Mai, Avatar:TLA Wig

So, I decided to cosplay Mai from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Her costume is all sorts of weird. The weirdest is her hair. It has what on first look is 2 little buns, one big bun and 2 pony tails coming from the back.

 

 

 

 

You can see here the issues that would be facing me making this wig. On closer inspection I determined that I only needed to make one bun and could do the 2 smaller bun like shapes with hair loops. Like they would be made with real hair. The style is called Ox Horns, and is a common Chinese style.

Gathering the materials:

Materials Needed:

A Base Wig
Extensions
Foam Structure for Bun
Needles: Straight and Curved
Thread: Heavy Duty Button or Upholstery
Black Paint or Black Fabric
Glue/Caulk
Hairspray
Blow-dryer
Wig head
Stand
Scissors: Sharp, short pointed ones
Rubber Bands
Plyers

I bought all my wig stuff from http://shop.cosplay.com/. I used a New Look Linda in Black for the base wig. For the rest of the wig I bought 2 New Look Clip-On SXL’s in black. I have most of one left over. For the inside of the bun structure I used a 3inch green Styrofoam ball from Joann’s. I use glue instead of caulk for making wigs because I do not want to put caulk near my head. The glue I have found to work the best is Aleene’s Tacky Glue. I love that stuff for all crafting projects. The hairspray I use is Got2b Glued Blasting Freeze Spray. Amazing stuff, I like it better than Aquanet.

Getting Started: 

Put the base wig up into a low ponytail:

I carefully gathered the hair into a low ponytail that sits about an inch above the back of the wig. Leaving out the pieces for the sideburns and the bangs.  Careful to not pull the wig too tight, so as to not make it to small. To do this I Usually pad out a wig head to my head measurements with cotton batting and fabric pinned to the wig head. I then tightly bound the ponytail and cut it short. Then I sealed it with glue, working glue down into the ponytail stump to seal the fibers together.

 

Make an Odango/Bun:

I followed Kukkii-san from Cosplay.com’s Odango tutorial, sort of. I carved out the foam ball and then covered it with glue and black fabric, instead of paint. Then I took one of the clip-on ponytails and took the clip out of it and stretched the wefted end as far around the ball as I could and glued it down. Then I pulled the fibers around the ball and cut them to the right length.Then I hairsprayed the fibers until they glued themselves to the ball. I then covered the ends inside the ball with more black fabric and glue to hold them in place.

 

Make 2 Hair Loops for the “Ox Horns”:

I started by taking a bundle of fibers about as big around as my finger and about 5-6 inches long and stubbing both ends. I bound each end really tight ly and sealed them with glue, working glue down into the fibers to hold them together. Make 2 of these. Then, when the stubs were dry I stitched the ends together to make the loops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Separate out some wefts for the 2 tails:

I took apart the other clip-on and cut out about 4 wefts for each tail.

 

 

 

 

 

Putting it all together:

Attach the Odango to the ponytail stub:

First I pinned the odango in place from the inside of the wig. Then, using my curved needle I sewed the odango to all the places I had put a pin. I needed plyers to pull the needle through the odango.

 

 

Attach the “Ox Horns”:

First I sewed down the ends of the loops, pointing to the back of the wig. I needed plyers here to pull the needle through the stubs. The loop should be flat to the top of the wig.

 

Then I passed a loop of thread through the fiber loop and pulled it to the back of the stubs. Then stitched that down to the wig. Pulling the fiber loop around the

stubs to cover them. And pulling the fiber tight to the wig.

 

 

 

Attach the tails:

I sewed the wefts down to the back edge of the wig. One to each side of the center seam.

 

 

Using heavy duty thread and large whip stitches. I stitched back and forth.

 

 

Finishing Touches:

Cut the Bangs and Sideburns:

I had a friend help me with this. She cut them while I was wearing the wig to get the bangs to the right length—just at the eyebrows. The sideburns I cut just below my ears.

 

Cut the Tails to length:

I cut the tails to the right length while wearing the wig.

 

 

 

 

 

Now Go Fight!!

Installing a Zipper Into a Lined Garment

A couple years ago I made the decision to line most of the costumes I make. It makes the costume look better from the inside and can keep the outside looking better when wearing it. This decision did bring with it some complications, such as, how to install a zipper if the garment needs one. After making many lined garments with zippers this is the way I install one. Just as a side note, I have decided that I HATE invisible zippers and will probably never use one again. If I have to hide the zipper I will just make the fold over of one of the sides longer, so as to make a flap.
So, on to the tutorial.

Materials needed:

Sewing machine with zipper foot 
Garment you are installing the zipper in, and zipper

 

 

Determine the length and color of your zipper.

  I am installing my zipper in to the back of a 2 color dress, the top is purple and the bottom is pink. Because the majority of the seam I am installing the zipper at is purple, I am using a purple 24inch zipper.

 

 

Attaching the Zipper to the Lining

Pin the outside edge of the zipper tape to the right side of the lining, with the zipper facing up:

Either at the edge of your fabric, or aligning the zipper to your stitching line. I am aligning my zipper to the edge of my fabric because I am using about 1/2 inch seam allowances. If you have a larger seam allowance you would move the zipper tape in from the edge of the fabric. Also, you can over lap the zipper if you do not want it to show. Pin straight across the tape, going under the zipper coil. Depending on your preference, you can pin from the top of the zipper or from where bottom, placing the end of the zipper where you ended the seam you are installing the zipper in. I started from the top because I need the seam where the top meets the skirt to match on both sides of the zipper.

 

 

Sew the zipper tape to the fabric:

I run my zipper foot along the outside edge of the tape and have the needle on the inside of the foot. So, in this picture on the left of the zipper foot.

Pin the other zipper tape to the other half of the lining:

Unzip and open out the zipper. Pin the outside edge of the zipper tape to the other half or the lining, right side up, with the zipper facing up. Pin straight across the tape. I usually pin from the outside to the inside.

Sew the zipper tape to the fabric:

Again I position my zipper foot at the outside edge of the tape with the needle on the left of the foot. I run the machine fairly slowly while putting in zippers so as to maintain control. Be careful not to stich over the coil itself otherwise you will not be able to zip the zipper.

The zipper is now attached to the inside of the lining so that when you fold back the seam allowances,  the right side of the zipper is between the layers of the garment.

Attaching the Zipper to the Outside Fabric:

Fold and/or press your seam allowances:

Because I am using a Satin of indeterminate origin—I did not buy it—I do not know how safe it would be to iron it so I am folding and creasing the seam allowances by hand. With fabrics I know it is safe to use an iron on, I press my seam allowances.

Pin your seam allowance to one half of the zipper tape:

Place the folded edge close to the zipper coil, but not right against it. If you want the fabric to over lap the zipper, you can place it passed the coil. I have found that this does make it a little more difficult to zip and unzip the zipper.

Sew the seam:

I place the right edge of my zipper foot approximately 1/8 inch from the edge of my fabric, and the needle to the right of my foot. Between the edge of the fabric and the foot. Because my garment has 2 colors of fabric I have to change my thread at that seam. I back stitch a few stitches when I get to it.

Repeat the last two steps on the other half of the seam. And you have installed the zipper.

 

 

As a finishing touch I like to sew across the bottom of the  zipper.

This keeps the end of the zipper tape in place. It is also how you shorten a Zipper if it is too long.

Because my garment is 2 colors and the zipper is a dark color I needed to add a flap to the pink part of the skirt.

This flap covers the zipper so that the purple coil cant be seen. Because it wasn’t planed for it looks a little rough. I added it between the zipper tape and the folded edge of the outer fabric.