	Nightwing: Sorta Step by step. I have been asked several times to provide step by step instructions on some of my customs. While I am just not ready to stop and take pictures of every step, I can offer recipes and pics like this one. I don't claim to be a "star" customizer, there are plenty of folks out there that are better then me, but I hope that recipes like this will help new customizers.

	Step #1. I started with a Peter Parker base figure and a Daredevil suit. I dyed the suit black (some folks would rather sew, but the DD suit dyes very well). I removed the head and used a large needle to thread black doll hair through the head to make a ponytail. I then painted the hair, mask and hands. (Note: I used shoe feet and later switched to boots-)

Step #2.
I then made a pattern for the blue fabric of his costume by folding my pattern paper in half and drawing half the design freehand (this way both sides are even)and then cut the folded paper (think construction paper heart here). I then used the pattern to cut the design out of heat and bond paper. Lay the heat and bond paper pattern on the fabric and follow the heat and bond instructions to Iron it on. Trim the extra fabric away and lay out the bonded fabric on the figure (keeping the figures arms out to the side helps) and carefully iron the blue fabric on. Use the tip of the iron to get all of the corners and edges.

	Step #3. His sticks were made out of the sprue for a model, but could be made out of amost anything you want. Paint the Blue stripe on the hands and drill a hole in the left fist large enough to fit his sticks. I also switched to boots as the person who had comissioned this wanted boots. I like the look, but hate the loss of ankle articulation.

Step #4.
Some times it's the little things that I really like about a figure. In doing my research to make this figure, I found many reference to Nightwing's sticks being stored on his back. Imagine my suprise when I couldn't find any pictures of them stored there. I asked several Nightwing fans and nobody knew just how they were stored. I thought about making a holster like Daredevil's, but I thought it would end up looking bulky. My customer said it didn't matter, but it bothered me. How do I make him able to put his sticks on his back, but not have it show. Nothing ever showed in any of the pics I saw. Then It hit me. I sewed a very small loop of elastic inside the back seam. It holds them, but is almost invisible when you remove the sticks.