Series: Granado Espada
Worn to: Ohayocon 07, Youmacon 07, Sakuracon 09
Status: Mostly retired
I stumbled upon the artwork for Granado Espada at just the right time. I had hit the point where I knew I wanted to branch outside my sewing comfort zone and try something more challenging than I was used to. Although ALL of the Granado Espada artwork is gorgeously detailed and really beautiful, the Fighter costume immediately jumped out at me. I loved the little hat and the silver spandex and, because I already had a wig and needed a costume for Youmacon, I was sold.
The jacket was a bit of a challenge because half-way through construction, my machine decided it HATED the fabric and refused to sew through it any more. In the end, the jacket is the coolest part of the costume; its fully lined, has quilting in the back, and has cute little holes throughout. I made the bag (and good LORD is it convenient to have!) and on my legs I'm wearing one pair of gray tights, black fishnets, silver spandex thigh-highs and silver spandex boots. The shirt is a very low cut black shirt and I used bias tape for the orange stripes. The collar is connected to the shirt using a series of snaps and the "pin" is just a painted button. I got the hat for my birthday from my friend Megan and modified it with bias tape and made the little eagle out of craft foam.
There were a lot of "firsts" with this costume. I drafted all of the patterns myself and tried a lot of things I had never attempted before. I ended up winning an Honorable Mention craftsmanship award at Youmacon!
While I still love this costume, it's starting to show signs of age and I'm not likely to wear it again. Despite everything, it's still one of my favorite costumes to date.
