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

Padme Amidala The Black Corset Piece

Discussion in 'Costuming and Props' started by Amidala_wannabe, Mar 14, 2002.

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  1. FenigDurak

    FenigDurak Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 6, 2002
    Crimson, I actually got really lucky when I had started the job at Denver Fabrics in the Decorator Department. They had the black feather trim. A whole card of it. Granted, it was $15/yard before employee discount, so every paycheck, I bought two or three yards until I had bought the entire first card. Then I found mroe at the local Hobby Lobby at $5/yard. It wasn't exactly the same, the feathers were a little more dull than the nice shiny ones at DF, but they had a few longers ones that stuck out of the trim with an irridescence. So I used the Hobby Lobby feathers for filler, the DF ones for look and the main body, and then an inexpensive black feather boa from Michaels that I cut up and whip stitched on over the arms to give it that fullness like the real one.

    WhenI ranout of feather trim, DF had ordered more, so I just bought the rest. I've called every Hobby Lobby in the phone book looking for more, and no one carries it. I've called JoAnn's, Hancocks, independent stores, leather stores, Native American Craft stores, no one has any of this feather trim any more! It's like I bought out the entire city. But I decided that if I was going to do this costume, I HAD to do the feather wrap. Had to. It was a necessity. Crimson I wish you could be at StarFest next month to tell me how I did. Yours turned out so lovely! I remember from Dragon Con '03.

    Anyway, I used some extra velveteen from my necklace that I was so lucky to fall upon free of charge (thank the maker for the free bin in the employee's lounge) to make the top bias tape for the wrap. There is a little bit of elastic along the arms and back just for extra security while I'm wearing it. I'd hate for it to fall off.

    I'm telling you, the only reason I did this costume was because all of the perfect materials fell into my lap at the same time. I think everyone should go work at a fabric store for a few months. You'd be surprised what you'll discover. ;)
     
  2. Naboo_Girl

    Naboo_Girl Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Aug 13, 2003
    Yay, you're going!!! I'll be sure to say hello. I'm not going be able to wear my senatorial gown though, since the velvet for the overcoat won't be here for 3 to 6 months. But I am making Padme's TPM peasant outfit to wear there so I'll at least be in costume. My sister is hopefully going too, wearing Leia's Ceremonial Gown I made her. I'll be glad to help you with your Ceremonial necklace; just let me know when.

    Wow, free fabric and employee discounts, it must be great working at Denver Fabrics! Especially if you make a lot of expensive costumes.
     
  3. CrimsonVision

    CrimsonVision Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2002
    Crimson I wish you could be at StarFest next month to tell me how I did. Yours turned out so lovely! I remember from Dragon Con '03.

    Silly I can tell you right now that it's GORGEOUS! :) But what is 'StarFest'? This thread is the first I've heard of it.

    Cool in the feathers; did you attach the strips of trim to a larger piece of fabri or just to each other? How did you get the boa on there?

    What fabric did you use for the corset? And how did you end up finishing it off in the back?

    I *love* the skirt fabric you have, its really gorgeous! What color underskirt did you use?

    LOL, sorry for so many questions but I love seeing how other people do the same costume! And yours is a glorious example!!
     
  4. Angelariel

    Angelariel Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Dec 25, 2003
    Feni it looks absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!!
     
  5. FenigDurak

    FenigDurak Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 6, 2002
    I don't mind questions at all! :D How else do we all get tips and tricks we'd otherwise miss?

    Lets see, the skirt. I bought every yard of the black lace the annex had when I first found it. Then a black mesh to go under it to fill it in a little. The undermaterial, I was given by a friend. It's just a white velvet. Nothing fancy. It has some slight stretch to it, but it was free, so no complaints here. Originally, I was going to get a very pale grey silk satin, but I'm glad for the stiffer velvet now.

    The feathers I sewed in strips to extra cotton that I had from my corset. I made it in three pieces of cotton with a slight flare along the length of the arms, and then once that was together, I bias taped the bottom edge, then started sewing rows of feathers onfrom teh bottom up. AFter the first row of feathers, I cut two 15 inch lengths of boa and just whip stitched them on directly above the first row of feathers over the arms to give it extra body. I had to trim some of the boa feathers as they stuck out at odd angles. AFter that, more rows of feathers! Woo! I'll tell you, the glue inside the feather trim tended to build up in my machine and on the needle, breaking the thread and skipping stitches. So after every row, I'd clean out the built up gunk with q-tips and rubbing alcohol.

