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Hello Kitty Samurai Armor (Chest, Hip, Neck & Shoulder Plates & Waist Tie): $400
All this 'armor' is fabric armor. Fuschia Pink fabric is used to cover both sides of a thick interface. White grommets are then planned out and added to the armor pieces. Finally a thick white cord is used to string everything together.
Everything together takes (4) gross + of white grommets and close to 50yards of cord.
..... that's 4 x 144 + random # = ALOT of hole punching and grommet setting!
And let me tell you, white grommets were a very hard item to fine. I was fearing that I'd have to use nickle/ regular metal grommets but I finally found them, YAY! The white is perfect for the overall appearance and helps breaks up all that pink.
Everything is literally strung together and bow tied at the ends. So nothing is truly sewn together. This gives it an authentic samurai armor feel PLUS it allows for full adjustment. Wanna add plates to add length?... just re-string with a longer piece of cord. Shoulder Plates are too long?... then just remove a panel piece and re-string.
Everything comes strung together with the exception of the shoulder plates. These are later tied so the chest plate can be strung to fit the customer's shape.
Hello Kitty Inspired Samurai Fabric Armor Pieces: Chest Plate Details
(Side)
(At Shoulders)
The chest plates remind me of a baseball empire's chest padding. It
consists of (2) pieces of the same shape that ties at the sides and at
the shoulders. The chest plate is made to go down to the wearer's hips but the overall width starts to reduce at the waist for general comfort.
White stitch lines are stitched across the chest pieces to mimic the panels of real samurai armor.
Possibly future build could be made of a number of individual panels strung together as opposed to a single piece.
To most inner and upper grommet on the chest plates also serves as the means to attach the shoulder plates. (The bow pictures above is in the mentioned grommet which is from the piece of cord holding the shoulder panels on.)
Hello Kitty Inspired Samurai Fabric Armor Pieces: Shoulder Plate Details
(Attachment. Top View)
The shoulder plates consists of (5) individual panels that are strung together. I add a section of white elastic to the middle of the assembled shoulder plates so the wearer can tie the plates to their armor for a better fit.
The attachment picture shows how the shoulder plates' loops are tied into the chest plate. The loops are typically to be tied in the pictured criss-cross style to entire a good control of the plates. The criss-cross style actually minimizes the shoulder plates from sliding to the front or back. Of course, if one has wide shoulders or one wants the shoulder plates to hang longer, the loops can be attached regularly (non criss-cross).
Hello Kitty Inspired Samurai Fabric Armor Pieces: Neck Plate Details
The neck plates consists of (2) individual panels strung together. The end strung sections are made longer so that they loop together (as seen when the plates are laid flat). This allows the neck plates to just rest on your shoulders and then you can just toss if off at the end of the night.
Hello Kitty Inspired Samurai Fabric Armor Pieces: Hip Plate Details
(Attachment)
(Under Side)
The hip plates consists of (4) sections of (3) individual panels strung together. Each section has (3) loops at the top that are looped over a basic buckled belt. The belt and loops rest at the waist and are covered by the chest plate.
Hello Kitty Inspired Samurai Fabric Bracers:
(Back of Hand)
(Worn)
Hello Kitty Samurai Bracers: $65
The bracers are a simple setup. (2) panels are made to cover the back of the hand and is strung to the forearm section. There is plenty of cord, so the forearm section can be adjusted alot and the excess cord can just be tucked inside.
The fun thing is that the bracers are strung together with a single piece of cord.
A piece of white elastic is added to the top grommets of the bracers so the wearer can make a loop to go around the middle finger for a comfy fit.
Hello Kitty Inspired Samurai Helmet:
Hello Kitty Samurai Helmet: $140
I was sooo enjoying and loving this helmet as I was attaching the panels.
The base was made from a basic safety helmet that was painted. This provided a good shape and it provides an interior frame that cradles the head for a comfortable and adjustable fit. The helmet has (3) sections with (3) individual panels each. Another section of cord is added at the front so the helmet can be tied.
The prong on the front is cut, heated to the shape of the helmet then epoxied onto the helmet. The Hello Kitty head is then attached on top of the prong piece. The face is made by layering other pieces to form the face. This gives some depth as opposed to a flat, painted image. The whiskers are also layered on and extend past the face's edge. The traditional Hello Kitty red bow on the side is attached via a glued-in peg so it rests alittle off the helmet; which again gives a little depth.
War Banner:
War Banner (Flag Banner & Frame): $95
This banner is 18" wide and 36" tall. I designed the flag's pattern of Japan's rising sun style with a Hello Kitty head at the center. Then I had it custom printed on cotton for a clean, light, and finished appearance. A number of loops are sewn on so the banner can be hung over the piping frame.
The banner is actually made with (2) pieces of of the same design so it is a double-sided banner. This way, you don't have to worry with what direction is facing people. NOTE: The design is NOT mirrored so the center Hello Kitty head do not match exactly when the banner is held up to a light.
The piping frame stands 5ft tall and about 20" wide to fit the war banner with room for holding it.
