DragonCon: Lagertha Part I

Anders and I not only had a successful DragonCon, but an insanely fun experience, too!
While this was not our first rodeo when it comes to cons, this was very likely the largest with a record-breaking crowd that topped out at somewhere around 62,000 attendees. That's the last number I heard, but it may have been more. The following posts on Dragon Con are in no particular order, but posts will most likely go up depending on what, and how many photos I have of each costume.
Above: One of my favorite shots from the main floor of me as Lagertha and Anders as Floki; we literally bumped into a guy that had a perfect Ragnar impression. His lady friend also had a pretty awesome first season Lagertha look going. The four of us spent the rest of the evening together raiding various con parties. (and yes, I know my sword is on the wrong side)

I don't have a lot of professional shots where you can see details of the Lagertha battledress, but there are possibly a few in the works.
I also didn't have time to really do my hair the way I wanted. It needed more oomph and while the knot work on top and the braids look ok, the rest looked a bit flat. However, we were dealing with Atlanta humidity and LOTS of people making it even warmer indoors, which is no help to hairdos. I added the little chains too, but next time I'm going to try the softer braided look for the 'fauxhawk' top as seen in this screencap from the show....

I went with this look instead, and added the chains to the side braids that hang down:

Mine. Not perfect, but I haven't mastered doing the tiny french braids on the sides yet:

 I plan to don this ensemble again soon to get more photos, but here are a few of my favorites so far:

Once again, I'm noticing how blue(!) the leather dress looks in some of the photos. particularly the outdoor shots taken in the shade. In person and indoors it looks more muted, and I did indeed weather the surface with a deep tint. In the outdoor shot below the color looks more accurate:

Earlier in the day with Laura as Astrid from "How To Train Your Dragon"

Photo: Mary Anne Butler

Floki and Lagertha taking a rest before the madness of the evenings festivities begin.

Photo: Mary Anne Butler

Floki had to take a time-out in the Ball Pit...

And then Floki made a friend....

And so did I!

So as you can see, the indoor lighting isn't very kind but we all had a blast regardless.
More photos are on the way xoxo

The Final Update Before Dragon Con...

Dear readers, this is it for entries until after Dragon Con.
It's just a few days away and I still have a lot of finishing touches to complete on both the Lagertha battledress and Elsa's gown. However, I do have a couple of images to share as a teaser, and plenty of photos of the final products to share after the madness of con is over.

Here's a sneak-peek of the completed chainmaille tunic body. This was before I added the maille shoulder pieces, and had tried it on for fit...and it fit! (whew!)
I left the left shoulder section of maille detached but laced to a small strip of leather. From the closeup photos I had, I noticed this was used. A genius move on the part of the Vikings costume dept., so that way the entire left side of the tunic can open up for ease of dressing & undressing. When put on, that small strip of leather with the shoulder chainmaille piece simply gets tied back onto the rear shoulder section...if that makes any sense. If I have time later today, I can post a closeup of the original showing this detail.

 This was also before I had dyed my leather side laces a darker brown.

 

There are little to zero clues as to how Lagertha's blue leather dress closes in front. From some of the hi-res pictures, I was able to discern that it closed in front, but how was a mystery. So, once again using my own imagination, I decided to re-purpose a few of the extra rings leftover from the chainmaille as lacing loops.
Even further with my own stylistic leanings, the little holes you see punched in the leather will get some of the brass studs later. or maybe some fancier ones if I can track any down.

I still need to treat the leather to darken and weather is a little, too

I've been taking my own path with the look of the shirt. Keeping a similar color pallet to Lagertha's, but since it's so hard to make out details, or get a clear view of her undershirt collar, I am using my imagination. For mine, I'm utilizing a flax/hemp cord in a slate grey with some of the deep brown leather flat lacing also used on the leather dress. I've also done some extra decorative stitches in a flax thread along the neck seam.

It's definitely rustic looking, but then I'm portraying a Viking queen, not a Disney princess....at least not the entire time ;-)

The beginnings of the armored arm braces...

**Edited to add: Unfortunately the shield is not a go. We were trying to construct it so that it could separate in half for travel, but we just need more time to perfect it and make it hold together more solidly.**

A shield in the making, thanks to my friend Anders. Nearly complete; it just needs its handles at the back and paint. I have a sword he carved from wood and painted to look like the real thing, complete with leather scabbard.

So, stay tuned. There will be a ton of photos to share very soon. Perhaps even during Dragon Con!

XOXO

Lagertha's Battledress: Making Progress

Just a taste of what I've accomplished today with my Lagertha armor...