    The corset, I drafted a pattern for in muslin, got it how I wanted it, then tore it apart for pattern pieces. I used a black cotton in three layers for the corset base. The plastic boning found at Home Depot's Lumber Dept. and some bias tape. Nothing fancy. I ended up getting grommets at the local leather working place though. Nice people. Great grommets. The over part I wanted to be semi separate from the corset base so that it would sit atop the skirt nicely. The two of them are hand stitched together. The under corset laces up the back and the pleather cover has hook and eye tape sewn to an extra piece in the back to cover the laces.

    And as for StarFest, it's just a simple con here in Denver in April. Nothing fancy. Peter Mayhew will be there this year. I'm looking forward to seeing him again. I'm tempted to wear my purple senatorial gown brooch on my forehead again to see if he remembers me, though I doubt he will. Nice guy though. But StarFest is in no way as huge and busy and well planned as DragonCon!

    NG, thank you so much! Yours turned out so lovely! The indentations in the clay are perfect! I'm thinking of getting that PMC instead of sculpy. So I'll need to get a better paying job than Denver Fabrics. Unfortunately, I don't work there anymore as I started school this semester and my school schedule and work schedule just couldn't coincide peaceably. Wish they had though. Saved me a ton of money. Glad I built up a supply of stuff while I was there though. 8-}
     
  6. CrimsonVision

    CrimsonVision Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2002
    Thanks for all that info! Someday I shall make that wrap.

    Add it to the list, right? ;)

    Wish I could come out and play too but alas no can do. Will be at DragonCon with bells on of course! ;)
     
  7. FenigDurak

    FenigDurak Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 6, 2002
    I have to admit, after the last hour of stitching snaps on my gloves, I wonder how everyone else did theirs.
     
  8. CrimsonVision

    CrimsonVision Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2002
    I used stretch pleather for my costume. Both on the corset and the gloves. I had great success with the stuff for my Mara costume so I decided to use it for this.

    My gloves are basically tubes of fabric slightly smaller than my wrist - elbow and bicep measurements. Wehn slipped on the pleather stretches and keeps the gloves upright. There is a small slit in the inside seam for my thumb to slip thru.
     
  9. FenigDurak

    FenigDurak Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 6, 2002
    Sounds simple enough. Mine are done, and I used a slightly stretchy pleather as well, depending on the stretch to keep them on, but I had to put some snaps in on the inside seam above the thumb so that my hand will actually go through without tearing the seam. They look alright I suppose, though since I need a handmaiden to get laced up in the thing, I won't know how they look with the entire costume until tomorrow night.

    -=Happy Ewok Dance of Joy=- Just thought I'd toss out there too, I'm getting fitted for my Slave Leia costume tomorrow. (Everytime I go to type Leia, I accidentally type Leah first!)
     
  10. CrimsonVision

    CrimsonVision Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2002
    Ooo! So jeaouls! The slave Leia is one of my 'someday' costumes. Would you mind PM'ing me who is making it for you? :)
     
  11. Obi-WanEdwardian

    Obi-WanEdwardian Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Feb 19, 2004
    Hello everyone, apologies for my bad, posting a new thread when this one already existed! D'oh! I should have taken the time to read everything a bit better before I steamed in. Well, thanks for being so nice about it, and for being welcoming, and I'll re-post my message here now, in it's correct place!

    'Hello everyone, this is my first posting here on this excellent site, and it's just to say hello to everyone and to say that that I have just finished making my own version of the black leather corset outfit, and that I will have photos of it to show from next week. (No digital here, just old fashioned film that we have to wait to finish and develop!)

    I've made the costume to a slender size, a UK size 8-10, and I've done my own interpretation of the outfit-going for the overall look rather than paying a brain-busting slavish attention to detail.

    I was pretty pleased with the result, and will post a link to some photos early next week; I will also then be selling this outfit on Ebay.

    I enjoy making all sorts of film//historical costumes, a bit of everything really, and my little dressmaking website, including a 'Moulin Rouge' and some 'Wizard Of Oz' costumes, is here-

    Edwardian Wannabe

    Thanks for your time!

