Star Wars doll costumes

Hi, I'm wondering if there is a thread already in existence about doll costumes, but I looked through the first like, seven pages and didn't find anything. So if anyone has patterns/pictures/tips for Padme doll costumes, I would appreciate it.

S_S edit: just updating title

 

Welcome to the forum Ame_V!

Have you seen the section dedicated to Star Wars doll costumes at the Padawan's Guide website? In case you haven't, here's a direct link: Dolls in Star Wars Costumes
It's the only site I can think of right now off the top of my head....

 

Yes I have, I love the padawansguide, it has a lot of great pictures, but I'm looking more for patterns and tips from other doll costumers. Plus I wanted to start a new thread, just for the heck of it.
Actually, I have a doll that I want to sew Padme's outfits for, but I have absolutely no patterns to use as a frame of reference. So if anyone who has done doll costumes can recommend any, (it's a Barbie-sized doll) I would appreciate it a lot!

 

Doll costumes are on my meter long "To Do" list. I can offer incidental advice here and there though.

 

Hey Ame_V what size is your doll? If your looking for some help on 16" dolls, Anthony has a site that shows off the clothes he's made for his own collection. I'll try posting the link and pray it comes up (he's not selling so it should be okay I guess).
http://www.geocities.com/padmeamidaladoll
MFBWY! And have fun with it! ;-)

 

She's a Barbie-sized doll, not actually a Barbie, but a Hasbro Maxie doll with a slightly more realistic body than your average Barbie. I like her because she doesn't have twigs for arms. I switched her original head with a Teresa (friend of Barbie) head so the hair is the right color, and she has a face that is passable for Padme. My first project will be the flame handmaiden gown, which I have fabric for, but I need a pattern to start with, and I also have to figure out the dyeing process. Then when I'm done, hopefully my dad will figure out his digital camera so I can post pics! But it'll be a while.
I like your doll costumes, by the way. Neat site. Did you use Barbie patterns or just make up your own?

 

I made up my own patterns ;-) But actually, Padawan's Guide has a lot of hints that can be scaled down for your Barbie-sized doll. But fair warning...it can become ADDICTIVE ;-)

I think Padawan's Guide has a segment on the "Flame Gown" too. And there are some interesting "tutorials" on dying fabrics too.

Just remember to use the thinnest materials you can for doll costuming as the thicker the material, the more bulky it becomes on small dolls. (BTW I picked up a nice white panne velour that can be dyed into whatever color I want for some great prices at Wal-mart ;-) That helps too. LOL)

~Samantha

 

Lol, I'm already addicted to the padawansguide, don't worry. Good call on the thin materials. I think the velour I have for the flame gown will work ok, it's reasonably thin.
Ok, here's another question. Has anybody ever made doll shoes? I'm thinking more along the lines of boots, like for Padme's Tatooine disguise, the handmaiden battle outfit from TPM, and the Naboo pilot disguise in AOTC. Patterns, ideas, anyone?

 

Eep. I'd probably go with tracking down some Barbie doll-type boots and modifying them as necessary. Kitbashing is fun!

Also, if anyone has good advice on finding a doll that reasonably resembles Padme, I'd love to hear it. There are ancient surplus Amidalas from 1999 still in some Kay-bees around here, but they're all white-queen-makeup Amidala. I just want normal-looking Padme! (I do have the Tatooine handmaiden disguise doll, but she was *hard* to find and I like her too much to use her for other projects.)

Caitlin

 

Oh boy, Ame_V, are you in for it! LOL Boots are not easy. As JainaMSolo pointed out, it's easier to use other boots. I have a load of leftover Amidala Ultimate Hair doll boots if you want some. (you can email me at lestat117@innernet.net if you want, I don't frequently check my PMs here on the Council). But there is a way of making them too. I use cardstock for the basis of all my shoes, or if I'm feeling really in the "mood" FIMO works well (because it turns into a plastic, not like Sculpey which stays a clay).

