Progress on Senator Amidala Gown

Here is an update on the progress of my Senator Amidala gown. (You can see my original post here.)


I started beading the bodice insert for this gown on Mother's day, May 11th. Here is my progress so far:This represents one tube of my beads. The beads come in an 18 gram tube, so this gives you an idea how many beads/tubes it will take. Of course, there were a few duds, some cracked/broken beads, and I think I probably lost a couple.

Addition: Here is the fabric I picked up for the lower portion of the sleeves and the piping on the velvet outer gown. This will also be used for the beaded "tie" that holds the shawl in place in the back of the gown.


I got it from JoAnn Fabrics in their "silky solids" collection. It is charmeuse in "grape".

Steel Blue Nightgown

Padme's Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (Episode 3) Steel Blue Silk Nightgown, also known as the Sleepless Nights gown.


I made this gown in January & February of 2006 when I was expecting my daughter, due in June. There was a large Rebel Legion/501st event in Columbus, Ohio to premiere a Star Wars exhibit and I very much wanted to be a part of it. The issue I had was with the two Star Wars costumes I had: a Jedi, and Beru Whitesun. Jedi do not marry and therefore wouldn't be pregnant and Beru I'm assuming couldn't have children since Luke was the only child she ended up raising with her husband Owen...aside from the fact that my costume of Beru was from before the two were married. No possibility of hiding an 8-month belly in either of those costumes! The only obviously pregnant Star Wars character is Padme from Episode 3. Therefore, I knew I had to create one of Padme's Episode 3 gowns if I would be able to participate in this event.

As has become my ritual, I turned to Padawan's Guide for advice, tips, pictures, everything I needed to help me make an Episode 3 gown. I didn't want to have to worry about something that was very elaborate because I had until mid-February to submit my costume for Rebel Legion approval since this was a canon formal event, sanctioned by Lucasfilm. This meant that everything had to be top of the line, best of the best. Everyone participating in this event had to have their costumes approved by a separate committee as well as the Rebel Legion. I decided that for simplicity's sake, I should choose something that utilized one of the blessings God has given me: my naturally curly hair. That meant that I should choose one of a few gowns where Padme wears her hair down in curls rather than up in an elaborate "do". I narrowed my choices down to two gowns (both of which were technically nightgowns). I eventually ended up choosing the Steel Blue Nightgown and set to work.

Here is my finished gown:



I have had several ladies curious as to how I did things, so I decided to put together a little "how to" about my gown.

The original gown had several panels that were attached to each other with an heirloom stitch. To keep the actress (Natalie Portman) from showing through the gaps between the panels, the gown was lined with a peach flesh fabric. There were a few "off the shelf" patterns that ladies had used to help them create this gown, but none of them suited me. None of the patterns had the panels like the original construction of the gown. So, I created my own pattern, creating panels that I would attach with heirloom stitches.

Once I had the pattern figured out, I cut out my fabric, and zig zagged the edges to prevent fraying. Then ironed the edges of the panels under about 1/4". Then, I would sit and stitch while my son napped or at night while I watched T.V. I used DMC thread to work the heirloom stitches. After I had all of the panels connected via the heirloom stitches, I sewed in the invisible zipper and adjusted the length. Then, I attached the straps and lined the gown with peach fabric. The peach fabric on my gown is only attached at the very top, the rest of it is allowed to flow freely under the blue gown.

When I first wore this gown for an event, of course, I was 8 months pregnant and did not have to fake the baby bump. However, since then I have needed to come up with something. I created a shaped "pillow" with tie-strings that tie at my side. I cover it with a spandex "thing" that is meant to suck everything in and give you a smooth appearance. The spandex helps to smooth the pillow and hold the stuffing together instead of being lumpy. It also gives a uniform look and fakes the appearance of a baby belly quite well.
Based on a description found on Padawan's guide, the Steel Blue Nightgown had a built in bra to which two of the gown's straps were attached in a criss-cross in the back. I purchased a cheap bra on clearance for $2 but I didn't sew it into the gown. I was able to find a bra that had removable straps, so I purchased swimsuit hooks from JoAnn's and used those to attach the gown's straps to my bra.

