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Art Post: Piper Designs (SunDowner)

Blog, my art, sundowner

Art Post: Piper Designs (SunDowner)

May 16, 2002 /

Piper’s various looks…

art old sundowner

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My Costume History, Day 209: Padme’s veranda night

My Costume History, Day 209: Padme’s veranda nightgown from Star Wars, made in summer 2020

Lockdown boredom. I went digging for something/anything to work on, & I stumbled across the pieces of this.

I started on this back in 2006. It’s made of some “close enough” satin I got at Hancock. I can’t remember what pattern I used for the body of the dress, but I used that old McCall’s look-a-like pattern for the “wings” on the back. I’d gotten the straps made, pearls strung. Chase made the brooch for me out of plastic. I found a trim that looked like the heirloom stitch that I was just going to sew on top of the dress.

And then I set it aside because I wasn’t happy with those wings. I got back to it in 2007, went & found a new lining fabric that looked much better. I just needed to sew the straps, trim & wings to the dress, but I just... didn’t. I got busy & set it aside again.

I didn’t get it back out til 2012, when I was bored that winter and decided to mess with it again. I decided the trim really needed to be set in and not sewn on top, so I cut the whole thing up and started trying to sew it back together with the trim between the panels. I got bored & threw it back in the Unfinished bin.

I didn’t get it back out til that lock-in summer of 2020. I reviewed the state it was in (awful) & decided to take it completely apart & start over. Once I had it in pieces, I individually lined each panel & hand-sewed the trim in between them. Thankfully I hadn’t lost the straps in all those years - got those attached. Strung new pearls, sewed those on. Got the wings sewn on the back. Bought new 3d printed jewelry. Made the slippers by covering a pair of flats in some velour from another project. Made the jewelry pieces for the wings out of whatever scraps I could find in my sewing room.

It’s NOT perfect. It has some dents and dings from being messed with so much and taken apart. It’s not accurate at all - but I am SO glad to finally have her finished and part of my collection. I’ll probably never wear it out of the house - and that’s ok. She can look pretty on my dressform and that’s good enough for me.

My Costume History, Day 208: Leia’s ceremonial gow

My Costume History, Day 208: Leia’s ceremonial gown from Star Wars (version 3), made in spring 2020

As 2020 rolled on I was looking for projects to keep myself busy. I’d had my version 2 ceremonial Leia (from 2007) out for a video, and realized it was in rough shape. So what better time to bang out a new version?

I bought a bunch of jet set from Joann, and while I waited on that to arrive, I started messing with some scrap fabric and patterns I had on hand. I got partially through a mock-up and then though, why am I doing this when I know @jeneyrecosplay has a beautiful ceremonial Leia pattern on her site?

So I downloaded that and started over. The only edits I made to the pattern was for fit and I lengthened the skirt because who doesn’t love some extra drama in the train? I self-lined the bodice, and once it was assembled, added the skirts (shorter lining layer to the ankle and longer outer layer). Then finally the sleeves with that fiddly fold over piece in the front.

It all came together really nicely. I bought some new shoes for it since my 07 shoes never fit right, and also upgraded to a new necklace Lapinkrouge on etsy! Chase 3d modeled and printed the bracelet for me.

I did also make a bodice to wear underneath it to basically act as a strapless bra - it was all made out of leftover scraps and stuff I already had. My belt is still my 2007 belt, though it got some upgrades the year before when I did Jedi Leia, so it felt new and fresh for this LOL

I had it all done - except the sleeves. I did not feel like hemming those sleeves LOL So I recorded videos in it, took some pics, all with unhemmed sleeves. I finally sat down and made myself finish it properly in Jan 2021.

I was really happy with how this turned out. I love the way the jetset worked for this - it drapes so nicely! I took it to Dragon Con in 2021 and a few local events. It’s one of my favs. It’s probably coming along with me to Celebration next year!

My Costume History, Day 207: Leia’s Cato Neimoidia

My Costume History, Day 207: Leia’s Cato Neimoidia gown from Star Wars, made in early 2020

I thought this Leia costume from the Poe Dameron comics looked like it would be a fun one to make. I like how it kinda mirrors the picnic gown silhouette! I headed off to Joann and got all of my fabric there - one of my fav thing about doing comic costumes is having a little more freedom in picking fabrics! I got a white silky solid for the basic dress/bodice, a gold trim for the stripes, and this very silly blue glitter fabric. (If I can add sparkle to a Leia costume, I will!)

I started out by making a basic maxi dress out of the white fabric - it has a basic camisole style top, and then a big gathered skirt with a train. I made the bodice as a separate piece - it’s cotton, canvas and an outer layer of the white silky solid fabric and laces up the back. I added the gold trim down the front and along the bottom edge.

The capelet was interesting to put together. I did a mock-up first to kind of figure out the shape. I ended up making it as a top I pull on over my head with an elastic waistband to keep it all neat under the bodice. One disappointing part of this is that the entire front panel you see above the bodice is made up of multiple pieces to create the segmented look of the comic outfit, but all of those seam lines get completely lost in the glitter LOL

I draped the sleeve/capelet part - it’s essentially a big gathered rectangle that attaches at the back and wraps around to the inside of the arm. I was really happy with how that part turned out.

I made the snoods out of some gold lace I bought online, and my tiara and necklaces were made out of the same gold trim from the bodice, with some stones I bought at the craft store. Originally I wore some blue heels with this, but later replaced them with some booties I covered in blue fabric and the leftover gold trimm.

I had meant for this to debut at HSV Expo that year, but... yeah. This was relegated to my closet for well over a year - I finally got to take it to Dragon Con in 2021, but that’s the only time I’ve worn it out. I need to wear it again soon, it’s a fun one!

