It’s been a long time since I sat and serious looked at my costume portfolio. During a redesign and re-imaging phase of my website, I realized how desperately I need new content, even of the same old costumes. At most I have one, maybe two, photos in each gallery I’m gaga over – but most of it is just convention shots or photos that showcase the costume well enough, but do little to invoke a feeling.

Yes, I’m that kind of nut.

As much as I love sewing and playing dress up, one of the biggest turn-ons for me is seeing everything come to life. Matt is amazing at that. Capturing these moments, allowing these characters to explode into the 3-dimensional from the pages and cells of my favorite comic or anime.

Wednesday, Matt had some downtown after work and invited me to come up to his place for a mini shoot. I say mini, because most of our shoots thus far have involved hiking, climbing, dodging bullets, and scaling mountains. (Maybe not the bullet part, but just wait til we go to the abandoned prison!) We went to a little field near his place, and the worse I had to suffer was traipsing through the mud barefooted. The shoot also lasted for only about 45 mins, and we got maybe 100 shots.

I wanted a wheat field, it was essential to my shoot. As Matt said, it’s a shame I didn’t decide on this 4 months ago when the fields where blazing with tall grass and un-cut wheat (but no one says we can’t shoot this costume again later!). The character, Horo from the anime Spice and Wolf, is a goddess of the harvest and associates herself with wheat and loves apples. It’s also an adorable love story.

Spice and Wolf

As Matt is super prompt about these things, I had the proofs ready by the time I got home! The hardest part is sifting through, trying to find which shots not only flatter me and the costume, but looking for the ones I think will stand out in a sea of other cosplay pictures. Now, the hardest part, waiting for the edits. ^_^

I’ve worked such a great deal with the amazing team at Outland Armour, I asked for each of them to write a little about their character as give us all a little more information on themselves.

Let me present you with Meredith, AKA Antoinette du Merciel

Antoinette du Merciel is the “steamsona” of Meredith Placko. Antoinette grew up in Paris, France – the daughter of Louis-Antoine Merciel, Admiral of the French Royal Airship Navy and Lady Marie-Thérèse Charlotte du Merciel. Ana’s mother died when she was only six years old, leaving her to be raised in the care of her aunts, as her father was often away and dealing with the constant tensions between France and Britain. Always longing for a son, her father indulged her tomboyishness and made sure she was well practiced in the arts of blade and gun. Betrothed to the son of a long-time family friend, Ana’s fiancee went missing while on an expedition to the New World. Without a second thought, or care to her family, Ana went off in search of her love. She found him, drunk and in debt, and not at all the charming man he played for his family back home. The night she was to return to France, Ana came back to the hotel to find her money stolen, and her travel documents shredded. Alone and penniless in a foreign land, and no way to get in contact with her family, Ana stole aboard an airship hoping to make her way back to Europe. It wasn’t any mere shipping vessel though, it was the pirate ship Amaranth. Instead of leaving her to rot, Captain Dantes struck a deal with Antoinette and now serves as the ship’s intelligence officer.

As a member of Outland Armour, Meredith works as a fashion designer and seamstress, and has high hopes of getting into prop making in the future.

Meredith actually has her own thriving website on the internet to showcase her many artistic talents. I’d definitely take a moment to stop by if you’d like to see more of her fantastic work!

• Meredith’s Site