I attached the broach with snaps so that it could be removed to wash the gown without ruining the broach or the pearls (the pearls are attached to the broach in the front and with hooks in the back).


In the back of the gown, I followed the description and rough diagram found on Padawan's guide. In the picture, you can see the criss-crossing bra straps and the spot where my beads attach to the back of the dress "framework" with hooks (I used necklace clasps). The center fabric strap between the pearls is sewn on one end and attaches with hooks & eyes on the other end.
The waterfall drape in the back attaches to the band at the back of the neck with two snaps and two hooks & eyes.
Where the waterfall drape meets in the back in 3 places, I hand sewed a few stitches to keep everything where it should be. I made the waterfall drape decorations on clip-on earrings and used the natural "hook" of the earring, to hang the decoration onto the drape, right where I had hand-stitched it together.
I made the tiara out of Sculpey and painted it silver. Before baking the sculpy, I carved a Celtic design into the clay and pushed hook & eye eyes into the bottoms to help secure the tiara to my hair.

I printed out a life-sized picture of the broach and used it as a pattern to create my broach out of Sculpey. After the clay was baked, I sewed & glued in the pearls and then backed it with blue fabric, similar to the movie version. I attached cardboard with snaps that correlate to the snaps on the gown onto the back of the broach and I attached the pearls to the cardboard.

I created the japor snippet from Sculpey as well and then painted it to give it a weathered look.

If you have any other questions, feel free to email me.

Cinderella

For her 2nd birthday party, I am making my daughter a Cinderella gown. The theme of her party is going to be...you guessed it: Cinderella!I'm using some satin fabric my Mom gave me from my aunt. I guess my aunt was going to make a dress for my cousin years ago but for one reason or another it never got made. There were about 6½ yards of beautiful blue/aqua satin fabric and several yards of matching blue/aqua lace with scalloped edges.

Our daughter is going to be so cute in this little dress! I can't wait to have it done and put her in it for her birthday party in June. I am using Simplicty 4949 for the pattern:


Though, to make it more like the movie dress, I am leaving off the yoke & collar and the lace at the hem. I am making the sleeves and peplums out of the matching blue/aqua lace, for a cute girly effect even though those dress elements weren't made of lace in the movie version.

Update 6-2-08:

I worked on Anna's Cinderella gown last week for a couple of days. I have it finished except for the zipper, which I haven't purchased yet. Here it is, without the zipper.



I'm sure it will look better when it is being worn. I haven't tried it on her yet, because it still doesn't have the zipper. I made the size 2 for her.

See the dress on our daughter here

Ghostbusters

Who ya gonna call...?

Yeah, I know, between the commissions I have on my list and the Senator Amidala costume I'm working on, the last thing I need is another costume let alone set of costumes to make, right?!

Well, every year my husband & I, sister & brother-in-law, and brother & sister-in-law all have a Halloween party. My husband & I were watching Ghostbusters the other day and it made me think how cool it would be if my husband, brother, and brother-in-law were Ghostbusters for the party!

Left to right: Ray (my husband), Egon (my brother), and Peter (my brother-in-law)

(Many thanks to Ghostbusters Fans for the images)

To go along with the men dressed as Ghostbusters, my sister will be Dana, my sister-in-law will probably be Janine the secretary, and I will be a lady ghost similar to this:
Our kids (10 in all come Halloween time) will all be ghosts. My husband & I have two kids, a boy (3 yrs) and a girl (2 yrs by Halloween).

Someone on Ghostbusters Fans community board had posted a link to a place that sells coveralls very similar to the ones used in the movie at a great price: Army Surplus My brother found a place on eBay that sells A.L.I.C.E. frames that were used to secure the proton packs to the backs of the Ghostbusters. While we wait for the coveralls and frames to come, my brother has been working on figuring out the details for the proton packs.

