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Padme Amidala Rainbow dress

Discussion in 'Costuming and Props' started by Princess1, Dec 5, 2001.

  1. Princess1

    Princess1 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 3, 2001
    I wanted to make Padmes rainbow colored dress to wear to celbration2. I've already been given some wonderful advice, but I need all the help I can get! Any tips would be a lot of help! :)

    S_S edit: just unlocking! :)
     
  2. Silmarillion

    Silmarillion Manager Emerita/Ex RSA star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 20, 1999
    All I can suggest is practicing with a huge sheet of cheap material and bunching it at the front and attaching it to some arm pieces to see if you'll need to cut a pattern.

    The metal neck and arm pieces should be easy enough to make.
     
  3. kreleia

    kreleia Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 14, 2000
    Silmarillion is right - practice, practice, practice. Muslin is cheap (anywhere from $1 to $3 a yard - depending on the width), lightweight, and will probably give you a really good "test run" on the dress. Also, check out the fabric remnant stores for great prices on chiffon and organza - also really good practice fabric for this particular dress. Don't know about a good spandex/lycra substitute, though. ...Muslin with an elastic would probably work fine.

    kreleia ^.^
     
  4. kreleia

    kreleia Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 14, 2000
    Might as well post this here, too...

    Princess1, I'm not sure why, but you're question about the Rainbow dress got my brain a-churnin' today. **laugh** I've been thinking about it a lot, and I think I see how Biggars and co. pulled it off. Hopefully this will give you some ideas.
    **warning: this is long**

    First, yes, it's definitely going to be a custom dye job. But not unlike the "flame" gown the handmaidens wore in Ep. 1. In fact, you could probably achieve that look using the same technique. Probably. Mind you, I don't do a lot of fabric dyeing (Rit is the height of my experience), so I could be wrong. I have also seen some dresses out there lately that are doing the two-colors-fade-into-each-other look. So it may be possible to find fabric already dyed this way.

    Next, the dress top appears to have two layers. The first layer (underneath) looks like a light yellow spandex-type fabric done in halter-top style. It comes up to that point just below her neck and attaches to the choker. There isn't a visible seam for a zipper in the back, which is why I'm thinking it's spandex or stretchy spandex/cotton leotard fabric (it kinda has that spandex-y or lycra shimmer to it too). Also, the seam(s) is/are probably either at her sides or front, hidden under the draped fabric.

    The skirt of the dress is probably two parts as well. I'm going to throw my lot in with a basic circle skirt done in multiple layers of a light-colored light-weight fabric (like lining for wool slacks and blazers - I forget the actual fabric name ^^; ).

    The top layer is made from the dyed chiffon fabric. It looks like a heavier chiffon, or else it was doubled before it was sewn in place. This was draped around the "under-dress" for the effect seen in the pics. The fabric starts (obviously) at the choker, and looks like it's sewn to about the half-way point at the sides of the spandex "undertop." The sleeves are gathered together all the way up and attached to the silver armbands, and then the loose fabric from the neck is gathered into the sleeve (in the same seam) a few inches below the armband - both on the "top" of her arm and "underneath" to create the flowy sleeve effect. ... It also looks like it was sewn on in an upside-down triangle - which is why it comes to that knotted "point" in the front. The top layer of the skirt is pulled up in a bunch at the waist in back - kind of like a bustle.

    The armbands and choker could be done quite nicely using Sintra (see http://www.azeem2000.com/ for info on sintra).

    **reads through description**

    Good grief! I hope some of that makes sense! o_O;; If my rambling thoughts seem like they're way off in left-field, here's the pics I was using for reference (courtesy of Réka):

    Rainbow dress

    Maybe that will help clear things up. If you have any questions, just ask, and I'll do my best to clarify myself.

    kreleia ^.^
     
  5. Nostradamus

    Nostradamus Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 2, 2000
    I was looking for fabric for this today.....
     
  6. kreleia

    kreleia Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 14, 2000
    Digging through the online catalogs today, and I found a couple things that might work for this dress...

    McCall's #3435 halter top (it *is* separate from the skirt in this pattern)

    McCall's #2681 might work for the skirt (depending on fabric), also has that little gathered "train" in the back that could be modified.

    I'm sure there are other patterns out there too that would work just as well, if not better. Keep your eyes peeled.

    kreleia ^.^
     
  7. Princess1

    Princess1 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 3, 2001
    Thanks! Those are some good patterns, it looks like I could take the top from the one and the skirt from the other (with a few changes of course) thanks guys, you've been alot of help!
     
