Friday, August 24, 2012

Presenting Lady Vadore!

Today's the big day, guys: I'm wearing my completed Vadore costume to Star Wars Celebration!! So please cross your fingers that I don't pass out; between the corset, mask, and my nerves, breathing is slightly more of a challenge than usual. This is also my first real cosplay at a con, so I'm both super excited and super nervous to see how the fans like it.

So without further ado, meet Lady Vadore:


And to reward you all for waiting so patiently for her big reveal, I'm now going to inundate you with pictures. John and I spent a few hours Sunday night in our front room working on the best poses, so I have lots to choose from! We didn't have the best light, but considering they're night shots I think they came out ok:


The helmet is most impressive from the side:


The copper swirls started as a joke, since I thought it would be hilarious to somehow add metal Leia buns to the side of the helmet. I experimented with rounded brass mesh and having my actual hair inside them before settling on a more subtle approach.

The chest emblems and chains came from a Epbot reader last year; she sent me a small box of old jewelry and scraps. See? I *do* use the stuff you guys send me!

When John and I were figuring out poses, we named these two "Jaunty" and "Hero." I think Hero makes me look a bit shorter - an impressive feat, since I'm only five foot to begin with.

Here's a modified Hero and an Extra Jaunty:
It amuses me to name the variations, since there's so little difference. I'm hoping one of you will see me today and yell out which one you want. :D

The jacket is a heavily modified thrift store find. It originally came from Charlotte Russe, so it's extremely lightweight (aka cheap). I changed the collar, added a bustle, sewed the two sides under at an angle, and then added the buttons, trim, belt loops, and epaulettes, which are attached with Velcro so I can remove them for storage and cleaning.

My boots were my luckiest thrift store find; I'm pretty sure they were never worn, and they were only $15! They're a size too big, but when the perfect Vader boots pop up for $15, you don't complain about petty things like sizing. I jazzed them up with an extra leather strap below the ankle, trim, and gear-accented appliques. The wings on top came from ebay, and the gear sigils on the bottom are handmade from this Etsy shop.

My gloves don't show in most pics, so here's a detail shot:
These are my favorite vintage gloves - I wore them both book tours - so I attached the gears with a small stitch (covered by a gem) so I can easily remove them later.

The cane was a late addition which serves two purposes: it helps me maneuver and keep my balance, and it gives me something to pose with. (Plus I've always wanted to make one. Heh.) We've since gone back and brightened up the interior lights, since they sadly didn't show up at all in these photos. (It looks amazing in low light, though.)

I'll be adding a cane tutorial next week, so stay tuned for that.  [Update: Cane tutorial here!]

My lower belt is made from the original cowl of the plastic Vader helmet. I noticed the curve fit my waist nicely, so I attached it to a canvas belt, weathered it, added those gorgeous gears from Sharyn, and finished it off with a leather hanger for my lightsaber made from an old belt:

The skirt is another thrift store find, a heavy canvas originally from Anne Taylor. The waist was way too high, so I cut off the entire waistband, serged the edge, and lowered the front pockets.

My lightsaber is made from an old flashlight. If you missed it, you can see that tutorial here.

Now here's my favorite part of the whole costume:

This belt buckle is not what it seems.

It's actually a vintage makeup compact that we made into a buckle - and it's removable:

The buckle/compact is attached with extremely powerful magnets. (There's a smaller, functional buckle below it holding up the belt.)

I was determined to make it removable, so I could do this:

Inside the compact are my custom calling cards. This way if anyone at the con wants more information on my costume, I can pop off my buckle and offer them a card.

The compact has two compartments: the top only holds a few cards, but I can fit 10 or so in the lower half, which opens with a spring-loaded clasp.

More details:

I made my feather epaulettes using the same faux leather as my helmet cowl, but I aged it with copper and gold glazes. I'm tempted to do the same to the helmet. Thoughts?

Mask and goggles. These are separate pieces, so getting everything lined up on my face takes a little finagling.

The goggles are vintage welder's goggles, and the only adjustments I made was to trim them in copper, make a new leather nose piece, and replace the dark lenses with a few layers of iridescent cellophane. (I ironed it to get that neat bubbly texture.) I can actually see through them pretty well, but you can't see my eyes at all.

Gratuitous cleavage shot:
I've never had cleavage in my life, by the way, and it's pretty darned disconcerting to see myself with some here. I can't take credit for any of it, of course; that's all corset and straps and mega-push-up appliances. I think the only thing we didn't use was duct tape. Ha!

