Dare to Try Your Luck?

One of many photos taken during I-Con, a fantasy convention held at StonyBrook University in Long Island, NY.

It was my friend Sheena's first convention and she asked me to help her make a Harley Quinn costume. So I figured, why not go as Poison Ivy!

I made the majority of both costumes while Sheena helped out with the detail work and make-up.

I'll start with Poison Ivy.

The beige bodysuit was one of those slimming undergarments bought from Victoria Secret($50). The leaves were purchased from Michael's craft store. However, I ran into a slight dilema. The leaves didn't come loose in bags. I was forced to take a more expensive root and buy several fake vines and clip off the leaves one by one myself. I bought 2 kinds. 1 strand of narrow darker green leaves to line the top of the suit and 2 strands(had to buy a 3rd before the con because I ran out and if I lost any leaves on the suit, I wouldn't have any to patch up) of more maple shaped leaves with brighter greens and copper tones($12.99 a piece). I also picked up some small leaves and flowers meant to be sewn throughout the wig.....but I never had the time to do so.....maybe next time. So, I sewed on the leaves one by one, just putting a few stitches in the middle, carefully layering them neatly, and tacking down wild edges with more stitches. What was tricky was layering them enough so when the suit was on and stretched, there would be no bare patches. Since the leaves were all outta whack and the extra stitches to tack down edges were popping when worn, I had to flatten the suit at the bottom of my luggage. When I put it on Sat morning, course there were bare patches and so I was stuck stitching with the costume on till everything was covered. I bought thick leggins from Macy's($12), the green boots from Spring($60), and the wig from a random place in the city($30). Sheena lent me her earrings. I wore my own bracelet. Sheena also made the necklace, secured the vine that twirled down my right arm, and did my make-up, including fake lashes(that had to be trimmed thanks to my glasses T__T)

Harley Quinn...

The suit was made from red and black jersey knit($30total), chosen so it would feel more secure on Sheena's body than spandex. I used a Kwik Sew unitard pattern($8) that I only had to cut in one place to get the color split. Everything was going smoothly till the suit wouldn't fit Sheena below the waist. The jersey knitt, I forgot, didn't give as much as spandex. I was forced to waste a ton of time making inserts that ran along the insides of the leg and down the lower back to give her the room she needed. The boot covers were two pieces of fabric sandwiched around red vinyl shoes($10). The cuffs of the shoes are separate and given substance by being sewn together with a layer of black pleather($10). She was able to slip her foot through them and close them around her ankle with snaps. The collar is white satin($10) I think. I just kinda drew a squiggly pattern on magazine paper and cut the fabric out, adjusted it till it fit, stitched, and turned inside out. I sewed it to a collar that wrapped around her neck and snapped in place. Little pom poms($.99 a bag) were sewn to the ends. The hood was tricky. I traced and played with a basic skull cap with extended edges and an extra forehead piece until it fit. Attached it to another collar piece with a hook/eye under the chin. The horns were triangle shapes sewn together, stuffed with filler and coat hanger pieces to make it bendable, and sewn to the hood. The hood almost didn't fit because I was making it to fit me first and forgot to take into account that I have VERY short hair, while Sheena's is VERY long. Even with a wig cap, tying up her hair still pulled the hood too much. Luckily, her cousin was around the day we left and did a special hair wrap for her, evenly distributing her hair around her entire head so the hood fit much better. The white cuffs were tubes of the white satin bunched on bracelets($2/ea) with snap closures. The gloves($5/ea) and leather mask($30) were bought(Sheena tried to make a mask but the spirit gum wouldn't stick it to her face). Sheena made the white cuffs, sewed the diamonds to the suit, and did her own make-up(clown white and setting powder, price unknown).

For as simple as it sounds, both costumes turned out to be very time consuming(and expensive of course) because of all the unexpected problems we ran into along the way. It was very worth it however. One all the pieces were together both costumes looked fantastic, and the response was absolutely incredible. We could barely move without stopping for pictures and we had several people say we had the best costumes at the con. ^_______^ We're hoping to make it to a con where we can actually enter a costume contest. Overall, both costumes turned out to be very comfortable and the Harley suit didn't bust a seam(that was my worst fear). Course after 8-9 hrs of walking around, the high heeled boots I wore started to kill my feet, but eh, it was worth it. XD