Breaking The Rules...Whatever Those Are.

Dear readers, I cheated.
Today I committed one of the *cardinal sins for DIY costumers; I purchased a pre-made piece that is a major component of Elsa's Snow Queen gown; the cape.
There it was on Etsy, beckoning and tempting me with visions of 'finishing things in time' and 'less weeping whilst at my sewing machine'.
...notice I said "less" weeping. There may still be a few tearful nights as I get closer to game time.

While I had planned on making my own, I have less than 2 months left to complete 2, perhaps 3 costumes for Dragon Con, and I'm getting help wherever I can find it.
If that means I purchase something off Etsy pre-made to help with the rest of the costume I am making, so be it. This will save me many hours so that I can actually complete this entire costume, and others, by mid August.
Of course, I may be adding my own details to this cape in the form of even more sparkle, using Swarovski crystals and such.

Image from the Etsy seller listing, Angelsecret.

Just over 9 feet in both length and width (2.8 meters x 3 meters).
If you look to the sides of the main image above, you'll notice that the people holding the cape out need to stand on stools because of its size. I'm looking forward to getting this in hand. The listing states that they need 30 days minimum time frame to complete this cape, so I'm expecting the quality to be fairly good. At least good enough that I can work with it if I need to make minor changes or additions.

(*FYI; this is by no means a slam on those who cosplay with pre-made or purchased costumes. I am merely making fun of myself and my own tendencies and insane need to make ALL the things on my own. Sometimes I need to let my own standards take a vacation for the sake of my own sanity, and that's just fine. xoxo )

Liebster Award!!

I have been awarded the Liebster Award!
A big Thank You to Little Mothball of the Mothball Fleet blog:
So, as per the rules, here are the questions with my answers, and nominations:

1. When/how/why did you start sewing/costuming/crafting?
    When: I was about 10 or 11 when I began making little clothes for my dollhouse dolls. I had seen some 17th and 18th century dollhouses, at a museum in Amsterdam. When we returned home, I instantly set about trying to turn my own humble colonial style dollhouse into an 18th century manor house. I made tiny stays and panniers, even tall wigs for them from mohair. If only I had pictures!
    How: With anything I could get my hands on; scrap materials, et all. My mother and my grandmother's all sewed, and taught me how to do the basics on a machine later on. I began my sewing with hand sewing the doll clothes, so I already had a good foundation for real clothing construction later on. I would also repair my dress up clothes, which were often vintage 1950s stage costumes, prom dresses or 1970s Gunnie Sax (sp?) dresses from my grandparents estate auction finds. I still have some of these repaired dresses in my vintage clothing collection, only now I've grown into them ;-)
    Why: I'm just going to quote some of this from my website;
I have always loved anything to do with costuming, makeup, dance, art, burlesque/theater history, and music. Along with 15 years of classical and modern dance, I spent countless hours listening to works by composers like Handel, Scarlatti, and fell absolutely head over heels in love with the music of Mozart. When my father and I would travel to Vienna, Austria to visit family I would spend hours wandering Schönbrunn Palace until I knew the maze of gardens by heart.
What does Mozart and the palaces of Austria have to do with my sewing & costuming, you might ask?
It was sort of the key that unlocked my love of history and all its forms of artifice and embellishment.
I poured over old family photographs, and practically devoured books on fashion history and construction starting at a very young age. I attended operas in some of the original opera houses and watched films like Amadeus, Dangerous Liaisons and various BBC productions. It was, and still is, an attraction to an aesthetic from past centuries you simply don't have now. I wanted so badly to go back in time when I was a kid so as I grew up, I continued to sew and experience the past through the historical clothing I recreated and wore.




2. Do you have a favorite era/genre? What is it?
    Like picking one favorite color, this is a tough one. I love many, but my top 3 are;
1. Mid to late 18th century (Georgian)
2. The 1930s Deco Era
3. Victorian natural form (1876-80), and mid (1874-75) to late (1883-86) bustle years.