The corset is my first real corset, and it's surprisingly heavy, with tons of steel boning inside. I snagged it on clearance from Corset Story for a measly $30 + shipping; it was the very last one, and just happened to be my size. I can't tell you how much I love that pop of emerald green among all the black, gold, and copper. (And John apparently loves squeezing the life out of me while lacing it up; I've already told him he's not making it this tight for the actual con!)

Ok, one final full-body shot, just so I don't leave you with a giant picture of my boobs:


Out of morbid curiosity, I decided to tally up our expenses on the whole outfit, minus the cane & lighsaber. This is what I came up with:

Corset: 43
Plastic Vader mask & helmet: 30
vintage welder's goggles: 50
boots: 15
jacket & skirt: $9
appliques: 15
trims, buttons, feathers, gemstones, etc: 50
copper piping: 10
faux leather: 15
vintage compact: 3
LEDs: 20

Total: $260

I'm sure I'm missing a few things, but I estimated high on the trim, so I don't think I'm too far off with that estimate. Not bad, considering it's a project we've been working on since May.

And now finally finally, here I am dancing with my cane, since after a few hours things got a little punchy at our makeshift photo shoot:

"Hello, my baby, hello, my honey, hello, my rag time gaaaal!"

I'm hoping to get some fun shots at SWC today, since there are lots of beautiful back drops and photo areas scattered around the convention floor.

I'm also planning on wearing this at Dragon*Con, though only for one or two nights, and only for a few hours at a time. If you'd like to see me in it in person - and you're not at SWC today - then look for me at the Time Traveler's Ball!

I hope you guys enjoyed, and that Lady Vadore was worth the wait. Next stay tuned for plenty of SWC photos!

213 comments:

  1. Wow.

    Really. That's all I can say.

    I am speechless with the wow. The costume is amazing, and you look FABULOUS.

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  2. You are ridiculously creative and talented!!! I can't believe the gorgeous detail in this outfit!! I am so impressed :)

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  3. I am, as always, in awe of your mad skillz. ;)

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  4. HOLY CRAP THIS THING IS AMAZING.

    Also, looking good, Jen! *wolf whistle*

    (yep. Hi. Long time lurker finally coming to the light of a day... lured out, apparently, by your magnificent cleavage :))

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  5. Gorgeous! Leave it to you to make Vader so damn sexy!

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  6. Gorgeous! Leave it to you to make Vader so damn sexy...

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  7. Ermaherg Verder!!! Seriously this is the most amazing costume evah!!!! You so rock. I'm laughing, smiling and crying with joy and wonderment over this. Really. I feel proud for you, and I know you've got to be on a heck of a high. Stunning. You are going to win a costume contest or few with this. Holy crap. I wanna be you when I grow up, and I'm already older than you. I can't say enough... except that am I really the first person to leave a comment?!? That never happens. Win.

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  8. Wow! If I were in happy enough circumstances to be able to attend today, I would totally have my camera at the ready and yell out "RAGTIME" when I saw you.

    Awesome! And I love the swirly copper buns.

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  9. wow oh woweee!! Totally amazing and wonderfully wonderful. THank you so much for the big reveal. YOu and your costume is so amazing. I'm telling all my StarWars friends to check it out!! lol Looking good Jen. The corset caught my eye right away, so you are right that it really pops against that black.

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  10. Omg Jen that looks amazing! Good job!!

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  11. Totally amazing! Hats off to you! Have a great time at the conference. Looking forward to hearing about the reactions you get. :)

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  12. Wow, Jen, this is all kinds of awesome!!! The details are so fabulous. Nicely done, ma'am, nicely done!

    Glenda

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  13. OH...MY...GOD! SUPER AWESOME AND SUPER HAWT! I love it! :) Great work guys!

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  14. Jen, that is FREAKING AMAZING!!! Sorry, but that needed caps. Because OMG.

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  15. So awesome! I love it and wish I was going to the con so I could get one of your calling cards!

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  16. Holy cleavage, Jen! You look UH-MAZING! Great job!

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  17. I am pretty sure this is the most awesome thing in girly geekiness! I LOVE it!!!

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  18. Wow! Your costume is AH-mazing, especially those killer boots! Excellent job!

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  19. *swoon* That is absolutely amazing!!!!

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  20. LOL this is just adorable, and I bet John was very happy with it;p You look great, and I hope you have a blast.

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  21. It looks amazing! I hope to see it in person next week!

