| Author |
Topic:
Handmaiden Costumes
|
GentleBant
Title: Former CR
Ventura County, CA
Registered:
Sep '99
|
Date Posted:
5/11 7:58pm
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
|
Darth_Eagle posted:
GentleBant, good luck in getting the outfit done. 
Seriously, I had never seen anyone doing it properly so it'll be great to see one finally done. I actually wanted to do it a long, long time ago when it first came out and already got a "pattern" I thot will work for it (it's a Square Collar Dress and is Out-Of-Print. Similar to one of Enya's dress from Day Without Rain Album I think) but guess the project fell through when I went into Cosplaying (which I had retired from now) and other movie Costuming apart from looking myself in the mirror. 
Anyhow, what I thot of doing was get this Polyester Fabric Factory Pleated (which sadly means ordering a 50m roll and have it turned into a 25m one after pleating) but I guess it's the wrong fabric for it now that we know more and had seen the costume closer.
Darth_Eagle, I hope you don't give up on it!
I know this is a gown I'm probably going to have to do over and over, refining and "messing" with it to get it "right." I'm already conceding that the pleating isn't quite right. I know my limitations, and box-pleating the fabric is *not* in my reach.
I may end up just sketching out what I think the outline of the dress and robe should be and then roughing it in some "practice" fabric. My kids seldom sit still long enough for me to even think about going pattern shopping with them in tow, and honestly, I don't get enough time with them sometimes as it is!
Anyway, here's the fabrics I decided to go with:
I still need to get thread, piping, lining, and whatever I'll do the bottom of the skirt with.
I'm really a very novice seamstress, so any and all advice is greatly appreciated!
-----signature-----
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
fairyprincess
Registered:
Aug '07
|
Date Posted:
5/11 9:27pm
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
- Date Edited:
5/11 9:28pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
fairyprincess
|
I had this commissioned in Jan and was supposed to be ready for Supanova's Movie World Night, but the event was cancelled so I decided to put it on hold until I found some ribbon I was happy with. Well, it was supposed to be ready mid-march to be here in time for April's event but it only arrived today! I still want to do Padme's Handmaiden Battle outfit and now need to determine what clour the fabric really is. Different shots and photos hinge on two slightly different colours!
I am really happy with it and it is very close to the original! It is made out of pewter and is quite heavy. I plan on usng this person again but will err on the side of caution before I order it so it will be hear in due time!
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Miana Kenobi
Title: Pacific RSA
Non Star Wars Fan Fic Manager
Registered:
Apr '00
|
Date Posted:
5/11 9:31pm
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
|
Jos, it's a good color blend! 
-----signature-----
You can't take the sky from me.
He tini nga whetu e ngaro I te kapua iti.
Dyslexics of the world, UNTIE!
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
GentleBant
Title: Former CR
Ventura County, CA
Registered:
Sep '99
|
Date Posted:
5/12 8:53am
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
|
Thanks, Miana! As I sit here, I glance over in the closet and can tell that it's still a bit too bright and a bit too much of the orange-ness, but it'll look pretty close to the FIDM pics (the institutes own online pics, anyway), and at certain angles the pile sort of "whites out" and appears lighter, so that's kinda cool. I ordered 10 yards of it (/bank account = ouch!) to make sure I'd be able to have enough. I was going to do 8 or 9 yards, but there was a discount at 10 yards that made a difference. Plus, they're located in L.A., so it got here in two days!
And wow....fairyprincess.....ooooooh! Shiney!.......Oooooh..../eyes glaze over
That is absolutely gorgeous! I tried to make my own out of a buckle blank, but it turned out horribly...and then I lost it. :~( Would you mind PMing me with the info about where you got it, etc.?
From what I've seen of the battlemaiden costume, it's really a deep reddish-wine-bugundy color. The matte-ness of the velvet is what seems to cause it to appear much duller in different light. I recently fixed mine up again and here's a pic (courtesy of Miana!) I had budget constraints, so the velvet I used is just a strechy panne, and it needs lots of finishing details and adjusting, but it's wearable!
-----signature-----
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Obi Anne
Title: FanForce RSA
Europe
Registered:
Nov '98
|
Date Posted:
5/12 1:01pm
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
|
My battlemaiden outfit is way too red, but it photographs pretty well. It was the only velvet that I could get my hands on though. I haven't finished all the details to make it RL-worthy, and since I'm not too happy about the colour anymore I will probably never do that.
Jos, I was hoping to do the gold outfit this spring, but never had the chance with either money or time. Since I wanted to use the underdress for some other things as well I was thinking about maybe attaching the sleeves for the underdress in the cloak sleeves, so that I could keep the underdress sleeveless. I've also gotten a presserfoot that makes pintucks for my sewing machine, and I'm hoping to make some experiments to see if that could work for the boxpleats as well.