3. Your favorite piece you've made?
     Currently, I have two favorite pieces.
1. my reproduction of a velvet and fur winter ensemble worn by Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) of Austria.
2. my raspberry silk faille 1880s ballgown, with optional daytime bodice.


4. Best sewing tip(s)?
     Make a mockup first!! Even if you have a pattern.
     Don't give up. Put the project aside for a week or two (maximum) if it's frustrating you, and come back to it with 'a fresh brain' as my grandmother would say.


5. Favorite fabric(s)/material(s) to work with?
     Silk taffeta is number one, silk organza/organdy, cotton, wool, rayon, linen.

6. Favorite color?
    It's always interesting when someone asks me this question. Creative individuals have a hard time just picking one ultimate, unwaveringly favorite color. They usually never pick one and keep it, or if they do, it's their favorite one for that moment. Right now may favorite color is a rich lavender shade, like the kind you see on lilacs. Next month, it may be Tiffany blue ;-)


7. Sewing pet peeve?
     Twisting thread when doing hand sewing, so that it knots up.
My biggest pet peeve right now is too many other obligations (self inflicted, of course) that get in the way of sewing more 18th century items; like a pair of stays.


8. What new project are you working on/planning that you are most excited about?
 My Lagertha costume (from 'Vikings').


9. Going to Costume College this year?
     I never make this event, sadly. This is due to my calender always getting too full to make space for it. I'll also admit that I forget about it, until it's too late to plan for it.
I'd love to try and go to the next one, though! I just need to block out that weekend waaay ahead of time.

10. What do you listen to/watch while you sew/craft?
     Haha! This one might confuse people.
I listen to everything from classical (Mozart, Wagner, Beethoven, Handel, etc), to croony 1930s music from Germany and the UK, to Scandinavian/folk/"Viking" metal bands such as Arkona, TYR, Korpiklaani, Einseferum etc. There might be some Lana Del Rey in there sometimes.

11. Favorite mythical animal?
     I think it's always been mermaids, but dragons are a close second.

  11 random facts about myself:
1. I dyed my hair black for about 10 years, until 6 1/2 years ago.

2. I developed a taste for dried seaweed (the sushi kind, seasoned or not) at age 5. I still crave it, maybe for the iron content?

3. My first Disney character (what would now be called cosplay) costume, was the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio, at age 6

4. I taught myself how to use a bullwhip, with no injuries

5. The first 'corset' I ever made was actually a pair of early 18th century stays. Learning experience, but hey were a success.

6. Went to my prom with a big group of friends, all of us dressed as Victorian vampires

7. My first corset was a white satin ribbon corset from Amazon Drygoods' mail order catalog. I was 14 or 15.

8. I'm an Aries but with more Pisces tendencies.

9. I've been doing burlesque for almost 11 years

10. I've sat in what was Mozart's studio window in Vienna, and heard a singing lesson a few windows over. It was a time travel moment.

11. I've performed on stages in Paris, that you can see in famous artworks by the likes of Toulouse-Lautrec

 Now for my nominated bloggers:

Not nominating anyone yet, as I've run out of time today. I'll save that for a follw-up post

xoxo

     Future questions for my soon-to-be nominated bloggers:

.......?

Lagertha's Battledress: Insert Expletive Here

There's no doubt, and some of my friends will tell you, I can swear like a sailor.
I tend to refrain most of the time, especially online....but F$@&*#!!!

My intent is to get a large piece, or pre-made shirt, of chainmaille to piece apart into Lagertha's leather and maille Hauberk-like tunic. So when I thought I found a great deal (but still not cheap) on a chainmaille shirt via Ebay, I jumped on it. While I don't need battle worthy quality, I made sure to look at the size of the rings and the pattern they were linked in, to be sure this would have the same spacing as the one worn by Katherine.
This one was listed as having the 4 in 1 link pattern I needed, and each ring had an *outer* diameter of 10mm.

Wrong.