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  22. WOW, WOW, WOW! Jen, excuse me, Lady Vadore you are amazing!!! What a beautiful costume! The level of detail work is incredible. You're going to be a huge hit at the convention! You continue to inspire me and blow my mind with your incredible talent :-D

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  23. Wow. That's really all I've got. The costume is absolutely gorgeous.

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  24. Beyond fabulous! I can't decide whether to squee or swoon, but this is one of the best things ever in the whole history of the universe! Take a bow, my dear. :)

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  25. That's FANTASTIC - my favourite elements are the helmet (the coils are great!) and the feathered epaulettes.

    You and John have done a phenomenal job!

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  26. Well done madam, well done!!! LOVE it and my favorite shot is of you dancing at the end with the cane, I laughed so hard I thought I was going to pee my pants. Can't wait to hear about your debut today! So sad we'll miss you today at SWC, but hoping to Waldo you (can I use that as a verb??) and John tomorrow or Sunday! :)

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  27. So unbelievably amazing! You can see all the work in the details but also the amazing love and talent behind it! Wish I was seeing it in person, is fabulous!

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  28. LOVE :) You are too freakin' amazing!

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  29. Yay!! I kept refreshing the page waiting for it to show up and it DID! Great job, I love it. In fact, you've inspired us, we may be attending our first Con in a couple of months. Prepare to be stopped often for pics.

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  30. JENNNN!
    you are AMAZING!!

    Lady Vadore is gorgeous!

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  31. Stunning. S.t.u.n.n.i.n.g. All of it. You will be the talk of the Con! And not just because of the cleavage! :)

    There should be a fan movie made of Steampunk Star Wars. Someone needs to get on that right away!

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  32. Wowowow!!! Gorgeous, Jen! I am thoroughly impressed with all the details you put into this!

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  33. You look completely awesome! I love the compact/belt buckle and the epaulets and well all of it! Have a great time showing off!

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  34. Amazing! I am so impressed, and I think you will be mobbed with people wanting to take your picture at SWC. My favorite pose is "Jaunty". "Extra Jaunty" is a little too much :)
    I am not so sure about doing the whole helmet in the aged copper glaze... I don't think the copper elements would stand out as much. You are such a perfectionist- it really is amazing as-is!

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  35. Ohmygosh. You look AMAZING, Jen! Every detail is just perfect!! Fantastic job! And I think the copper swirl/Leia bun addition to the helmet is seriously pure genius.

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  36. Amazing! Beautiful! SO Awesome!

    I hope for your sake it doesn't get too hot while your in costume. :D

    Have fun!

    Side note: How confining does the mask and goggles feel? Being claustrophobic I am having a panic attack just thinking about it. ;)

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  37. Is John going too? That would be so cool if he were one of the death star generals or a stormm tropper... all 'punked out of course. But really your outfit is phenomenal. I just can't get enough of it!!!

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  38. Looks amazing~! i am sure you'll have a great responce from everyone. It's super unique and awesomely you. Ps. good luck with the breathing.
    Melissa Trudeau

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  39. i am all giddy like a school girl over here. that is a completely fantastic costume, and i love that it is perfectly sexy without falling over line into TOO MUCHVILLe. i predict that you are going to be one poplar lady. good luck, and have a blast!

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  40. That is super awesome! It was so worth the wait. You look great! Fantastic job!

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  41. Love love love it!!!!! My husband is there (he'll be one of the storm troopers walking Chewie in handcuffs today) and I told him he has to take a picture of you for me if he sees you! GREAT job!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  42. Wow! That is outstanding! I grant you a medal for best costume ever! Just wow! I love everything! Thanks for sharing.

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  43. Stunning! Great costume and well worth the wait for the final reveal!!!

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  44. how far down does your bustle hang? like, could you sit without crumpling it? any fun details on the back of the jacket?

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  45. Excellent! Thank you for sharing all your work on Lady Vadore with us. I only wish I could be there in person to ask for a card.

    I am pretty sure that your reader gave you Ethiopian cross metalwork, which you have turned into those jacket decorations with the chains. The whole thing turned out great. I wish you all kinds of fun photo sessions, and cool breezes and moments to breathe. Have fun!

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  46. O
    M
    Freakin'
    G

    Wow. Yes. It was worth the wait. It's sensational.

    If I didn't like you guys so much I could be really put out that you got SO MUCH creative talent, leaving such a tiny pool for the rest of us to share, also not evenly...

