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

Princess Leia Princess Leia Hoth & Bespin city costumes

Discussion in 'Costuming and Props' started by Zam-the-Assasin, Jul 17, 2002.

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  1. surlygirlie

    surlygirlie Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 2000
    That pattern looks GREAT, Maggie!
    And the fabric seems like it should work grandly, too. You're well on your way already!

    You can feel free to post the reference I sent you -- it'll be handy for other fools willing to go through embroidery hell to have everyone's stuff all in one place. ;)


    -sg

     
  2. LeiaYT1300

    LeiaYT1300 Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 7, 2002
    Extend the hem down to just above your knees and that pattern is perfect! Great find, Maggie! And I love the color of your fabric--I think it'll work fabulously! :)

    And you are more than welcome to use the references I sent you, and anything else I can gather to send you in the next few weeks. Your website is the perfect place to pull information for this costume together, as your wonderfully detailed tutorials and Padme costume info pages have shown. :)
     
  3. PadawansGuide

    PadawansGuide Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2002
    Ok guys, I've finally got the Leia Bespin page up. You can find it here:

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

    I've incorporated the exhibit and other pics both surlygirlie and LeiaYT1300 sent me. If anyone's got something I missed, let me know!

    I haven't made any progress on making the tunic and pants yet - but I'll get to it eventually!

    Maggie
     
  4. LeiaYT1300

    LeiaYT1300 Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 7, 2002
    It looks great, Maggie! :) It was a pleasure to go through all the pics posted, especially the detail ones; some made me want to go back and redo some things--eek!--but I think I'll stick with what I've got for now (the redo bug always bites at some point, eh? ;) ).

    :)

     
  5. Stridarious

    Stridarious Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2002
    yes that is a great outfit and even better well detailed pictures that you took of it. Thanks for sharing your desgns. :)
     
  6. PadawansGuide

    PadawansGuide Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2002
    Yes, LeiaYT, I know the "redo" bug well! :)

    I've added a few more things to the page - let's see if I can get the link to work this time:


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


    If anyone who's made the costume has any resources or info to add, let me know. I haven't had the time, but I was going to re-read the forum posts for info too.

    :)
    Maggie
     
  7. StormtrooperPrincess

    StormtrooperPrincess Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2002
    The page looks good, Maggie! Although I'm now itching to make this, even though I have other projects lined up...

    I have a rather large scan of Leia walking down one of the Bespin corridors in this outfit. Not very detailed, because it was enlarged from a tiny magazine picture, but it does show the transparent effect of the rosettes at the bottom, if you want it.


    And, eek, I need to redo that hair tutorial! I have a better digital camera now, so hopefully I can do that soon.
     
  8. PadawansGuide

    PadawansGuide Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2002
    Hi - sure, stormtrooperprincess - if you want to email it to me - you can get my email address through my website or you can PM me and I'll give it to you. :)

    I've always wanted to do this costume too - I just have to find the time to do it! I have a long list of costumes I'm working on! :)

    Maggie
     
  9. PadawansGuide

    PadawansGuide Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2002
    Hi,

    I was just reading through everything again and taking notes! I'm still not ready to start this one, but I like knowing what I'm getting myself into, detail-wise!!

    I was looking at pics of the embroidery pattern - are there 3 "triangles" on the back, and one each side front panel? 5 total? That's what I'm guess from the photos. Are they all the same scale? (ie, are the side panel ones the same size as the back ones?

    What color embroidery flosses were used? I can see a darker brown, a tannish brown, yellow, and white - am I missing anything?

    For the fabric for the cloak - I saw "ecru" mentioned or off-white or bone. Is the cloak more gray or more brown in tone? Anyone have an opinion?

    :)
    Maggie
     
  10. LeiaYT1300

    LeiaYT1300 Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 7, 2002
    are there 3 "triangles" on the back, and one each side front panel? 5 total? That's what I'm guess from the photos. Are they all the same scale? (ie, are the side panel ones the same size as the back ones?

    There are 5 "triangles", one down the center back, one just under each arm, and two down either side of the center front; although those two center front triangles are partially cut off at on one side, so they are not complete--the center front opening does that.
    They should be all the same scale; I found that the triangle should start under your arm above the bust line, which is where the capelet's back point ends.

