The She-Elves: Tauriel and Galadriel Costumes

Most of you have already seen my Tauriel costume photos (http://thecraftyanthropologist.blogspot.com/2014/04/tauriel-costume.html), which I posted several months ago. But just in time for Comic-Con this year, I decided to whip up an elf costume for my friend so that we could dress up together. I had insisted for awhile that she go as Katniss Everdeen (since she is overly obsessed with the Hunger Games series and, thanks to me, has a replica of the bow, arrow, and quiver set that Katniss uses in the movies). However, she refused to carry around those props at the convention and then asked if I would make her a costume to match mine. So we searched for other Hobbit female characters and only came up with one. Sad, isn't it? And that's in the movies...the book has hardly any female characters at all from what I can remember. Anyway, it took me longer than I had anticipated but I managed to make her a flowing white gown to go with the Galadriel crown, ring, and wig props she got separately. Of course I think it could be much better, but given the fact that I used no pattern and simply looked at photos and videos online, I think it came out pretty darn good. We plan to do a photo shoot of her in costume at some point to show it off a bit more, but for now here are some photos of the creation process:

Laying out the fabric and lining

Cutting out the dress shape

After attaching the fabric to the lining

Closeup of front of dress before sleeve attachment

Here are some photos of us from the event:

Us together in the convention center

WE FOUND SAMWISE GAMGEE! Er, I mean, Sean Astin.

Opening Shop

Hello, everyone! Sorry it has taken me so long to update...I've been caught up in several things this summer. I'll just spend a little time talking about one of them, which is probably the most important. Those who have been keeping up with my blog know that I am a big fan of crafting. From baking to sewing to jewelry making, you can usually find me working intensely on some project or another when I'm not busy with school or out and about somewhere. Luckily for me, this summer granted me with a lot of time to hone in on my skills even more and finally open up an online shop with one of my best friends.

This friend had actually been bugging me for months about putting my creations on the market, and goodness knows I've had many more people over the years who have insisted I open up my own bakery (though I still have a long way to go for that one). I'm not saying I would be totally successful; in actuality, I tend to have a hard time believing any of my work is good enough to sell. It was always a way for me to give something unique to someone I cared about, to create something that would make the receiver feel special. I had never really considered trying to mass produce anything for the public market because I figured that would ruin the fun for me. I wouldn't be able to see the reaction of the people as they opened their gifts, or see the meaningful looks they gave me as they realized it was made especially for them.

But my friend finally talked me into trying it out by showing me what kind of online market is already out there. People were making and selling things way below the par I set (even when just making something for myself!), and no one seemed to be judging their products. As a matter of fact, people were praising them for their creativity. It was then that I realized that maybe I was more creative and talented than I previously thought. Of course I would never be as great as most professionals, but that's not the point, is it? I have the ability to make something that other people are attracted to, so why not use it to at least open up an online shop? Plus working with a friend that has an even more creative mind than I do helps inspire me to continue forming new ideas.


And so after an entire day spent making our preliminary products (I think we worked from about 12pm to 12am), my friend and I opened our shop at the end of June. We freaked out at first, not feeling ready for the public to view our still in-progress website or ship our products without the special accompaniments we were planning, but to our relief no one bought anything for awhile. In fact, we did not make our first sale until a couple weeks ago, and since then have had three more! Over 1000 people have viewed our site and at least 100 have favorited our items (a way of tagging something to come back to and buy later), which shows me that there are strangers out there who appreciate my work. I am still not convinced that we will make it big, though my friend, and partner, begs to differ. Even so, I am pretty elated that I can finally get recognition for the small talents I do possess. It's nice to know that making little trinkets, which I enjoy doing in my spare time anyway, can bring happiness to someone hundreds of miles away.


If you haven't already, check out our shop on Etsy! We specialize in geeky home made decor and personal items, and are happy to create custom orders if you have something specific in mind!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LeMagicalMenagerie

Also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on new products!
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