Padme Amidala Padme's Picnic Dress v2.0

rvqavalon-I love it that you're using my pattern for a picnic doll dress! You have to share how it turns out, you know

Katherine

 

I've been taking pictures as I go along...but not having a digital camera, I have to wait until I'm ready to develop the whole role to post any. I will post them, though!

Katherine, your corset directions are great! The only thing I had to do was to add a little bit in back so that it would meet in the middle and make a dip for the doll's underarm to fit. Very easy and clearly explained! Thank you!

 

I finished my skirt.

 

Wow Obi-Dawn! Congrats on finishing your skirt. I love the color. How many layers of silk did you use? I can only imagine how your hands must ache after punching out all of those little sequins. I actually purchased 2 of the butterfly punchers last time I was at Jo-Ann's. Just in case I decide to make another costume some day (I probably wouldn't ever have the time - but I figued I better get them while they still make them).

Good work!

-Kay Dee

 

Obi-Dawn Your skirt looks fantastic!
All those little hand punched sequins--WHOA! Your poor little hands But it sure looks worth the work and dedication.

Way To Go!
~Ferd

 

Obi-Dawn, that looks absolutely beautiful!! And, yeah, I have to agree that hand-punching all those tiny little flowers was worth it. It's very enchanting and feminine. NICE!!!

 

That skirt looks amazing, Obi-Dawn! The work you've put into it has truly paid off.

Caitlin

 

Thanks so much everyone.
The sequins took longer to make than they did to apply to the silk. Little buggers!

kay_dee, I ended up using two layers of silk. It's so light and airy that my silhouette is totally visible when I'm in the sun, so I'm going to have to find a white slip to wear under it.

On the subject of slips, does anyone have any suggestions as to what kind I should get or make? I'm assuming it needs to be light and airy like the silk to maintain the wispy look and I really don't want one of those shiny polyester deals. Hmmmmm, I haven't given it much thought yet so ideas are welcome.

 

Obi-Dawn - I'm surprised the skirt is so see through. It looks pretty opaque in the photos you took. What about making a slip out of silk from Dharma? Would one more layer of the weight you used on the skirt do the trick? Perhaps a slightly higher thread count if needed. I think if you stick with silk it will keep that nice airy flow. If pure white is too stark maybe dye it for a few minutes in a very dilute bath of your beige dye (I forgot the name of the color you mixed with the yellow) to make it off-white.

Just an idea. I have no way of knowing if it would work though.

-Kay Dee

 

Thanks for the ideas kay_dee.
It does look opaque in the pictures but when I'm out in the sunlight, or even inside in direct sunlight coming through a window, the silhouette of my legs is very obvious. I do have some left over silk, not enough to make a whole slip, but enough to test it out to see if it will be enough. I'll give it a whirl. Thanks!

 

I finally got back into town last night. My shimmer sheetz finally arrived, so I began punching today. Also, I finished sewing the french seams on the underlayer of skirt chiffon. I pinned the skirt to the pants I was wearing so that the skirt had pinned gathers. If I ever get my roll of pictures developed, I'll try to scan and post the photos so you can see my progress. I guess I need to get back to work, so I'll update later!

Petite_Padme

 

Uh-oh. I have fallen with a *THUD* to the Picnic Dress side. *sigh* The fabric store near my fiancé's apartment now has bolts of cape fabric with roses in many different colors-- pink, purple, peach, white...blue. So I think I'm going to have to buy a couple yards of the blue-rose fabric and make a blue interpretation of the Picnic Dress. (Thanks to Neimhalle for the inspiration to make this dress in something other than yellow!) It'll have to wait till Con season is over, but I want to buy the cape fabric while they still have it. How many yards have people used in their capes?


Caitlin

 

Caitlin it's nice to see you are considering making a picnic dress. I think someone made a blue version for prom last year.

What store has the picnic cape fabric? That stuff is hard to find!

I used a total of about 1 3/4 yards for the cape itself, but I think I bought just under 3 yards of the fabric so I'd have enough to do dye tests with. It's better to have a little more fabric than you need because the cut ends of the fabric tended to take up they dye heavier than the center (On the one way stretch nylon stuff anyway). You also want to allow for shrinking

Here is a link to my page with my cape measurements. I know Obi-Dawn has found it helpful

Kay Dee's Picnic Cape Pattern

-kay dee

 

Caitlin Yeah! You've joined the Picnic dress thearpy group Can't wait to see your Blue version. I think this dress would be lovely in different colors!

The fabric that you found sounds very similar to some that a local store near me carries. It comes in peach, lavender, blue, pink and I think yellow. I was SO excited when I found it--but if it's the same stuff I think, It's on a stiffer organza base. I think that would work for the cape- but a softer net type base (like the tablecloth) would have a better drape and flow--and might wear a little more like the original. However, if your fabric has that net background--WOO-HOO! You're one lucky girl. As Kay_dee said, That is VERY hard to find.

I know the Meijer's tablecloth--and I believe the BB&B curtains come in a blue rose pattern. It is a sort of country slate blue.

