Once upon a time, little creatures called brownies made shoes for needy, benevolent cobblers in a fairy tale realm. Meanwhile, in the real world, the LARP Faeries have crocheted items for people of all types for cosplay, LARPing and other uses and have made a business of it in the CSRA.
What once seemed magical seems less magical now, but the LARP Faeries just keep crocheting and cosplaying.
Megan Hicks and Kaye Ferguson, owners of The LARP Faeries business, dress as incandescent, colorful LARP Faeries themselves. They crochet items to sell for cosplayers or LARPers or for folks who just need warm clothes. According to their Facebook page, “(Their business is) a place where fairy magic happens with a crochet hook, a sewing machine, stardust and dreams. Unique crochet, garb, embroidery, LARP, art and more.”
They started the LARP Faeries in 2017 and sell their crocheted items and other pieces which include costumes and props for people who are into LARPing and cosplay.
LARP, which is short for Live Action Role Playing, and cosplay differ. Cosplay is dressing up as a character where LARPing is acting as that character while you are dressed up. LARPing usually consists of original characters where cosplays usually tend to use already established characters from an anime or show.
During the past couple of years, Hicks and Ferguson have experienced events being canceled and put on hold, and this has affected their combined crochet, costume making, and cosplay business. Renaissance Festivals, which have been canceled or delayed the past few years, were one of the main sources of their publicity and income.
“But we are managing online just as well. Once we start going back to events and festivals, I’m sure the business will boom,” Hicks said.
Ferguson started the initial business with crochet, The Crochet Fairy, in 2014.
Hicks said, “But we combined the business in 2017, and it just exploded in the best way.”
Hence, they both ended up with the formation of The LARP Faeries.
Their current shared motto is, “We enjoy cosplay and crochet because it makes people smile, and happiness is the key to life.”
The LARP Faeries crochet plushies, blankets, hats, hand-warmers, pillows, socks, slippers, cat beds, dog beds, keychains, clothing, dishtowels, washcloths and so much more.
An individual who goes by Rayanne Staubley on the Sylvan Glade public Facebook group page is a customer.
“I love my fairy hat, and the kitty hoody is da bomb!” said Staubley. “The quality of their items is extremely high. I’ve got a hoodie that’s made out of kitten patterned fleece that I wear in cold weather to protect my head, and I love it. I wear it in both LARP and real life. I also have a hat which is a spring item… to help protect my head from the sun. I have worn it for two years with no problem.”
She recently showed one of her crocheted fairies that, as she said, even has eyes, ears, hands, knees, feet and wings.
“And I have added many things (from The LARP Faeries) that have lightened and refreshed my house and my life,” Staubley said.
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Michael Burkett, who goes by “Lord Krussk Knee-Slasher…who is an Orc” on the Sylvan Glade public Facebook group, bought a small dragon, a Link outfit from Legend of Zelda for his youngest when he was newborn, a winged shawl in Ravenclaw colors, a large Ursula, and a three-foot-long Luck Dragon from “The NeverEnding Story” from The LARP Faeries.
“These are some of my most treasured items and were a wonderful price. The LARP Faeries has great communication and shipping, and Megan and Kay are just amazing people,” Burkett said.
Hicks and Ferguson are flexible and take custom orders.
We “can more or less make just about anything crochet. One of our signature things is the Cthulie; a little darling evil spawn of Cthulhu,” Hicks said.
Hicks and Ferguson have different levels of experience when it comes to cosplay but have close to the same amount of experience with LARPing.
“I’ve been LARPing since 2012 but only recently got into cosplay,” said Hicks.
Ferguson has been involved in cosplay much longer.
“I’ve been LARPing since 2015, but I’ve been doing cosplay and costuming on and off for about 15 years,” Ferguson said.
They have also cosplayed as Greek goddesses with elaborate costumes with gold and colorful fabric and props such as what appears to be a laurel golden crown and owl for Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, and a floral crown for Persephone, the goddess of the spring.
The LARP Faeries do not get paid to do cosplay at cons. But they have been given free entry to cons, tickets for which can cost anywhere from $10 to $30 each or more for admission, to teach craft classes or to be part of the entertainment. They have done cosplay in the Atlanta area but are looking to expand.
The LARP Faeries, however, have been paid to do birthday parties or other events such as those.
Hicks said, “We travel to wherever the parties are held at. We have a fee for certain activities we can do (in costume). These are activities like bubble wands, flower crown making, magic wand making, or beginner crochet classes.”
“Or we will just go there to entertain — faerie mischievousness, of course,” Hicks said.
They crochet elements of their cosplay costumes and sell crocheted cosplay and LARP costumes and props as well as regular crocheted items to others through their business.
Knit items are not only found in a business such as this. Some fantasy films have used knit items in their costumes, and The LARP Faeries business is aware of this. In the live action film version of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” some sources have stated that the chainmail was actually knitted and would absorb water, getting very heavy.
Hicks said, “We have not made an attempt to crochet that, but we have definitely heard about it, and it is on our want-to-do list.”
“We’ve done that stitch on other projects before, just not in the context of ‘this is chainmail’. We make character hats, Outlander gloves, Outlander shawls, the shawl that Katniss wears in The Hunger Games, and a few other items like that”, Ferguson said.
