About Mai
Favorite cosplay?
To make? My autumn Ivy and my Enchantress were the most fun to make. My autumn ivy is actually hand painted. I had leftover leaves from a previous cosplay and hand painted each leaf. It took 2 days to make my Autumn Ivy. My enchantress introduced me to the basics of foam work and jewelry making. I now use everything I have learned from these costumes and apply the techniques to my newer costumes.
To wear? My Red Sonja is my favorite cosplay to wear because I completely made it from scratch and it took a lot of time to get to the look I had envisioned. I learned how to do almost everything through YouTube tutorials. I was thrown into leather making and sewing with fur, which was not easy at all. It was challenging and took me 2 years to finally like a design and have the materials I needed to make it. At the end of the day, I am proud of the work I put into the costume.
Hobbies outside of cosplay?
I love cooking and I cook almost every day. I can make a wide range of dishes, but my specialty is making most things from scratch. I’m not a huge fan of sweets, but I do enjoy my own baking from time to time.
I also try to play a lot of video games in my spare time. I play a wide variety of games, from retro to current games. My favorite series of all time is the American McGee Alice series.
The last hobby I indulge in is reading. I spend a lot of time in front of screens, so I take breaks by reading to rest my eyes. I mainly read comics and dystopian fantasy novels to pass the time.
Pets?
I have two cats. Mira, my four year old baby and Nomad who is less than a year old!
Fitness?
Depending on the program that I am doing,I workout 5-6 days a week. I combine free-weights and running long distances for my workouts. My goal is to have healthier relationship with my body, and help myself mentally.
Advice for new cosplayers?
Do you! Stay true to yourself! If you love what you are making and putting out, keep doing that. Don’t let negativity bring you down, let it uplift you, because the person behind the screen can never do what you do. Do not compare yourself to others, you will find your own path in the cosplay world.
Name?
My name is Mai. Everyone has called me Mai (My) since high school. My real name is very foreign and hard to pronounce. Not many people know my full name and I am quite alright with that.
Why Maidenhellxo?
Well, it's a play on words. Made. In. Hell. The “xo” is a kiss and a hug. When I was in middle school, I wanted to be a derby girl, but I was not allowed to take it up because I was on the cross country team. I kept the nickname around and now use it as my online screen name.
How long have you been cosplaying?
I have been cosplaying for 10 years, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon! During the pandemic, I learned to hone a lot of the skills that I had been lacking. I now do all of my photosets, I do more foam work, and I sew a lot better than I did before. I strive to do better than what I was doing before. With each project I take on, I learn something new rather than repeat the same thing over and over. I want to keep growing rather than stay stagnant.
Did you go to college?
Yes, I majored in teaching with a minor in art. After three years, I decided to quit teaching, and do my own art on my own time.
How did you learn to sew?
My mom taught me the basics of sewing and I applied it when I first started cosplaying. My first sewing machine was an antique passed down from my mom. I have used it to make my Vampirella, and Mileena costumes. Before I obtained modern sewing machines, I spent a lot of time hand sewing my cosplays (Red Sonja, Enchantress). As time passed, I upgraded my sewing machine and have been sewing 60% of my projects!
