Padme Amidala Padme Blue Tatooine Dress

Progress pics (finally). Oh, and the lighting is bad, so the colors look off. But they're not - they're as close to the original as I can get.

[image=http://members.cox.net/kreleia/pff_images/blue_circle_inprogress.jpg] [image=http://members.cox.net/kreleia/pff_images/circle_and_symbol_inprogress.jpg]

okay, time to keep plugging away...

 

Progress pics (finally). Oh, and the lighting is bad, so the colors look off. But they're not - they're as close to the original as I can get.

[image=http://members.cox.net/kreleia/pff_images/blue_circle_inprogress.jpg] [image=http://members.cox.net/kreleia/pff_images/circle_and_symbol_inprogress.jpg]

okay, time to keep plugging away...

 

Progress pics (finally). Oh, and the lighting is bad, so the colors look off. But they're not - they're as close to the original as I can get.

[image=http://members.cox.net/kreleia/pff_images/blue_circle_inprogress.jpg] [image=http://members.cox.net/kreleia/pff_images/circle_and_symbol_inprogress.jpg]

Y'know, the more I think about it too, the more I'm believing that I've done this in REVERSE to the movie version. That is, the stripes were painted on and the symbols were all embroidered on. The "chicken feet" are obviously embroidered too, but the yellow/red and dark blue/light blue stripes in the circle and on the sleeves just look painted more and more to me.

 

EH!????? ^ ^ ^ I tried to post that two nights ago!! And NOW it finally posts 3 times!? What the...!?!? Feh... anyway...

Originally bumped this thread so that I could update on my progress (finally - now that the costume's been on hold since the end of July... ). I actually had to re-buy the fabric for the "poncho" part and start over. The original poncho was too short in the front. So, here's progress pics.

[image=http://members.cox.net/kreleia/pff_images/blue_circle2.jpg] [image=http://members.cox.net/kreleia/pff_images/circle_and_symbol2.jpg]

As you can see, I have the circles done (embroidered by machine using the satin stitch - boy I wish I had one of those computerized embroidery machines!!), and all the little symbol dealies were painted on. I'm working on the largest white "chicken feet" part now. I'm glad I did this all before sewing it all together this time.

Anyway, that's my update for now.

 

It's really looking GREAT, kreleia!

I can't wait to see your finished costume -- I know it'll be fabulous from head to toe!

(And, you're getting me in the mood to go back to my pre-senate kimono redo again -- how long have I been harping on that thing?!?)

-sg

 

kreleia, it's wonderful! Great work!

 

Thanks guys!!

sg, I completely understand. I keep looking at my kimono - it's hanging in the closet in here. And now that I have a dress-form, I'm itching to pull it out and have a field-day with it. But... patience. I need to get this costume done first. I also need to re-do the White Parade Gown. It's now officially in retirement due to a rather large rip in the dress, and the petals on the bottom of the cape are beginning to fray terribly. Of course, this happens once I *finally* get that silly parasol piece finished. **sigh**

Okay, time to go back to chicken feet...

 

Yay! There are people posting stuff on this topic again! I have been working on my Tatooine costume for the last month!
I machine embroidered (satin stitch - I don' t have an embroidery machine) the "flames on the arms. And I just finished the "chicken feet" around the arm hems and neck. I have to do the "fleur de lis" things for the arms on the one for the front. I'm most worried about embroidering the tiny appliques for the front circle! I can't even tell the same of some of them - there's ones that look like the bigger "fleur de lis" and then a different kind that has diamond shapes in it.

Anyway, if anyone is interested in looking at my progress, I have a page devoted to it here:

http://www.padawansguide.com/blue_tatooine.shtml

Great work on the circle, kreleia - it's nice and even and looks terrific!

 

Your flames et al are looking fab, PadawansGuide!


-sg

 

Ooooh!! PG, that looks BEAUTIFUL!!! Nice work!!

Small update for me: I've dyed the silk for the lining, finished the "chicken feet" on the circle, and interfaced the "V" of the neckline. Still to do:

--embroider "chicken feet" around the "V"
--paint the flames on the sleeves
--attach the sleeves
--chicken feet on the sleeves
--line the whole thing
--attach the ribbons

EEK!

 

Chicken feet on the "V" are half-way finished. Managed to do one side tonight. Yay!

 

Thanks for the compliments!

I've started on the "fleur de lis" things and they are DIFFICULT to embroider! They are so small. The flames were easy by comparison because they were straight lines. Sigh. I don't know how I'm going to do the really tiny ones that go on the circle. I think I might have to do them by hand - probably would be easier and not take that long.. it's so hard to see the shapes too - I've blown up the picture of the circle in Photoshop to try and make them out, but it's hard!

I still have a lot to go too:
-4 fleur de lis for sleeves, 1 smaller one for center
- the circle and all the circle appliques
- putting the lining in
- the ribbons and beads

I was thinking about redoing my underdress too, using a silkier material because the real one looks softer than mine. I found some great blue silky slightly crinkled fabric this weekend - I just have to crinkle it some more. The underdress was easy to make. Maybe I'll just make it up and then decide which I like better...


Maggie

 

Maggie & kreleia,
Your dresses and embroidery are looking so wonderful! I can't wait to see them finished! Stunning work you guys!

 

Thanks Obi-Dawn! I keep thinking about your dress and envying that it's done.