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She does have almost three decades of experience in crochet to facilitate making more complicated items. Ferguson said, “I’ve been crocheting for 29 years. It’s a form of therapy for me; I like to keep my hands moving and crochet is a productive way to do that.”
“I’ve been crocheting for three years. Kaye taught me; it didn’t work out the first few times she tried, but I eventually caught on. Now I crochet all the time. I enjoy it because it’s a way for me to connect with Kaye as well as keep my ADHD in check,” Hicks said.
They eventually decided to team up together, cosplay and crochet.
Hicks said, “Kaye had the business down first; she started it but needed customer service help as she’s an introvert. I’m very extroverted and outgoing, so I handle most of the customer relations, especially face-to-face. We started dating, so it seemed like a natural thing to just combine our crafty forces.”
Ferguson seemed to be the one who leaned toward combining crochet and cosplay. She said,
“It’s a way to have both of the things we thoroughly enjoy doing in one place. That and other cosplayers and LARPers love crochet goodies.”
A crochet and cosplay business has its challenges.
Hicks said, “Some of the challenges I can think of right off the top of my head are that it’s a small niche to build on. But luckily the general, un-weird public enjoys crochet goodies, too.”
Ferguson said, “For me some of the challenges are definitely talking to people, I clam up. That’s why I need Megan.”
Both businesswomen sell their crochet items and crocheted costumes and props to cosplayers and LARPers but have not participated in cosplay costume contests which have cash prizes.
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Hicks said, “I have only entered one cosplay contest for a Dungeons and Dragons event. It wasn’t a win or lose thing, just a point gathering thing, so we could have extra inspiration while we played DnD.”
“I’ve entered the same one Megan was talking about, for the same thing. I’ve also made costumes for my children and entered one of them into a contest. She dressed up as Pikachu and won. That was fun,” Ferguson said.
The LARP Faeries have an etsy store at: https://thelarpfaeries.etsy.com. They are also on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Twitter, and Patreon.
Hicks said, “Patreon is where you can pay a small monthly charge, only one dollar, to support what we do. You also get an insider look at our lives as well as first views at WIPs (works in progress), our new projects, and what events we are going to be at and when before anyone else does.”
For bookings for cosplay events, they can be reached at their website, https://www.thelarpfaeries.info or through social media platforms.
Ron Baxley Jr. is a correspondent for The Augusta Press.
Augusta woman works business side of cosplay
Deanna Jolley has been cosplaying since she was 10 years old – mostly at pirate festivals and for over two decades with three of those years as a mermaid.
Jolley said, “When I first started, I was Harley Quinn a lot. I mastered her voice to the point I did happy birthday phone calls in character. But, nowadays, my original character, Captain Aithnea and her cursed mermaid form, is a fan favorite.”
She has cosplayed as both Captain Aithnea and as a mermaid and has done storytelling where she talks about Captain Aithnea and her being turned into a mermaid.
She does not make as many of the parts of her costumes as The LARP Faeries do.
“I only make parts of my costumes. Most, like the tails, I buy from companies, or I commission a designer. Others, I find at thrift stores and modify them to fit the look I’m looking for…” Jolley said.
She did make the top in one of her recent mermaid costumes.
She has only had paid gigs for cosplaying for three years when she took up cosplaying as a mermaid. In his cosplay, she wears a mermaid tail in or near the water like some have done in theme parks in years past.
Jolley has cosplayed for pay as a mermaid at birthday parties, not cons, and has been featured in YouTube videos and on TikTok.
Jolley said, “Cons I mostly do for fun. I am not a famous cosplayer, so I haven’t been hired for a con.”
“Cosplay is supposed to be fun. To make it a business is paperwork and safety insurance that you have to have if you are going to events, and there are permits that are required. But if you don’t have gigs, it makes it hard to get the paperwork cleared. You end up putting more money in than making thanks to the pandemic,” Jolley said.
Deanna Jolley cosplays and does storytelling as her character Captain Aithnea and also has a cursed mermaid form of the character that she uses.
Photo credit Mark Hudson
Jolley said, “I have done birthday party gigs for pay, however. As a mermaid, it requires physical training to be able to swim in a tail. You must cover safety and have helpers to get you about.”
Jolley used to use cons, festivals, and Renaissance fairs as ways to get exposure but no more the past couple of years.
“The pandemic has affected not just cons but festivals and Renaissance fairs as well. It has affected any place that can give you exposure for new clients and future gigs,” Jolley said.
Jolley said that if she is seen in cosplay at events and is entertaining people that she does not mind getting compensated with a tip.
“If there is an opportunity to tip or make a donation to your entertainer, we encourage it and thank you,” she said.
For contact with the public, Jolley has a public figure Facebook page for her character/cosplay persona Captain Aithnea Siren Rosethorn, the one who she mentioned had a cursed mermaid form as well: https://m.facebook.com/427392634665572/ .
Her Instagram page is as follows: @AithneaSiren or
https://www.instagram.com/aithneasiren/ and has links to other media.
Finally, her TikTok account is as follows: tiktok.com/@pirateslife_rosethorn .