What I received was indeed a short sleeve Hauberk, but the rings seemed more than a bit too large. So I measured and they have an outer diameter of almost 13mm!
They are WAY too big and while I could just make it work if I were not altering it, this larger spacing is going to mess with the application and flush fit of the leather sections
Excuse me while I obsess a little.

Below is a photo I snapped of what we'll call 'the wrong maille' (above), next to a scrap of maille (bottom) made a while back my friend, Anders. The ring size on his is ever so slightly smaller than what Katherine wears as Lagertha, but it's still closer to the size I need. It also happens to have an outer ring diameter of 10mm, so you can see the extreme size difference:

Even if the rings aren't that much bigger than the film costume, the rings themselves are thinner and add to the spacing in between.
The new stuff is also shinier than what I wanted, too, but that is something I could have fixed with some super secret theater techniques. I can't reasonably fix the size of all the rings, so it's a moot point.
This evening I found a more trustworthy source that listed the specifications for their chainmaille more clearly and in detail, and they are based in the US. The Hauberk I bought from them, has rings with an *interior* diameter of 8mm. That will put them closer in size to the ones in Anders' scrap in the photo above, and Lagertha's below:

Hopefully this will all work out, and the chainmaille I have on order will do the trick. Unfortunately because of this hiccup, I might not be able to finish my Elsa coronation gown.

Lagertha's Battledress: Bits And Pieces

After work today, I set off to find a few decorative things that I need for Lagertha's leather under-dress.
 

The stitching detail above the rivet studs looks like a thin silver that alternates with another stitch in a copper color. At the risk of making the hem too stiff, I may just use a super thin jewelry wire or a metallic embroidery thread in those two colors.

 

Looking at close up stills, I can see the hemline and at least the neck opening is decorated with a row of small, circular, flat silver nailheads (or what we call studs nowadays). It also looks as though they may vary a little in size and color, alternating between 5mm silver and 4mm brass.
While it's hard to tell if this is indeed the combo used, it's the one I've decided to go with.

Lo and behold, I found the exact same silver studs in the right size at my local Michael's craft store. These came with the stud setter (which I needed), and I used these to test on the leather.

I'll be ordering more of these in bulk and some in a weathered brass, via Etsy, for a lot less than what it would cost to buy them all from Michael's.

Lagertha's Battledress: The Gathering Of Armor And Leather

This past weekend was a successful hunt for most of the materials needed to create my version of Lagertha's season two battledress.
It consists (from under to outer layers, and from what I can tell from the show + stills) of a long-sleeved woven shirt, slim brown suede leather trousers, a lower-calf-length fitted jerkin in a deep blue distressed leather and an outer haubergeon(?) of chainmaille with tooled leather insets.
Her jerkin is basically cut as a sleeveless dress, keyhole neck, likely laced up the center front or back, with the skirts left open at the center front and sides for riding.
This high resolution shot is a great image for details. Right click and 'view image' to zoom in:

The shirt looks like a kind of woven material, and historically would have been made of flax or hemp. Finding something similar will be a challenge. Not impossible, but I will settle for a handkerchief weight linen if availability dictates.
It was also this above photo that lead me to the conclusion that her blue leather skirts were indeed a full sleeveless dress worn under the chainmaille armor. You can see the same blue leather peeking out from under her outer armor neckline. It makes me glad that the full leather hide I found is HUGE and will give me plenty to work with. It's also a nice soft garment weight leather. So, while I'm expecting there to be an appropriate amount of layers for a protective outfit, it won't be so bulky that I can't move.

I also found some of the rivet studs/nailheads in a size and color combo similar to those trimming the neck and hem on the long blue leather jerkin.

For her trousers, I did a quick search on Etsy and found the perfect pair in a rich brown suede. They even have similar leather cross stitching up the outside of the legs to match the leather bits on the armor. I'm probably going to remove most of the polyester lining so they will breathe a little more, and wear cotton boyshorts underneath.