As for JainaMSolo's request for Padmes...well, I paint over the white faces of the surplus (and I might add, cheap now a days on ebay) with fleshtone acryllics. I recommend the Royal Majesty doll because (1) she has a "narrower" face (I think the headdress has something to do with it), and she comes with a substantial pair of shoes that can be recovered or painted to match outfits. The Hidden Majesty doll works as well, but her face tends to be a little rounder. Don't ask me why because they all seem to be from the same mold. But some of my prettiest Padme dolls have come from the Royal Majesty Amidala. ;-) I don't really suggest the Beautiful Braids Padme doll, as not only is her face ROUND but she has a HUGE hole in the top of her head when you take that bun off, AND two big LUMPS at the back of the head when you rip the braid things off. LOL Yes, I've ripped apart a lot of these dolls for my purposes. And...I might add, the Hasbro play dolls have more sturdy bodies than the "collector" dolls (which are not only more "stick like" they also have rubbery bodies and their necks are not strong enough to support things like headpieces [which is probably why the Senate doll comes with the cardboard corset that goes up around her neck too]).

I've seen other people use other dolls too, but it's difficult to find a Barbie, for example, with not only the same hair color, but also without a huge grin.

Well, anyway, those are my thoughts. LOL Good luck!

 

Thanks JediMistress! Do you know of any online tutorials on repainting doll faces, or do you have any tips yourself? I'm good with fabric, less so with paint.

Caitlin

 

Howdy all-- I'm not a doll expert--but my sister is a Barbie collector--I know you can take acetone (nail polish remover stuff) and a Q-Tip to a Barbie's facial paint and totally make it disappear--even her whole eye. I'm not familiar with the paint on the cheap Kay_bee Padmes (I've seen them--just never tried to re-do one) Will her white make-up come off with an acetone treatment?

Catilin I know if you Yahoo Barbie re-paint you will find out a lot of great sites. There is a whole world of people who do facial re-paints on Barbies and other dolls--You're sure to find a plethora of tips and suggested paints.

Oh--and there is a lady on ebay who sells a lot of OOAK Padme dolls--She has done Barbie, Gene, and now she does a lot of Tyler dolls--and they are gorgeous! Her name is Stephanie and her ebay name is unendinglove --She may be willing to give you some pointers on how to do your own OOAK Padmes. She has a lot of dolls on Maggie's site.

In regards to Ame_V request for patterns--I have made three Padme Barbie outfits--Picnic gown, Packing Gown, and the Black Corset gown--I used a commercial (I think McCalls) pattern and did some modifying to make it work. If I can dig up the pattern # I'll post it here. My doll pics are somewhere....

*Edit** These are old but I found them again Thought someone here might like to look at them Click Me

~Ferd

 

JainaMSolo: Eep. I'd probably go with tracking down some Barbie doll-type boots and modifying them as necessary. Kitbashing is fun!
Yeah, I was thinking that would be the easiest thing to do. Although I've never heard the term "kitbashing." What exactly does it mean?
JediMistress: I use cardstock for the basis of all my shoes, or if I'm feeling really in the "mood" FIMO works well
What is FIMO? I've never heard of that.
FERDALUMP: I'm not familiar with the paint on the cheap Kay_bee Padmes (I've seen them--just never tried to re-do one) Will her white make-up come off with an acetone treatment?
No, the Hasbro Amidala dolls have white vinyl heads, it's not painted on. This is why my Padme doll has a Teresa head. She's not smiling too much, and her hair is the right color. I might get her repainted, though. One of these days.
Thanks for the doll pics, btw. I would love to know what pattern you modified for those! Also, great quotes in the sig. I just watched Shakespeare in Love tonight (it being his birthday and all). That's a great movie!

 

JainaMSolo - The best tutorial I've found on doll repaints is acutally on Laurie Leigh's website (under Tips and Techniques) at: http://www.laurieleighart.com/ She painted Anthony's ooak doll. As for the fleshtone over white vinyl my best advice is take your time and just keep experimenting (and a good sponge brush doesn't hurt LOL)

Ame_V - FIMO is another product that is emensely useful ;-) It comes like Sculpey in small packages in an array of colors and you can bake it in your own oven at low heat. You can mold it with your hand or sculpting tools but once it is baked it become a hard plastic instead of a clay. It's a little hard to work with at first until you get it warmed up. But to avoid hurting your hands, you might want to sit on the package a while first (no I'm not kidding...body heat warms it up enough to make it nice and pliable. Sounds weird, but it works ;-) .)You can roll it out and even sculpt it right on the doll's foot, let it rest a while, slip it off with little damage and then bake it.