    Ellie'
     
  12. Neimhaille

    Neimhaille Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    May 12, 2002
    I can't fix the link but there is a wee typo;)
    Ellie's Site

    I knew I recognised it;) I link to it somewhere in my Moulin Rouge Costume Resourses pages;)

    Said pages needing desperate updating...

    hmm, I'm having major troubles with your site tonight. It may be where I live of course;)
     
  13. Obi-WanEdwardian

    Obi-WanEdwardian Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Feb 19, 2004
    Thanks for spotting my mistake! I'm not having much luck here so far!

    Thanks very much for the Moulin Rouge costume link, although, it's to my old website address, so you'd need to update that now!

    I've checked and there's just a small server issue with my site, as another site I know of run by my webhost friend is currently down too-both were okay earlier this morning though, (UK time) so it should be up again in no time.

    I've finally worked out how to put a site link as my signature, so when the site is back up, there should be no more problems, phew!

    Anyone who visits, please sign my guestbook-so few people do, but it would be lovely to know who's been calling in!

    Ellie
     
  14. Obi-Dawn Kenobi

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

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    Welcome again, Ellie!
    So...pictures of your black corset gown soon? :p
     
  15. Obi-WanEdwardian

    Obi-WanEdwardian Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Feb 19, 2004
    Yes, I will be putting my film in to be done this very morning, and will have the pictures back tomorrow-I'll let you all know when!

    (Oh no, they will probably be rubbish now...the outfit will look rubbish...everyone will laugh...I'M DOOMED!!!)
     
  16. Sister_Sola

    Sister_Sola Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 19, 2002
    I have a feeling it's going to look fantastic Ellie, just going by all your other costumes on your site! Nice work!
     
  17. Neimhaille

    Neimhaille Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    May 12, 2002
    Thank goodness it was just a small problem:) I know about those with my server;)

    I'll change the link soon... ish.

    I have flat tack at the moment, and have a few links to upload for each resource section;)

    *few*... heheh;)
     
  18. Obi-WanEdwardian

    Obi-WanEdwardian Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Feb 19, 2004
    Oh no, pressure!

    Well, I don't know if it looks fantastic, but pictures of it are now up on my site, if anyone interested would like to follow the link below. I also have it for sale on Ebay, item No. 2897519023, though the pictures there are the same and I'm kinda embarrassed about people seeing how much I'm asking for it!

    Ah well, I hope everyone who takes the time to look 'gets' my 'overall impression' idea, rather than thinking 'Oh, this bit is wrong...and so is that bit'!
    Plus, as it's made for sale and not for me, the corset in particular is a little big for me-please make allowances for the small-busted!

    Anyone who visits, please sign my guestbook if you haven't already!

    Cheers!

    Ellie
     
  19. CrimsonVision

    CrimsonVision Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2002
    Ellie, it looks beautiful! And dont be silly; even your Buy it Now price is reasonable; you have a real corset there and those are expensive! Heh, I would buy it if I didn't already have the outfit! ;)

    The pictures are gorgeous; you make a fantastic Padme!!
     
  20. surlygirlie

    surlygirlie Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 2000
    Ellie, your Padmé, like all your other costumes, looks beautiful!
    Congrats on a job well done!
     
  21. Obi-Dawn Kenobi

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

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    Ellie, it's beautiful! Just wonderful. :)
    And, I agree, you make a great Padmé.
     
  22. PadawansGuide

    PadawansGuide Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2002
    Hey Ellie! Your costume is terrific!! Welcome to the group! :)

    Maggie
     
  23. PadawansGuide

    PadawansGuide Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2002
    Fenig - you did a lovely job too - I love the feather wrap!

    Maggie
     
  24. Obi-WanEdwardian

    Obi-WanEdwardian Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Feb 19, 2004
    Thank you everyone!

    It's so nice to make a costume, and have like-minded people to share it with other than just whoever buys it on Ebay, which is how things usually are for me!

    I like the way that no matter what level your skills and finished (or not!) items are at here, everyone is nice and mutually encouraging.

    As those who have visited my site will have seen, I make quite a wide range of things, usually one-offs, and then I move on, but in this case, thanks to you all, I feel really encouraged to (One day- put it on the loooong list!) make the Deleted Scene Family Gown, which like many people it seems, I realy love. Well, maybe one day!

    Cheers!

    Ellie
     
  25. Sister_Sola

    Sister_Sola Manager Emeritus star 4 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 19, 2002
    It looks perfect Ellie! Great job!
     
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