    Since I can't imagine you'll have time to check comments today, I'm assuming you'll read these tonight. I hope you had fun basking in the glow of everyone's drooling admiration, and that John had fun basking in you basking in the glow -- and admiring the cleavage... Can't wait to see the pictures, and you HAVE to give us a few quotes of some of your favorite fan reactions to the costume. (Please? You know we live vicariously through your adventures.)

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  47. Awesome! Amazing! Your and John's brilliance with crafts and such never ceases to amaze me. Absolutely love the costume! So wish I could see it in person! And you certainly didn't post too many pictures! Every detail is amazing! Have fun at the cons and am I very much looking forward to seeing pictures of Lady Vadore in action! :D (hoping for one shot of you force-choking someone. lol!)

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  48. Girl!!!!! This is AMAZING! And that décolletage! Magnificent. lol You are going to be *hounded* for pics. Have fun!

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  49. This. Is. Amazing. I bow in awe at your handiwork and creativity!

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  50. I am in love with your crafting abilities! So creative and well done! I wish I were able to go to the con to see you! Have outrageous amounts of fun :)

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  51. eyg2s051Holeee SCHMOW! GORGEOUS! (And almost villainesque). And I'm tempted to say "Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, (Lady) Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient Jedi religion has not helped given you enough clairvoyance to find the rebels' hidden fortress..." aHEM..OR ...you know...DO try to frighten us...etc. GOOD JOB!

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  52. Wow wow wow wow WOW! You look AMAZING. I love the detail, and I think the balance of femme steampunk with the original Vader design is perfect; it's ladylike without any chance of anyone not getting the Vader reference.

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  53. absolutely worth the wait! you did a spectacular job. so well done!

    small request, because sadly i won't be at any of the cons, will you post a photo from the back as well?

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  54. Great job! So many details! Especially love the boots. Now I see why you didn't work on a costume for John. Have fun! ;-)

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  55. Awesome ... no other words would suffice. Have fun ... and remember to keep breathing! :)

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  56. This is AMAZING. You guys are incredible. What a beautiful, intricate, perfect costume!

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  57. You. Are. Frackin'. AWESOME. That is so totally beyond spectacular! Just one word of advice. Plan on needing at least 3 times as long to get from place to place to place, because everyone will want YOUR picture at the cons. I am updating my Must Do list for D*C - find Lady Vadore!

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  58. Awesome Awesome Awesome!!!! I envying that corset.

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  59. Ooo OOOO OOOO!!! - I just realized! You will be a Dragon*Con Photo Scavenger Hunt photo! #24 A Steampunk version of a non-Steampunk character! WIN!

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  60. SO freakin' cool! You look amazing! Have a wonderful time!!!

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  61. Holy crap, Jen, you are AMAZEBALLS.

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  62. Umm... HOLY AWESOMENESS!! That is so stinkin' cool. From concept, to mods, to thrifting, to crafting. Way to go.

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  63. WOOOW! That is AMAZING! So beautiful and well done. I can't believe you are a novice at cosplay, I've been reading your blog for a long time, and I guess I just assumed you always dressed up all out! It encourages me to know that someone so cool is a beginner at this; it gives me hope that I could pull it off someday too! Everyone is going to love it, if I was there I'd totally be screaming, "Give me some Jaunty Lady Vadore!"

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  64. yarwIf I was fortunate to go, I'd yell out extra jaunty! You look amazing.

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  65. All I can say is OH MY GAH! Love it!!!!!

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  66. Awesome doesn't even start to cover how... well... awesome the outfit is!!! OMG OMG OMG! I wish I was in Florida!!

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  67. Your boobs are gorgeous! ; ) No, really, the leia "buns" nod is subtly clever, but I just love the ultra-feminine and little bit of vixen the cleavage adds to the costume. If your coat did not have that peekago cutaway in front, you would likely look a little shorter (it draws the eye up-ha!) and it perfectly juxtaposes with the ultra hard-masculine-darth elements of the costume. brava!

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  68. That costume looks absolutely fantastic. Amazing job. You'll have to let us know how many people ask for pictures. :P

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  69. Your costume is A-maze-ing and beautiful! (So are your props!) Very professional - and I can say that because I am a professional costumer. =)

    I think the aging on the feathers is wonderful - go for it on the helmet too!

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  70. Awesome!

    One word of advice whilst corset-wearing. DO NOT drink anything carbonated.

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  71. You look fantastic, and I can't believe the amount of details that you included in it. I dream of going to comic con in costume and always chicken out at the last minute. I guess I need to just get started and go for it, though I don't think I'd look as cool as you do.

