Costuming for Fun

 On our way home from the Bloomsburg Children Museum's Fun and Fandom Day, Thomas asked me, "Why do we do this to ourselves?" We laughed, because we had a lot of fun, but he makes a good point. I stayed up way to late, neglected every other chore and responsibility, took it with me to a ladies' event and a dr. appointment, and generally stressed about the details for the last week. He didn't work on his sermon until after it was all over. And what was it for? 

 Let me show you.

Eamon has been wanting to go as Max Rebo for years. I couldn't figure out how to make it happen, so he just started building the head on a old colander. Once I understood what he was going for, I was able to help him use paper mache instead of the colander for less weight and more versatility. He really designed the costume and brainstormed how to make it. I just provided the sewing and experience to make it go a little easier. However, I must say, for all my experience, he proved me wrong on multiple occasions and made things that I thought were impossible, work well. He also had a speaker and his MP3 player to provide music as he walked around.

Malcolm went back and forth between wanting to be Boba Fett and Cobb Vanth. He finally settled on Cobb Vanth, or the Marshall from the Mandalorian, season two. He cut out the armor and helped with the painting. I built the helmet and the under armor. He learned that he can build and create things with foam and cardboard. I had fun building his dreams.

 

Their younger cousin wore the armor we made for Malcolm when he was that size, but his mother made him a new helmet. It was so much fun to see them together - how happy they were and how cool they felt. It was also fun to see the improvements we have made through the years. Someday, maybe I'll want to go back and build the Mandalorian armor again, just to practice the techniques I have learned, but I would like a few years off from making helmets, I think.

One of the highlights of the day happened near the end. They were giving out prizes and gifts, but the boys had gone out to the car to take off their costumes. One of the costumed guests/judges brought me an action figure of Cobb Vanth and said, "Cobb Vanth needed to have Cobb Vanth." He was so impressed with the costume, and with the fact that a kid liked a minor character enough to dress as him. 

 

When Eamon walked in, with his music playing, people all around started smiling. One kid followed him around, dancing. One mother said, "The people they bring in every year just keep getting better and better." People wanted to get pictures with him and of him. Even the man dressed as Kylo Ren wanted to get a picture with him. 

One of the highlights for me with Eamon, was when another little girl, who always dresses up with adorable home-made costumes, wanted a picture with Eamon. I saw it from a distance and wasn't able to talk with her mother, but maybe someday, we'll meet up and compare costuming notes.

Thomas and I went in costume as well, but from a different universe. Thomas went as Jayne Cobb and I went as Kaylee from the Firefly universe. I spent all of 15 minutes figuring out my costume and actually asked Thomas to do some of the research for me. Thomas looked amazing, but I didn't get a good solo picture. My sister and her family also went in costume and looked amazing or adorable.  It was fun to share this event - and all the crazy preparation work with them.

 So why do we do this? Because with a specific time and place to show off our costumes, we actually build the costumes we think are cool. Because it stretches our creativity and design skills. But mostly, simply because it is fun. 

 

P. S. Another highlight of Eamon's costume is that filling out his stuffing is Lamby Woolis, their large stuffed sheep. 

T-Rex as Grogu and Lamby Woolis as Mando