cups for my armor. I’m taking inspiration from one
of my reference images and making the breast cups into leaves. I started my process by cutting
different leaf templates out of cardboard to determine what shape and layout I wanted to go for.
After I found something I liked, I cut the same template out of worbla and used one of the plastic
cups to mold and stretch it to fit the cup shape. I decided to heat up the points of the leaf shape
to twist and mold them to feel more organic. I then attached the cups to the base of the armor.
Looking over at my work at the end of class, I don’t think I like it. The main thing that
immediately stuck out to me is that the cups appear to be too close to each other. Even though
this fits the form okay, I don’t like the overall look of it, since boobs are certainly not that close
together in real life. Looking back at my reference image, it might look better if I have the leaves
come from the sides, as opposed to connected to each other in the front. I also think the shape
at the moment is looking a bit too much like fire, which I think I can fix by adding details such as
veins, as well as making the points of the leaves more defined and angular.

Apr 5, 2023

So I decided that I definitely didn’t like how the leaves looked, so I took them off and tried
re-doing them…which turned out to be way more of a frustrating process than I intended for it to
be. As I mentioned previously, I wanted to rework the shape and orientation of the leaves, so I
started there. I think part of my problem was that I was having difficulty attaching the leaf cups
to the bodice, so somehow they would collapse or get overheated and I would have to start
over. This became extremely annoying so eventually Lisa had to help me out. We ended up
having to add an additional piece of worlba to help attach the leaves, which I think I did a
halfway decent job of blending into the rest of the chestplate. I also kept burning the tips of my
fingers throughout this entire process, especially while trying to use the worbla scraps to create
the leaf veins. Using the heat gloves was helpful to some degree, but it got a bunch of black
fuzz mixed in with the worbla and messed with the texture. Unforunately my final two leaf cups
ended up being uneven (one is more curved all the way around than the other is) but at this
point, I’m just happy to have something that’s decently attached and looks somewhat okay.
Apr 10, 2023

First thing I did in class today was reheat the piece of worlba we used to attach the breast cups
and further blended it into the rest of the chestplate. I then took a while to think of what details I
wanted to add, since I had been so hyperfixated on getting the leaf cups to look okay for the last
few class periods. I started messing around with more leaf shapes but eventually moved onto
making petals for a flower, which I think fits very nicely in the middle and also hides the
somewhat awkward gap between the two leaves. I also make some nice vine and leaf details,
which really pull the whole thing together. This is definitely the most happy I’ve been with the
project in the past week or so, and I’m very glad things are finally looking how I want them to. I
do worry that I’m behind most of my classmates but I made sure that I had some coats of
sealant on before leaving class so hopefully I can begin thinking about paint on Wednesday. I
decided to coat my piece in the wood glue, since I liked the smoother texture and the fact that it
dried clear (so I wouldn’t have to worry too much about getting a completely even coat). Lisa
suggested that I only do 2 coats to maintain a rougher texture for my nature inspired design,
which I decided to do.
Apr 12, 2023

Today I started painting my armor!! I didn’t entirely have an idea of what colors I wanted
besides “green and earth tones” so that’s where I started. I painted the entire thing with a dark
green base coat, making sure to get as many crevices as possible. I then played around with
incorporating an pearlescent citrine for the leaf cups. The color was definitely lighter than I
would’ve liked, so I played around with adding some of the green base color into it. I added
even more of that base green to make the veins of the leaves darker. I’m not entirely sure
where I want to go from here…but I’m considering adding more green tones for the other
leaves, possibly some brown, and maybe a pink/yellow combination for the flower. I also want
to see how I can play around with adding depth and texture with the paint to give it more visual
interest and make sure it doesnt look flat.
🎉 Apr 17, 2023 🎉
Today is my birthday!!! It was also the last day for our armor project so I worked on finishing
painting today. I started by painting the swirly branches brown. I painted them a base color of
dark brown and then dry brushed a lighter brown on top for depth. I used a medium green for
the remaining leaves and used the same dry brush technique to add depth with the citrine on
top. For the leaves at the bottom with veins, I also used the citrine so they would stand out
more. I decided to paint the flower pink so I used a base pink color and then added depth with a
shade (pink + black) to the inner part of the petals and a tint (pink + white) for the outer edges of
the petals. My final detail was adding dots with metallic gold paint all around the base and
underneath the leaf cups. I’m really proud of how this turned out and I would totally wear this to
Ren Fair if it fit me!
Apr 19, 2023

