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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Princess Leia Leia's Ceremonial gown from ANH

Discussion in 'Costuming and Props' started by Amidala_wannabe, Apr 5, 2002.

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  1. Amidala_wannabe

    Amidala_wannabe Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 18, 2001
    Ok. . . I need pictures of this costume, both movie pictures AND fan pictures. Plus any little tidbits that you can give me. Please Please PLEASE I need this guys! Thanks!

    Shaden *^_^*
     
  2. Gay-LenKenobi

    Gay-LenKenobi Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 20, 2000
  3. Gay-LenKenobi

    Gay-LenKenobi Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 20, 2000
    This site has a series of ceremony pics, mostly head shots. One is a great pic of her necklace.

    Here
     
  4. Obi-Dawn Kenobi

    Obi-Dawn Kenobi Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    A_W try looking here:

    costume

    That's MiraxHorn's site. She made this dress and it turned out beautiful.
     
  5. Amidala_wannabe

    Amidala_wannabe Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 18, 2001
    Does anyone have an idea on what fabric to use?????


    Shaden *^_^*
     
  6. Nostradamus

    Nostradamus Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 2, 2000
    I might be making one of these too in the next couple weeks..........check out that MiraxHorn site. She listed what fabrics she used and hers looks great!
     
  7. Mirax H

    Mirax H TFN Costumes Staff star 3 VIP

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 1999
    My version was based on the portrait edition 12" figure. Unfortunately there are very few good pics of this costume so that's why I decided to base it off the 12"figure. I even watched the video and there are a few good shots but not many. I used crepe back white satin for the body from trim fabric and white sparkle organza from Phoenix textiles for the cape. Both are online places and can give you links if needed when I am on my computer at home. Will have it finished and will post pics hopefully this weekend. And thanks for all the nice coments everyone! A_W : Feel free to ask any questions you may have!
     
  8. Amidala_wannabe

    Amidala_wannabe Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 18, 2001
    Well I got my fabric! Its not shiny like Marix's but, it looks like the fabric that they used for the dress in the movie! We got a pattern and me and my mum and me grandmum are going to work on the under dress this weekend, with the over dress to follow veddy quickly! Anyone got any ideas on the hair?

    Shaden *^_^*
     
  9. Nostradamus

    Nostradamus Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 2, 2000
    I got mine done over the last weekend.

    I bought some very nice fabrics for the gown--pure white sparkling satin, pure white sparkling organza, an under-fabric, so it isn't see-through, a beautiful matte silver vinyl absolutely perfect for the belt, covered buttons, and white satin-y notions (it was all a little over $50 for the materials)
    The 'regular' satin & organza just won't cut it for a princess.
    All the fabrics are washable.
    I made the dress and cape all in one piece, with a wide enough opening at the neck so the person wearing it can just slip into it. Velcro on the belt. Easy and Quick.


    I did run into a problem with the belt. I tried to hot glue (super glue) the aluminum pieces on and they don't want to stick to the vinyl.
    I did sew the buttons through the aluminum pieces and onto the blet, but they are loose and rattling. I also tried GOOP, and that isn't working much better. I tried Pro-bond last night. It is better, but I can still peel the pieces off fairly easily. I might try to put rivets through from the back into the backs of the button caps.....

    Do you have any suggestions?


    This whole project turned out really, really well!
     
  10. Mirax H

    Mirax H TFN Costumes Staff star 3 VIP

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 1999
    I've redone this belt 2 times and am still not happy. I had some red pleather since I couldn't find silver and paitned it and the paint isn't staying. And I did have to use screws to mount my pieces to the belt since glue didn't work but now I'm thinking silver lame over the pleather and sewed, then screw on my pieces. Ughhh!
     
  11. Amidala_wannabe

    Amidala_wannabe Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 18, 2001
    Nostradamus how did you do the jewlery???

    Shaden *^_^*
     
  12. Nostradamus

    Nostradamus Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 2, 2000
    I didn't make the jewelry (yet). The person I made the outfit for said that they would take care of that. I haven't heard what the progress is on that.
    Hmmmmmmm.......the necklace I could cut out of more aluminum flashing, file and sand the heck out of the edges.....string it on a silver cord. I need to take a better look at the bracelette. I seem to remember when jewelery like that actually was popular. If I had time, I would scour the resale stores and I might find the exact piece, or one close to it that could be repainted.

    I am still struggling, sort of, with the belt. I attempted to try to rivet the pieces on, but that did not go too well.
    The poly-urathane glue is the best so far, but I can only re-glue one piece at a time, because I need to clamp the pieces down and I only have two mini clamps........
     
  13. Mirax H

    Mirax H TFN Costumes Staff star 3 VIP

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 1999
    I just bought materials to try and redo my belt this weekend. I am trying to make it work for both of Leia's ANH dresses. I will post pics if it works.
     
  14. Amidala_wannabe

    Amidala_wannabe Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 18, 2001
    Marix, You did your hair for this one, I saw pictures, and it looks wonderful. . . Could you tell me how you did it, and maybe give step by step directions?