~Ferd

 

Meijer also has curtains in the rose embroidered net. They're called "Abigail" or something similar.

Ceit

 

Hmmm, I think the fabric is the stiffer organza-- but I held it up in the store and was rather pleased with the flow. I think it'll work well for the image I have in my head.

Caitlin

 

Yay! Caitlin's with us!
I think blue is such a pretty color for this dress too. Have you considered what you will do for the embroidery? Will you alter the color scheme, like making the scroll/flame designs in blues? Hmmmm...if the roses on your cape fabric are blue then I'm assuming the roses on your corset will be blue too? So maybe the 'flame' designs should be a different color...then again, if you use enough varying colors of blue it would be really really pretty. Maybe the gold swirly patterns and outlines around said flames could be in silver.
The options are endless! Wheeeeeeeeeee!

I saw the cape curtains in black once. I had sinister thoughts about a black picnic dress....muwahahahahahaha!

 

Obi-Dawn, I was pondering the embroidery earlier today! I think I might alter the flames so they're wispier instead of squashier. Doing the flames in silver sounds like a wonderful idea...I bet I could get a whole ice-blue thing going with this dress. I was thinking of having the corset be white, with the blue embroidery, but it might be really neat to have a silver crinkle fabric instead. Oooh, and I could edge the cape in silver, too. And since I'm not doing a faithful reproduction, I think I'm going to base the chemise off of Simplicity 9125, since I love the shape of both the sleeves and the skirt. No futzing with forearm ribbons. I'll probably do away with the sequins and vining, too...ooh, I'm getting so many ideas! But I have to finish other stuff first!

Caitlin

 

Obi-Dawn, your skirt looks great! I hope mine will look at least a fraction as good as yours! I just hand-sewed the green flower trim on one of my skirt panels today. Are you done with your chemise yet? Speaking of which, how did (or are) you planning to do the vining on the chemise so that the pattern pieces are not too distorted?

I finished my headgear--the headband and buns (except for the hair). I'm hoping to catch Joann's Thursday sale on Simplicity patterns to buy a skirt yoke pattern.

How are everyone's costumes coming?

Happy Costuming!

-Petite_Padme

 

Picnic dress details are in style everywhere! Check out this 4-petaled sequin and vine design:

Sequins International

(Click on either the second or third photo)

 

Caitlin, I love the ice blue and silver theme! To me, the corset embroidery is the focal point of the costume and there are so many variations that could be done, so whatever you do end up doing will look stunning, I'm sure. I like to make the flames wispier in shape than the original ones too. I think it makes them look more feminine and elegant. How wispy are you talking for yours?
I used Simplicity 9125 for my first version and I like the sleeves too. It was an easy pattern to make.


Petite_Padme, thanks about my skirt. I'm sure yours is going to be fantastic!
As for my chemise (yes, it's done.) I took a few precautions against the distortion the vining can cause. I cut each pattern piece a little bigger than needed and on the bodice pieces I do not vine down their entire lengths. So much of the chemise bodice is covered up with the corset, most of it actually, so I don't vine the whole thing. The sleeves are fully vined, but by cutting them a little larger than they need to be helps a lot. If you are doing two layers of fabric then the underlayer can remain the right shape and act as your guide for the embellished layer. In fact, for the sleeves I basted the two layers together once I was done with embellishing and then assembled them. (I did not do that for the skirt though! Those layers are only attached together at the waist.)
Done with your heaband and snoods? Wow! Any chance of piccies?

 

Obi-Dawn, I didn't say it before, but your skirt is lovely. I'm very impressed!

I was also wondering if it would be possible for you to e-mail me your corset embroidery design? I'd really appreciate it. I doubt I'll be able to fit all the embroidery on a three-inch-tall corset, but I'd love to have an accurate jumping-off point. Any help would make me very grateful. Let me know and I can PM you my addy. Thanks!

Ceit

 

Obi Dawn, your skirt looks great.

I got my curtain but I haven't had a chance to look at it yet.

liannb

 

Obi-Dawn - Your skirt is fabulous! I'm so impressed with how awesome those butterflies look! And, I was actually going to ask you the same question that rvqavalon asked - do you have your latest version of the embroidery pattern done? No rush, but she reminded me I'll need that, too.

Also, for anyone who has not yet made their skirt, I would like to suggest a new skirt pattern - McCalls 4109. (Sorry if someone has already mentioned this one!) This pattern has a narrow, yoked waist and a very full skirt without the bulk of gathers. I'm just kicking myself for not noticing this one sooner! *thunks forehead* I have two layers of my skirt put together, and the third is ready for vining. But, I'm planning to pull it all apart and start (yet) again with this one because I really don't like the heavy gather at the waist.

Full time sewing starts on Thursday!! Cannot WAIT to get back into this.

Regards,
M.

 

Thanks for all the compliments.

How's the new corset going liann?

Actually I haven't finished a new embroidery drawing yet. I'm finishing up the roses on my corset and then I'll deal with the rest of it.
I did put a picture of my old design back up on my site here. I can e-mail a larger copy of it to you two if you like. I'll talk to you via pm's.