Inside the Kitsu Studio

rainbowgasmducesa:

ineloquentformalities:

cowbuttcrunchies:

EDIT:: MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING VIDEO: heere

So it seems like a lot of people are kind of stuck on the whole fabric issue, especially with fancy designs??? So as somebody who’s been sewing for a long time I thought maybe some suggestions…

I do agree with this, but I DON’T agree with the theory on satin, I know at the end she said not all satin is bad (though she continued to say that you should use the back side) but I just dont agree… the back of satin usually looks WORSE then the front, even if its not ‘shiny’, thing is, you might be GOING for shiny…

I once herd a friend of mine who is a masquerade judge say that when judges see satin they go ‘oh no’… unless its well pressed and well made, it will be marked down as a fabric choice even if the characters outfit clearly would be satin or silk… This honestly makes me very angry… out of 7 costumes I’ve made so far, 5 have involved satin in some way, and if I’m allowed to say it, though not perfect, they look good, and if the hoards of people asking to snap a photo of us at cons is anything to say, the masses agree… and I have planned to use it in at least 5 upcoming outfits, in both small and large amounts… I am determined to show people that its not all bad…

And also about the quilting fabric… I believe in the states this means broadcloth… well in Canada we have a quilting cotton that is about 3x the weight of our broadcloth, and it actually makes some nice lines… so that part confused me until I remembered that…

Its good tips, but like I said… I don’t have any issues with satin… to each their own I guess…

As someone who has done cosplay judging in the past let me tell you there’s a good possibility you’re mistaken in your conclusion.

Satin isn’t just one fabric but a range of synthetic fabrics that may share a polyester makeup and weave style but can come in very different qualities. At a guess, not knowing who you refer to, its a very real possibility they are referring to the cheaper of the materials commonly referred to as party satin. From a craftsmanship angle it would be more difficult to to score someone high while they used party satin due to its nature of not presenting at all well.

Also the working concept of craftsmanship is to show a working knowledge on the construction of the various aspects of your costume including materials and fabrics. This includes understanding things like a trench coat, for example, is commonly made from garbadine, poplin or leather/pleather so it can be appropriately waterproof. Satin is more commonly used for more delicate pieces such as dresses or tops that are meant to sit and move a specific way.

There are of course exceptions, if you look at different costumes used in broadway you will be surprised the amount of odd materials such as felt are used in things such as dresses. At the same time, understanding a wider range of materials is still really important. Something like sateen may be used in place of satin due to how fragile it is under extreme conditions quick changes and may badge glare or appear semi transparent under the bright stage lights.

Point being, if you want to use satin for every costume possible then have at it but if you want to become more serious about the crafting side of costume construction then you really need to look outside of the polyester section. There are thousands of different fabrics out there and its very likely you’re going to find something that will work just as well if not better than satin. If you’re unsure where to start, check out sateen, its like the thicker cotton blend cousin of satin and is usually nice and smooth on both sides. Its about the same price and is so much easier to iron. I use it whenever applicable.