Padme Amidala Padme light blue Tatooine dress/cape

WOW love it!!!!!

 

Hmmmmm... D&I beads (I linked them earlier when we were previously talking about beads) has some 8mm crystal "Luster" beads - and they're listed separately from the "Crystal AB" beads. http://www.dibeads.com/108-83-22701.html ::shrug:: Maybe?? (Although we've already talked about the rainbowy look being all wrong, but... well, thought I'd throw it out there. )

 

Don't know if you're still looking, but I found more 8mm coin/dime beads:

http://www.landofodds.com/store/fancy16.htm

 

I'm still looking, but I haven't seen any 8X3mm clear glass beads without any finish. I don't know how tall Natalie is but I'm 5'6 and a bit so I may wind up better off with the larger beads proportionally?

 

A the time that that movie was filmed, Natalie was 5'3. I only know that because I'm the same height. It's not that much of a difference with your height. Not enough to change the size of the beads in my opinion. If only your could get a samaple and hold them up to you or something.

 

Actually it might thinking about it. Mind you I don't know how tall Heather D is or how small her hands are in comparison to mine In the photo of the 10mm beads she posted showing the silver thread test the beads look much bigger than when I lay my tape measure on my hand to compare. The same distance on my is at least 1cm greater (guestimating the width of the black beads as being 2-3mm.
I'm also much wider than Natalie so smaller beads will highlight it.


I have actually found a source closer to me:
http://www.ribtex.com.au/products/categories/beads.html
They have 8mm class discs in crystal, apparently no coating! The local craft store stocks beads from this wholesaler so I may be able to order some in. This way I can test the sizing!

 

I just pinned together my test pattern I did back in March or so.
[image=http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1036/903438121_2841adb92f.jpg] [image=http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1074/903438109_595b991965.jpg] [image=http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1287/903438095_9ebc03e14f.jpg]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91424360@N00/903438121/
I have explanatory notes for each photo.

This was pattern mark two and I just tweaked the cloak a little to sit a little better on the right (the dummy's right) I have an idea for dyeing my final fabric, as I may have mentioned, and I will probably get some supplies next week to do so. meanwhile I can actually lay my new pattern on my fabric and make sure I have enough to cut everything out! Then I can upload photos of the fabric I bought as I haven't yet shown anyone what it looks like!

 

BEAUTIFUL job!!!!!! i love this dress, you all do wonderful with the costumes too!!!!!

 

Well, I didn't expect it but my nearest Spotlight store (haberdashery, fabrics, household effects) has 8x3mm coin crystal beads. The ones I posted above.
I think they will work pretty well in my scale after all. I looked at the photos and the beaded section is about 1/5 of the total width at the hips. So at 40cm across (note not half my hip measurement, just flat across the front) I wind up with 8cm as my 1/5 section. There are 11 beads across which is 8.8mm. So they are a tiny bit too big but I think proportionally they'll look fine. So smaller people may want smaller beads. I have seen 7mm ones advertised, but I'm not sure in what colours.

These beads are really clear though so I may wind up doing some crazy lines in silver on the back in enamel. The enamel will flake off rather than rub off hopefully so I don't have to worry about it ruining the fabric but I can fix the lines still when they do come off. I have seen glass pigments so that may be an idea as well.

Oh the beads were $NZ4 per pack of 35. I bought 5 packs and there are a few more left.

 

Oooo, that looks so pretty

 

I always liked Padme's blue dress. I just never found a pattern for the thing, or what type of fabric that was.

FOr mine I'd embrodier the deisgns on the 'cape' part, only /bc they'd last a long time.

 

I don't think there is pattern for this costume !
i have made my own pattern !
The fabric is crepe jersey as dressing a galaxy said and the designs are not embroid, they are painted !

 

Humm crepe jersy. Silk I gather??
yeah I knew they'er embroidered, very well. I'd embrodier mine cuz I want 'em to last longer. My dress'll be for other wear not jsut a costume. It IS quite pretty.

 

I never had a problem with my fabric paint coming off, and I washed that sucker multiple times. I would be worried about what all that embroidery would do to the drape of the fabric, you know? But the individuality of each of our versions is what makes them so cool, right?

 

Yep.

It may not affect it too much since the 'cape' part looks like two layers. Some picture views these 'seem' to be thick.I do know that's the seam fold on the cape edge making it thicker. I've not handled silk crepe before and am unsure of what it is.

I'm only concerned if I snag the wrong type of fabric paint and it flakes off or fades, or worse, bleeds and that symbol looks like a blob. Ekk.I'll try on a scrap and see how painting and embroidry look.

 

There was a note in the end of Dressing a Galaxy that said the original fabric for this dress didn't come in time, so she ended up using something different. It says it's the only non-natural fiber in all the costumes, so it can't be silk.