-----signature-----
Tea one, proud member of the Tea Squad, FanForce Meeting 2006, Berlin  GSADMINCOACHEMPERORRULERPRESIDENTTSARMINISTERQUEEN liuba 
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Obi Anne
Title: FanForce RSA
Europe
Registered:
Nov '98
|
Date Posted:
5/14 11:33pm
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
|
|
I've had some thinking about the skirt and how to do the bottom of it. I was thinking that maybe the best way, that wouldn't destroy the pleats, would be to make an underskirt that you put wires in. I would probably also have some heavy interfacing in it as well. Then you would let the pleated skirt just "rest" on the underskirt, and maybe tack it on at some strategical places. The structure would be provided by the underskirt, that would also be the one on the ground, which could help to keep the main dress clean.
-----signature-----
Tea one, proud member of the Tea Squad, FanForce Meeting 2006, Berlin GSADMINCOACHEMPERORRULERPRESIDENTTSARMINISTERQUEEN liuba
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Miana Kenobi
Title: Pacific RSA
Non Star Wars Fan Fic Manager
Registered:
Apr '00
|
Date Posted:
5/16 3:19pm
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
|
|
Oooh, good idea, Johanna.
-----signature-----
You can't take the sky from me.
He tini nga whetu e ngaro I te kapua iti.
Dyslexics of the world, UNTIE!
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Sister_Sola
Title: Manager, Costuming & Props
Registered:
Nov '02
|
Date Posted:
5/16 5:35pm
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
|
GentleBant posted:
As I sit here, I glance over in the closet and can tell that it's still a bit too bright and a bit too much of the orange-ness, but it'll look pretty close to the FIDM pics (the institutes own online pics, anyway), and at certain angles the pile sort of "whites out" and appears lighter, so that's kinda cool. I ordered 10 yards of it (/bank account = ouch!) to make sure I'd be able to have enough. I was going to do 8 or 9 yards, but there was a discount at 10 yards that made a difference. Plus, they're located in L.A., so it got here in two days!
10 yards sounds about right, esp. if the bolt is narrower than the standard 45" width. I think I got 10y for my green HM, and didn't have much left over, but that included screwing up one wedge of the short cape, which I cut out the wrong direction so the nap was going the wrong way. Be very careful when laying out your pattern pieces and make sure they're all going the same direction top-to-bottom wise!
-----signature-----
Dragon*Con '07 pics: http://www.sistersola.com/dcon07/dcon07.html --------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
GentleBant
Title: Former CR
Ventura County, CA
Registered:
Sep '99
|
Date Posted:
5/16 9:10pm
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
|
Sister_Sola posted:
GentleBant posted:
As I sit here, I glance over in the closet and can tell that it's still a bit too bright and a bit too much of the orange-ness, but it'll look pretty close to the FIDM pics (the institutes own online pics, anyway), and at certain angles the pile sort of "whites out" and appears lighter, so that's kinda cool. I ordered 10 yards of it (/bank account = ouch!) to make sure I'd be able to have enough. I was going to do 8 or 9 yards, but there was a discount at 10 yards that made a difference. Plus, they're located in L.A., so it got here in two days!
10 yards sounds about right, esp. if the bolt is narrower than the standard 45" width. I think I got 10y for my green HM, and didn't have much left over, but that included screwing up one wedge of the short cape, which I cut out the wrong direction so the nap was going the wrong way. Be very careful when laying out your pattern pieces and make sure they're all going the same direction top-to-bottom wise!
 Any suggestions for a pattern?
(And my battle handmaiden pants actually had the pile issue...I folded the material over and just cut, but didn't pay attention to the fact that one side of one leg has the pile in the opposite direction. AND I didn't have enough material to redo the leg! ARGH!)
-----signature-----
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Sister_Sola
Title: Manager, Costuming & Props
Registered:
Nov '02
|
Date Posted:
5/17 3:50pm
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
- Date Edited:
5/17 3:52pm (2 edits total)
Edited By:
Sister_Sola
|
I used a poncho/cape pattern for mine, and just made the back longer. For the hood I just winged it and designed from scratch and mocked it up until it looked and draped reasonably similarly. I didn't save the pattern piece as I thought "heck I'm never doing that again!", but I did take a picture of it. For the gold hood, my guess for a first mockup would be to try it without the points, just fill that space in solid with one fabric piece, maybe round it off to more of a semi-circle? Or do I mean quarter-circle.... ETA - yeah maybe just eliminate the front (smaller) point and just angle the edge down from the front/face opening down to the centre back.
