THE SCARECROW

A PATCH & SNAP PRODUCTION

“Five days before the August Silicon cosplay convention, I made a snap decision to challenge myself to make the Scarecrow costume; a true con crunch! I based my design on the old Batman animated series, but added my own flair to it: my signature crooked patchwork with black hand-stitching. Of course!

The tunic is made from a weather resistant outdoor canvas material, perfect for a lawn chair, but an absolute nightmare to work with because it’s so tightly woven and stiff. How many sewing needles did I break, you ask? Next, I needed to create a mask. I ended up going for a super simple design, throwing some stitches onto a piece of burlap and fashioning a noose to keep the burlap in place. I patchworked the matching pants, hat and shoes. The scythe was crafted from cardboard, fabric and a tree branch.

The biggest challenge I faced while designing my costume was how to carry personal items with me while wearing it. I needed something large enough to carry several water bottles, my phone, my keys and a snack. I was down to the wire when I recalled that a certain version of the Scarecrow packed fear toxin canisters on its back, so why not jerry-rig fear canisters for myself? A quick trip to the store to grab three large cylindrical food containers, some foam, a few nuts and bolts, some straps, tubes, toxic looking paint, and I was off to the races! I contrived a fully functional “backpack” that blended seamlessly with my costume, yet could hold my stuff.

After all the pieces were crafted, I went in with some watered-down black craft paint and outlined all my patches to give my costume depth. The paint dried just in time. Whew! Overall, it was a very simple and quick build, and I enjoyed the design outcome.” - Emily

COSPLAY BY EMILY
@PATCHWORK_COSPLAY / @UNPATCHED.COSPLAY

PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN BY BRIAN NISHIMOTO
@B.NISHIMOTO / @THECOSPLAYERANNUAL

PATCH & SNAP PRODUCTIONS
@PATCHANDSNAP