Cosplaying Hiccup: Production Diary body armour

 I must admit, this was really hard, but after two false starts I got something I like. I started out (right after making the helmet) trying to craft everything out of plain craft foam. Needless to say that did NOT go well. I didn’t have a dress form and the foam was (in a word) crap.

So I dropped the project and decided that all I was going to make was the helmet. However, I eventually came back to the project, this time armed with a little more knowledge and some different materials.

Confession: I had to make the armour twice because I messed up the paint job on the first one. Some of the pictures are from the first, some are from the second. It shouldn’t really matter ‘cause they both turned out basically the same shape. 

Can't really post about Hiccup without posting a picture of Hiccup.

I used a yoga mat for this project. 

Okay, so I started out by cutting my pieces out of the mat. I used a pattern I made for a pattern drafting course, but I think you could use a t-shirt insteadl. Just make sure that it
A. Doesn’t have too much stretch (if the shirt is stretchy it will not turn out right, foam doesn't stretch)
B. You add an inch around the t-shirt. Better cut too large than too small

The two pieces on the right are the front. The piece on the left is half the back. If you look at the pictures you’ll notice it's split with a triangular dorsal-fin thing in between the pieces.

Once the pieces were cut out I got out my iron. To give the matt the texture of leather I used crumpled up tin foil and some parchment paper. Doing this also helps to heat seal the foam.

The next thing is to seal with glue (I used some sort of plain white glue… I can’t read Turkish) and once it’s dry, paint. I used some sort of black acrylic paint (again, can’t read Turkish) Ideally you’re supposed to seal it after with clear glue or something. But ain’t nobody got time for that!

Then I sewed it together using yarn and a GIANT needle. I used little scissors to make holes in the foam for my needle to pass through. Though you can’t really see it, I criss-crossed the yarn to make little X’s.

It was during this process that I made the armour fit me better. It was really easy because I had a dress form. I also added some darts at the bottom and around the arm holes, because, unlike Hiccup I am not shaped like a noodle.

ON TO THE DETAILS!

I used a belt buckle for the straps.

Up close of the shoulder strap. Googley eyes for rivets.

I traced something circular and then drew the dragon design free hand while looking at a picture. I ironed them, painted them, and then glued them together with hot glue.

Though Hiccup’s armour has a bit of a stand up collar, I decided to not put one on. Artistic Licence and all ;)

I think that’s everything… I’ll be back eventually with something on the bracers and shoulder pads!