Padme Amidala Padme's Gold flower outfit

Okay, I fooled around with the corset pattern, changing it to get all the seams in the right places. Three muslin versions of it later and I think I got it!
I have the satin and interfacing cut out and hope to get it partially assembled tonight.

*wipes sweat from brow*

This has been a long day....

 

On the question about the parade doll...they did make one. FAO exclusive. She is really gorgeous but it's 14" and porcelain. I picked it up at 75% off from the CA store. Also sent a letter to the creator and got her silver "crown" (it was omitted when the dolls were shipped to FAO and you had to write the doll maker to get it).
About the only thing I can sew is doll clothes. I have been stocking up on Beautiful Braid Padme dolls because I had read long ago that they wouldn't be making many 12" dolls of Padme, and so far I think only the white battle outfit is being done.
I LOVED the designer series and if they would have done away with the fancy boxes, the price point wouldn't have been so high (and I know that many people don't take their dolls out of the boxes but since I do, obviously, to me, the box design doesn't matter) & we might have had more 12" dolls of Padme to choose from now.
But, maybe Hasbro will surprise us with a fancy dressed Padme down the road and if it does well at retail, who knows....we might get the whole wardrobe .

OK, enough about dolls...back to Padme's picnic dress discussion.

 

Ok, well, after a sucessful night of sewing, I've got my skirt put together. Now comes the moment of truth. Will it fit? *crosses fingers* BRB

Well, the waist is a little big, but otherwise, mission accomplished. The only thing left to do is the hem, but I'm going to need help pinning it up, so that will have to wait. All in all a productive night!

Hope all is going well for you all!
Regards,
M.

 

Here are some kissing pics, ladies! Prepare to swoon!
[image=http://medlem.tripodnet.nu/shshshsh/polish/g-12.jpg]
[image=http://medlem.tripodnet.nu/shshshsh/polish/g-13.jpg]
[image=http://medlem.tripodnet.nu/shshshsh/polish/g-14.jpg]

and here's another new pic I just found:
[image=http://medlem.tripodnet.nu/shshshsh/polish/g-22.jpg]


whew! I am practically hyperventalating I'm so excited about this! Anyways....enjoy!

 

YAY!

Thank you so much Mrs_M!

These are gorgeous pictures!

*swoons*

 

That last pic of them sitting down is great for showing the placement of the roses on the corset. Thank goodness for this pic!

Okay, now I have to redo some of the roses I sewed onto my corset yesterday.

I am officially on a mission now!

 

**swoons with Obi-Dawn**

Man, why can't I be Natalie Portman!?

 

Oh no! I can't see the pics. They're just little boxes with x's in them. Where did you find them, Mrs. M? *weak in the knees at the thought of new pics*

Regards,
M.

 

I can't either, and when I tried to copy and paste from the properties line, the link was in a foreign language and wasn't available.
Help!!

 

Mirax, I've emailed the picnic pictures to you. I really hope they worked. Please let me know if they did!

Ladystar, if you like, I can e-mail them to you too. You can send me your e-mail address in a private message if you want.

 

Thanks Obi-Dawn! I sent you a private message and since it never gave me an error, I assumed it worked .

 

Thank you, Obi-Dawn! Got 'em and you are right, they are great ones!! Could we have picked a more spectacular dress? I mean, all of her costumes are beautiful, but this one is just so special! I'm having so much fun sewing it!

Quick update: I fixed the skirt waistband, so that's just waiting for a hem and white flowers. And I finally got into redoing the corset. I got the lining put together and re-used the boning from the first one, so that's all done. I just need to pin and cut out the underlining and main fabric. The sewing goes really quickly from there. I'm hoping to be re-sewing roses by Friday.

Hope all is going well for you!
M.

 

ladystar, got your message! Check your e-mail.

Mirax, I'm so glad you saw the pictures! I hope they help you out.
I agree that we have chosen one of the most beautiful dresses to make. Of course that makes it exciting, and a bit daunting at times too!

I finished my mission of re-sewing the roses onto the corset last night! Or should I say this morning, since it was 1:00 am when I put the last one on! I'm much happier with it now and I am beginning to work out the scrolling design which will have to be hand embroidered.

Happy sewing everyone!
-Dawn

 

Hi again

I just put up another in progress picture on my site:

pic

Remember, it's IN PROGRESS, so be kind!

 

It's absolutely beautiful!! I am not a big fan of the "crinkle" skirt so I think yours is nicer. I can't wait to see the final picture - with you in it of course!!
How long did it take to sew on the flowers?
Thanks again for the photos.

 

ObiDawn Your dress is turning out absolutely beautifully! You are doing an excellent job! A few questions for you: first of all, did you actually and up using the pattern I suggested (Simplicity 9125) for the shirt? If so, then can you describe the sleeve modifications you made? I am eager to go ahead and begin cutting out material, but I'm a bit unsure of the pattern.


