Padme Amidala Padme's Meadow Picnic Dress v4.0

I don't think any of us know the answer to that one. My gut tells me that they don't, but that's not exactly hard cold proof.

When it rained at the parade this year I recall all the announcers saying that it was the first time it had done so in many many years. Most likely it will be a chilly, but dry morning in Pasadena. *cross our fingers!*

It would be so nice if Lucas founded an LFL museum one day that permanently housed the costumes in a enviromentally controlled display and they could also be put on tour to other venues. A permanent Star Wars museum would be so cool. *sigh*

 

I'm in the same boat with Dawn. For some reason, I doubt there is more than one picnic dress. I suspect the costumes that have multiples are the ones used for action scenes that show progressive weathering, or they know will be getting a lot of wear and tear so they better have extras. Not to mention action scenes that require stunt doubles to have their own costumes.

My guess is that elaborate Padme Amidala costumes like the wedding gown and things with elaborate custom embroidery and beading may have only had one version made. That's just my guess. Although, Natalie had to roll around in the grass in that picnic dress! That almost makes you wonder if they'd make 2 of that one just for that reason. Here we are freaking about rain and they may have been dealing with mud and grass stains Or maybe a tarp had been layed down and the grass was computer generated lol! It's so hard to know these days.

 

Yes, a permanent Star Wars museum would be awesome. I haven't seen any of the costumes in person so I am all for it.

 

You know, I love this gown to death, but...I'd rather see the Packing Gown instead of this one in the Rose Parade...am afraid it'll be damaged and all that beautiful work...gone...But should be interesting to see in motion, but if she's not walking then I guess no motion will be seen. Damn.

Even though I usually don't watch it, I'm gonna have to turn it on (my bf who will be over for New Years is just gonna have to deal with it. )

*crosses fingers that it doesn't rain*

~Spacelady

 

Let's hope the float does it justice! I want to see it surrounded by a flower and plant covered environment that looks like Naboo. As flowery as the picnic dress is, I suppose it's no wonder that they chose it for the 'Rose' parade.

 

The best broadcast for the Rose Parade is on HGTV (Home & Garden). For the past 5 or so years, the first time they broadcast (HGTV will generally re-broadcast it later in the day) it will be commercial free. Their location for the parade is near the beginning of the route just before a turn in the route. I have never seen them miss a float or band. I no longer even think of watching this parade on any other channel.

 

Wow, I'm very excited to see this parade now. It will be lovely to see this dress there. It's one of my favorites. I think if it rainsl they might have her stand under an awning or something so it minimizes the chances of it getting wet. They wouldn't take chances.

But I must admit...I'm so jealous that she gets to wear it! hehe

 

Well, we can dare to dream! Something tells me the cost to run such a museum would be greater than any profit. The exhibit at FIDM was not very busy most days. I still think touring exhibits would be good, with occasional rests from the damaging lights by having them in safe storage at the archives. You should see the poor Wonder Woman costume that has been on display for years. The fabric has totally faded.

 

Good luck with the hand embroidery, Isabeau! We love progress pics! btw, I LOVE your screenname! Ladyhawke is one of my all-time favorite movies!

I finally finished all the sequin and vining this weekend! Now, I'm hand-sewing on the larger flowers. Only about 200 more to go. It's rather slow going. I also plan to construct the skirt in the next week or so to allow it to hang for a while before I hem it. Ideally, I'd love to be done putting the blouse and skirt together by the end of December, but we'll see how it goes.

Oh, and I'd totally enjoy a permanent SW museum, but I know that's a pipe dream.

Lots of new 'faces' around here! Welcome!

Regards,
M.

 

Here are some photos of the rain at last year's Rose Parade. http://blogs.pcworld.com/tipsandtweaks/archives/001163.html
This was the first time in 51 years it had rained for the parade, so hopefully the odd are against a two year in a row rain. I'm sure LFL has some kind of back up planned if there is bad rain again, so as to not ruin the screen used costumes. As for the marchers, they will be out there rain or shine. Don't know if they would get clear plastic ponchos. When I did a LFL promo for the Battlefront II game release we had record rainfall in NYC, and yes we had 50 troopers and a Vader out in the torrential rain. Holding an umbrella until we went on camera did no good, as the wind was driving the rain sideways. We were soaked right thru every gap between the armor. It took 3 days for my TK boots to dry out.

 

Someone please record the parade!!!! I'm hoping I'll be able to get it, but I don't know for sure. I don't have cable. But they *should* air it... *hopes* lol.

If it rains I'm sure they'll have a way around it. I have to say the packing gown is my favorite of the two gowns...
*shruggs* but I love the picnic too. It looked more awesome on Kelsey, I though anyway Lucky her!!!!

Question: It appears to me that there is a white layer under the skirt, and the yellow is actually just a sheer overlay. Now, am I blind, or is the white layer the one that's been ombre dyed?
to see what I'm talking about, go here.

 

No, you are not blind. I'm not sure if we mentioned this last year after seeing the exhibit at FIDM. The top layer is crinkled chiffon. So yes, it is sheer. The layer under that is the same crinkled chiffon, but more of an ivory or ecru color with circular rainbow colored splotches all over it. Kind of like Ombre, but not quite. I'm pretty sure this is all mentioned in the first page of this thread (including the colors of the splotches. Off hand I remember pink being one of the colors).

- kay dee

 

I am a sucker for a romantic movie!

Anyhow, I've got some progress pics for you guys. I am almost done with my first skirt panel. The bigger flowers still need to be filled in and I need to add a bead at the centers.