Today was face casting, which was a very new and unique experience to say the least. I had
previously told Lisa I would have my face cast in class today but I unfortunately woke up late
and had to rush over. I was worried that I had messed up the order of things but thankfully,
Jasmine’s face was still being cast by the time I got to class. When it was my turn, I was a little
bit unsure of what to expect because I had heard some of my classmates talking about how
scary it was to see the alginate be poured over the face but I hadn’t gotten a chance to see what
they were talking about yet. I will say, that was probably the weirdest part of the process since
the alginate was quite cold and it was interesting to feel how the substance “hugged” my face. I
think I did end up having one of my nose straws drop in the process but other than that, the
whole process wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. My favorite part was probably
taking the alginate off at the end, because it was really satisfying to feel it all peel off. Since
things went a bit slower than Lisa had planned for, I did stay behind to help her cast another
student’s face. At this point, I don’t have any clear plans for what my mask will look like but I’m
excited for this project nonetheless.

Please note: I forgot to take a picture for today!

Apr 24, 2023

Today was the second day of face casting. Since I had already done mine last class, my job for
today was to smooth/refine my mold and seal it. It was both creepy and fascinating seeing the
finished mold for the first time since its such an accurate replication of my face. I feel like it fits
somewhere within the uncanny valley. In terms of the next steps, thankfully my mold came out
quite neatly, so I only had to do some cleaning up around the nose/above the lip, around the
eyes and at the hairline. I then brushed it with a coat of mod podge and I was done for the day.
I was quite exhausted this morning so I ended up leaving class early to go take a nap in the
library. I am still thinking about what my mask should be, but I’ve been playing with the idea of a
butterfly and/or masquerade mask.
Apr 26, 2023

We started using clay to create the base for our mask today. Initially, I planned to continue with
my butterfly idea and started to create a base half-mask on the top part of my face. However,
Gracie then brought up the idea of creating a mask from the show Miraculous Ladybug, which
features many superhero characters with various masks. My favorite character in this show is
Cat Noir and I have previously done a cosplay of him. However, I was not able to find an
inexpensive yet good looking mask back then so I created the mask shape with black
eyeshadow which was effective yet messy. I then became very excited by the idea of making a
Cat Noir mask for this project, especially since I could make sure it fit the proportions of my face
much more accurately than before. I do recognize that his mask is quite simple so if I continue
this idea, I’d like to play with the idea of finding ways to incorporate detail into it to make it
unique yet still true to the character. Having done all of our previous projects in half-scale, I
really want to make this project something I know I’ll use now that it’ll be made to fit me and this
is certainly the idea that excites and inspires me the most.

← my previous cosplay where I used eyeshadow to create the mask

May 1, 2023

It seems like the idea of Cat Noir’s mask is really sticking with me so I continued to develop and
refine the shape today. In order to make it more specific to the character, I made sure to focus
on details such as the pointed nose and cat eye shape (particularly the pointedness within the
inner corner of the eye). I consistently referenced images of the character to make sure I was
staying true to the shape and likeness of his mask throughout this process. Lisa also talked to
me about adding some sort of detail for his cat eyes (fabric, gel) so I made sure to build up
above the eye area more to account for this. I also smoothed out the clay and cleaned up the
edges to make the base as clean as possible.
May 3, 2023

