Padme Amidala Padme's green velvet robe from Episode 3

Jedi_Samantha, your progress is turning out great! And can't wait for your comment on the velvet you may be using. About the quilting, maybe if you go at a slower speed, you can control your lines better?

I am going at a pretty slow speed (could be why i hate doing this so much, so time consuming... took about an hour and change to do the first set of lines)

The main reason thats causing me not to be able to sew complete straight lines is because there is SO much material on the table, and only so much fits, so its alot of reajusting. I recommend anyone doing this costume, that they quilt panel by panel, and then put everything together, instead of putting everything together and then quilt.

Also i think the dress squares/diamonds/whatever are 1X1. I am doing mine 2X2.

 

The verdict on the fabric swatch:

Its too much in the brown family.

If it came down to it, It *could* work, if you were in hugely well lite areas when you can see the green. But otherwise, No. Too brown.

I'm gonna have to keep shopping! *sigh*

Something tells me this is going to require a visit to NYC's fabric distric in order to hunt this stuff down.

 

Ok so i went back and started searching for more fabrics (Good thing i started this search early..) and I came up with this one that could work: (Copy and paste if ya have to)

http://www.denverfabrics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=001&Product_Code=18558s

The color is moss. Moss is usually a greenish type of color -- hopefully this one is less brown then the other.


I was also thinking of maybe the color olive would work as seen here in this ebay auction:

*************

But I need about 9 yards. 4 Yards shy there.

Comments?


sg edit -- removed link to eBay auction

 

It felt like forever, but the quilting has finished.

[image=http://photos.imageevent.com/jedisamantha/costumes/padmsgreenrobedressepisode3/websize/HPIM1346.JPG]

I dont recommend doing the quilting unless you want a really accurate costume mainly because it is time consuming (2.5 hours) and because its just a pain in the you know what.

I have to finish up the top, add a zipper, put in the wire for the skirt, hem it, sew it all together -- and then the underdress is complete.

Then its onto the overdress. Which should be a small task in itself.

 

Jedi_Samantha, the eBay auction seems to be by syfabrics so you can get the fabric in the amount you need or swatch directly from their website instead.

Olive Green Silk Velvet


Anyway, so far your quilting look great to me. One down and just a few more to go!

 

Ah excellent. I'll wait for the swatch from Denver fabrics and see if i can get a swatch of this olive fabric and make a decision hopefully!

 

2 swatches on the way to me -- expected ETA - Friday/Saturday for both. Hopefully one of them will look good and i can order away!

So im just about finished with the underdress. I need to stop by Joanns on the way home from school tomorrow and buy a zipper.

[image=http://photos.imageevent.com/jedisamantha/costumes/padmsgreenrobedressepisode3/websize/HPIM1363.JPG]

[image=http://photos.imageevent.com/jedisamantha/costumes/padmsgreenrobedressepisode3/websize/HPIM1364.JPG]

Looks good and feels good too.

 

Wow, it looks great!

Do you have some kind of hoop skirt under it, or is it just quilting that makes it stand up so nicely?

 

I have a hope under it to make it flare out more just like there is in the real one. (Except i used one instead of the 3-4 there really are)

 

Ohh ladies!!! Looks like the Olive Green velvet from sy fabrics might be the winner! Just waiting on one more swatch which i get tomorrow. But this olive Green really works nice.

 

That sounds great!

So you said you need 9 yards for your Robe? I'm thinking of asking for a quote of shipping cost first before considering so may use that amount in my enquires. Will do my mock-up later and get the actual amount I need after I settle a couple of costumes first.

 

I figure I will need about 9-10 yards because the robe alone is going to be 6 yards. The back end drags on the floor. I havnt decided how i am gonna work that yet -- maybe just line the bottom or something....

Then theres the sleeves. Each will take about a yard or so.. so theres another 2-3 yards. Then the hood which is another yard. So when it comes down to it... 9-10 yards later...i'll have my robe.

Also my next big thing is... Does anyone else thing there is a zipper in the front? if so, i am terrible with zippers... ugh...

 

Laura's Thoughts on the zipper down the front: I don't believe that there is one. Now, this is only my wierd thoughts on it, mainly because the sash goes over that seam, and it would seem to be a bit of a hassle... however, I'm not 100% sure on that, because, while studying my zip up hoodie recently, the two sides, when zipped, look very much like the front seam... but, I'm still waiting to get enough money for the velvet for this costume... but, those are just my .02


~Laura

 

Well. If I think of the zen of the Padme's clothes, I somehow can't imagine that the robe would just be pulled over her head, but I think that equally stange would be, if there were a zipper. It just don't fit.

But it you look at the refenence pics from Padawan's guide, you may notice that on the set diary picture it looks almost like the front would be open and under it there would be something of colour of little lighter green or yellowish. And on the insider image the front seam is very "visible". Almost too visible to be just a seam.

