Thursday, 2 January 2014

I STILL aten't dead - but Loki is done and dusted!

I stayed up all night to get Loki....or rather I dropped everything to finish Loki in time for Christmas as he's a present from one friend to another.

Loki's costume as I mentioned between the Thor films and Avengers and variants within is a complex costume. I am endlessly grateful to a friend of mine who having cosplayed a Loki had lots of reference pics to help me, and as another friend had made the costume I loved that I was using Loki cosplay offcuts to make a Loki plushie.

I essentially decided to go with a version of his golden-y armour to add a bit of extra bright to the other dull colour palate of dark green and blacks.

Loki scale doll model

I had to plan how I was going to do it layer by layer as you can see from the drawings

Loki body / bottom layer plan of plushie Additional planning sketch of Loki's underneath tunic Loki tunic coat planning sketch for details Loki final layer cloak and helmet planning sketch Planning sketch of Loki's staff Final design pattern for Loki plushie
I had a bit of time dithering about fabrics because although I wanted to use some of my fake black leather stash I just didn't fancy sewing too much fake leather. In the end I decided this Loki would not have leather boots as I just couldn't face an almost entirely leather base body.

Fabrics during planning of Loki creation
Once I started making the basic body it was fiddly with several different fabrics coming together. I am always adapting the pattern but I'm also very forgetful of things that don't work.
As you can see here I forgot quite how to get the hair to come out above his face properly as I had been distracted by the slicked back seal like quality of Loki's hair in the movies.
Loki plushie came out looking bald not slicked back.
Initial basic Loki plushie - hair has not come out right
This then left me with essentially making a cap of hair to fit over the top and sew down to add to his hair.
Loki plushie with extra hair stage 1 Loki plushie with added hair stage 2
That being more or less sorted I headed on to making the coat. I still wasn't entirely happy with the hair though. Although I always regret it while I'm using it I really wanted to make the zip like edge of Loki's coat using my metallic gold thread and I like to think it came out pretty darned well.
Loki's coat adding zip like edgingLoki in the movie, head close up showing edge of the jacket with zip like effect
That being said the coat was made of a thicker fake leather than the basic body's tunic meaning it was really really annoying to sew.
Loki plushie the first stage of coat
I also carefully lined the coat only to remember he has 3 tails and had to unpick the side stitching and cut 2 v's in the back to make the three tails. Sadly after all that effort I didn't photograph that particular detail.

I then made the cloak. Before I moved on to make the helmet and staff I started to dither about the hair and consulted friends about possibly adding some thin wool so he had those sort of rats tails under his helmet. With at least one friend's affirmative I went ahead. As I sewed each one down individually it has come out looking a bit like braids but I don't mind it much.

Loki plushie with coat and updated hair with wool Back view of updated plushie with wool hair addition
The final details were the helmet and staff. I really wanted to make the pointy back shape of the helmet
Loki wearing helmet in the film
But once I'd made the helmet, sewing a ridge for the pointy-ness just didn't work. Then I went on to the staff.
Cosplayer's replica staff
I originally planned to make it with just a few bits of pipe cleaner in yellow and grey and some blue cloth. But it didn't look all that great. I can't find any photos of it when it looked like that.

So I kept pipe cleaners for the basic staff, but used some felt sewn to a couple of layers of paper for the knife blades and scammed some blue beads off a friend for the jewelly thingy. With that it went off in good time for Christmas present gifting and both the person who had requested it and the recipient appear to like him very well.
Completed Loki and staff

But what about the ALPHABET?

What? An alphabet you say? No idea what you're talking about. OK OK I'm kidding. I'm still working on it after my brief hiatus but I'm at a dull stage. I'm making all the backs. There's not much to see as such.... I'm up to letter R and they're looking spiffy.

Here's a pic of it hung up at my parents' house when I'd got as far as O.

G[r]eek Alphabet wall hanging with the completely finished letters at that stage A - O

Sewing through the tough plastic-ky velcro strips has necessitated some new tools - rubber thimbles. They don't stop needle pricks completely but they do allow gripping and give some good protection, plus they're slightly warming! They look a bit weird though. I am however glad for the tip from a friend who suggested them.
Perils of sewing through velcro - the need for weird purple rubber thimbles

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