My Costume History, Day 206: Leia’s Raddus Bridge

My Costume History, Day 206: Leia’s Raddus Bridge gown from Star Wars, made in late 2019

I’d been slowly collecting fabric for this - got the underdress fabric while I was out of state a few months before, a friend recommended the wool for the robe and I got that. I intended to work on it in 2020, but after I finished the Belle costume from yesterday’s post, I decided to go ahead and dive into this.

It ended up being one of those projects that goes really smoothly with no hiccups. I used McCall’s M5155 for the underdress, which worked well - the fabric I had was a soft, thin grey knit that draped really nicely. I added the keyhole at the neckline and made the separate belt.

For the robe I modified Simplicity 4443 - removing some seams, changing the sleeves and the length. But it was a great start for this. Did a mockup out of some grey lining fabric I had on hand and then used that as my lining. Added some interfacing to the sleeves to give them the shape they needed.

I used my Crait Leia wig for it, and most of my jewelry from my previous sequel Leias, except for the bracelet - Chase 3d modeled and printed and painted it for me. Wore some boots I had with it.

And then it sat for a while, because I had intended it for the 2020 con season. I did get to take it out in Feb 2020 - we did a little photoshoot with friends in Nashville that month, and then... that was it for a while, of course!

I did manage to bring it with me to Dragon Con in 2021 - but didn’t wear it. I was thinking, oh lord, I made this costume and I’m never going to get to wear it anywhere... but then in 2022, Chase decided he wanted to do a TLJ Luke costume, so that gave me a solid reason to bring it back and finally wear it at Dragon Con. We got some great photos together.

It’s still my fav of my sequel era Leia costumes, so I’ll have it out again for something in the future again, I’m sure.

My Costume History, Day 205: 18th century inspired

My Costume History, Day 205: 18th century inspired Belle Library Dress from Beauty and the Beast, made for MCFC 2019.

Really I just wanted a green-on-green striped zone front gown and I decided I could do it as a historical inspired Belle, to go with my historically-inspired Belle winter dress from 2015.

Could not find a green-on-green striped fabric that I liked AT ALL, after getting multiple swatches and doing dye tests. I ended up just getting a green cotton I liked and painting the stripes on. I got a green velour for the front panel and a green silk for the skirt.

I mostly used JP Ryan’s Robe à l’Anglaise pattern mixed with some pieces from McCall’s M7642, along with the American Duchess book to make the false rump and underskirt.

I did end up having to dye the silk for my underskirt - what I ordered just ended up looking a little too yellow next to all of my other fabrics. I got it all assembled - I painted the stripes on the green cotton once I had the pieces cut so I wasn’t painting on yardage LOL.

Assembly with smoothly - I added hook and eyes down the front for the closure and bustled it with some ribbons and snaps on the inside. The shoes I picked up at the thrift store and covered in my green velour, along with some buckles (which are just for show, they don’t do anything).

I used the wig from my pink Belle costume but restyled it, and made a green bow for the ponytail from my leftover skirt fabric.

I wore this at MCFC 2019, and then went out and did a little spontaneous photoshoot with it - I had plans to take it to a couple of cons in 2020, but... yeah we’re reaching that point of time.

Because of the timing of finishing this costume right before 2020, I have never done anything else with it besides a few videos. I mean I guess at least it did get to have one outing before everything shut down, so that’s more than some of them from this time period got.

Obviously I still have it - and since restyling this wig again I’d love to wear it again sometime. Just need to make sure I put the skirt on the right way (I’ve put it on sideways every single time I’ve worn it except the first... LOL)

An outtake from this year’s white backdrop photosh

An outtake from this year’s white backdrop photoshoots - Luna took over my Rogue (X-Men 97) set. She’s the true star.

Don’t mind me, just casually wearing picnic Padme

Don’t mind me, just casually wearing picnic Padme to go antiquing

I have a few more dragon con pics to share. Wore w

I have a few more dragon con pics to share. Wore wedding Princess Leia for a short bit saturday - always love a photo of the back!

My Costume History, Day 204: The Mothman, for my b

My Costume History, Day 204: The Mothman, for my birthday party 2019

Remember in 2019 there was that whole “Storm Area 51” joke? Well it was supposed to be happening September 20, which was my birthday, and it was a milestone birthday for me, so I decided to have a “Storm Area 51” birthday party. The theme was come as your fav alien, cryptid, or FBI agent. We had themed food and music, and I still find little glow in the dark aliens around the house occasionally LOL

Anyway, I still had a whole bolt of this black fuzzy fabric from my Amidala Post-Senate costume - I WAY overbought fabric. I decided I could make a quick little Mothman outfit for my party with it.

The dress is literally just two rectangles sewn together with openings for the neck and arms - I didn’t even hem it since you couldn’t really see a hem anyway. I did get it a littttle short so I have to wear black shorts under it LOL. The cape is just 1 long piece of the fabric, cut in half and sewn onto some black elastic loops, which go on like a backpack.

I made the eyes/antenna around a black headband - used some floral wire for the shape of the antenna and covered it in the black fabric. The eyes are just two LED light discs that velcro onto the headband so I can take them off easily and replace the batteries when needed. Wore it with some black tights and boots.

My party was so much fun and I loved this silly little costume - so much so I decided I’d take it to Dragon Con as my late night costume the next year - though of course, that didn’t happen. I DID bring it to dcon in 2021, unlike so many other 2019/2020 costumes that never got to go anywhere because I mentally moved on from them! It was a lot of fun to wear at Dragon Con - comfy and easy and fun photos.

Haven’t worn it since, because I managed to lose the remote for the lights. I need to just order some new ones I bring this back out again.

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