I am turning my focus on figuring out how to create a lady ghost and cute child ghost costumes. I have a large piece of satin blue/aqua fabric my mom had given me that my aunt didn't want. I am going to use it to make a Cinderella gown for my daughter's birthday party but I still have about 5 yards left. So, I began thinking about how I could use it as the under gown for my lady ghost costume. Yet, all the while, the Star Wars costuming freak in me kept nagging at the back of my head how wonderful it would be as the undergown to Padme's Episode 3 "Aqua Georgette" gown.

Now, the wheels in my head are spinning wondering how I can make both! I am wondering if I make the basic form for the Padme gown and then make a sheer white jacket or overdress that would go over the gown, probably with jagged hems to look more ghostlike. That way, after Halloween, I can remove the sheer overdress/jacket, add the arm gauntlets, headband, and back waterfall drape and I'll be Padme. I know I'd get more use out of the gown if it was a Padme gown, but our budget is pretty tight...making just the lady ghost would be easier and cheaper. But, how many times would I use it???

*Goes off to ponder some more*


Update: 6-4-08

I've contemplated this some more, and come to the conclusion that a duel purpose gown would be awesome, as well as more practical use-wise, so I have set about making the Padme gown with the idea of adding a tulle overgown sort of thing to it to make it a lady ghost. JoAnn's had a sale for Memorial day and their tulle was 50 cents a yard plus 10% off of that, so I got my tulle then! I was also able to find the perfect georgette fabric for the Padme aqua georgette gown at Field's fabric on sale, so now it is just a matter of getting the pattern figured out. I've started a pattern for the yoke out of paper and I've modified it several times. I think I may have finally tweeked my pattern to the final version now. I just need to try on the mock-up and see how it fits.

For my husband's Ghostbuster costume, the flightsuit came as well as the A.L.I.C.E. pack! My brother got the motherboard (i.e. the base) for the Proton Packs cut out yesterday, so we are well on our way!

This flightsuit will be the basis for my husband's Ray Stantz costume.

The A.L.I.C.E. frame (found used, on eBay, by my brother) will be the framework that holds the Proton Pack to my husband's back. It will need to have all the straps and kidney pad removed to be spray painted black and then the straps & pad can be reattached (after washing everything up really nice).

Now, back to work!

For an update to the Lady Ghost gown, see my posts: Lady Ghost and Aqua Georgette.

AOTC Senator Amidala "Senate Address" Gown

My husband decided he wanted a Senate Guard costume (see my post on that costume) so I decided it would be good for me to have a costume that would look right along side of him at events. The Senate Guard version that my husband wants can be seen in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace and also in Star Wars Episode 2: Attack Of The Clones. That meant I should choose a senator costume from either Episode 1: TPM or Episode 2: AOTC. Since Amidala has such lovely gowns, I decided to choose an Amidala gown.

I have been longing to create the Senate Address gown that Queen Amidala wears in TPM, however that one would be VERY expensive (I do plan on making it...someday, just not now!).

I ruled out any other TPM Queen Amidala gown as being too intricate and expensive as well, not to mention a bit uncomfortable especially since she wears white face paint (I don't even wear regular make-up, it drives my skin crazy).

So, I turned to AOTC for possible choices. I decided it really should be a gown where Padme Amidala appears "on duty" as a Senator. That left two choices, a purple devoré velvet heavily beaded gown with an African inspired headdress


or an Elizabethan inspired gown from a scene that was cut.

I really didn't like the idea of choosing a gown from a cut scene, however the scene has been included in the special features of the DVD release, so pretty much any Star Wars fan will have watched the scene even though it no longer exists in the actual film. To help me decide to go with the cut scene gown, I realized that a lot of women have already done the purple gown and I wanted to do one that not a lot of people have done. So, I chose the "Senate Address" gown (which would have been the 2nd Padme outfit seen in the movie had the scene not been cut).


(As always, my first source for excellent information on anything Padme is The Padawan's Guide. Thanks so much, Maggie!!)