A general question for anyone: I read in one of the other forums about lettuce edging. I wanted to try and do that to the wrist-seam, to try and make it look like the sleeve in this picture:
[image=http://www.padawansguide.com/padme/flowered/padme_flowered_people_style.jpg]

I think SurlieGirlie or Nostradamus may have been the ones to post the info before.

 

Thanks ladystar
I actually just changed the picture you saw to a new one that shows the fullness of the skirt a bit better.

How long did it take to sew on the flowers? EEK! Well, I timed how long it took to sew them on to ONE sleeve and it was somewhere around 10 hours. (That's with breaks in between to eat ) I have one more skirt panel to do, so I'll try timing that too. It takes a long time.......

I'm glad you got the pictures I e-mailed you.

 

Thank you Mrs_M I'm trying real hard on this dress!

Yes! I did use that pattern! Thank you so much for recommending it! The cuffs on the sleeves are actually fitted.

Look closely at the cuffs in this pic:
[image=http://www.nenya.net/sw/large320.jpg]

What you seein the other pic is the sleeve fabric bunching out from under the ribbons.

All I did to modify the pattern was to change the cuff. If I could do it over, I'd also lengthen the entire sleeve because when you tie the ribbons at the elbow and pull the sleeve up and over it, to make that 'poof', it pulls the whole sleeve up.
Basically, and I hope I can describe this right, I changed the bottom edge of the sleeve pattern from being a sort of 'v' shape to being straight across instead. When I finished off the cuff I actually sewed in some small pleats to make the cuff fitted around my wrist and then finished off the edge with a kind of facing that I just made up. I left about a quarter inch edge of the facing showing to get it to look like it does in the pics. (I hope that makes sense! I'm a horrible technical writer! )
I must admit that the cuffs have been the hardst part on this whole project so far.

 

Obi-Dawn great info, and it was very easy to understand 2 more questions though:
a) On the pattern, the top/shoulder kind of drapes...does that make sense? Did you make the sleeves with the drapes in them, as the pattern is or did you modify that as well?
b)did you have to make the sleeves looser or more bulky to achieve the "poof?"

Your dress really does look good and I can't wait to see pics of the final product!

 

Gee, all this talk is making me SOOO anxious to see your dresses! Need pics! Need pics!

 

Oh, Dawn, it's just beautiful!!!!! The chiffon? you chose is even prettier than the real one. (Sorry, Trisha Biggar) It is really shaping up! I can't wait to see the finished project! (And, I'm beginning to wonder if I have enough time to put on all those white flowers between now and April!)

Mrs. M - Here's my thinking on the wrist edging. I'm going to basically do the same modifications to the sleeves that Dawn mentioned, lengthening, making it square, rather than tapered. Before I sew the sleeve seam up, I'm going to gather the wrist edge and make my own piping just longer than the circumference of my wrist by sewing a two inch wide strip of fabric, wrong sides together, over a string. I'll attach that to the gathered wrist edge, right sides together and press the seam toward the shoulder. That should put the piping in the right spot. It will probably need to be stiched again along the seam once it's pressed, to hold it in place. That's what the picture looks like it has at the wrist.

Hope that helps,
M.

 

Thanks Mirax! I appreciate the feedback. And, you explained how you are going to do the cuff much better than I could! Your way sounds really good.

Mrs_M, I didn't change anything on that pattern except for the sleeve cuffs. I really like the way the sleeves drape at the top.

edit: WOW! I just got a surprise package in the mail from my Mommy! She crocheted the hairpieces for me! They are SO entirely PERFECT! I am so HAPPY! WOO! HOO! I'll take a pic and put it up on my website right away!
I love my Mom

 

OK!!! From looking at the picture for so long,

*this one*
[image=http://www.padawansguide.com/padme/flowered/padme_flowered_people_style.jpg]

I've noticed a few things... Ok first off. the corset doesnt look to have any acctual bones, but looks to be all just one piece of something a bit strnger the fabric. Plastic maybe? I got a dress about a year ago that had "bones" in it and they were a white bendable plastic. *they didn't bend to much* The corset would be covered in the material that is under the flower semi-transparent skirt, then roses would be added ontop in the middle.

The dress under the corset I think is all one piece, excluding the little flowy cape thing.... and it would be strapless, with elastic holding it up, but the sleves would be added just under the armpits, and no more. *elsatic around them too*

The cape is one piece with the little straps, and is made of the same flowery material that is the top layer of the skirt, but covered in little roses. I think a few strategicly places hook and eyes would keep the cape thing on....

I hope this is right... And helps a bit. this is just me looking intently at the picture......

Shaden ^_^*

Ps Obi_Dawn, how DID you do thoses roses?!?! They are beautiful!

 

I just found this pic in a thread in JC community. Isn't it nice?

[image=http://www.sevaan.com/files/dazza/nat/g-23.jpg]

 

I want to chime in a bit... I agree that it looks like the bodice itself isn't boned--there aren't any of the ridges that would result. But there is enough shaping/flatness there to suggest that Nat is wearing a separate corset underneath the bodice. It also looks like maybe there's a cord tied around her waist - or is that just the break in the dress from when she sits down in it?