Today I started the paper mache part of the mask process. After seeing the complications some
other students encountered with the clay and the paper mache, Lisa advised we all add a layer
of aluminum foil to our mold before adding on the paper mache, to make it easier to peel off
afterwards. My foil began to tear, mostly around the eyes, so I added another smaller layer just
on that area to reinforce it. I then started to add layers of paper mache on top. I did find it a bit
difficult to figure out where the outline of my mask was so I added a bit extra around the edges
just in case. I also continued to think about details I could add to make the mask look more
interesting moving forward beyond just its shape, since I wanted to avoid just painting it black.
After doing some research on the internet, I found some images that gave me the ideas of
adding some sort of texture to the mask (hexagonal) and/or painting a green eyeliner shape
around the eyes to both accentuate the “cat eye” look and add some of the green into the mask
(since black and green are Cat Noir’s two signature colors).
May 8, 2023

In class today, I started off by adding more paper mache layers to my mask. Lisa said that if we
wanted to make our mask more smooth, we should aim for at least 5 layers of paper mache and
could even sand it down afterwards. This really appealed to me since Cat Noir’s mask has a
latex/leather finish, so making it as smooth as possible would help it look more show accurate.
As I continued to add paper mache layers onto my mask, I found that alternating between pink
and brown paper made it a lot easier to keep track of new layers, which was a problem I was
running into previously. After finishing 5 layers, I began peeling it off the clay and foil. The
mask came off of the clay quite easily but the foil was a bit trickier to peel off. This may have
been because of the glue layers I used when doing the first layer or two of my paper mache,
particularly with the second layer of the foil I added to reinforce the eye area. I was unable to
peel all the foil off but I did get the majority. My last step today was using sharpie to outline
where I’ll trim my mask to clean up the edges and refine the shape.

May 10, 2023

The first thing I did in class today was trim the mask. I was able to use scissors to trim around
the outer edges of the mask, but I did need to go in with an exacto blade to get the more
detailed areas, such as the eye shape and the point of the nose. I then spent the majority of
class time today cleaning up the edges with more paper and glue. This really helped the mask
look more polished and put-together. I decided to add the green eyeliner that I mentioned
earlier so my last step today was outlining this shape to prepare for when I started painting.
Now that we’re getting to the final steps of this project, it’s really exciting see the mask finally
come together and I can’t wait for the final product! Today was also our last official class day
which was somewhat bittersweet :( I will certainly miss this class but I’m very proud of
everything I’ve learned.
May 15, 2023

Today I came into the costume shop to complete the finishing steps for my mask. I started by
sanding down the paper mache base to make it as smooth as possible before painting. I then
painted the majority of the mask black and painted the eyeshape white to help the green show
up as bright as possible. I found a very fitting neon green color that I used for the eyeliner
shape, and cleaned up the edges with black. I also painted a thin line of black around the inner
part of the eye, since I anticipate needing to use black eyeshadow around my eyes when
wearing this mask and adding black around this part should help it blend together better than
keeping it all green. I then talked to Lisa and was able to find a satin finish to add to the black
base to give it somewhat of a shinier/glossier finish than just the acrylic paint itself. After all the
paint was done and dried, I then added the elastic and black felt to the inside. I very nearly
finished the project entirely but I had to leave right around 2:30pm, so I plan to come back one
last time to add finishing touches and make sure its as perfect as it can be before I turn it in.
May 16, 2023

Today I visited the costume shop one last time to finish up my mask and turn it in. I finished
trimming the felt around the edges so you couldn’t see it from the front and reapplied black paint
around the edges to help blend the felt into the rest of the mask. I also had to fix a small area of
the green where a small amount of black had gotten smudged. Overall, I am very happy with
how this mask turned out and I think it’ll be a perfect addition to my Cat Noir cosplay. Looking
back, if I could change one thing, I would reduce the size of the mask on the forehead area
since I think it got a bit bigger than I would’ve liked. However, I think the overall look is quite
accurate to the character while also having some of my personal flair, and the mask itself fits
very comfortably on my face. I really appreciated having our final project be in full-scale, since
its quite satisfying to be able to wear my work. I’m also excited to be able to keep my face cast,
since I think it’ll come in handy if I want to make any masks or facial prosthetics in the future. As
I’ve stated previously, I really enjoyed this class and all the new skills I learned. I hope to apply
some of them to personal costume/cosplay related projects in the future as well as any
theatrical costume work I may do as well. Thank you Lisa!!! <3