I started
from the cap. I bought lining that is used on sportswear, pretty similar to
fabric in hockey shirts. I used a wig head as a model when deciding where to
make seams, keeping in mind that the Styrofoam head is smaller than normal
human head.
The basic
shape contains three pieces, sides and the top. Forehead piece is double as well as
the small pieces on the back of the neck, the temples and piece on forehead marking the hairline.
Then I
started sewing wefts. Whole lot of them, from the three packages of fiber I had
purchased. I used iron-on interfacing as the “root”. In my experience the weft
is rather solid after ironing and doesn’t suffer from hair loss as much as
tulle weft would. I even brushed the wefts quite heavily and only few strands
came off from each.
The jumbo
fiber is creped since it’s usually used in braids or dreadlocks, which actually
works with my intentions. But still I wanted the top layer of the fiber to be
smoother. I’ve scorched some wigs in the past, so I was extra careful when
choosing the straightening method. I decided to give the iron a go, because I’m
inpatient person when it comes to costume making. Waiting the wig to dry would
have been a torture for me, if I had used the method of pouring hot water on the wig.
I sprayed
the weft with the iron and gave it few presses of steam to pre-heat it, not
letting the iron’s bottom plate to touch the fibers. Then I placed the weft
between layers of pattern paper; two layers under and two on top. Holding the
weft from the root I pressed down the iron and at the same time pulled the weft
under it. The trick is to keep the weft moving. If you only press the iron on
the weft it will most likely start to melt. Been there, done that.
Then I
repeated as many times as needed, spraying the wefts with water if they seemed
too dry. And the iron was quite hot, between two and three dots.
I sew the
wefts on the cap by hand. It seemed the easiest solution and didn’t mess the
fibers too much. To prevent creating a tangled mess, I sprayed the wig with balsamspray
from Gliss. It works with the synthetic hair almost as well as real hair. I
highly recommend spraying the wig either outside or covering the floor under
your working area. The spray makes the floor quite slippery and adds to the
risk of cosplay casualties.
After I had
sewn all the wefts, both straightened and untreated ones, I took a blow dryer,
sprayed the wig again with the balsam and went through the fibers with a wig
brush. This relaxed the creped fibers a bit and made the wig look bit more
tamed.
Then I
tried with some braiding techniques. I think I found the right one to use, but
before I actually manage to fit the wig on the person who will wear it, I will
keep the regular braids on it. I will report in when I have finished the green
goblin.
Making a
wig from scratch isn’t actually that hard if you have styled wigs before and
don’t bother sewing a whole lot of wefts. I might even give wig making a go in
the future with straight fibers. The most crucial part might be making the cap,
especially if you are making it to someone else. Thank goodness the head sizes
don’t vary that much. I say and cross my fingers.
