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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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Princess Leia art project part 7: Boushh disguise

Princess Leia art project part 7: Boushh disguise

Princess Leia Art project - part 5 and 6 Decided

Princess Leia Art project - part 5 and 6

Decided to lump Bespin Escape jumpsuit and End of ESB dress into one post since they’re both retreads of previous costumes.

Princess Leia project part 4 - Bespin Leia As a r

Princess Leia project part 4 - Bespin Leia

As a recap to this project:
I was having so much fun redrawing and simplifying my older Padme project pieces that I decided to draw some Princess Leias to match.

I did actually start trying to do a Leia version of my Padme project back in 2018. I got about six of them done before I got distracted and quit. So it’s nice to finally revisit this idea. While these versions aren’t done to the same level as the original Padme pieces, I do now have all the line work if I ever want to go back and completely paint them.

These Leia pieces I’ll be posting over the next few weeks have been really fun to do - they’re much faster to draw than Padme, not only because they aren’t as complicated but also because I have all of my own costumes to reference 😹

My Costume History, Day 124: Julia from Cowboy Beb

My Costume History, Day 124: Julia from Cowboy Bebop, for MTAC 2010

Chaes was working staff at MTAC that year. I hadn’t made any anime costumes in several years at that point, so I decided I needed something new - and something easy, because by the time I made this decision I didn’t have a lot of time left.

I was already planning to do a Black Widow costume for Dragoncon that year, and I’d already bought this wet-look spandex suit for it from River’s Edge dancewear. I realized - hey, I could use this suit for a Julia costume too! So, that became my one new costume for MTAC 2010.

Like I said, I bought the suit. I had the boots, I had the wig. I bought some sunglasses at target, and spray painted a bangle for the bracelet. Made the collar out of some black spandex.

Obviously not a lot of work here — but most of it went into the belt. I drew up the design and Chase cut it out of some scrap leather for me. Painted it silver, and made the back portion out of some black leather. It snaps in the back.

I wore it at MTAC, it was fun, but it was kind of a throwaway costume so I didn’t do much else with it. Never wore it again. BUT a couple of years after MTAC, I realized I had lost the full size versions of the photos Chase took of me in it at the con. So if I wanted to print photos of this (which I was trying to do for a portfolio at the time), I was stuck with 600px tall versions that were going to look terrible. That was frustrating - I can’t believe I lost those original photos.

So I moved it to the top of the “white backdrop photoshoot to-do list” - but I still didn’t get around to it for several more years. It just was never a priority.

Finally this past year for our december 2025 photoshoots, I got it out and shot it! At long last! Only took 15 year! LOL I did have to make a new collar (the original was long gone), and I wore a different wig with it, which I think looked better than the first one.

This is my first time posting any of these white backdrop shoot photos of it on social media! I’m really happy with how they turned out and so glad to have it properly catalogued finally.

My Costume History, Day 123: Jane from Tarzan, for

My Costume History, Day 123: Jane from Tarzan, for Anaheim Comic Con 2010

I love Disney’s Tarzan, I love Jane, I love her dress, so why not.

I started out by making a pair of stays out of cotton, canvas and boning - they weren’t exactly the right shape for this, and they weren’t pretty, but I was happy with them at the time. I bought the bustle - I wasn’t confident in making that.

The dress is two pieces - top and skirt - and made out of a matte yellow satin. The top zips up the back, but I couldn’t find a separating zipper that looked decent, so it’s a normal zipper and I have to pull it on over my head and zip it down instead of up LOL Added the white cuffs, and the leather belt is attached to the top and closes with a hook and eye at the back.

The skirt was interesting to make, because I didn’t have any patterns in my stash made to fit over a bustle like this, so I just draped it and made it up. It’s self-lined and I added the white lace to the bottom. The white sash at the back and draped panel in the front are sewn in at the waistband - this whole thing is a PUZZLE to get into, it’s a series of snaps and hook and eyes at the side and it always takes me a minute to remember which order things go in LOL

I bought the boots at target and made the white spats to fit over them out of some stretch knit. For the white collar, I bought a button-up shirt and made a new collar for it out of my matte white satin. The purple “tie” is attached to this as well and it closes with a snap. Bought the pith helmet online. The gloves were my Hoth Leia gloves.

