dragoncon approacheth

Let’s start with going through last week’s to-do list project-by-project:

Morticia:
The only thing off last week’s list is that I got the sleeve lace sewn on. That’s it, but it does mean the dress is done, all that’s left is the wig/make-up/try on and if I have time to add the beading. I did bring the dress and beads downstairs to work on during couch time, but it will be in between more pressing things.

Rogue:
Nothing yet. It’s a lazy costume so I’m going to wait til I have more important things finished before finishing this.

Space guys:
I got the old waistband taken off my skirt, new one made and sewn on — my outfit is finished except attaching the belt buckle to my waistband. Still need to style my wig and find my boots.
For Chase’s Space guy I got the front and back of his shirt cut and the applique piece cut. That’s all.

Padme/Taylor:
Haven’t done anything else with it since last post.

Belle:
same

Picnic Padme:
Ok I really dug into picnic Padme this week, so I’m going to deviate from this list and swing into photo updates.

Luna was directing me on my embroidery.

I spent pretty much every day last week powering through this bodice embroidery.

Of course it took longer than I expected.

I finished it Sunday morning:

My finger tips feel like they have been burnt off lol

Saturday day time I worked on other Padme things (and went back to embroidery Saturday night, staying up late to try to finish it. Had to do another hour of work Sunday morning.)

Forbidden dreamsicle!
Got my cape fabric dyed. I realized Saturday morning I didn’t have any yellow poly dye. So I did a Michael’s pickup order and just ran in and got it when we went out to get lunch. I told Chase as I was mixing it up, “I’m so glad I already did this last year for the disneybound so I know how to do it” – and then I messed it up. Well, thankfully not the fabric, but I got too much dye and too much orange in the mix, and my swatches were basically coming out UT vol orange. I had to dump it and start over… but I’d used up all of the yellow poly dye (no wonder it was so saturated). Not wanting to go back out, I doordashed another bottle (face palm). Didn’t want to go back out and didn’t want to stop working on stuff, it was delivered 20 minutes later and I redid the mix. Started out with way less dye and just a few drops of orange this time. Happy with swatches so I dyed the whole thing, let it dry, then decided it needed to be a little darker, so a little more yellow and a little more orange and it’s good enough. Not perfect but it’s fine. Left it to dry overnight.

(Real kicker to doordashing that dye because we didn’t want to leave? An hour later Chase needed something from Michael’s and went to get it! (face palm picard meme))

Saturday I also focused on the skirts.

I tried leveling the hem of the main skirt. It was an effort in futility. I put it on me, eyeballed it in the mirror, picked up an area that looked too long, and pinned it up to be shorter. Then I’d let it back down and it would look right… until I swished or moved at all, then it’d fall into a different area and look too short. I did shorten a couple of areas by hand that felt like the most egregious, but after a while I felt like I was fighting a losing battle and decided it’s just going to be what it’s going to be. Maybe one weekend after dragoncon, I will completely take out the hem and redo it all.

I finished the waistband and called it done.

Saturday morning I finally got outside and got the rest of the underskirt dyed. Once it was dry (it dried fast!) I got the waistband put in (just did an elastic waist) and did the first pass of the hem. Folded it up one more time to finish by hand – planning to do that today.

I’m not happy with how much the pink is showing through the front panel. I twisted it to move a less-pink area into the front and that helped.

(Also – dyed cape fabric)

I think I may get some dye remover out and just dab it onto some the pinks higher up in the skirt, and spray some more yellow on.

Sunday was finally bodice day. I got the embroidered front panel basted onto my base corset.

First pass I got the panel situated too lower on the bodice, so I had to undo it and shift it up a little bit, basted it again, checked it again, all looked good – sewed it on, trimmed the excess and pressed it.

Have not finished the back yet. I haven’t decided how I want to do the closure over the lace-up back. Was thinking zipper but I’d have to buy a separating zipper and do it lapped and I hate doing lapped zippers. Maybe snaps? Hook and bar closure sounds annoying for Chase LOL. Definitely not velcro. Sounds like snaps it may be.

After that I moved onto the cape. Thankfully my pattern for the cape worked out of the box. I did do a mockup to be safe.

Did a bunch of tests with various stabilizers on the edge stitching. Started with tissue paper — too light, the stitching was curling in on itself. Tried some water soluble I had – also too light. Best thing that worked? Just a piece of plain printer paper. Nice even stitches, no rolling under. But I don’t want printer paper trapped in these stitches forever LOL Ended up paying $30 for a roll of ultra heavy duty water soluble hoping it would give the same effect and be able to wash out… two layers of it and 15 minutes soaking in water and I still ended up with curled in stitches and a gummy mess left on my cape.

So fuck it I’m using my good stiff tearaway I use for embroidery. Tested that out and it worked close enough to the printer paper. Last night I got all of the stabilizer placed for the scallops and my stitching lines drawn on.

It’s going to be a marathon to do this stitching. I don’t want to have to stop and pick back up and not have it join correct, but I feel like I’m probably going to run out of thread at some point in the process. But I don’t want to walk away from it in the middle of it if I don’t have to. So I’m planning today after work to dig in and try to get it done. I should have a good solid 2 hours to focus on it before Chase gets home. Pray for me.

Last night I also worked on the blouse again finally. Got the lining layer taken in to fit right, then did the same to the embroidered chiffon layer. I got the embroidered layer sewn together at the shoulder seams — tonight I’ll get the lining layer sewn together the same, make sure they match, and then I want to sew the elastic into the arms before sewing the arm/side seams closed.

Feeling better about things, but I’ve got 2 appointments this weekend that are going to eat up my good working time. One is for hair so I gotta do that, the other is an eye dr appointment because I want to try those eye drops that are supposed to help your upclose vision for like 8 hours. But also don’t feel like taking the time to go over there for that so I may cancel it.

Ok sorry doing my updated to-do list before art corner:

MORTICIA:
-style wig
-try on everything
-practice makeup
-bead dress if I have time

SPACE GUYS:
-style my wig
-attach belt buckle
-finish edges on Chase’s applique
-sew applique to shirt
-make collar/attach
-make shoulder pauldrons/attach
-finish pants (elastic in waist/hem)

ROGUE:
-style wig
-iron on X-Men symbol
-fix boots
-attach buckle to belt

PADME/TAYLOR:
-put in grommets
-sew panels into suit
-try on
-fix sequins that came off
-fix wig

BELLE:
-try on with corset

-PICNIC PADME:
-finish edges of cape
-paint edges of cape
-assemble blouse
-make straps for blouse
-dye ribbons
-figure out ribbon attachments
-finish back of corset
-fix dye issue on underskirt
-finish hem on underskirt
-cape attachment
-style wig
-make/embroider headband

I feel like this is do-able but I got to keep my nose to the grindstone.

My goals before next week’s update are to have MOST of Padme done, and just little things like straps, ribbons, wig left, as well as having Chase’s Space guy shirt finished. Those are the 2 biggest things hanging over my head, everything else is small potatoes.

Art corner! I only have 2 Leias this week because I was really trying to get that embroidery done.