    Shaden *^_^*
     
  15. Mirax H

    Mirax H TFN Costumes Staff star 3 VIP

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 1999
    I pm'd you. Let me know if anyone else needs help. I also redid my jewelry and belt for at least the 4th time and I think I finally got it. I will try and post pics soon but essentially used silver swimwear material over my clay for the jewelry and belt pieces. I wasn't happy with my original paint job, not silver metal enough so bougth krylon chrome paint. What a pain! Always still sticky, would mark and dull easily and no matter what I used to seal it, it would take away the finish. So I used swimwear material and it looks great. I also wanted to used this belt for original leia too so I velcro the silver over my white blet and voila, ceremonial leia! I used cover botton kits for the circular pieceds and velcroed to the main belt pieces and then those are velcroed to the vinyl belt.


     
  16. Obischick

    Obischick Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 25, 2001
    Anybody know what pattern would be good to use for this dress? I'm kind of iffy about making my own, and since it's such a streamlined, sleeveless, classic look, I know that there are probably patterns out there.

    Any suggestions?

    ~Obischick
     
  17. Mirax H

    Mirax H TFN Costumes Staff star 3 VIP

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 1999
    I used Simplicity pattern 8937 for this dress. As for the cape/sleeves, I just had to pin and repin to get the right fall for it. Actually an ironing mishap at CII forced me to have to do some last minute altering and it falls even better now.
     
  18. Obischick

    Obischick Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 25, 2001
    Awesome!! Thanks so much, Mirax!! :)

    ~Obischick
     
  19. Amidala_wannabe

    Amidala_wannabe Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 18, 2001
    Ok well I got it done! It wasnt perfect, but I liked it! I just wish i had gotten pictures. . . Maybe next time!

    Shaden *^_^*
     
  20. Paradoxigirl

    Paradoxigirl Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    May 5, 2002
    Hi all,

    I'm trying to make the dress for my prom, so I'll be doing it without the belt (one less headache, since I've only got seven days after my last paper to do it). Just a few questions, though:

    1. Is the dress flared or is it just a full A-Line? Either way, do I need a peticoat or a crinoline of some variety to make it 'stand away' from my body?

    2. The necklace--it looks like squares with some sort of indentation running diagonally. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make these little squares and their indentations? (I know Mirax made a beautiful version...)

    3. Hair. What do you think is the best way to do the hair? I can do a crown braid (like what Princess Leia had on Endor in ROTJ), do you think that'd be okay or should I go get fake hair to make the large bun and braid that Princess Leia had?

    By the way, I have a large picture of the necklace from Lapponia (the people who made the real deal for the movie--really expensive, though, over US$1000), so if anyone wants a reference picture, just ask and I'll e-mail it to you.
     
  21. Mirax H

    Mirax H TFN Costumes Staff star 3 VIP

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 1999
    Full A-line and no, I only had a slip underneath it. I may however depend on your material though.

    Necklace- I tried the indentations 3 different ways. The one I stuck with is making the pieces, then folding together and unfolding them. Worked great. I actually wound up covering them with silver lame swimsuit material and hot glueing it to the pieces instead of paint. Wasn't happy with the first paint and then tried Krylon chrome and was terrible, never dried. So went with the lame.

    The hair- I would do the same hair as for the costume. IMO I think it looks more formal. It is not really a bun but just braids wrapped and then the one long one. Let me know if you need closeups of mine.
     
  22. Paradoxigirl

    Paradoxigirl Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    May 5, 2002
    Excellent...thanks for the info, Mirax. As always, you've got great advice. =)

    In terms of hair, does this mean:

    1. Part hair from ear to ear. tie top section off and braid. Wind braid around till it becomes a large bun.

    2. Braid lower portion of hair, leave.

    I'm thinking I might want to get loads of fake hair for the top section to make it look nice and full like Carrie Fisher's did in the film. If I can think of a way to attach hair to the bottom part without a join showing, I might do that too to get a nice fat braid. Hm...

    Oh, and the necklace, you mean I should make as many squares as I need, then fold them each in half diagonally to get the indentation? Way cool...I would never have thought of doing that...I'm beginning to think that you're a real genius. =)
     
  23. Mirax H

    Mirax H TFN Costumes Staff star 3 VIP

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 1999
    Genius, I like the sound of that! As for hair, I bought 2 bunches of the "fat braid" at Sally. I braided them both longways (you'll understand when you buy the packages-you can make a longer thin braid with the hair. I put a rubberband at each end. What I did was pull my own hair back into a bun. I extended one braid the length I wanted down my back and wrapped the remaining around my bun and secured it with bobby pins. Then I took the seconde braid to make the stacks of braids, and tucked the ends under and secured it all with pins. Worked well and held well. I wore it for an all day Rebel Legion outing and it didnt fall out.

    As for the necklace, that is exactly what I did. Then I baked the pieces according to direction. One thing I did do was make the pieces a little longer than I needed and folded about a 1/4 inch back on the top to make a tunnel to pass the string through.
     
  24. Paradoxigirl

    Paradoxigirl Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    May 5, 2002
    Heh heh... *rubs hands together, Mr Burns style* Excellent...

    Unfortunately, where I live now in Asia, Sally's Beauty Supply is nought but a faraway dream...so I'll look for the next best alternative. Sigh. Just hope it isn't too expensive--the hair I've seen here would run me some 15 odd Singapore dollars (maybe US$7 or 8)for a measly little ponytail. Urgh. Another reason to dislike this country.

    Anyhoo, thanks again for the excellent advice--I know that you're a genius now! =)
     
  25. Mirax H

    Mirax H TFN Costumes Staff star 3 VIP

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 1999
    You're welcome! Yeah, here I think the braids cost about $1.59. But $7 isn't too bad.
     
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