    And I'm glad you mentioned it, I was going to say you have quite the va-va-va-voom factor going on with the corset.

    Plus "extra jaunty" is my favorite, you look so sassy.

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  72. I am so jealous of your amazing talents! I am lucky I know how to sew a button back on! Great job on the costume - it looks fabulous!

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  73. Love it! You look wonderful and did a great job!

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  74. *squeeeeee* You look absolutely amazing! And nice cleavage *eyebrow waggle*

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  75. Oh my god, Jen, that is fabulous.

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  76. I knew it was going to be awesome but this is amazing!!!!

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  77. This is absolutely gorgeous and fun! Your posts really inspire me to try cosplaying sometime (when I someday get to a con, which is TOTALLY on my bucket list) absolutely love the steamy, crossplaying goodness! Hope you have a blast!

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  78. SO FREAKING BADASS!!!!

    You look amazing! Just wish I was going to see you in person.

    Love it, enjoy. :)

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  79. Oh my gosh I am in LOVE! You guys are, once again, amazing! I hope you have an awesome time at the con and don't run out of cards since EVERYONE is going to be asking about your costume!

    BTW, WV was "cccorage." You have plenty of "cccorage" even if your nerves make you stutter a bit. :)

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  80. Wow Wow Wow!!! Fantastic!!

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  81. Congratulations Jen!!! It looks great! Have fun!

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  82. Be careful with that cleavage--John might get *ideas* about what his job of "handler" at the con entails!

    Funny, whenever I hand the camera to my hubby to document a new costume, I end up with a lot of those gratuitous cleavage shots as well!

    Fabulous costume Jen, I'm sure I'll see lots of pics of you coming across Con photostream...

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  83. You got some mad skillz girl! You have done a ridiculously great job with this!

    Awesome!!!

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  84. I haven't been to a con in years and I'm too far away to go, but I'd love to JUST to see your costume in person. As B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L as the pictures are, I bet they can't do your costume justice! Love it, love it, love it!!!!!!!!!!

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  85. You look so fabulous!! A huge well done, creative, beautiful, and fun. I hope you find wearing it more fun than feared. I recommend hiking socks to fill in the 'size too big' boots and make you feet happier, they also wick moisture and heat away so you'll not cook at the feet. Also, to corset needn't cut off breathing, let it be looser to have a better time. You super deserve it!

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  86. love love love love love!!! You look amazing!! Absolutely worth the wait- I can't say enough how incredible this is!

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  87. AaaaaaaaMaaaaaaaaaaZing!!!!!! You have got to be the coolest steampunk villaness EVER!!! And kudos for all the time and effort you put it. It shows and was totally worth it!!!

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  88. This is amazing! I've been loving all the little details you have posted along the way, and it's awesome to see it all come together into something so ridiculously cool. You look incredible!

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  89. My god, Jen, you did AMAZING! I am completely envious of everyone who will see you at the con(s) in this and get to take a picture with you (as if I wasn't envious of everyone who has met you before. pssh.) My jaw dropped! I think my favorite part is the green of the corset, too. It's my fav color, but still, good choice! ;)

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  90. Holy Shizzznit!
    Oh my god, Jen. Oh. My. God. That is so utterly amazing! The boots! The helmet! The...everything! I am usually one of those people who hate it when people use a lot of exclamation marks, but damn.

    I'm so bummed that I can't get down to Celebration this year. Your costume is so awe inspiring. Now you've really motivated me to put together something awesome for our con in October. Gah!

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  91. Awesome! And so worth the wait! My 4 year old daughter saw the pictures and very excitedly said, "That's a REALLY pretty... uhm... What' is that?!?!" I think it may be time to watch some Star Wars at our house, her sci-fi education may have been a little Dr. Who centric to this point.

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  92. Oh, and just for the record, when I saw the dancing pic I wasn't thinking "Ragtime Doll." It was all "Putting on the Ritz!"

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  93. I am completely amazed. Wonderful costume.

    I can only hope that John is going as a steampunk, pink my little pony.

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  94. \prostrated on the floor
    We're not worthy! We're not worthy!

    In-freaking-credible.
    You are winning, full of win-ness!

    Have an amazing day reveling in the awe and admiration of all of us who love you. :)

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  95. This is so many kinds of awesome! :D
    You make a very fabulous Vader! :)

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  96. You are absolutely amazing and talented!! Words can not describe how awesome this costume looks I only wish I was going to SWC or Dragon*Con to see it all in person.