Of course, some delicious homemade tiramisu helped immensely.

Still Kicking

 The Dragon Con sewing has kept me so busy, dear readers that I have had little time for updates.
With the days slipping by toward the zero hour, I need to really utilize my time down to the minutes it seems. I also want to have time to pack up all these costume bits!
With that said, I do have a couple of random progress photos to share here and will have plenty to share after Dragon Con is over. I'm taking photos as I go, and will try to post a full rundown on the creation of both the Lagertha battledress and Elsa's gown.
XOXO

The bodice portion of the Elsa gown is finally getting its sequins, and I'm making really good progress. I may even finish it this weekend.

Here's what I've been doing on my lunch breaks this week; trimming and sanding.
I not only trim the corners to get the right shape of sequin, but to also take down some of the sharpness that could catch on the rest of my costume, my flesh or on other people. I'm roughening the backs of each one with a nail file because I've chosen to glue them on (with Aleen's Jewel It) instead of sewing, and this gives the glue something to grip more securely. For me personally, without little thread stitches holding them on, it gives the icy sequin design a much cleaner look that's closer to how Elsa's bodice appears in the film. It also happens to make the application process much faster!

The Lagertha armor...so many little lacing holes...ouch. My hand hates both me and my hole punch, and I still have two more leather pieces to punch holes in. Funny to think that the tooled designs were actually the easy part. Almost there. I still need to put the little round Norse sun wheel design on the center front of the below piece, but this chainmaille & leather tunic will also likely get completed this weekend!

Lagertha's Battledress: Leatherwork and Linen

Just a quick photo update on the Lagertha project.

The leather waist piece in the making, with the design inspired by one from an ancient Norse axe head...

 The undershirt (before the sleeves were attached)

Film still of original costume

Lagertha's Battledress: Blue Leather

Today I was able to get a lot done on the leather dress worn underneath the chainmaille tunic.
Last night I made a muslin mockup using the below pattern as a guide for the seams, omitting the bust dart and shaping the curve a little tighter. Today I got so far along that I have all my pieces cut out of the blue leather hide.

 I got rid of the built up neckline and left it a plain round neckline with a straight opening all the way down the front. I can shape this later once the dress itself is constructed. The neckline on Lagertha's leather dress can't be seen, and I have very little to go on as to any specific shape. So, I may use my imagination and find something that works for me.

'Gee, I wonder if I'll have enough leather' I said to myself in the weeks leading up to this...oh yes, there was plenty. There is a ton hiding under those folds to the right of the photo, and I already have other plans for the remaining scraps. I want to use every last bit.

I briefly pinned the back piece to my form (only on the seam allowance edges) to get an idea of how the leather behaves. it's a heavy garment weight and also intended as a super soft upholstery leather, which makes it the perfect Viking weight.

 Some of these shots might show up as *holy frack that's blue!*, but this leather is a really nice muted lapis blue.

Also, joy of joys, the correct size boot arrived yesterday! I had to exchange sizes after I received the wrong one, but it was easy. Thanks DSW!
They also happen to match the vintage brown suede pants I found on Etsy perfectly.

Lagertha's Battledress: An Early Update On The Leatherwork

Earlier in the week, I began a mockup of the leather pieces that are incorporated into Lagertha's chainmaille armor. Working with a few hi-res images, some heavy cotton denim and a little luck, I set about replicating the shapes onto my not-quite-right dress form to get a general idea of placement.

Yesterday evening after a few adjustments, I traced the pieces onto a giant roll of tooling leather I'd picked up at Tandy leathers in San Bruno. Now that all the pieces are cut, I get to do the tooling designs on each one, with the exception of the back belt piece.

 I've also included the little 'V' section in the center back yoke piece.

 An example of the placement for the front pieces

After I'm finished with the tooling designs, I'll stain the leather a deep brown shade. 

I wasn't sure if this should be curved or straight along the right edge.
It's the piece that goes over what is essentially the 'side boob' and looks curved in the stills I have...

I think a little curve is correct for this, since it will pull the rest of the front into the correct shape to accommodate for a bust line.

Elsa Update And The Final Stretch

 Oh gods...four weeks left before Dragon Con...crap.

