It was a busy weekend. As is the the weekend before DragonCon EVERY year. SEE:
8/25/2002
8/23/2003
8/29/2004
8/28/2005
8/27/2006
8/26/2007
8/24/2008
8/31/2009
8/28/2010
8/28/2011
8/23/2012
8/26/2013
8/24/2014
8/24/2015
8/30/2016
8/29/2017
Haha.
I got the robe finished late last week. I ended up taking the collar off the robe and sewing it onto a t-shirt that I’ll just wear underneath it. It made life a whole lot easier.
Friday was wig melt-down day. Had to completely take apart everything I’d gotten done on it prior to that, cut down the foam shapes (they were too big), sew the socks back around them and reassemble the whole thing. So I basically got “nothing” done on Friday since it put me right back where I started on that.
Saturday Chase was shooting all day. I took the robe over to my parents’ house and mom helped me get it fitted. One of my shoulder appliques wasn’t matching up to the other side so she got it pinned in place while it was on me, marked another snap point for me and helped me get the collar positioned on the t-shirt.
Saturday afternoon I focused on my Leia wig.
Funnily enough, the part I thought would be hard was easy and the part I thought would be easy was hard. I had the WORST time getting those little buns in the back into place.
But I finally did, they’re not super tight right now — once I’m actually wearing it I’m going to get them pinned in really well.
My biggest problem with it was that I realized it was WAYYYY too light. I’d planned on getting it styled and then going in with markers and darkening up the roots and some areas. But I quickly realized it was more of a “needed to be 3 shades darker to start with” problem. Markers in a few spots was not going to do the job.
But I wasn’t sweating it too much, because this is just an in-between wig. Once I feel brave enough I’m going to restyle my Custom Wigs TFA Leia wig into this style, and that will look great. This one is just a stand-in until I do that. I did decide that on Sunday I’d grab some alcohol and see if I could do an all-over spray to darken it.
Then I spent most of Saturday evening packing. Just gathering everything up, doing inventory checks on my wig caps, makeup, etc. Then went back to work on my Amidala wig and fixing my Kate bodice. I was caulking some wefts down over the foam shapes so they’d be covered before I put the actual wig hair over it, in case of any gaps, and in between waiting on coats to dry, I’d work on the bodice.
So if you remember when I posted about making the bodice back in July, I noted it ended up way too small at the back along the bust. Fits fine at the waist and hips, but from the waist up it was a huge gap. I could wear it, it just didn’t look great. So I decided to try to add in a triangular shaped panel into the last seam before the eyelets. It was kind of a mess, particularly since I didn’t have anymore of the cotton I’d lined it with. Yesterday I decided to just totally remove the back panels, get new eyelets, new cotton, and make all together new back panels tonight. I think that would be easier than trying to keep working in a wedge into this thing – it was just looking a mess. So I’ll get that done tonight.
Sunday morning Chase and I ran errands. I got my dcon food and other stuff I needed, and we ran to Home Depot and I got a new bin! It has a pull-out handle so it’ll be easier for me to drive.
Then back to work.
Also look at my Kate wig!
It needs a trim but I’m not going to bother, because my forays into trimming wigs this summer have been questionable.
Luna “helped” with my wig
Got my Crait Leia earrings! They are gorgeous! I love having one less thing off my to-do list.
Rest of the night was working on the Amidala wig.
After I got the foam sewn back into the wig cap, I draped the wig hair over the forms. I sprayed them down into place (Got2B + high heat), then ran a stitch up the side to hold everything into place. Then just gathered the remainder into a ponytail in the back for eventually being the loop.
For the center thingie we used some of this foam insulation stuff. One stuffed inside the other to thicken it up.
Then I made a spandex sock for it and sewed it into the wig cap.
Chase 100% made the front pieces for this, I had nothing to do with it at all. They look so good!
And this is where I left it as of last night.
Three things I thinK I will look like when wearing this wig:
My initial thought.
This one is Ann’s fault!
And this one just cuz I’m old and I feel like that’s what I’ll look like LOL
I have the hair braids ready to be sewn onto the center part when I get home tonight – that won’t take long at all. Then Chase is going to finish the bands that go around it (3 all together), get those done and on, and then I’ll get the ponytail looped back up and glued into the bottom of the last band. Still have the hanging beads to do on the side of the face — my 2 large ones I bought for it need new holes drilled into them so I have to wait til Chase does that.
One thing I’m concerned about is that I have not put that Amidala wig on my head. I 100% know that my hairline/baby hairs are going to show even without trying it on. It’s just the nature of a pulled back hairline like that. Which wasn’t going to be a problem back when my hair was brown and could have been blended in. Not my hair is back to red and it’s going to look bad.
So last night I hopped on Amazon, bought a cheap black lace-front wig, and I’m just going to cut it short and wear it underneath the Amidala wig. So then the style wig can just sit on top and I can adjust my “hairline” as needed. I’m hoping that helps, at least.
So my to-do list is:
1. Glue one thing onto my prop. Maybe add a little more colour to it if I have time.
2. Maybe darken my wig for the other surprise costume since I’ve got it mixed up for Leia.
3. Get my buns on the Leia wig straightened up. They separated while drying from the colour spray and the socks underneath are showing.
4. Sew modesty panel into Kate shorts.
5. Make new back bodice panels for Kate, get them attached. Resew the fringe in place.
6. Sew hair braids onto Amidala center piece.
7. Get bands finished, glued in place.
8. Caulk back ponytail into solid piece, get it glued into the last band.
9. String the beads for the headpiece, get it attached.
10. Get the forehead medallion attached
11. Press the robe
12. Trim that lacefront wig I mentioned.
that’s it I think.
And a quick art dump before I leave. I have 2 more concept Padmes to add.
The original concept art looked like it was intended to be a Queen, with the scar of remembrance makeup obviously there. But it was just looking more like a matured AOTC look as I worked on it. Since I couldn’t decide, I just did it as both.
I think I’m going to go with the older Padme look rather than Queen Amidala…
And then this white one…
This one was a quick draw but then I think I ended up rushing it a bit too much towards the end just so I could get it done. I still like it though.