Personal Costume Challenge

Last year for my staffing duties at Anime North, I wore my Pepper Potts costume, making use of my extremely practical Stark Industries Clipboard while managing the greenroom for Sunday's fashion show. This year I'm being a runner for the masquerade and felt I needed something more practical (I did the runner job last year too, I just wasn't planning ahead for it). I decided to challenge myself to make a costume using last year's bright orange staff t-shirt. And I'll admit that for a while I had no idea what to do with it; but then Yavarice mentioned that he's making an Aperture lab coat for working the masq, and I was inspired. 

I bought some orange stretch sateen on clearance (not a fabric I would recommend because of the stretch factor, but the weight, colour, and price were right...) and I used an old McCall's pattern for simple pants with cargo pockets from my stash. Spent a couple of days cutting pieces and sewing things together (those cargo pockets were time-consuming!), cut up the centre front of the t-shirt (and finished the edges) and there you have it: "T-Shirt Challenge Chell"!!! I have a pair of Portal "Long Fall socks" on order and will be borrowing an Aperture tank from a friend, which will complete the look. 

Total cost: ~$30 CDN; time spent: one weekend. 
Favourite things: POCKETS!!! I never remember to put pockets in my costumes. Having FOUR generously sized ones in these shorts makes me feel spoiled. Also like the ability to put on the shirt if I get cold - sometimes the A/C in hotels is just too much for me.

Now it's time to get back to more serious costume projects. Looking ahead, it appears that Easter weekend will be dedicated to making several bodysuits. Pattern drafting ahoy!!!

(follow me on FB for real-time progress photo posts)