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  97. That is an excellent costume! You both put a lot of work into it and it really shows.
    Seriously, you two are super talented. :)

    P.S. If this comment posts about 4 times, I apologize. I'm having problems proving I'm not a robot.

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  98. Wow! Jen that is fantastic! I love the green corset, adds wonderful color to the costume. Now I am extra bummed about not being able to go to Dragon*Con this year, I'd love to see it in person!

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  99. Holy robots, is that awesome. You are amazing, Jen. Seriously.

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  100. How awesome is your co-splay?!!?! Pretty freaking amazing! The details are fantastic, I bet it causing jaw dropping in person!

    I do think you should change out your skirt for some black leggings, so we could see more of your hour glass figure! :D

    Hope you have so much fun! (And no passing out!)

    *extra jaunty!*

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  101. Amazing. Incredible. Fantastic. Such a beautiful costume!

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  102. Holy crap, this is GREAT!

    Oh Jen, I love this so much!

    You are amazingly talented.

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  103. Fab-U-Lus!

    What a wonderful job!!! Absolutely amazing! :D I love it!

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  104. You look ridiculously amazing! A delightful mixture of badass, class and va va va voom! I odon't know now if I desperately want to try something like that or if I'm terrified because I know it would never come out this incredibly! You're going to be a hit! Have fun!

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  105. Spec-TAC-ular!! The costume ROCKS. For the cost of the materials, I'd say you did really well. Many people spend more than that for a crappy, store-bought, no-thought-put-into-it, made-in-China piece of crap. Yours is Blockbuster Movie Worthy! Congratulations!
    And might I add, Nice Cleavage!

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  106. Love Love Love this costume! I have never been a huge SW fan, but I can totally appreciate good workmanship and detail. Amazing! Hope it doesn't get too hot for you at the con, it's been hella hot down here in FL (as I am sure you are aware!) Have fun and take TONS of pics, I love seeing them!

    Nicole S.

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  107. WOW. This is amazing!!! You and John never cease to amaze me and push me to be better (HA!) Great job and have fun!!! =)

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  108. This is absolutely FANTABULOUS!

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  109. Worth the wait. Seriously amazing and I'm going to FB this and feature this on my Steampunk Blog. You wonderful person you! And aren't corsets great? Making everyone girl-shaped since 1560. Think how good Tim Curry looks in one! (Where's the Steampunk Frank-N-Furter?)

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  110. LOVE LOVE LOVE! It turned out amazing. All the little details blow my mind and go together so well. Enjoy the attention you're going to get!

    And now because of you I ordered a corset for Sorsha costume. lol

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  111. Wow, gorgeous work! I love that you found some of it from a thrift store -- my kind of costuming! I hope I see you at Dragon*Con! It's also my first time cosplaying. I'll be one of the no doubt bazillion Twilight Sparkles. :)

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  112. So bloody brilliant! Your creativity knows no bounds and I appreciate that you're sharing it with us. Fantastic! Abso-freakin-lutely ah-MAZing!

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  113. Not what I was expecting at all, but very awesome!

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  114. OMG!! You are amazing and that costume is beyond fabulous!!!!

    I am blown away.

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  115. Beautiful! I've been reading since the beginning, but have been too shy to comment until now, but that costume deserves major props!! I wish I was going to be there today to see it in person, but I'm not going until Saturday. I will try to be brave and say hi if I see you. But just in casein you see a tall-ish brunette in a "Sagan is my homeboy" t-shirt trying not to be noticed looking at you don't be alarmed. It's just me, working up my nerve!

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  116. Absolutely brilliant..and loving the last shot best of all. Have fun wearing it!!

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  117. But of course your belt buckle serves a dual purpose! Everyone knows that. Very clever costume and very well executed, and for a very reasonable sum, too. I wished for some pictures of the sides and back - wanted to see the bustle. Lady Vadore, yowzah!

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  118. I love it :-)))

    you look amazing, really hot (i'm a straight girl btw)

    i wish i could see it "live"

    hope you're having a lot of fun at the con with it!

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  119. Well worth the wait! I'm jealous of your creativity! You look fabulous! I wish I could see it in person. Also, the copper swirls might be my favorite part!

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  120. Rock ON!! Awesome! Fantabulous!

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  121. Can I just say HUMUNAH-HUMUNAH-HUMUNAH!! You look hot as hell in that costume. Not the temperature-hot, the sexy-hot. Very sexy-hot. I wish I could see it in person! Have fun getting people to take pictures of YOU for a change!!

