Princess Leia Princess Leia Hoth & Bespin city costumes

I was flipping through my Quilting and Embroidery magazine for Fall 2007 and I came across a free embriodary design (already digitized) that looks like one of the major patterns on Bespin Leia. It can be resized and downloaded into all of the popular formats.

Here is the site: http://www.cmemag.com/designsallcmeqf07.htm
the free design is on the bottom of the page, but it expires Feb. 1st 2008.

Wish I could start this one- but I've put Packing Gown and POTC Gold Gown on hold while I do some quilt competitions. Hopefully next Fall sometime.

 

I'm thinking about doing the Hoth Leia costume (with a little help from a friend). What kind of fabric is used for the jumpsuit and the vest?

 

From what I've heard the suit was a racing car suit. I've always thought it would be made of that parachute type fabric that is used on the outside of parkas. But it would need to matte.

There are a couple of good one out there, hopefully the ladies who made them will post!

 

It certainly is a fabric used for snowsuits--much like those snowsuits that came in a myriad of colors when I was kid in the 80s--or barring that, from another kind of sport gear. I don't think it was made from a racing suit, as women drivers still were extremely rare in the racing world at that time, so it's been my belief that if they didn't create the suit from scratch, it must have been a ladies' fitted ski suit from the period which they added to.

If I were to liken the fabric to what we have today, it's comparable to acetate lining fabrics and nylon sport fabrics (such as those use in windbreakers). And it has a sheen to it, as some of the flash shots taken of it on display have shown, but it is extremely subtle and under most lights almost imperceptible. Not to mention it's a thin, light fabric, not of a heavy or even medium weight by any means.

When I made my recreation, I wasn't against using a nylon sport fabric, but one thing I didn't want was for the fabric to make a ton of noise when I walked or moved, like the old 80s snowpants my mother made me wear in the frigid Wisconsin winter. So I turned to the acetate lining fabrics and discovered that the Posh linings sold at JoAnn's have the kind of very subtle sheen I was looking for, yet it is whisper quiet. And at around $3/yd, it's very affordable. So I highly recommend the Posh linings for a Hoth recreation.

Hope that helps!

 

Yes! That helps a LOT! Thanks ever so much Leia YT1300! And with me on a slight budget, that type of material you suggested will work out great. I was kinda glad that you suggested that anyway. I was thinking the same about the "noise" level of 'real' snowsuit material. LOL! All of that swish, swish, swish sounds that it makes. LOL!

 

Thanks LeiaYT1300 I wasn't sure about the racing suit, that's jsut what I had heard. And since we don't get any snow here in Qld (and I've only seen old snow when I went to NZ) I'm afraid I'm not at all familir with how snowsuits look

I absolutely LOVE the Hoth outfit, probably because of the hair! I've been trying to think of what fabric to use, so that's amazingly helpful! We have a really good acetate lining here which is pretty non-expensive. Now the hard part is finding the pattern!

I will probably line mine with cotton though. I've always said that we don't get winter here in Qld, it's more of an Autumn if anything. It would be a strictly winter costume (and probably for one of the colder southern states). The joys of living in 'the sunshine state'

 

Hehe, Don't you mean 'the Smart State'! I will never get that on my licence plate. It's the Sunshine State for me!

Pattern wise, I was given two seventies jumpsuit patterns and I found one at Lifeline. All need to be measured up from the originals (they were smaller then) but they all look good. I was going to make mine from drill, but now I don't know. This one is on hold for a while! It's one of my personal favs!

 

I've got another question about the Hoth Leia costume. Is this costume "quilted"? Meaning did anyone line it with some sort of batting material to make it more like a snowsuit?

 

There are quilted parts on the arms and legs, but not the entire costume. And the vest is quilted too.

 

The entire original costume is lined in batting for warmth but thinly. Use a very thin single layer of batting for the jumpsuit, then double it for the quilted patches (four small ones for the sleeves, two large ones for the front legs. The vest is of course made of a moderately thicker batting, with the thickest layers reserved for the collar.

Certainly you don't have to line the main jumpsuit. I know a number of girls who have opted not to, considering the warm climates in which they live; in my case, it made sense to go all the way with it and reserve it for WI winter outdoor events. And it's come in very handy when another Leia costume would be impractical (just wore it for two local Xmas parades with the RL in low 30 degree weather and the only part of me that was freezing was my fingers); though I have worn it twice in warmer climes (C4 in LA and DragonCon in Atlanta) and while it gets a bit toasty, I haven't fainted yet.

Additionally, if you use batting for the jumpsuit, you need to fuse the layer of batting with thin interfacing to make it machine washable, for as the batting is not quilted with thread and there aren't enough stabilizing seams, to just leave it as it is would subject it to disintegration over time with wear and washing. You also need to make the pattern a bit bigger than you normally would, as the batting will reduce the size just a tad.

Hope that helps!

 

Unlocked by request.

 

I'm planning out Leia's Hoth outfit for a Winter troop in a few months time, and am looking at a few online stores and wondering if anyone has any fabric recommendations.

I'm going for DWR supplex, since it's water and wind resistant, and I know a number of ladies here have used it for their own costumes.

The two sites I'm tossing up and can't decide between are:
Seattle Fabrics
Rocky Woods

If anyone who has had any experience purchasing from these companies can tell me how they found the fabric to work with and how accurate they felt it was, that'd be much appreciated

 

Hello,
Love all your info on this costume, PadawansGuide, I love your website and go there often to see what info you have before I research anywhere else.

I am going to try my hand at the 'Cloud City' Leia for C5, since I look nothing like her I've never been interested in any of her costumes but I have always love this one.

The killer will be the color of fabrics

 

thanks for all the awesome info! I love this thread.

 

Hi everyone! I am making the Bespin Leia costume and have a question about the embroidery on the cape. Is there a pattern for the design anywhere? What type of embroidery floss would be best to use? I appreciate any help!
thanks,
Susan

 

Spaaaaaaam.

 

*I don't like SPAM!!*