I tried a few Teresa dolls before too but I could not find one without a HUGE forehead. I hope you had better luck with that ;-)

"Kitbashing" in dollhouse circles means using one or more pieces of a dollhouse kit (or furniture kit) to make something totally different so I'm guessing in this instance, that's probably the sort of thing it mean here too...except that instead of dollhouses, its doll. LOL ;-)

Ferdalump - Actually, the "makeup" that is painted on the Amidala faces does come off with nailpolish but the base being white vinyl...that doesn't. (Just have to be sure NOT to use the nailpolish with "moisturizers" you need to use plain acetone based remover.)

Without giving away too many of my secrets (so I can still supplement my income and make rent LOL) I hope that helps.

 

Thanks, JediMistress and Ferd! That helps a lot. Basically, I'm wanting to take my leftover rainbow dress materials and do a doll costume or two to prep for redoing the dress this coming year, and I'd like to have a nice-looking doll to display it with when I'm done.

Kitbashing is pretty much what JediMistress said, except I'd heard it used in reference to people who do custom models or action figures. You take components from different figures and remake them into one. (My friends do this all the time, buying various Ken-type dolls to get their accessories and clothing to dress up their 12" Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon dolls. I have weird friends.)

Caitlin

 

This FIMO stuff sounds amazing. Where do I find it? Wal-Mart? (I'm in Iowa.) I found a place where I can order it online, but I like to have the real thing in front of me when I'm buying something I've never bought before. Thanks.
-Ame

 

Usually you can find at least a variety/sampler pack of FIMO at Wal-mart. But I was in our local Wal-mart yesterday and they changed the craft department all around and didn't have it. But that may just be because they're still the "moving-things-around" process. You can also find it in places like Joann Fabrics and A.C. Moore or Michaels Arts and Crafts supply stores. It is definately a good product to have around ;-)

~Samantha

 

One other great resource for boots (and indeed clothing and accessories of ALL kinds): G.I. Joe conventions.
It's not as readily available a resource, but if one comes through your town, it's worth checking out -- there are a LOT of customizers in the Joe universe, and there will usually be dealers with a wide array of custom made items.
Sometimes these same dealers will show up at Barbie shows as well, but I've really seen a much wider range of products (for both male and female dolls) at Joe shows. Also, some of the dealers will take commissions for custome work, so it's worth checking around.

 

For doll shoes and boots: I made fimo boots for my Padme doll. The secret is to use babypowder. Fimo once soft, can stick to your dolls foot and leg, making it hard to remove it for baking (if you are molding the boot right onto the doll) Also, since my doll is made out of a mixture of fimo and sculpey, her leg wont bend like a rubber or vinyl doll when I try to put her boots on. I had to figure out how to make the boots removeable. I made the boot in two sections that fasten together once placed on the doll's foot. I hope this makes sense and is helpful to you.

 

Oh yes, thanks nya that's a good tip. I forgot that one.

FYI, if anyone is interested, I just updated my Victory Parade Gown Amidala doll website.

 

How's the outfit coming along Ame_V? Did you get those boots yet?

- Samantha

 

Yes, I did get the boots. Sorry I didn't e-mail you back right away. As far as how the outfit is coming along... I haven't been having much success with dyeing my fabric (this is for the flame gown, the boots are going to be for something else) but I'll have more time to experiment over the summer, I hope. The problem is, I don't know what kind of fabric it is. But since it's not taking the dye, I would guess polyester. Is there anything I can do about that? I'm using RIT dyes.

 

Try acryllic paints. Take a cup of water, throw your paint in it (just enough to color the water) stir it really good, until there are no globs of paint near the surface. If you've already made the dress, stuff it with a small towel or washcloth. You can "dip" it in the cup but you'll probably need to use a sponge brush too to get it up to where you want it. Let it dry and see where it's at color wise. Remember, you can always add more color but you can't really take it back out so try a little at a time. ;-)

Glad the boots got there and work for ya ;-)

Samantha

 

I have success dyeing poly fabric all of the time. I use Rit dyes, and to get the best results I would recommend the liquid concentrate, and a higher amount of dye than is recommended for cotton. I also think that the stovetop method is the best to get nice dye results.

~Ferd

 

Well, I've just finished my first "Family Gown" Padme and I've got to say, it was probably one of the hardest gowns I've done in doll size so far. Did anyone else try it yet? First, to get the material that crinkly, I had to gather the fabric with tight basting stitches and then trying to piece those gathered pieces together --wooowee! LOL Well, lets just say, it's a toughie!