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  122. You are going to be a massive screaming hit at the Star Wars Celebration, and not JUST because of your truly impressive boobage. ;-D That costume was soooo worth the effort; you look incredible!!!

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  123. wow! How amazing! It was worth the wait and i love the buckle/compact, i had a hunch when i first saw it, you were harbouring your cards inside it!
    sorry but.... hellloooooooo boobies!
    *waggles eyes brows!*
    You look great hun, the look is just amazing!

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  124. So. frickin. cool. They're going to go apesh*t over you! :) I think my favorite feature is the detachable calling card holder. Such a great idea! And the green corset definitely makes it, it brings out all the green light details.

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  125. HOLY CRAP!!!!

    That's the absolutely best costume I've ever seen.

    You did SO great with all of the detail and it looks absolutely incredible. I'm quite jealous and want that costume!

    I really hope people find you at the con and post pictures of you on the epbot page!!

    Keep up the awesome!

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  126. this is amazing.

    you look amazing.

    your craft skills are amazing.

    thank you for sharing your awesome-ness with all of us!

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  127. SOMEBODY at the Star Wars Convention PLEEEEEEEEASE ask Jen to do Puttin' on the Ritz in that thing. Please!

    Absolutely freaking amazing. Again.

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  128. SQUEEL!!!! OMGosh Jen! It's AMAZING!! Congrats that all your hard work paid off!

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  129. I agree with the 'ridiculously talented' comment! THIS IS AMAZING!!!!!!

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  130. shut the front door I love it! But I wanna see the bustle!

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  131. Worth the wait for sure.! You look awesome Jen! I think I may need to consider getting a corset. All the best at the con this weekend; so many people are going to want a photo with you... I'm going to sit here and try not to be jealous.

    Good job! All your hard work paid off.

    (ps; this security thing is kicking my butt - I'm not a robot really!)

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  132. Wow! Just wow! Holy bananas that is one beautiful costume, lady. I wish I was that half that talented.

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  133. Are you kidding?

    Magnificent!!

    Have a fantastic time!!! ;D

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  134. I love it! The whole ensemble is gorgeous. The emerald green corset goes amazingly with all the black and gold. You did a fabulous job putting this together, the details really make it spectacular.

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  135. simply stunning! it makes sense now why you'd have to start working on this months ahead of time. =) amazing work, and thanks for sharing with us!

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  136. This is sooo AWESOME!!

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  137. The 'looking shorter' isn't so much the pose as the angle. A higher angle makes models look shorter; have John slightly lower than you next time and you'll look taller. ^_- I always put my shorter models at a higher angle than me to lengthen them.

    Oh, and non photo: TOTALLY AWESOME COSTUME!!

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  138. 11. Most definitely an 11. :-) AMAZING!

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  139. I love the cane. I can't wait to see it with the stronger lights.

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  140. FanTAStic! :D You've inspired me to get ridiculously crafty with some costuming ambitions of my own.

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  141. dammit, now i'm browsing corset-story.com...

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  142. Dear John,

    Lucky!

    Sincerely,

    Joe

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  143. And you say you don't sew! That jacket is incredible!!!! Everything is you genius!

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  144. Well done guys! Wow!

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  145. This is absolutely gorgeous! I'm not 100% in love with the eyes, they remind me of bug eyes- and I'm so used to seeing the all black face mask so I think that's throwing me off too, but the customization and the colors are simply stunning! The cane is a nice touch and I love how you added all the colors and designs, but still maintain the original essence of Vader. You are really inspiring!

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  146. That's fantastic! I aspire to be as crafty as you are! Could you show us the bustle? I'm really curious how you did that to the jacket, but you didn't do any photos from that angle.

    Love it!

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  147. OMG - Awesome!!!

    *Squee*

    You did such a good job, it looks fantastic - and that corset does really make the outfit pop!

    The buckle idea is sheer genius!

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  148. I love it, but forgive me, I think it would look quite a lot better with stockings - opaque pantyhose in a jewel color maybe or black. The bare knees just look school-girl-ish and drop me right out of my suspension of disbelief. Apart from that tiny detail, the whole thing is INCREDIBLE!!

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  149. So awesome!! You did a fantastic job!! Enjoy!

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  150. Jen, you are a goddess. I am sooo envious of your lovely Lady Vadore. My favourite is your belt buckle business card holder. I wish we had Cons in Canada :-(

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  151. Well worth the wait! The costume is AWESOME. Can't wait to hear about your night!