I also found some tooling leather to make the leather insets for the outer chainmaille armor.
Tooling is the design carved and/or stamped into the leather itself, after it's been soaked. At least I think that's the process. I'm learning how to do a lot of this as I go ;-)

Below is a photo Katheryn Winnick snapped as a sneak peek (she's the actress that portrays Lagertha in the series), of the armor in one of its final fittings & design phases. You can see the changes they made with the sleeves, probably to make them more comfortable or for mobility, and they hadn't yet stained the leather portions to the dark brown color they are in the show.
Maybe it's just me, but it almost looks like a molded plastic instead of tooled leather. Whatever the costume department did either way, it turned out fantastic:

Frozen Costuming Continued: Elsa's Coronation Gown

After a long search, I think I finally found something that will work for Elsa's Coronation gown. Specifically the main bodice and skirt.

When seen up close in the film as opposed to the resolution on my screen, and perhaps yours, her dress appears to be made from a velveteen or almost suede-like material. The color is between a soft teal and a peacock blue depending on where she is indoors or outdoors. I'm choosing to go with a lush cotton velveteen in a soft teal.

 My fabric shown in daylight...

 

and under indoor lighting (showing a flip of the underside)

 The cape is going to be interesting. I need to find a bright purple fabric with a nice heavy (but not too heavy) drape like wool melton. Maybe a gabardine? The royal purple suede for the shoulder trim will actually be easy to come by. Her shirt will be easy to make up in a black stretch velvet.

I have some real metallic organdy woven with burnished gold metal thread, that I can cut long bias pieces from for the bodice edging. The designs on her skirt, shirt and bodice will also be interesting to accomplish, but I may have a source for some embroidered appliques. I could even make some stencils and paint them on.

Dragon Con 2014: An Updated List Of Projects

As I had mentioned way back here, there were many costuming and cosplay ideas floating around in my brain. Some made it onto the list, and over the last few months I've needed to trim it drastically.
One reason for this trim is not only due to time and other events creeping in on my schedule, but one project in particular that I really want to tackle.

Lagertha, from the Vikings TV series.

Her leather under dress looks greenish in this image, but it's actually a deep denim blue.

The hardest part will be piecing the tooled leather insets into the chainmaille tunic, but I'll have help and guidance from awesome friends who work with this kind of stuff.
I don't plan on building the maille tunic ring by ring, though I considered it an option earlier.
Nope, I just need to buy a ready made panel of 16 gauge nickel steel similar to this one, shape it and piece it out for the front, back and shoulder sleeves. I may need to email them to make sure of the link pattern and to be sure I'm not going to get something too shiny, since theirs is zinc plated.
The blue skirt she has is actually a sleeveless leather dress in a weathered blue color. I'll post detail shots later, but it's absolutely gorgeous. Under that is a long sleeved grey linen shift, in addition to the leather and metal armored wrist braces.
So yeah, I had to do some trimming to the list, and its current form includes the following:

~ Elsa's snow queen gown (Frozen)
~ Elsa's coronation gown/cape
~ Lagertha's battle dress (Vikings)
~ Caprica Six, which I already have done (Battlestar Galactica)

I figure I'm going to get almost 1 month of time per outfit for construction and 'finishing touches' (translate finishing touches as pulling out hair, crying, sewing all the last annoying bits at the last minute).
If time allows, I want to at least make a replica of her goat hide covered scabbard with a (fake wooden) sword, and maybe her shield (making it collapsible tor travel).

Speaking of having awesome friends who can help me with the leather work on the Lagertha project; here are a few pictures of me wearing my spiffy new leather shoulder armor made by my talented friend, Greg Ruddy:

Since the raven seems to be a recurrent theme in my life and my general aesthetic, he applied an old Viking style raven motif to both shoulders. The deep purple leather wrist braces he made me last year, also have a similar design. If anyone is interested in possibly commissioning something similar, I can put you in contact with him. You can also find him via Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/greg.ruddy.1