Biggsy's Miscellanea

So recently, I had a breif conversation with BrittLiv (Go check her i'ble feed out, it's awesome!) in which she commented on some pictures I tagged onto the back end of a recent i'ble. I linked her to my Faceache* photo album, but due to her not havnig faceache she couldn't see them, she suggested that I upload them here, just as a way of showing off what I have done in the past... I don't have step by steps written for them, but I shall give you a brief blurb on each

Now I should mention that back in my uni days I had a small buisness making historical and fantasy costume and props... I was asked to make alot of custom designs and well, I think I was good at it... I still make the odd bespoke piece, and to this day I help make costume for my firends...



I hope you enjoy...


*Faceache--> Facebook... hehe

Step 1: Avast!

This is a Pirate frock coat I made for my mate Fozz... I make alot of costume things for Fozz... Unfortunatly EVERYTHING has to be made one size, then tailored to him... He sometimes even refers to me as his personal Tailor! <doh>

The coat is made out of some VERY heavy curtain material... and is lined with a nice silk... this would have cost a fortune if we hadn't gone to one of those cheep roll end fabric shops!

Step 2: Captain Biggsy!

Every year in my last work place we would dress up for 'Children in need', and in 2008 we decided to become Disney charictors for the day... Not being one to buy things off the shelf (and having a craving to make another set of period correct pirate get up) I decided to model myself on Captain James Hook.. The Hat, coat, breaches and shirt are all hand made... and the breaches are even historically accurate hehe!

I love this costume

Step 3: Steam Punk Costume

This is another costume I made for Fozz (i'm a great friend eh?) It's made from a heavy cotton/canvas dyed a very dark brown. I was told to make it look like a warewolf had slashed at it, so i did... (i don't think you can see it in this pic, but it does have three large slashes down the left breast) The costume also includes a leg pouch which is made out of the scraps from the waist coat

As costumes go, this one is pretty well known, as Fozz wore this to the Whitby Goth festival a few years back, and was spotted by a photographer who took a few shots Link1 , Link2 these shots sometimes pop up in Steam Punk mags and flyers... so i'm quite chuffed

Step 4: Girl + Stage Facial Hair = Viking Costume

Now this is a two part write up...

Costume:
This was just a quick custome when one of my LARP charictors died... I decided to (for a laugh) play a male charictor... and unfortunatly the 'filler' charictor lasted three eyars! All it is is a tabbard made out of hessian, which has been blanket stiched to keep it together... Schimples

Facial hair:
The facial hair is made of plummers hemp and latex, it used to take me a good 45minutes each morning to put this on. I still make the occasional piece of facial hair... they are usually made in four parts, and layered from the bottom of the face upwards... It's a lengthy process, but looks great

Step 5: Fox Tail!

This is a Fox tail I made for another costume, It's made of upholsterers foam, which I carved down with a bread knife. I then attached the fur, and hung it from a belt... It's about 3ft long

Step 6: Ears?

Now, when I made the tail I had a load of foam and fur left... so I made some ears... and well... have never used them.... theyre still knocking arround somewhere... but none the less they look pretty awesome

Step 7: The Protectors of Lantia Banner

This is a banner I made for my old LARP group... It has some pretty specific heraldic meaning behind it (when I find the doc I'll post the meaning)

Anyway... I started off with the backing of purple poly cotton, and then added layers of pre-stenciled fabric

For this I usually create an image... pin it to the fabric, cut round it... sew it down then embroider the details on...


This banner now hangs over my bed

If you can't see from the images, there is a Bear holding an Axe, and a Panther holding a sword...

Step 8: Make Poverty History Banner

I made this Banner for when I and a few mates from Uni travelled up to Edinborough to take part in the March against Poverty during the G8

It's made in a similar way to the previous banner...

Step 9: Bjornolfs Banner

This is a VERY simple Banner.. It just took ages to embroider (in wool may I add!)

The runes say "Fear profits a man nothing"

Step 10: The Droustinad Banner & Tabbard

This was the costume for my FIRST LARP charictor... 'Rannak the Maker' The Droustinad was the name of the group that we both belonged to...

this was our 'uniform' and pennant

At the top of the stone table in the design the runes spell out 'The Droustinad'

on either side of the stone table, it is the names of two people

This was a piece of thin calfs leather ontop of some heavy drill cotton, and painted with enammel

Step 11: Cestrian Scouts Chester Banner

The Red banner in the middle of this picture is my creation, it is Red and Blue because our neckers are red with a blue banner, I made this banner much the same as the others... Schimple really... It's amazing what you can do with a little poly cotton, some ribbon... some felt and cotton

Step 12: Soul Splitter Tabbard

This tabbard was a commision for a group... the runes on the sleeve read 'Truth' 'Honor' and 'Justice'

It's all made out of poly-cotton

Step 13: Protector of Lantia Tabbard

We decided in the P.O.L to have tabbards that were a slightly different shape from the norm... at that point one of the members was an AVID WOW player... so we made WOW type tabbards

Officers had a silver lion embroidered onto the front (I was an officer... how cool was that?!)

The lion is made by the same process as the P.O.L banner... using a template, and then adding detail by embroidery.. The lion is all had stiched

Step 14: Silly Head Wear

Okay, when I get bored... I get creative... and these are some of the hats I have made

Candle hat: Basically I welded a peice of metal to a ww2 tin hat, and then riveted on a baked bean can with a candle inside... hehe

Gnome hat:  I don't know where this hat has gone... but I loved it... I didn't draw a pattern so I can't replicate it... this was PURE imagination. It was made from wool, and had some boning running up the back, to stop it flapping too far forward

Coif: a historically accurate coif made of some canvas... all hand stiched too... modelled by Fozz

Step 15: Silly But Historical Footwear

another item I have lost somewhere down the line, these shoes are based on a very old type worn by sefs and such... these were made of wool (layered with interfacing in my case) with a leather sole

Step 16: Silly L Shaped Larp Shield

Step 17: Prototype Houses

Now, I'm allways making small scale prototypes, and so I decided to show you one of them... this is one I made when I was thinking of building a new tent for my mates... it's only cardboard and abit of material... but from this I should be able to scale up to wood and canvas :)

Step 18: Hamsters and Ladders?

when a mate of mine explained to me that her hamster was having troubble getting arround his cage, I decided to help out, by making two ladders . One is made using a plastic mesh and some square dowl (lashed together), the other took CONSIDDERABLY longer, as it is made out of BBQ sticks, and lashed together using square lashings


I had planned to make this into an I'ble but never found time to finish it... I didn't think it would be THAT usefull to anyone