Well, I really don't know.

 

I dont know either!! *sigh* Obi-Dawn? Nos? Obi-Anne? Any input?

And for you ladies making this dress, i got my last swatch today of fabric.

And it is the winner!!

http://www.denverfabrics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=18558&Category_Code=OTWVel&Product_Count=50

This moss colored velvet has the right amount of green, yellow and brown in it to make the whole thing work. Its affordable, and hopefully will look great!

 

What do you ladies think of an invisible zipper for the front of this costume? They're super easy to sew and fit right in a seam. The brooch at the top would hide the zipper head, so I can see it working. That's just my thought.

-Ame

 

Although I'm not making this dress, I stumbled across
a very nice green velvet fabric, that could work for this dress I think.
It's 18% silk and 82% rayon, and I absolutely adore it. Unfortunately, it is al little expensive: $25.95.

http://www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_prod.html?p_prodid=38647&sid=31U9Hz1EcMFU8kh-01105038846.e5

The Hunter Green version is also nice:

http://www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_prod.html?p_prodid=8900&sid=31U9Hz1EcMFU8kh-52105153246.5c

 

Very nice stuff!!

The one thing i learned about pictures of fabric online, is they look nothing like what it really looks like. Always order swatches

 

hey, guys, so what's the verdict on the zipper?

thanks very much for posting those sources for velvet... although i still doubt i'll be able to order online. will have to go hunt hunt hunt for the darned fabric locally. may the Force be with me.

Jedi_Samantha: so the back of the cloak trails on the floor (e.g. longer than the front?)

 

Im ordering my fabric tomorrow probably. 9 yards of it. I hope thats enough.

Jedi_Samantha: so the back of the cloak trails on the floor (e.g. longer than the front?)

That is how i planned on making it. I am gonna line the part that drags on the floor with some $1.00 fabric.

As for the zipper, I am gonna make a hidden one. I am gonna follow how some of my sweaters have hidden zippers. I plan on making it go from the top to about my belly button. So.. 22-24 inches

 

Fabric ordered.

I'll have this costume done by March 28th. I of course will post pictures

I am working on bedding a broach. This will be done maybe by the end of this weekend, if not then, but the middle of this week. I hope. Depending on school work.

 

Jedi_Samantha, good luck with your dress! Now I feel itching to do the Underdress too as the fabric is something I can get now from the shop and I think I can use one of my Jumper Patterns (that has a waist/underbust seam) combined with a full skirt "Pattern" to make it. May forget about the tummy as I can always use the White Bridal CanCan Skirt I gotten not too long ago.

Jedi_Ginny, I feel your pain. I'm yet to see the right color velvet (and one that doesn't get crush easily like that Polyester Singer Velvet I used for my Arwen Rose Dress ) here in Singapore so ordering online seems like the way out. Well, hope my 5-days work next week will be able to cover the cost to order the cloth online....somehow....

Personally, I thot of just sewing the front of the Robe close completely. But maybe it's better to go for Invisible Dress Zip instead.

Hmmm....so if using Zip for the front, will that means that the part that is without the zip will be sew shut? Or should a Open-End Invisible Dress Zip be used and the parts not sew to the zip kept "open"?

 

Thanks I should have the fabric by the end of next week so long as they have 9 yards in stock (I ordered it so they can only ship it to me when they have my entire order)

I am using the basic simplicity robe pattern (The one with the ghetto star wars costumes) and I am going to have to do some modifications. The first being lenghthening the back part by about 10-12 inches, not adding the hood, lenghening the sleeves, and putting the zipper in the front, and sewing it shut. I was REALLY hoping to see this dress in the trailer, but of course it was not there. I wanna wear it to the TRU toy release in NYC on April 1st, so I gotta have it finished by then.

And of course you know when the VD comes out and i get it that day, i'll be back here fuming because i'll have done something wrong... lol.

I got the purple wrap fabric today. $1.00 rack at wal-mart. Purple satin material.

JediSamantha <3's the $1.00 rack.

Edit: Also, I will be keeping detailed pictures of how I made this dress so everyone can see how the zipper came out. Im using some of my zip up sweaters as reference as to how to hide the zipper. It doesnt seem all too hard. Just gonna need to take it slow.

Question for our fabric guru's.

Can you iron rayon-silk velvet? (80% Rayon, 20% Silk)

 

You go, gals! Hehehe. I can only cheer you on for now, as I am still fabric hunting and haven't started the dress. But I really appreciate all the info I've gotten here so far.

Darth_Eagle: I hope you finally get your fabric.

To the people there in the US, I hope you guys can post some info here when the books come out, as to whether which books have reference photos for this dress so I'll know which books to get.

 

I am sure the visual dictionary will have something..

and i dont know why i said im removing the hood..lol i meant i need to alter the pattern for the hood. Whoops! lol