Padme Amidala Padme AOTC Battle Outfit

Does anybody know when the Rubie's belt and holster will be available?

 

If any one would be interested, The Magic Wadrobe features EXCELLENT quality hand made [and somewhat PRICEY] costume recreations. They'll make whatever you want, but it's not cheap! I e-mailed the company last night and asked if they are thinking of making Padme's AOTC Battle suit, and she had already had plans to make it. She told me it conists of, top and pants [$?], action body suit[$350], belt with holster and two pouches [$165], metallic arm bands [$65], and light shin armor [$?]. Judging by her previous Star Wars creations [Leia's slave bikini, Leia's ANH robe, and Leia's Bespin gown], She will not dissapoint! I am think about the holster, or mabey just the arm bands... I am going to wait until she has pictures to make a decision! You should check the website out, she has some very impressive costumes!--
The Magic Wadrobe
--P.A Sky--

 

Padme-Ami-Skywalker, (1) You are not suppose to post links to unofficial costumes and prop makers here unless you got permissions (Read TFN Costumes Forum FAQ) and (2) The link doesn't seems to work for me.

The price tag for the arm bands seems a bit too high IMHO for a piece of aluminium sheet unless she's doing it from solid strong stainless steel or other strong metal exactly according to the actual (2 seams etc) with an elastic band underneathe the metal.

 

Stupid Me! I had no idea, thanxs... everyone needs to learn their boundaries! Someone needs to edit it, or take it off... I apologize, how could I be so dumb!

 

How would one make the top with the correct seams? I don't know how to make it so the seams don't go around the top of the arm but across the shoulder?

 

The Shirt is done in a T-Pattern like ANH Princess Leia. It means the whole shirt is 2 pieces/panels only, not 4.

I think I better let those who had done this shirt or ANH Leia from scratch explain this further.

 

Excellent..
Soon I'm going to do a pattern making course so I can make whatever I want

 

OK, I need some SERIOUS help with Padme's shinguards. I tried to make some using a plastic base and some vinyl and they look like, well, crap.

I do not have access to a vacuum-molding equipment or anything fancy-shmancy like that so can somebody who made these without the use of such maschinery give me some real instructions?

Thanks,
Karma

 

www.hollywood-costumes.com have the holster and belt in stock even though their web site says they are out.
-Karma

 

KARMA-- Here's my 2cents on the shin guards--Get some Sintra (rigid PVC foamboard) It comes in different thicknesses -get the 1/8" You can buy this at a sign shop. It usually comes in 8ft X 4ft sheets for $40-but I found people who sell it in much smaller pieces- so shop around. This stuff is moldable when heated. First I would cut it into the shape you need (I used a Dremel-a rotary tool which I borrowed from my father-in-law) I am not an experienced tool worker, but had no problem using this tool. They are cheap enough to buy ($65) and if you make a lot of costumes, it would be a great investment. You could maybe even have a friend or someone cut it for you if you don't feel comfortable. Anyways-after you cut it, you sand down the edges (a dremel gives a pretty clean cut, but I rounded out my edges) Then you bring a pot of water to boil. You drop in the Sintra and once it gets hot enough you remove it and shape it to your leg (or whatever piece you're trying to fit) You then "set" the shape by putting it in the freezer or some ice water. You can do this a million times, heat and cool until you get the perfect shape. In the case of the shin guards I would probably cut a lot of small pieces and glue them on using an epoxy glue- that way it would look more accurate. Sintra is paintable too. I would use a Krylon primer, and then you can paint as you desire. You could line the inside with vinyl or whatever for comfort and attach straps and velcro. You can also use a PVC pipe to shape the Sintra.
Trust me--I know some of this may sound intimidating to someone not familiar with these products--but it is pretty easy and gives some excellent results.

Hope that helps put you on the right track!
Sorry I'm so wordy ---FERD

 

What my friend is teaching me to do now is to use Acrylic. It got the thickness needed IMHO but unlike the Sintra, you need to make a mould of your leg cause the Acrylic is to be heated up in the oven and cast onto the mould to get the shape.

To make the mould, you can do it like how some troopers made their own manniquen; wrap your shin/lower leg with lots of Black Garbage bag and masking tapes/Scotch tapes till it's slightly stiff. Cut it open (probably at the back), join the 2 ends together again and stuff the mould with newspapers or even clay to make it hard.

You can also make a cast of your shin using other materials like clay or plaster of paris.

Then heat up the Acrylic till it's soft in the oven and shape it over the mould made.

After that, you can use the Dremal tool to cut the slits needed for the straps to go thru' and give it the design it has.

I haven't attempt it yet cause my shins are still too over proportion to make one and I'm suppose to shape myself further for one of my future costume/armor.

Good luck!

 

Hello,
Does anyone know where I can find Cotton Spandex fabric? (Not Cotton Lycra) Thank you, I am having alot of trouble with this.