Anyway, here's a few more progress pics on my version:

[image=http://members.cox.net/kreleia/images/blue_progress_chickenfeet.jpg] [image=http://members.cox.net/kreleia/images/blue_progress_circle3.jpg] [image=http://members.cox.net/kreleia/images/blue_progress_frontfull.jpg]

I also interfaced the back neck part last night and sewed the front and back pieces together at the shoulders. I'm going to be doing the chickenfeet around the back of the neck tonight (small project compared to the "V" section) and cutting the sides to shape, and the silk to line it. **sigh** It's progress, right?

PG, for the shapes in the circles, I looked as closely as I could and finally mocked up a shape that's similar to the larger fleur de lis. Here's a scan of it (in which you can see all of my mistakes too, but oh well):

[image=http://members.cox.net/kreleia/images/blue_circle_scanned.jpg]

Those other little shapes looked like crosses to me, so that's how I did them. The very center part... **shrug** Since none of the pics of the original costume are very high quality, that's as close as I could get. It looks fairly accurate, but I have no way of knowing how "on" it really is.

Hope that helps some!
^.^

 

Thanks for the complements, Obi-Dawn!

Kreleia, thanks for the scan of your circle - it looks really good! I agree with the shape of those little cross/dagger things. That's about the shape I was guessing. The innermost circle is hardest to tell! It's so blurry in the pics we have! My friend Diane thought they looked kind of like flying birds! I need to make a decision about whether I'm going to hand embroider the fleur de lis or not. The machine might be more difficult! I might just do a satin stitch by hand. Maybe I"ll try one and see how it goes!

Maggie

 

Maggie, definitely give it a try with the machine. See what you think. It might work out better than you'd expect. Once again, however, I find myself in a time crunch to get this costume finished. grrrrr... want it by Saturday. I still have a few things left:

--Sleeves (painting, embroidering, attaching)
--lining
--ribbon

I wish it was done already!! And now I can't find my dress-marking pencil! (**laugh**)

 

Wow, Maggie and kreleia your dresses looks awesome! I have to repeat ObiAnne's comment, you're so lucky you have a machine to embroider with! I'd love to go back to mine one day and embroider the sleeves instead of having iron on patches.

I have to touch up mine in the near future. I took my costume home for the break but I had it in a bag, and it got dirty, I have to redo some of the white embroidery because now it's orange! I don't want to send it to the drycleaners because that would run the risk of ruining the sleeves, and it's not responding well to handwash.

 

Kreleia,

Did you get your dress done for Saturday?

I had some free time this weekend, so I started hand embroidering the sleeve "fleur de lis". It's not taking too long. I had started doing the orange with the machine, and it was such a wierd shape and so small, it just didn't work well. So hand sewing it is! After doing that, the small ones should be pretty quick.

I had more problems attaching my applique onto the sleeve. I first tried the same white acrylic wool I used for the chicken feet, but it looked horrible. So I machine "satin stitched" the applique on, which was very tricky. My stitch ripper came in handy. But overall, while it's not perfect, I think it turned out ok. I'll post a picture probably tomorrow.

I'm almost finished with the embroidery of the 3 other sleeve appliques - then I have to attach them. Then there's the center one still to do. Then the circle and everything else. Still a lot to go. Hopefully it will be done by Balticon in May!

Lelia - sorry you're having problems with your costume! I'm not sure what's best at getting stains out. Obi-Dawn might know!

Yes - having a sewing machine is great - but I wish I had one of those expensive embroidery machines! But I guess doing it all by "hand" is more rewarding, right? Right??


Maggie

 

I took a pic of the fleur de lis that I finished:

http://www.padawansguide.com/myblue/12_fleur.jpg

 

Wow, that looks amazing!

 

Maggie, it looks WONDERFUL!!! Nice work!!

Unfortunately, I didn't get the costume done for Saturday. Not for lack of trying, though. I spent 12 hours on it on Friday, and managed to get one - yes, ONE - sleeve painted. GAH!!! Talk about time-constuming. The hardest part was outlining the fleur-de-lis things in white, and getting the white as opaque as possible. After that, it was really just a matter of filling in with the other colors. Still, the pointy flame dealies, or whatever they are, at the top of the sleeve took FOREVER. 17 points on each side of the fleur-de-lis. I'll have to scan a pic of it later.

But I'm running late at the moment. Gotta bolt!

 

Thanks Lelila! It's been some work, but I think it'll be worth it. Woohoo!

Okay, sleeve pic:

[image=http://www.kreleia.com/costumes/images/blue_sleeve_scanned.jpg]

And now that I'm looking at the scan, I'm thinking I'll go back over the yellow one more time for opacity. Blah. That's already 3 coats... sheesh!

 

Kreleia,

Sorry you didn't get your costume done! Well, the 2nd sleeve will probably go faster than the first one! The painting looks really good! I like that you made the orange uneven where it meets the yellow - looks like the photos of the real thing!

I can sympathize with the white being difficult - I had a horrible time with it!
And still 4 more total fleurs to go! Ack!

I had about as many points or flames as you. I think I had about 40 or 41 total - so about the same!

Hang in there with the painting!

(And thanks for the compliments Lelila and Kreleia!)

Maggie

 

Okay, after working on the house and the yard for a week (and it's still not done, but oh well), I resumed costuming yesterday.

I added a fourth - and I believe the final - coat of yellow to the points on the sleeve. MUCH better looking, IMHO. I also started painting the second sleeve. Got halfway done with it, on the first coat - which is the trickiest, since I'm doing the general shape of the points. So, progress is being made again.