Hire Me – Gillian Conahan

Costume and Craft .

I have worked professionally in costume construction and crafts. Let me know if you'd like to see examples of my theatrical costume work!

Stitching

Fast, accurate, and experienced with stretch fabrics, leather, velvet, faux fur, and other challenging materials.

Embellishment

Hand embroidery, hand and machine appliqué, smocking and other fabric manipulation

Prep work

Cutting and pinning materials, communicating processes

Crafts

Leather, thermoplastics, metal, beadwork, and more

Patternmaking

Flat pattern drafting and manipulation, draping, improvised methods for unusual forms

Foam

Constructed and carved body padding, mascots, and muscle suits

Cosplay Commissions .

I build lavishly detailed cosplay with quality materials, professional construction, and an eye for proportion and fit. Currently accepting partial and full fabric-based costumes with secondary accessories in leather and/or worbla; I'm not set up for large armor builds or any kind of foam work. Contact me to discuss your idea and request a quote!

Genre-flexible

Open to superheroes, video game characters, fantasy, anime, sci-fi, and more. I especially love making jackets and bodysuits.

Functional construction

Garments constructed with attention to wearability and realism, including functional pockets and closures as appropriate

Accurate Details

Painstakingly matched materials, design lines, hardware, and embellishments

Custom Fit

Patterns drafted to your personal measurements and specifications

Content Creation .

I'm the author of The Hero's Closet: Sewing for Cosplay and Costuming; former editor of Vogue Patterns magazine; and a trained science journalist with experience in writing, research, and fact checking. Want samples? Just ask!

Writing

Technique-driven and project-driven sewing and craft articles

How-to Illustration

Step-by-step line drawings for sewing and craft techniques

Editing

Editing of DIY content for technical accuracy, clarity, and style

Samplemaking

Creation of garment and technique samples for photography

Panels and Teaching .

I've presented panels at Rose City Comic Con, Anime NYC, and elsewhere, and also taught sewing workshops at Portland’s dearly departed Fabric Depot. I'm comfortable speaking on a wide range of sewing and crafting topics.

Sewing Skills

General information or project-specific workshops like capes and superhero suits.

Hand sewing

Handwork techniques for construction, finishing, and fine embellishment

Fabrics and Materials

Material-driven topics like sewing with stretch fabrics or leather.

Patternmaking

Introduction to patternmaking for cosplay, alterations for style and fit.