 

Not to come off too "know it allish" but I used to manage a fabric store with a very large inventory of stretch fabrics--and I know that "spandex" is a namebrand for lycra--It is the same stuff--just depends on who's selling it on what they call it.
Cotton lycra (spandex) is a hard fabric to find in a good quality (not sheer and thin) but this link might lead you to a source. The site doesn't have a fraction of what they carry--you can drop them an email and they can send you samples of what you're looking for. I have had pretty good luck finding what I need there.
Sewing Studio
Hope it helps you out! Ferd

 

Over here, Spandex fabrics is a lot thinner and less elastic than Nylon Lycra, let along Cotton Lycra (it's pretty thick here cause from Australia).

 

Thanks for the tips!
Home Depot doesn't have Sintra...they looked at me like I was speaking Huttese when I asked them. so I'll dig around the yellow pages for a sign shop or hobby shop.
I gave PVC pipe a go last Friday when I found myself with some spare time. I cut a 11" piece of 4" diameter PVC in half, then cut out or sanded down the appropriate spots. I glued a strip down the front. Then I covered the whole thing in some vinyl, which I plan to paint when the glue is totally set. It came out better than my previous attempts and I'll have to go with them in case I don't find Sintra in time for GenCon.
-Karma

 

Cotton lycra comes in different weights anyway. I had to hunt through many many bolts to find one that was quite firm. It's actually a "seconds" so was cheaper.. seems heavier = better = more cost.

Actually the top is made of:
one back panel (including the arms)
Three front panels (the second one doen includes the arms)
a gusset under each arm pit
and a neck band

So ignoring the gussets and neck band it really is a four piece top

I made a mock up of it in a green shimmery fabric, but my machine doesn't do a decent stretch stitch, so I'm going to get my little lotus fixed before doing this again.

Very nice to make though.

Pity I'm back on a high dose of prenisone which means I will very soon be avoiding all forms of clingy fabrics (cortico steroids = blimp making.. sigh)

 

Neimhaille,
I have found a Lycra bolt that consits of "Jumbo" Cotton Lycra with the weight of 13 ounces. Is that the thickest or I guess the "heaviest" Cotton Lycra? What type did you purchase? Thank you for the sewing tips! My local seamtress told me it was just a Lycra, but not cotton. If you just look at some of the high resolution, digital photos you truly see it does consist of Cotton! I brought in something similar to Cotton Lycra (Cotton Interlock) a while back, and she told me "Too thin." I knew, but you know... So I am just trying to get my hands on some thick Cotton Lycra, and finally be able to rest calmly as my costume top is being made. =)

 

I was thinking; could similar seam had been used for the pattern under Padme's Shirt collar and that on Zam Wesell's Jumpsuit? We are still trying to figure out what is the seams used (now between French, Flat Fell & Welt Seam).

 

I'm not sure what weight mine is. The stores local to me never have enough info on the bolts.. sigh.

Yeah, on that fantastic publicity shot you can even see the irregularities you get with a cotton knit. Patches of heavier vs thinner.

Is there a thread about Zam.. I shall have to go hunt for it.. I wanna make that too!!

 

Neimhaille: I still don't really understand what you meant with the top pattern

 

If you look at some of the large promotional shots of this outfit (http://media.filmweb.no/materiell/fox/FOX20010476/20.jpg is a good one, and so is http://img.stopklatka.pl/galeria/rysunki/00000/00030/g-39.jpg), you can see what the different pieces are fairly clearly.

The three front pieces are:

the rectangle at the neck with the tucked lines

the piece that covers her chest and forms the front half of the sleeves

the piece that comes up on her sides and covers her stomach

The back piece is one panel, and includes the back half of the sleeves. You can sort of see the gussets in the second picture; they help give the close fit under the arms. And then, of course, the collar.

 

Is there a thread about Zam.. I shall have to go hunt for it.. I wanna make that too!!

Actually Neimhaille, we're doing it now, only at The Dented Helmet Discussion Forum-Zam Wesell. Used to do it here (the threads somewhere on pg 15 or 20?) but once the forum was created, we moved over to there.

the rectangle at the neck with the tucked lines

Could the seam used here be Flat Fell Seam, the kind used on Jeans legs?

 

After hours of frustration I am almost done with this costume! All I need to do is attach some velcro to the shin guards.
I'm a beginning sew-er so the top gave me a headache. My first attempt look like crap. My second attempt came out crooked. My last attempt fit better than the others and the neck/chest detail came out less than desireable but I'm chalking that up to my lack of experience and going with it. I am thinking about going back over the detail once more to make it look more uniform and not as haphazard as it looks now.
I had trouble with the fabric...and not being used to sewing thin stuff. The first fabric I used was a cotton lycra, which didn't have all that much stretch in it but was thick enough that I didn't need to wear anything under the shirt. The fabric I wound up using is a stretch polyester that is thin, so I need to do something about the see-through...maybe add another layer underneath or get some kind of body shirt.
I didn't find any thick fabric for the cape around my area, so I used a simple white waffle-patterned cotton.
I'll post some pix when it is all done and complete, I would appreciate any hints for improvements!
-Karma

 

I just found this gorgeous picture that I hadn't seen before.

pic

 

That pic is a great find, Obi-Dawn!

Very cool...


-sg