HOMESTUCK: ARMSOCK TUTORIAL
Alright! About time I made a long post. TUTORIAL TIME.
So I wrote an armsocks tutorial quite a few months ago with the grievous error that I didn’t upload pictures! In the remaking of my own, I decided to take some snapshots this time. So here it is, updated! The pictures come AFTER THE TEXT, so read the text and then look at the picture.
When you cosplay a troll, you typically have two options for your arms: makeup, or tights. Making trolltights involves taking a pair of tights for your legs and making them into skintight gloves. While it’s not overly hard or complicated, it takes a copious amount of time and most people don’t have the patience to finish. HOWEVER, when done right, they look like makeup and allow you to hold, touch, or do whatever you want with your hands. Which is awesome.
The original tutorial was from a Weeping Angel cosplay and isn’t exactly specific, so in my rage at not knowing what to do (and going through two pairs of tights before success), I made a “How To Make Armsocks For Dummies” tutorial. In 10 easy steps, you too can learn how to armsock!
Please read the WHOLE THING BEFORE YOU START, or you’ll probably mess up.
ARM SOCK PSA
If you want a quote for an armsock commission you need to include the following in there.
- What color tights you need as well as the size.
- When you need them by
- Where you live so I can calculate the shipping
Keep in mind that these things take time to make, so if I have to rush your pair then I’m probably going to add a rush fee. Not to mention that I have to order your tights online. In order to give me the proper time to work on them, I need at least a month in advance to order your tights.
I cannot work on anything until AFTER you pay. Because the money for the tights is included in your estimate. Here is the base price of the arm-socks.
- $13 - Tights to be shipped to me from WeLoveColors
- $20 - Fee’s to Paypal + Labor
- $5 - Shipping to you
- $38 - Total
Keep in mind that I’m putting hours of work into sewing these by hand, and I’m making less than $20 per pair. I’ve provided plenty of screenshots and how-to’s if you want to do them yourself.
Also, just to be clear, I only cut and sew the fingers and usually do so to the size of my hands. So if you want them more sized for your hands, you need to make an outline similar to this one here. And scan/submit it to me.
If you want things like nails/claws added there will probably be an additional fee since the nails are going to have to be individually painted and possibly cut & filed.
You will be cutting the hole for your head yourself. This is because if I did it for me, it wouldn’t fit you properly. I have a large bust and have to cut mine to accommodate for that. But I have tutorials over here for you to follow.
If you have any questions then please feel free to send me an ask.
turns out you actually CAN machine sew armsocks!!
You just need one extra material, I used a roll of pattern paper. You want a sort of stiff (not Kleenex) yet sort of delicate (not printer paper) paper layer between your tights and your feed dog.
Then, use a small stitch (I’ll experiment with types of stitches, but for this, I just used a straight one) and sew carefully with the needle down so that you can make sharp angles at the ends of fingers.
This was my very first attempt at an armsock and I have a couple holes, you can see one on my little finger. This is likely due to:
- Not leaving enough seam allowance when trimming
- Not coating seams with nail polish PRIOR to turning right-side out
Procedure:
Homestuck Cosplay - Armsocks
So these tights from Target match Ben Nye Ghoul Grey almost exactly. Pictures under cut.
Armsocks + Tutorial Link
I am undertaking the frustrating task of making armsocks. I tried it last night and a few times before and it was just short of successful. I’m making a pair and a half. I have no room for error this time around. By the way, I am going to post about troll colored tights later, check that out. This is the tutorial I am using:
http://cancerously.tumblr.com/post/16625787213/homestuck-armsock-tutorial
Wish me luck!
Hey, I saw those amazing armsocks that you made and I was wondering what your process was? I've seen tutorials that have people handsew the fingers but the results are a lot more lumpy-looking than yours and the seam is much more obvious.
Thank you! I think the tutorial you’re thinking of is probably the same one I sort of used. They have you cut out the fingers while the tights are over your hand and then take it off and hand-sew it, I think? Instead of doing that, I pinned as close as I could to my fingers (it’d probably have helped to have someone help me) and wiggled it off until I could get it off my hand without taking out the pins. Then I machine-sewed it with a very small stitch, stretching it a bit as I went, and then trimmed and nail-polished the seams. You have to be careful not to make it too narrow or short for your fingers, but the seams come out much more invisible.
Hey I am getting pretty fed up with painting my arms it takes ages. Any good tips for making or buying an armsock?
1) Making armsocks: The original tutorial (text-search for “arms,” about halfway down the tutorial page), and a more in-depth tutorial modified for troll arms. If ordering online, these are the tights commonly used (in Grey or Light Grey, depending on what shade you mix your facial makeup).
2) If you have a shirt with sleeves long enough to pin/sew gloves to, these in Grey or Light Grey. Attach false nails as described in the armsocks tutorial.
Armsocks vs purchased gloves: Armsocks take 8-10 hours to make; gloves take an extra $10. Armsocks will definitely cover arms up to the bottom of a short-sleeved shirt (maybe your shoulders, if you have narrow shoulders); gloves are more iffy. With unusual hand/arm shapes (eg long fingers, narrow wrist), armsocks will give customised gloves.
-J