    What color embroidery flosses were used? I can see a darker brown, a tannish brown, yellow, and white - am I missing anything?

    As for embroidery colors, after days of staring, I determined upon 5 colors: a pale yellow (used both in the "scales" and the outlining), a rose pink, a salmon red (essentially, it matches the color of the tunic/pants), a dark red (with brown/burgundy tones), and a warm, deep brown. I don't know if that's quite right, but to me it seemed right. With all the close-ups I took, I could see no greens or blues or greys involved. But again, it's that color quandry you end up faced with. The embroidery photographs in such a chameleon-like manner, depending on the kind of light hitting it. Sometimes, when I would take the dark red and brown flosses into a room with flourescent or very white light, it would seem that they would take a bluish/purplish cast, which give off the blue/green casts we see in the photos (or it's possibly even the age of the photos themselves causes the colors we see--my old ESB books seem to demonstrate that). We're dealing with the various film prints, the lighting on the Bespin set (from white to yellow to rose casts, etc.), and the various photos versus the various exhibition locations. So playing with the swatches is key and it really comes down to personal opnion.

    For the fabric for the cloak - I saw "ecru" mentioned or off-white or bone. Is the cloak more gray or more brown in tone? Anyone have an opinion?

    I chose an ivory, with a hint of cream and a hint of greyish-ecru in it, depending on the light. The lining beneath it adds the color and tone you see, and will bring out the subtle tones of the ivory, so once more, it's all personal choice.

    Hope that sheds some light on the details. :)
     
  11. PadawansGuide

    PadawansGuide Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2002
    Thanks LeiaYT - that does shed some light. It's so hard to see the full design on the cloak in the pictures! It's going to be a challenge just to sketch out, I can tell!!!

    Quick question - anyone remember what yardage they used for the cloak fabric? (not counting the linin). I'm wondering how much fabric I need for it. I'd like to get silk chiffon, but if it's expensive, I can't just get a couple extra yards just in case I need it. :)

    Thanks!
    Maggie
     
  12. LeiaYT1300

    LeiaYT1300 Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 7, 2002
    anyone remember what yardage they used for the cloak fabric? (not counting the linin)?

    Well, I bought close to 10 yards of my ivory silk, with the fabric at 60" wide; I got it in the bargain back room of Manhattan Textiles, so it was about $8 a yd, down from $24 (a good deal, but the unfortunate circumstance is they don't carry it anymore... :( ). And I always overbuy, not just because I fear impending disaster, but I'm also pretty tall. When all the pieces were cut out for the cloak/capelet, I was left with a fair amount of fabric (I had ironing trouble with my first capelet and was forced to cut a new one, but if that had not happened, I think I would have had enough leftover for almost half of another cloak).

    I would use the muslin recreation to determine your yardage, especially since the ivory fabric is much easier to obtain when you're ready; so you can afford to wait, if you need to.

    :)

    Edit: Now that I think back, the yardage was 45", not 60". Sorry--brain cloud! [face_blush]
     
  13. surlygirlie

    surlygirlie Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 2000
    Shoot! I meant to look at my embroidery floss last night and see exactly what colors I used, and I TOTALLY forgot.

    Anyhoo...

    LeiaYT1300 covered all your questions, I think, and my info is pretty much identical -- the 5 total triangles of embroidery (with the front edges of the robe cutting off some of the 2 front ones), the colors sound pretty darn close, etc.

    If I remember correctly, I bought 4 or 5 yards of the ivory crepe chiffon for the overrobe -- and I had nothing left over. And I'm a short little person (5'2" ish, maybe 5'3" on a really good posture day).


    -sg
     
  14. PadawansGuide

    PadawansGuide Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2002
    I'm about 5'3" also - so I tend not to need real long pieces of fabric!

    But that's a good idea to judge yardage - see how much the muslin takes up first! :)

    Thanks!

    Maggie
     
  15. Sarafina1977

    Sarafina1977 Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Jul 29, 2002
    OMG! You guys have done so much since I posted *gasps* a year ago! I love the new site with all the info...wow!! :) Now...just to set aside the money and time to make it! ;)
     
  16. Jedi_Dajuan

    Jedi_Dajuan Administrator Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Dec 30, 2002
    Yep This is totally what I'm doing for next year. Hope you are all still available for advice!
     