  8. Amidala_wannabe

    Amidala_wannabe Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 18, 2001
    There was a Picture at Padmeskywalker.net, but when I went to find it for you, it seems that she has closed the page down! The picture was a drawing she did of what the gown most possible looked like. I will try to scan it for you soon. Talk to ya'll later!

    Shaden
     
  9. GentleBant

    GentleBant Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 1999
    Just a thought...
    Could they have used the same technique for dyeing this that was showcased in the DVD? (Specifically, making the Ami's parade gown?)
     
  10. Princess1

    Princess1 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 3, 2001
    Thanks guys! By the way, I have started my dress, and I found I needed to use chiffion, but it doesn't die very well unless it's silk chiffion. Which cost ALOT! But my dress is turning out pretty good so far, I've had to peice it together with several differn't patterns, and my amagination!
     
  11. Amidala_wannabe

    Amidala_wannabe Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 18, 2001
    Show pictures when you're done!

    Shaden
     
  12. kreleia

    kreleia Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 14, 2000
    Bant, it's very possible that the same dye technique was used. It gave a very similar effect. It looks like they either used a weak watered-down dye, or else left the fabric in for only a short amount of time. With the petals for the parade gown being the size they were, obviously not a lot of dye was needed. So, if it was indeed the same technique, then the fabric was left to soak a little longer.

    Personally, I'm still thinking that they may have used the same technique that was done for the handmaidens flame dresses. I don't know if that's possible with silk chiffon, though. **shrug**

    kreleia ^.^
     
  13. Princess1

    Princess1 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 3, 2001
    I'll be glad to post pictures when I'm done! If that time ever comes! (sigh) It took me forever to get the top right! It has such a low back and everything, it kept wanting to fall off! But I finnaly got it right, I hope.
     
  14. Mrs_MayimNaar

    Mrs_MayimNaar Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 14, 2002
    Does anyone have any ideas on what to do for this part of the dress? It looks like it may be gathered into some sort of metal piece, but I can't tell. The image isn't very clear on my computer.
     
  15. Princess1

    Princess1 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 3, 2001
    I haven't gotten that far on my costume yet, but it looks like it use's the same stuff as the neck peice and arm bands. I think Kreleia said it was Sintra.
     
  16. kreleia

    kreleia Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 14, 2000
    Actually, I don't know if what was used on the original costume is sintra, but sintra would do nicely for the neck/choker piece. For the knot thingy there at the bottom - maybe a napkin ring? [face_laugh] Hey, it's a possibility...

    kreleia ^.^
     
  17. Mrs_MayimNaar

    Mrs_MayimNaar Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 14, 2002
    I just wish we had more detailed pictures available! Mine are all so small! Does anyone have any pictures that are blown up? Or know where we could find them?
     
  18. Princess1

    Princess1 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 3, 2001
    Well if you cut and paste your picture unto word pad or something and then strech it, you can enlarge it that way. Thats what I did with my photos, but they do look a little fuzzy afterwards.
     
  19. Mrs_MayimNaar

    Mrs_MayimNaar Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 14, 2002
    Unfortunately, my computer wouldn't blow it up much larger without losing a lot of picture quality :eek:(
     
  20. Obi-Dawn Kenobi

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

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    You can see her shoes in this pic:


    [image=http://www.multimania.com/zoopsiex/Images/Magazine/Vanity%20Fair/vanityfair_mars2002_6.jpg]
     
  21. Mrs_MayimNaar

    Mrs_MayimNaar Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 14, 2002
    Great pic, Obi Dawn! Where did you get that one from?
     
  22. Obi-Dawn Kenobi

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

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    I got it out of the Vanity Fair. :)
     
  23. Princess1

    Princess1 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 3, 2001
    Obi_Dawn_Kenobi: I've been wondering about what shoes she wear's with that dress. But, I couldn't get the pic to show up.
     
  24. Obi-Dawn Kenobi

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

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    Weird, it was working earlier today. :(

    Well, the picture is in the SW Vanity Fair. And her shoes look to be like silver pumps. Hope you can see it. :)
     
  25. Princess1

    Princess1 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 3, 2001
    Thanks! And I'll try later, the problem might just be, darth-internet its busy,or something. Silver pumps, hmmmmm....... I'll have to go shopping! :)