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  152. You look AMAZING!!!!! A-MAZ-ING!

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  153. Jen, you look fantastic! I have a friend down at VI right now; he's a Mando Merc named Crixus; perhaps you'll cross paths. I hope everybody down at C VI right now is having a real blast! And that you all find the droids you are looking for..

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  154. I am very much in love with this. It's beautiful, you look amazing and you did it all at an incredible price. Way to go!

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  155. This is awesome.

    Also, my husband said, "Vader cleavage! I've never been so attracted to Darth Vader in my life."

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  156. my jaw dropped. I'm still waiting for normal breathing to resume. it's an unmitigated success and it will be fun to see how many times you appear on the interwebs due to this. :D

    my vote: don't mess with the helmet if you love it like we do- you're a self professed perfectionist so if the tweeking isn't just right you won't be happy...and no one wants to see Lady Vadore unhappy!!!!

    -Barbara Anne

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  157. OMG, Jen, I have been away from my computer most of the summer, and this is the first reference I've seen to Lady Vadore. I am FLOORED. My kids are beside themselves, too. Congratulations, this is stunning.

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  158. Wow... So amazing. You are so talented and I can't get over how totally amazing it is. Wish I could see it in person and meet you.

    Wow... that sounded stalkerish but I swear I don't mean it that way, lol.

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  159. Wow just wow! so jealous and totally inspired to make my own costume for the next london con in October!
    any chance you and your lovley beau would plan a trip to old blighty?

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  160. Hi,
    I have been following you for three years, and this is my first comment to you.

    Please note that the crosses that you have on your costume look like authentic Ethiopian Crosses. I picked several up while at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Ethiopian Quarter - Jerusalem).

    Thank you for your humor.

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  161. That is awesome! I love the business card/buckle combo: so cool and imaginative! I've been thinking about making a costume and you have totally inspired me!

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  162. Lady Vadore looks stunning! Fantastic, congratulations.

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  163. WOW!!! the whole costume just looks amazing! fabulous!! well done.

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  164. My 4 year old son just walked by, stopped in his tracks, and said, "WOW!" I completely agree! Great job!

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  165. the level of win is overwhelming...

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  166. My 2 year old daughter loves your "wobot" costume. I think it's fantastic too!

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  167. AWE.SOME!!!!!!!!! You went way above my expectations. Your teases leading up to the big reveal were fantastic, but seeing the whole thing put together just blows me away! Great job, Jen (and John)!

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  168. Jen, I am amazed at your mad skillz, especially the sewing! Congrats on a fabulous costume. You will be very popular out there! I wish Brian and I were there to see it. :)

    Excellent work!

    ~Amber B.
    BellaLise Designs

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  169. Is there any chance we could see it from the back? I'm interested to see how the bustle turned out.

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  170. *jaw dropping*
    *eyes bugging*
    OH
    MY
    GOSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
    Awesome cannot begin to describe how wonderful this costume is! Wonderful doesn't work either --- ah---- oh ---- heck, forget it. You did such a great job, Jen! Such details and so much work. You look really, REALLY terrific. Spectacular. Stupendace. Did I spell that right? Nevermind -- it still is not the right word. Wow.
    - Maureen

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  171. My hubby showed me your picture on Fashionably
    Geek and I knew it was you right away even before seeing these pics. Great job!

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  172. I'm sooooooooo excited to see your costume. Ever since you posted your mask tutorial I knew you were going to have an awesome costume, but this is truly the shit. Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen such an awesome cosplay. You are a goddess to us geeky girls!

    Also, I looked through your pictures from Thursday. Great stuff, but I feel like you're going to be a hit. I won't be surprised when I see you on other blogs :)

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  173. Well done!

    May the mask help protect you from the Con Crud.

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  174. Vadore cleavage = hot!

    Awesome how you pulled the whole look together! Can't wait to see people posting pics with you from the con.

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  175. Did you know you were featured on the /Film "Page 2" article today?

    http://www.slashfilm.com/page-2-504/5/

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  176. AMAZING!!!! Well worth the wait!

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  177. So cool! This almost makes me wish I liked Star Wars...
    Nah, I still prefer Star Wars.

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  178. I saw you at the con and it's even more impressive in person! Thanks for sharing all the details, you've inspired me!

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  179. Lady Vadore wouldn't have cleavage. It's clevage. (pronounced clay-vaaaahj) It looks a-maaaaaaah-zing.

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