Let’s start out with Seven progress this week because looking back at my last post… dang I finished a lot since then! It didn’t feel like that much but it was.
I did finish getting all of the HTV sewn on and FINALLY got to start sewing everything together.
The back panel
It took me a minute to remember how the sleeves worked on the TNG uniform — the yoke and sleeve parts I’m using are from that. Got them sewn on…
I did the back sleeve connections in kind of a stupid way — took my multiple tries to get them on. Then as I was doing the front ones it dawned on me that I was doing them wrong. I did them correctly on the front and they looked much better, but i’d already tinkered with the back ones so much I didn’t want to undo them AGAIN so they’re just going to be what they’re going to be.
It’s finally to the point I can try it on!
I spent a long time last week monkeying with the collar facing. Originally I had it extending to the yoke seamline all around – just a mirror of the red yoke, but in black. But trying to make it fit over the shoulders and all that was a lot, so I cut it down to only about 2in all the way around. That worked much better.
Then spent a long time hand-sewing the piping on.
(Also have to say I have SO MUCH pin scratches from this project – taking it off and on was like walking through a thorn field)
The reason I did the collar facing in black instead of red is so that I’d have that strip of black showing between the red piping and red yoke. Not the most elegant way to achieve that, but ah well.
Getting this all turned and clean at the front point was a challenge. But got that done, got the front panel sewn together at last…
(Yeah I’m just doing it as a pull-on over my head instead of having it open in the front. Easier that way.)
Trying it all on — all that was left here was the waistband.
I got the first waistband made and attached, only for one side to end up shorter than the other for some reason? I don’t know how that happened. So I cut that off and made a new one, got it sewn on, finished the inside edge by hand and then put elastic in.
All that’s left now the closures at the top. I was out of snaps, so I ordered some last week and they arrived on Saturday – but by that point I’d moved on to the next project, so I’ll get the closures done in a few days. Then just gotta do accessories.
My plan is to buy the face parts because I found someone selling those and that’ll be the easiest thing. For the hand, I can’t find anyone selling the hand, so I’ve got to figure that out. I have a plan, we’ll see how it goes.
Luna in shoe heaven. She REALLY liked the Padme shoes.
Did I even talk about my Padme shoes here?? I don’t think I did. Somebody on ebay had stock of the old Museum Replicas Packing Padme shoes (and the costume too). I got a pair! I’ve wanted these since they came out, but it was 2008, it was the year we got married so I was trying to save money, and I wasn’t doing Padme much at that time, so I never got them. And then they sold out so I figured I lost my chance forever, but now I have a pair! They are dry and dusty AF lol So I’m going to get some conditioner and give them a good massage.
But I’ll be wearing them with Padme at dragoncon so that’ll be fun. Speaking of Padme – I also recently did some updates there, fixed some loose snaps, added snaps to the sleeves/armbands so they don’t slide down, and… sadly replaced all of the cuff buttons. The kit I used last year was trash. Remember how I Said one button just completely fell apart as I was putting it on at dcon last year? Yeah well more have fallen apart since then. The only place I could find that had that size was the same brand so I wasn’t doing that again, so I sized up so I could use a dritz kit since I trust that. I don’t like the bigger buttons at all, it doesn’t look right, but at least they won’t fall apart I guess.
I also decided I need to add 2 more snaps to the vest, so I’ve got those marked while I await a SECOND shipment of smaller snaps LOL
This cat has been a whole entire BABY this week.
So now in other costume news…
Chase got my Jedi Training Leia helmet printed, now time for assembly.
And while he’s working on that, I’m working on his project…
Vader suit part 2
I got the front shirt panels cut Saturday and started getting them marked for the quilting lines.
Saturday evening we went to dinner with my parents, and before we left I was killing time so I got this out:
It was one of the “rescues” from my parents’ attic last year, and I knew it still had a bunch of stuff in it (doom box) so I decided to clean it out so I could get this cleaned up and store some costume pieces in it.
Well in a moment of weird kismet, guess what I found in that bag? The receipt for the pleather we used for Chase’s Vader suit back in 2006. From denverfabrics. While I’m working on the exact same thing again. LOL!
Also a dragoncon 2002 program, a SDCC 2004 program, and a bunch of freebies from Celebration 3. I put all that stuff in the “King Doom Box” to go through at a later time.
(I’ve been on a mission to clean out all my doom boxes and bags the past few years. They are everywhere, but I’ve made good progress. The one big one left is the “King Doom Box” that is under my bed — I dread having to go through that one.)
Yesterday was spent doing a photoshoot that took longer than we expected, but glad its over – I’ll show that stuff off at a later, it’s for something specific.
New to-do list:
Lothal Leia:
-Buy new belt/get it painted
-finish belt boxes
-paint accessories, get them attached
-figure out the hair
-hem the shirt
Nadja:
-sew on the sash
Breha:
-paint belt buckle/get it attached
-finish back of belt
-make a matching bag
-practice hair
Seven of Nine:
-put closures on jacket
-buy remaining accessories
-paint com badge/add magnets
-figure out hand accessory
Vader:
-finish quilting front panel
-finish edges of front panel
-add mesh back panel
-cut sleeves
(that’s all i’m focusing on for this week on Vader)
hoping I can get my Jedi Flashback Leia fabric ordered this week so i can get started on that soon too.