The parasol wasn’t perfect, but I picked it up at an estate sale & loved the old wooden handle. Added some lace to the edge & left it as-is otherwise.

This was so much fun to wear! The response from other folks at cons was so funny. So I wore it a lot the rest of the year & into 2011. Funnily enough after it seemed like EVERYBODY knew Jane at the Anaheim con, at Dcon I kept getting asked “so are you like, some kind of steampunk girl?” LOL

It’s still a fav, I still have it, though the boots are slowly dieing and the pith helmet liner has crumbled into nothing. I’ll fix them & get her wearable again one day soon.

My Costume History, Day 122: Ms Marvel from Marvel

My Costume History, Day 122: Ms Marvel from Marvel Comics, for Anaheim Comic Con 2010

One that was on my “want” list for ages, finally got around to it for Anaheim Comic Con.

I made the basic black bodice using some black matte spandex and a leotard pattern - I self-lined it and added the collar. Before sewing the panels together, I had Chase cut the lightning bolt out of some gold metallic spandex for me (he cuts much steadier than I do with things like this LOL) and I basted it onto the front panel, then machine sewed it.

Or, at least, I thought I’d sewn it onto the front panel. Turns out I’d sewn it onto the back panel! Thankfully I was able to recut that panel into the shape of the front panel, and cut a new back panel. Whew! Didn’t want to have to redo all that!

Made the sash out of a tube of red spandex, bought the gloves. Chase sculpted the mask for me and cast it in latex, and I use pros-aide to stick it to my face.

The first pair of boots I bought online, made an extension for to make them taller and give them that curve at the top, and covered them in my black spandex. I did not like them. They didn’t fit great, wouldn’t stay up and were uncomfortable AF. So after Anaheim I made new boots - got a pair of basic heels, made boot covers out of spandex that fit over them with an opening for the heel, and sewed them to a pair of tights. This worked so much better, was so much more comfortable - and I use those heels with every pair of “boots” I made like this for the next couple of years. Easier to pack away too!

I debuted her at Anaheim like I said - loved it, minus the (original) boots. Took her to a LOT more cons over the next few years, because she doesn’t take up a lot of space to pack and is fun and easy to wear. Did the white backdrop shoot, got a pic with Stan Lee, wore it in the dragoncon parade. It was a fav for many years.

I do still have her and she’s still in great shape. Who knows, she might come back to dragoncon this year since I’m trying to bring a lot of old favs...

My Costume History, Day 121: Snow White, for Hallo

My Costume History, Day 121: Snow White, for Halloween 2009

After doing Princess Aurora for Halloween in 08, I wanted to do another princess and thought Snow White would be fun to make!

Headed to Hancock and got most of my fabrics there - a yellow matte satin and a yellow floral satin for the skirt, light blue satin for the sleeve stripes, and this really cool red embossed fabric that felt and hangs like a thin flannel? I’m still not sure what that was but I love it, the embossed floral design on it looks really cool on the cape! I think the blue faux suede I used for the bodice was leftover from another project.

I started with the skirt, and alternated panels of the plain satin with the floral. Gathered it into a waistband with a zipper and hook & eye. Made the bodice by modifying an existing bodice pattern - red piping in the seams, cotton lining, boning and it laces up the back. My sleeves are based on the Snow park costume at the time, with a red puff sleeve and then strips of the blue fabric over the top, gathered into a red cuff. The cape I just draped on my dressform, gathered it with some stitches, and it’s sewn in place in the front. I added a little “brooch” from the craft store to the front.

The collar is based on the collar panel from the Simplicity Snow White pattern - I just made it bigger. It’s a layer of white satin (the side facing me), some thick interfacing for shape, and white swirl velvet (outer layer). I also got some pearl trim and sewed it on the edges. I was VERY lucky this collar pattern fit into my self-drafted collar portion of my bodice, because I didn’t take it into consideration at all LOL I used snap tape on both to snap the collar to the bodice.