Neimhaille: Good luck on your beads, your test pattern looks great! If your beads are really clear, that will only highlight the silver thread inside more. You probably don't need to paint lines on if you use silver thread. And if you paint lines on one side, they'll flip over and show...

 

You know, I'm pretty sure in the text they were calling it the 'homestead gown' which was made from non-natural fiber. Problem is, the Poncho gown was also dubbed the homestead gown! So it was never 100% clear to me if they meant the midriff gown or the poncho crinkled under-skirt.

 

I'm putting my dress on hold until I get hold of enough cheap fabric to test and test and test again the hood I love how mine drapes but it doesn't allow for the tail to hang like it does in the photos, looking at a photo where the hood is up has helped me decide on how to fix it, but it will take time and room.

The fabric really doesn't look like silk at all. Generally silk is not used so extravagently ("silk" velvet after all is rarely silk piled). It looks like it could be a rayon mix.

HeatherD: Thanks I mean though the little crackle lines through the face of the beads not the lines of the silver thread. You can see them here:
http://padawansguide.com/cape_exhibit.shtml
Second image under the text "These are my FIDM images". It looks like the glass was pressed so as to form ripples which reflect light back at different angles. Much more folky than the clear flats I have. I still don't have a photo of them do I? hmm. Nor of my final fabric. I still need to get some dye for the fabric anyway to tone it from grey green to blue green (aqua).

 

So... I just found some more of the stretch crepe! in Dusky Blue.. a green tinted pale blue... grumble mutter about the fabric I bought... but hooray for not needing to dye!

I also found *just* enough satin piping. it's white but I am happy to over dye that as it is so narrow and not likely to show blotches when overdyed...

I will get photos tomorrow of my fabric. My green is going to be a vintage style dress for me to wear. 1930s inspired.

 

I now have grey satin piping As I was custom dyeing it I went for a grey that would tone in with my fabric so it has a slight greenish cast to it. I used Acrylic paint to make a thick dye which I put the piping into, swished it around to evenly colour then squeezed the excess out. It is now drying outside.
The colours I used were: Payne's Grey and a litte yellow and lots of black. This made quite a purply toned grey so I dipped it again in a dye made from yellow and Mars Black (about 2:1 yellow: black) which made a very murky sludge green colour but with the purply blue undercolour it is now more neutral on the fabric.
I used acrylic as it toned polyester and acrylic fibres very well, though acrylic fibres can go a little frizzy.

Fabric [image=http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1074/1435411539_e41fc8afd7.jpg] and [image=http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1195/1436281204_86e73bbf38.jpg] piping. The piping was icy white originally.

 

How are you finding this stretch crepe, I am so jealous! Wow, what good fortune!

That hi-res pic of the crackle in the beads is phenomenal, I'd never seen it before! Since they're so subtle, I'd worry about ruining the overall look of the bead by trying to draw them though... But I'm sure you'll figure out what looks beautiful!

As for which 'homestead dress' it is, is there such a thing as a completely natural stretchy fabric?

 

There is. A jersey can be woolen and cotton.

 

I was really lucky with my find I like it, it is a real crepe as opposed to a crepe weave (the threads are twisted and in a plain weave not a random weave) which also adds to the springy-ness of the fabric.
It isn't fraying too badly either which is good as I have to put it on hold for a while. The fit of the lower part of the cloak sleeves is tricky and while what I have is pretty I want to get the proper fit

For the crackle I'll probably have to resort to cutting a paint bush down to a bare few hairs and use an enamel paint. Lots of practice!

Do you mean a woven or knitted fabric for stretch? Knitted fabrics by their nature have a degree of springiness and knitted fabrics were developed hundreds of years before man made fibres came along There were even knitting machines created in the 16thC! So yes, silk, cotton, wool are the more commonly knitted natural fibres. I don't think linen is suited to it what with the very long bast fibres....
But natural fibres can also be mixed with lycra/elastine in knitted or woven form. I have found stretch silk satin of all things!

I don't know of any natural alternative to lycra/elastine itself though. Rubber was used to make elastic for shoes in the 19thC and I think that's the closest I can think of.

 

Well, I know that cotton knits are not truly elastic. They might have some give, but they don't spring back into shape like fabrics with lycra in them. I've seen all manner of natural fabrics blended with lycra too! Like stretch wool, how strange is that? But the drape of the fabric on this dress really makes me think of polyester jersey. Silk would be too light to have the same drape. Obviously it's not polyester jersey like the horrid stuff Princess Leia's dress is made of! : o)~ But it makes me think that comment in the end of Dressing the Galaxy refers to this dress. I wish we could just e-mail Trisha Biggar, lol!

 

Speaking of crackle, I actually ordered a strand of these beads in the smoke and clear colors when I was testing styles, but they were too rounded! They're not a completely flat disc, unfortunately. I didn't know the real beads were crackled, I just thought they might give a neat effect.[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/PrincessofMars/cracklebead.jpg] http://www.firemountaingems.com/details.asp?PN=H204031GL