This past weekend I was able to get the base gown for my Frozen cosplay fitted, lined, hemmed and the seams boned.
The corseted undergarment ended up being a waste of precious time, since I didn't like the way it fit (squashed my boobs a little too much for my taste). I can fix it, but I decided that I just don't have the time to futz with it right now, so I put some sturdy spring steel into the dress bodice itself. This essentially made the dress its own corset, and the fit ended up remaining really smooth where I needed it.
Now I wait for the sequins to arrive from various parts of the world.
With about 4 weeks left of real work time left before Dragon Con, I still have the Lagertha project to complete, and I need to keep my nose to the grindstone with sewing, leather work and chainmaille tunic construction.
But enough with my whining. Here's some things I'm grateful for...

For the Elsa gown; I'm grateful that I already have the shirt I made for the Disneyland costumed event, though I did do some altering to the sleeve armpit areas so they aren't so loose. I also made it off-the-shoulder as it should be. The cape is on its way and should be here by mid-week, I found a fantastic wig and I have the shoes. This ensemble is 80% done.

For the Lagertha battledress; I'm grateful for already having the brown suede trousers, the
boots and nearly all the bits and pieces needed to build this thing. Anders is going to help me find a good fake Viking sword/scabbard and help me build a stage shield that breaks down for travel.

In all, I think this will work. If I can focus after work during the week, utilize my weekends to their full extent and get good chunks of things done every day, I should be golden.

OMG Shoes! A Lesson On Viking Footwear

Well...boots, actually.
I just found the perfect boots for my Lagertha battledress reproduction, all thanks to DSW.
Who else would have a giant selection of boots in the dead of summer? They do.

These are sure to be comfy for stomping my way through DragonCon, too. Made by Crown Vintage, this is a brand I'm familiar with, as I sold many styles to customers with sensitive feet. When I worked in shoe sales, this was a favorite of both mine and my customers. It still is, and I got a super deal on these babies.
These are called "Rugged", and I ordered them in Brown to go with the dark brown suede pants worn under the Lagertha ensemble.

One amusing thing I noticed about the boots Lagertha wears, is how modern they are compared to actual Viking footwear.

 http://www.historyofyork.org.uk/themes/life-in-viking-york/viking-boot

This extant boot found in York is an amazing example of a basic "bootie" worn by the Vikings, complete with the toggle clasp we still see on traditional Scandinavian (and Scandinavian-inspired) clothing and accessories.

Above is a pair of absolutely stunning modern reproduction Viking tall boots, made after an original pair found at a Viking excavation in Belgium. Made by hand at:
 www.np-historicalshoes.com

Lagertha's season 1 footwear on the left, and season 2 on the right

Season 1 has an interesting wrapped leather strap detail on the lower pant leg, over what looks like the exact same boot as season 2.
So I'm ending up with a combo of the two styles.
I'm sure the modern footwear was done for comfort levels, and the fact that it's television. Yet some of the other characters, like Floki, have some interestingly accurate historical boots.
Going against my historical leanings, I'm going to stay true to the styles seen on the TV character.

In television, there are going to be very few if any large close up shots of anyone's feet. At least not any shots that are showing any level of detail regarding footwear. If it were a film being released on the big screen, there might have been more care taken with utilizing slightly more historical footwear.
Either way, I'm not paying attention to what's on their feet most of the time because the rest of the wardrobe, lacation and overall show is so stunning.

A Shieldmaiden's Search: Chainmaille Found!

For my reproduction of Lagertha's season 2 battledress, I've had a few bumps in the road during my search for the correct chainmaille.
The first one I found was just not up to the quality standards I desired, nor were the rings anywhere near the correct size. They were so off, in fact, that they would have been noticeable and messed with the fit and finish of the added tooled leather details.

But my worries are lessened a great deal since yesterday, when I received another chainmaille hauberk in the post. The ring size and finish is beautiful, and exactly what I need.
A big thanks to Dark Knight Armory for getting this to me so quickly, too.
The one I purchased was their Short Sleeve Butted Chainmaille Hauberk.

This will get pieced apart (and I'm grateful that a lot of the dead weight will be lessened by this), and used to make the sections of Lagertha's armor in the top photo.
The only current issue I have with the new maille, is that it's drenched in the protective oil used to prevent rust during storage/shipping.
I really don't think I'll be needing or want *that much oil on my maille nor on the rest of my gear right now, so I'll be removing a good portion of it this weekend. It's going to get a quick bath in some very hot water and dish soap, and since it will be a hot sunny day, any rust will be absolutely minimal as it hangs out to dry. I'll be able to gently brush any tiny rust spots away with a Brillo pad, or just by rolling it around in a towel.
I will be reapplying some oil to it after wearing it, and if I plan on storing it for any period of time. Plus, the right oil might be good for keeping the leather bits conditioned, too.

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.