Bought the wig online, covered a headband, & dyed some shoes I got at the thrift store.

I love how it turned out, & it became my default Halloween costume for several years. I’ve worn it to a couple of cons, & some local events. It’s a fav because it’s so recognizable! I would love to remake the bodice one day in a different fabric, & get some shoes that fit better - maybe I’ll do that as a bored winter project eventually.

My Costume History, Day 120: Anne Boleyn from The

My Costume History, Day 120: Anne Boleyn from The Other Boleyn Girl, for Dragoncon 2009

In 2008/2009 I went through a massive Tudor moment. Read everything I could get my hands on, watched every movie. And I absolutely loved the costumes from The Other Boleyn Girl, ESPECIALLY this green dress. Green is my fav colour, so I decided I wanted to make it for dragoncon that year.

I always call this costume a “reasonable facsimile.” I was absolutely not going for historical accuracy, just something that looks like the movie costume. I bought the Simplicity Tudor patterns and got to work.

I made the stays out of some green cotton and canvas. Bought the bum roll online. Used hoops I already had, made a petticoat out of our wedding aisle runner LOL. I used a green poly charmeuse for most of the dress - not exactly the fabric I wanted, but I liked the color so I went with it.

The dress is all one piece and laces up the back. The “underskirt” is just a panel sewn in place - some green and gold fabric I got at Joann, and I also made the fitted undersleeves out of the same. I splurged on some green silk velvet for the turned back sleeves and veil. Also made the trim for the bodice out of the silk velvet.

For the jewels on the neckline and hood, I had some beads I wanted to use but didn’t have enough of them, so Chase cast and painted them for me. Added some fake jewels and glued them on. Also made the necklace out of an existing pearl necklace and a “B” from the craft store.

Bought the French hood online, stripped it and re-covered it in my own fabric and beads.

I love how it turned out! It was so much fun to wear. I wore it at Dragoncon that year, immediately did the white backdrop shoot, also wore it to a few Halloween parties (where a woman acted like I was lying about making this LOL), GMX, MidSouthCon, etc. I’ve had it out for several videos in recent years. There were things I wish I’d done different - which I’d correct when I did my second tudor dress in 2014, but we’ll get to that later.

I do still love this costume. It’s not perfect, but I still am proud of it and love wearing it!

My Costume History, Day 119: Wonder Woman from DC

My Costume History, Day 119: Wonder Woman from DC Comics, made for Dragoncon 2009

After doing my Alex Ross-style Wonder Woman in 2007, I wanted to do another classic version - this one a little more cartoon-inspired.

I made the bodice out of some red matte fabric I picked up at Joann, with a cotton lining. It has spiral steel boning, lace-up back and built in bra cups. I like how it turned out but my one nitpick is it’s really short. I wish I’d made it like 2 inches longer.

To compensate for that, when I made the bottoms, I made sure I made them very tall. Found this blue spandex with white stars on ebay, and used a swimsuit pattern to make them. Under that bodice they come all the way up to my ribcage LOL

Chase made all of the “hard” parts. We took a full bodycast of me (during which I passed out, only time I have ever passed out in my life!), and he used that to sculpt this chestpiece. He cast it and painted it, and it velcros onto the bodice. The belt and tiara are heat-formed plastic - the belt velcros on as well, and the tiara ties on under the wig. He made the gauntlets as well.

Used my boots from the 07 version and my Zatanna wig, and also wore my Scarlet Witch cape with it later on.

I debuted it at Dragoncon 09 and barely got any photos, I just felt like it wasn’t completely done? Afterwards Chase repainted some of the parts and I felt like it looked better after that. Wore it a lot throughout 2010 and into 2011! It became a fav for a hot minute. Did the backdrop shoot in 2010.

Last time I wore it out was in 2014 for a local superhero event - wore it with a different wig that I really liked for this, kinda had more Lynda Carter vibes. But have not worn it since, except for a tiktok video back in 2020. It’s still in good shape, except the boots. Alas they are pleather so they are starting to go, but nearly 20 years was a good run. If I were to want to wear it out of the house, I’d also make a new bodice that fits 2026 me better, and make some new more sustainable boots!

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