  17. LeiaYT1300

    LeiaYT1300 Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 7, 2002
    Yep, we'll be around, Jedi_Dajuan, especially now that a redo is on the horizon for me again this Xmas. :)

    The bug bit me, Maggie!--I couldn't help it! :D I'm gonna erase the pink in the tunic, pants and cloak lining with a layer of a redder chiffon (especially now that I look on the pics again, I notice those garments do seem somewhat double-layer, so I think I can get away with it). Besides, I lost over 20lbs. since August, so I have to take it in anyway.

    I'll post here about that as it progresses. I have a line on chiffon already and new flats. I'll let you know if they work out. :)
     
  18. PadawansGuide

    PadawansGuide Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2002
    Ah, the costumers disease! The need to redo stuff that looks off to you, but looks fine to everyone else! I know it well!

    This costume is still definitely on my list! But I've had the fabric for the Lord of the Rings costumes waiting for me, and I want to finish those first! I really could start on the tunic and pants since I have the fabric -but the embroidery will have to wait for a bit! But not forever!

    LeiaYT - I look forward to seeing your updates!

    Maggie


     
  19. surlygirlie

    surlygirlie Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 2000
    Jedi_Dajuan, just echoing Leia's statement that we're still here and available with help. Kudos for undertaking this project -- it's a lot of work, but worth every minute.


    -sg
     
  20. DestinyFroste

    DestinyFroste Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 6, 2002
    [color=660099]I read through this a while ago and do not remember reading anything about this, if I am duplicating a question I apologize.

    How did you guys go about putting the embroidery pattern onto the material as far as sizing and dimensions?[/color]
     
  21. surlygirlie

    surlygirlie Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 2000
    DestinyFroste, I took insane amounts of measurements of the embroidery when it was on display as part of the Magic of Myth tour (I think LeiaYT1300 did so also) and then based on that, I recreated the pattern on graph paper, and tested it length-wise on me...
    Then, I traced my pattern onto the chiffon for embroidery using a water-soluble marking pen, in stages as I went.

    Did that answer your question, or did I totally misunderstand what you were getting at?


    -sg
     
  22. DestinyFroste

    DestinyFroste Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 6, 2002
    [color=660099]I was afraid it was something like that. You got the question right, that just puts me in the same place. Without the opportunity to do the same I am probably going to have to go on my best guess. I really wish I had had the chance to go and see it for myself.[/color]
     
  23. LeiaYT1300

    LeiaYT1300 Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 7, 2002
    Destiny, when I saw the costume in Minneapolis, I only had time to photograph it, so when I approached this problem, I considered the spacing between the various "sections" of the pattern, and the fact that if I were to try to recreate the pattern to size, it would look stunted on my cloak, as I am 8" taller than Carrie. So I measured out a triangle that would fit my cloak muslin nearly 5 times (remember the two front triangles are cut off at the center front), hitting all the right points (the top point touching the bottom point of the capelet, the base of the triangle ending a 1/2" to 1" above the hem), and based the design around that through several renderings, drawing out the sections individually on separate sheets of paper until I was satisfied, then combining them on large sheets, eyeballing the positioning of the various "sections" against my pictures of the actual design. When satisfied, I then transferred the final paper pattern to a length of muslin in thin Sharpie ink, which could be easily seen through the silk for easy tracing.

    So, in short, it's all eyeballing in the end, at least in my experience. Surly had the best chance to gain any measurements, but even with her measurements (as she states, "I recreated the pattern on graph paper, and tested it length-wise on me..."), in some ways, for her, there was eyeballing involved as well.

    My info probably doesn't help much, but it's how I did it. The best of luck to you in your attempt. :)
     
  24. lavagrrrl

    lavagrrrl Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    May 16, 2002
    Does anybody know where a tutorial for the Hoth outfit may be found? :)
     
  25. surlygirlie

    surlygirlie Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 2000
    I don't know of any tutorials for it, unfortunately.

    Is there a particular part that's vexing you? Perhaps we could address it as a jumping off point for an in-depth discussion of the costume?
    Just a thought!
    :)


     
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