Sophie Hatter

This costume will be easy as pie to put together, I have been given a dress by a friend and neighbour that is nigh on perfect for the job. The only thing is the fabric has a small dot detail all over it, but the shape cut and style of the gown is still wonderfully accurate :)

I will dye it the correct colour, take it in at the waist, the hips are free so bump should fit underneath. I can easily buy accessories such as ribbons and a hat, make and attach a lace collar and voila!

Katrina and Spike

Many of you may know my all time favourite anime is Cowboy bebop, I just can't get enough of it. Its smooth style quirky characters with interesting back grounds and the super cool American blues soundtrack really give it an edge, its a cut above other animes.

This year I was planning to finally done the PVC hot-pants to cosplay as Faye Valentine, I'd lost over a stone at the end of the summer and was going to the gym regularly enough to regain my old flat stomach and was brave enough to agree to the skimpy outfit . . . but have now had a change of plan! We decided to start a family and no one will get to see that tiny tummy of mine as by the time the convention comes around ill be only 2 weeks from my due date lol
Instead I've got a purple dress to cosplay as an extra from the first episode of Cowboy Bebop, Asteroid Blues. Her name is Katrina and she is the GF of a drug smuggler with a bounty on his head, I'd always loved her busty dress and swarthy Mediterranean look. She has some chemistry with Spike, but sadly her sob story doesn't have a very happy ending!
I wanted to make a suit for Dave to be Spike but with Katrina he wears a poncho and sombrero for half the epsiode so I can miss off the complicated suit jacket. It should be easy enough to make trousers and source the accessories.

Ponyo's Prequel

I haven't worked on it recently but now I have booked the convention I am bringing out all the costumes that have been on hold. Its a relativity new anime but the famous master Miyazaki's newer movie "Ponyo on the cliffs by the sea" has had a massive fan following since its realise in 2008.

I have a nearly finished "Ponyos Mother" costume, she is a stunning sea goddess with long red hair who can change her shape and size, wearing various versions of her pale blue dress. The biggest challenge is pinning down what she actually wears! Interpretation is a key factor in my cosplays and gives me some originality. I already have a dress that will fit my bump but I still need to add some long sleeves and buy a nice long wig. Her hair is mega long and bright red - there is no way I would dye mine like that, hair like mine doesn't get that long without lots of care and attention! I have made some jewellery, a necklace and tiara similar to those worn by the mysterious and serene sea goddess.

Finance allowing Dave can match me as Ponyo's father. He is not too keen so it and has others he would prefer so its on the side lines at the moment. He already has a white jacket I can modify, I only need to add stripes, buy a wig and cravat for David to wear, and we are done. Neither are particularly challenging and its a pair of costumes that can be used for years to come with the little ones in tow. Imagine a baby Ponyo in a cute onsie and a toddler dressed as Sosuke with a bucket - it would be adorable ^_^

Major Motoko Kusangei

Ghost in a Shell is a legendary media shaping anime collection that I have always admired. I have also put together a Togusa costume for my husband, who is hardly a major character but unfortunately he is just no where near the right build for the majors lieutenant, Batou.

Which means I get to be the cyborg anti-terrorist hottie: The Major : D This costume is half store bought and although only took about 12 hours to finish it took me 4 months to complete, I always get excited and start new costumes before the previous one is finished! This year I had 6 costumes to do so I made and finished them all bit by bit lol In total this one cost £65 to put together, and although it was a challenge I'm happy with the overall effect.


To start with I bought some jeans and a wig worked from there, I love Ghost in a Shell so it was easy to get excited about it :) I made a jacket from Pleather using copied design, I tried 3 different types of material before I was happy, and boy it is not easy to work with! I also spent a long time getting the leotard right and this is the only thing I was un-satisfied with on this cosplay. Take a look at the gallery, thanks to Cosplay Portrait for the photos and the how too on the jacket and leotard can be found here.

Comments are greatly appreciated, let me know what you think!

Priscilla S. "Priss" Asagiri

Priss is the leader of the Knight Sabres in anime series Bubblegum Crisis 2040. She leads the heavy assault and is a kick ass chick with a bad attitude. Although Nene is more like myself Priss is the coolest - who wouldn't love a chance to be a rock star biker vigilante??

For the costume I used a UPVC jacket bought from a charity shop years ago, I modified it beyond recognition and added the extra pieces bit by bit. I bought a leather gladiator belt and corset but they were too much to wear together so I added my own belt buckles as details onto the corset. The trousers are my own bike trousers and with homemade from scratch/junk modelling knee pads, which in the end I chucked into the bin. The necklace I also made myself from scratch with beads and modelling clay :)

This costume was mostly bought so easy on the labour and cost £40 to put together - a lot of EBay bargins :) I haven't had chance for some decent photos or a shoot yet but when I do ill post them to the gallery. I hope that my friend David will let me pose on his beloved Kawasaki Ninja, its a very handsome bike, its big, red and perfect for this cosplay!

Meimi Haneoka / Saint Tail

Saint Tail is a generic magical girl show -even though she doesn't actually do any magic. This anime is very cutesy and a bit twee, the cheesy anime holds 2 things for me - a top hat and a hedgehog. Of course for Mr Toffees sake I had to do it! Its a relativity un-known anime and I doubted many people would recognise me at conventions and the like but I felt I should do it.

It was a fun enough costume and most of it was bought but I did make from scratch the skirt which had 3D "tails" in the back. They folded down for sitting and driving etc how cool is that! l made the collar and bows, I also made a little bow for cross dressing "Ruby" which was safety pinned onto a stuffed toy my brother bought me as a gift last year. Its just a shame that Mr Toffee didn't get chance to enjoy this cosplay, he died 2 weeks before the convention : (

Although I left my hair dye at home *doh* and I lost the bow for my hat I LOVE this costume. I am please with the result and although I wasn't recognised (as predicted) I did get quite a few compliments :) Everyone loved little Ruby and defenceless members of Alcon who enquired subsequently got thrust under their noses photos of Mr T from my phone hehe ^_^

I love the petticoat on this cosplay its so full and fluffy - bought for £12 from America and is meant for little girls beauty pageants lol I also went for velvet and not satin as the fabric, as others have done and overall I am pleased with the result :)

Rei Hino / Salior Mars

The legend that is sailor moon! I initially got into this cosplay as joint project with a friend of mine, I would be Mars and she Jupiter but we are not gong to any conventions together this year and as far as I am aware she hasn't even started hers yet!

I had a hard time making a leotard so in the end I had to buy a custom one from a cosplay company in china, which was very disappointing as every other piece of this costume was hand made by me. It is so far the most accurate and well made costume this year, and I am very happy with it. With my hour glass figure I'm quite aware of these skimpy costumes and I did feel a little exposed but once at the convention among other cosplayers I didn't feel at all daft :)


I made the collar and bows de-tachable so I can interchange different Sailor Sensei and despite the defeat on the leotard I'm still very proud. It took a lot of work to get this difficult costume up to scratch and is probably the most challenging one to date, (probably because I was being so anal with the stitching) it was literally made with blood sweat and tears sewn into the hems! Despite being only 5"3 tall with short legs to match I love being Sailor Mars, its not often I get to be so dainty and delicate :)

It took 36 hours (yes I know 36!!) over 6 months to finish, and I'm glad it is finally done, literally my blood sweat and tears went into this costume.

And the hard work paid off, I won 3rd place in the copslay championships at Alcon 2010 in Leicester this year so am dead chuffed! I got 34 out of 40 and felt on top of the world, woop woop!