[image=http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/isabeaunavarre/Picnic%20Dress/DSCF0843.jpg]

And I think my corset silk is too yellow---but there's nothing I can do about it right now since I've already embroidered most of it. I still need to fine tune the fit on the bottom part. So the embroidery near the bottom is not quite done yet.

[image=http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/isabeaunavarre/Picnic%20Dress/DSCF0836.jpg]

Here's hoping I get some time to embroider over the holidays. Maybe while watching the Rose Parade?

 

WOW! The corset embroidery is beautiful so far! I can't wait to see the finished product.

That's actually what's keeping me from making this costume right away...I don't know how to embroider (Spelling?)

~Tally

 

Tally, I didn't know how to embroider the first time I tackled this dress either. It took me a couple of tries (i.e. a few corsets) until I starting getting it right, but it's completely possible to teach yourself! It can seem really daunting, but I think you'd be fine with some patience and practice.


isabeaunavarre, everything looks gorgeous. Can't wait to see it complete, as I'm sure you can't either.

Mirax, congrats on reaching a milestone in your vining!

 

Ugh musta missed it in the first post
Thank you Kay_Dee!!!!

isabeaunavarre its BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

 

SWCostumer--Thanks for the tip on the Rose Parade! (Wow, a station that doesn't cut in with commercials every ten seconds? ) We don't have TV at our place, but if anyone who does mentions the parade I'll pass that info on to them.

Loverly, loverly embroidery, ladies! Everyone's work looks very professional.

A while back I wanted to do an outfit 'inspired by' this costume in pink, but unfortunately that idea has fallen by the wayside. Maybe someday, Lord willing, I'll be able to....Until then, I'll just lurk around here and look at what other costumers are doing. Again, great job, all!

God bless and may the Force be with you,
~'Tom'~

 

Isabeaunavarre Congratulations with the first panel!!! I' m shamelessly happy about you! Your skirt embriodery is wonderful!
Keep going! Oh.. you encourage me to drop everything and go to that embroidering right now!)))

 

Thank you for all your complements. It gives me the encouragement to keep on going. Gosh, I LOVE this group!

Tally, just do the embroidery one flower/leaf at a time. I have never embroidered anything in my life until I got into costuming. My first attempts were nothing to brag about. In fact, I gave most of them away to the Salvation Army. So just grab a needle and some floss and paractice! Let me or us know if you encounter any problems.

 

Obi-Dawn: Thnks for the encouragement. I love this dress so much that I might just have to teach myself like you said. I think I'll find some scrap material (Since I have loads of that!) and practice some embroidery that way before I make the corset.

~Tally

 

Your vines and corset look great isabeaunavarre! Lump me in with the people who really hadn't embroidered before I took on the picnic dress. The only embroidery I'd done was as a 5 or 6 year old on some dish towels with a big blunt needle I wish my mom had saved them. I think I was just following outlines of an iron-on pattern with a back stitch The crazy thing is, that experience as a kid gave me confidence to say "I can do this!" LOL!

 

I thought it would be highly unlikely, but then I took a closer look at the Packing gown pictures (sorry that I post this also here).

I noticed that in the dress that Kelsey tried on, the beads in the bottom of the front panel are in the different places than in the promo images or FIDM images.. But if you look at the NY Fashion show images the beads are in the same place as in the one that Kelsey tried.

This is a official promo pic:

[image=http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c162/aure_entuluva/Packing-promo.jpg]

This is FIDM exhibition photo:

[image=http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c162/aure_entuluva/Packing-FIDM.jpg]

This is Kelsey trying the dress on:

[image=http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c162/aure_entuluva/Packing-Kelsey.jpg]

And this is from NY Fashion show:

[image=http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c162/aure_entuluva/Packing-fashion.jpg]

I don't say this proves anyhthing, but clearly the panels are different. If I remember correctly the fashion show was in September, and after that the dress was on a display in FIDM before Kelsey got to try it, so they can't have altered the beading between NY and FIDM.

 

Great job, isabeaunavarre! Looks great!

And everytime I pick up my skirt (still that short and cream one) to take off the sequins I put on...I get discouraged because it's gonna take forever, and I know you guys told me the distances between each, but...I don't think I can do the vines right. Ugh. How do I start and sit there and continue it?

Also, I'd love to be able to take the fabric from the movie and put it on something flat and spread it out so it is also flat on it to get a better idea of it. *wistful sigh*

~Spacelady

 

Well, when movies go into production they often do make more than one version of some costumes. An obvious reason would be for stunts. Not that the packing dress was used in a stunt, but maybe the costume department builds in a little cushion for wear and tear if they can? George seems to often change and rewrite scenes so they may have to be prepared for anything. I don't know they could make duplicates for all of Padme's costumes though or would really have a need to. I suspect the wedding gown with antique bed spread pieces is one of a kind.

I kind of think of it as there are 'movie production' duplicates (made at the same time, with the same fabrics, with slight alterations in the case of stunt versions). We know there are the non-movie loaners for Vader, Chewbacca, the queens and handmaidens that were made for hired models to wear at events like the FIDM fashion show and when George was announced as the Rose Parade Grand Marshall.

I guess all my speculation doesn't really answer anything! My gut tells me the packing dress Kelsey tried on is not a replica, but a duplicate. We have nothing to go on that would tell us if the picnic is a duplicate (but from what I see thus far it is just like the one from FIDM's exhibit). The Black Coruscant has embroidery that looks like the version that was worn at the FIDM fashion show with the other loaners. I suspect it is a replica rather than a duplicate made during the production of Ep I.

 

Any differences in the Packing gown embroidery and beading may be due to the perspective/angle of the photo and lighting. Wasn't that panel of embroidery taken from a vintage garment? Or am I confusing it with another costume?
http://www.padawansguide.com/silver_makingof.shtml