-----signature-----
Dragon*Con '07 pics: http://www.sistersola.com/dcon07/dcon07.html --------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
GentleBant
Title: Former CR
Ventura County, CA
Registered:
Sep '99
|
Date Posted:
5/17 9:40pm
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
|
Sister_Sola Would you happen to have pics of yours? I'd love to see it! (I browsed your galleries at your site, but didn't see this one anywhere. BTW, I did a double take when I saw you have a pic of my flame gown v 2.0 from Cel III there...ack! I think I've done that one about 4 times now, and I'm doing it *again*. I just never seem to get it quite "right".)
I kinda' figured I'd do a basic slightly flared-sleeve robe for the main velvet robe, and do the hood as a separate piece that would hang down my arms to about the elbow if it weren't for the sort of drapey-ness that keeps it up to the shoulders, then trim it back as necessary.
Also, what did you use for the square-neck pleated dress pattern? And what is the best way to attach the braiding?
And ObiAnne I like the idea! Any ideas for a way for me to do the seam on the bottom of the pleated dress skirt so that I don't have the same problem? (I really don't know what I'm doing here, do I?)
Thanks for all the suggestions!
-----signature-----
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Sister_Sola
Title: Manager, Costuming & Props
Registered:
Nov '02
|
Date Posted:
5/17 11:47pm
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
- Date Edited:
5/17 11:56pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Sister_Sola
|
Oops, sorry if I wasn't clear, I was referring to my green Parade HM. I haven't done the gold one. So that hood pattern was what I used for the green one. I was just musing on how you could do a similar shape as that for the gold, but without the points.
As for re-do's, I think we all succumb to that!
ETA: I've been thinking about how to do that flared bottom on your gold one, and it occurred to me that those HM's are standing still any time we see them, so I don't think they had motion in mind when they designed them. So maybe that would free you to design it to look how you want when standing still and then when you have to walk just hike it up in hand like a train? Then just let it fall and adjust it when posing still for photos? That might eliminate a need for a hoop or wiring at the bottom. Just kind of thinking as I type here.... maybe a stiff facing though, like buckram, in a circle that lays flat to the floor?
-----signature-----
Dragon*Con '07 pics: http://www.sistersola.com/dcon07/dcon07.html --------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Obi Anne
Title: FanForce RSA
Europe
Registered:
Nov '98
|
Date Posted:
5/19 6:19am
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
|
|
I would still use some kind of wire for the outer hem of the skirt.
-----signature-----
Tea one, proud member of the Tea Squad, FanForce Meeting 2006, Berlin GSADMINCOACHEMPERORRULERPRESIDENTTSARMINISTERQUEEN liuba
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Darth_Eagle
Title: Fanforce CR Singapore
Registered:
Jul '01
|
Date Posted:
5/20 11:47pm
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
|
Sister_Sola posted:
ETA: I've been thinking about how to do that flared bottom on your gold one, and it occurred to me that those HM's are standing still any time we see them, so I don't think they had motion in mind when they designed them. So maybe that would free you to design it to look how you want when standing still and then when you have to walk just hike it up in hand like a train? Then just let it fall and adjust it when posing still for photos? That might eliminate a need for a hoop or wiring at the bottom. Just kind of thinking as I type here.... maybe a stiff facing though, like buckram, in a circle that lays flat to the floor?
How does the skirt take to the Runway Walk during the DAG FIDM Exhibition? Maybe those who had seen it during the show can give some comments so we can figure out how to make it more viable for walking.
This is what Maggie had to say about it from photos of the runway show:
"The round hems of the dresses are actualy stiffened to keep that shape! At left is a crop of one of Benae Quee's fashion show pics. When the Amidala red invasion gown went by the girl dressed in this costume, the large costume brushed the handmaiden one flipped the skirt up! You can see how it is stiff! The dress is sashed at the waist."
http://www.padawansguide.com/handmaiden/gold_pleats.jpg
GentleBant, we'll see how first, if I even return to this project. I still need the guts to start making my own gowns (Am still at the loose-fitting clothing stage like Robes, Tunic, Cloak etc) and loose LOTS of weights to look good in it. Still got that ceiling high cloths pile of mine to turn into costumes first. 
-----signature-----
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
Obi Anne
Title: FanForce RSA
Europe
Registered:
Nov '98
|
Date Posted:
5/21 3:56am
Subject:
RE: Handmaiden Costumes
|
|
The thing with the original is that if it isn't made to be worn while walking, I'm not sure how well just stiffening the fabric would work at conventions and such, where there is a lot of walking. For that reason I would make it sturdier than the original.
-----signature-----
Tea one, proud member of the Tea Squad, FanForce Meeting 2006, Berlin GSADMINCOACHEMPERORRULERPRESIDENTTSARMINISTERQUEEN liuba
|
|
|
Quote Reply |
Active Topic Notification |
Private Message |
Post History
|
