crafting cosplay and fursuits for individuals around the world .
She remembers creating her first fursuit . Being somewhat shy , Allison ’ s love of the fantastic drew her into the world of cosplay , where she created a character and built a corresponding fursuit to wear . Her character is a badger / dragon hybrid species named Ashaeda Darss Edar ( pronounced Ah-shade-ah Darse Ee-dar ).
Due to a misdiagnosis at the time , the cute badger-dragon had two maroon stripes on its face , to symbolize the butterfly rash many Lupus patients experience . Allison would wear the costume at various Lupus events and cosplay conventions . While embodying the outgoing creature she would spread awareness of the disease as well as laughter and joy with her antics . Since then , her diagnoses have changed to include Ehlers- Danlos Syndrome ( EDS ).
When asked what inspired such a creation she responded , “ It was a stupid nerdy joke between friends for a single Dungeons and Dragons session . It kind of dogpiled from there and now she ( Ashaeda ) has been in almost every adventure and has an entire world and lore built around her species and their culture . There are now also approximately two hundred individuals out there who ’ ve become involved in her world .” process . “ It incorporates every end of the art spectrum I could muster into one creation . The amount of work and detail that goes into my suits is far beyond the first one I made . I work with foam , fabric , faux fur , paint , glue , needles and thread , and so much more . I make my own patterns , draw schematics , and create detailed designs using the proportions of my clients . Every single suit is so involved that by the time I ’ m done I almost don ’ t want to send it to them .”
To make suits for people she may never meet , Allison and her partner / caregiver , John , figured out a way to get the measurements they require . They created a kit filled with everything the client needs to make a sort of mannequin of themselves .
“ I send the clients what I call a DTD kit to make a body duplicate out of . It includes a full painter ’ s suit and a lot of duct tape . With that , the client gets a couple of friends they trust not to tape them to a wall ; they put on the painter ’ s suit and have their friends very carefully apply the tape in a crisscross pattern until they are completely shaped . They then make just enough cuts in the tape to allow the client to shimmy out and send the whole thing to me . Once I receive the hollow tape suit , I stuff it with polyfill , or newspaper to fill it out . I then have a fairly exact mannequin to work from .”
After learning a bit about her process , I wondered how Allison ’ s chronic illness affected her work . “ It has a huge impact on every aspect of my life . Living with both mental ( autism ) and physical disability , and adding a brain injury ( due to a car accident ) to that has made finding a good workflow very difficult . It affects my concentration and I have to coordinate with my work partner , John , to help balance my energy and mental function .”
“ We ’ ve had to make the entire studio work around my physical impairment . Everything is on wheels for easy movement , and we have to very aggressively schedule every aspect of our day to make sure we can be flexible around doctor appointments and sick days . It can be hard sometimes , not to just cave from the pressure , but we always get back up and keep pushing .”
Allison ’ s tenacity , creativity , and superior workmanship have paid off . Once featured on “ This Is Life – with Lisa Ling ,” she has shared her
Since Ashaeda ’ s creation , Allison has been commissioned to build cosplay costumes and fursuits for people around the globe . It is a painstaking and challenging
November | December 2021 45