As I researched this gown, I realized it too has a LOT of intricate beading at the neck and chest areas of the undergown bodice. However, from looking at the excellent high res images on Padawan's Guide, I have mapped out the designs and they are relatively simple once you realize what is involved. I noticed that the chest beading is actually two layers. One has a stylized "butterfly" motif and the other matches the neck beading.


For anyone wanting to re-create this gown, I found a possible source for beads here. I really like to see what I'm purchasing so I went to Hobby Lobby and found a bead that I think will work very well. It is called "Bead Treasures" they are Czech glass beads. Size 11/0 in Amethyst Iris. It comes in 18 gram tubes. I have no idea how many tubes it will take to bead this gown, but I plan to get them a little at a time so the price will be spread out over several weeks/months/etc...since our budget is pretty small at this point.



I also picked up some acrylic "Fashion Jewels" in a multi colored pack from Hobby Lobby that will work well for the "flower" beading.



It has been suggested that Simplicity 4156 would be an excellent base pattern to start from when creating this gown. I looked it up on Simplicity.com and they stated that 4156 is currently out of print though they had a few still left in stock. I checked on eBay and found one cheaper (with shipping) than what Simplicity themselves were asking. So, I bought mine from eBay.

The under dress is made of gold moire fabric. I was not able to find this at JoAnn's until one day I was combing over their Red Tag clearance section when they were having a 50% off sale on top of the red tag markdown. I found a drab yellow moire with an almost perfect pattern to the Senate gown! At the price they were asking, I just couldn't pass it by. I will try my hand at dying it as it is a cotton/acetate blend. But, it only cost about $4, so I couldn't let it go! (I have a picture of it, but my computer won't accept the card reader for my digital camera and I can't keep making my poor brother email all my digital pictures to me! I'll post the picture as soon as I get something figured out.)

I decided to make the front of the undergown out of moire and the rest of the undergown out of a cheaper cotton fabric as only the front is seen and I only have a remnant of the moire. I have started to alter the Simplicity pattern (which wasn't quite in my size, so I need to alter the size too, but the price was right!) and am almost ready to make a muslin mock-up of the undergown inset. Once I get the pattern for the inset figured out, I will cut it out of my moire, sew it together and then dye it. Once I get it dyed I can start working on beading it...which will take me quite a while!

I'll post my beading patterns once I get them scanned, but my computer doesn't accept the scanner we have either! (Time for a different computer...??)

Update: 5-2-08

I finished the muslin mock-up for the front inset of the bodice and skirt 5-1-08 and got my moire cut out and sewn together today. I then dyed it with my Dylon "sunflower" dye. The dye took well, but the process of prewashing the fabric (a cotton/acetate blend) somehow washed out most of the moire pattern!! So, I'm back to square one and need to find a new moire taffeta that will work better. 1 step forward and 2 back...but I'm not giving up!

Update: 5-13-08

I was able to find a place online that had a Bengaline moire taffeta, in Goldenrod that was the perfect color for this gown. I purchased 1½ yards and it came on Saturday May 10th. I cut out several swatches from extra fabric and tested washing it before I cut out my pattern pieces. Every test I did: machine wash/machine dry; hand wash/line dry; iron first then hand wash/line dry seemed to wash away at least part of the moire pattern. Apparently, this fabric can be washed, but at the cost of the "watermark" moire pattern. So, I am making sure to handle this fabric carefully and keep it out of my children's reach so that I won't have to wash it!

On Sunday May 11th, my mother's day treat to myself was to work on this instead of dishes! So, I got the pattern pieces laid out and cut. I cut out pre-washed and dyed muslin to use as interfacing (I thought it would hold up better with the beading) and got everything sewn together to the point I need it to be so I can start beading. Then, I got the first set of beads sewn to the bottom edge of the bodice inset! It will take me a long time to bead, but I'm not in a hurry so it works out perfectly.

Update: 5-15-08

I was able to take some pictures of my bodice insert with my beading progress. I started with the "V" shaped lines of beads and am working my way up from the bottom edge of the bodice insert to the chest and neck. I've already blocked out where the basic shapes of the chest beading and the Vs will be using yellow thread and large basting stitches (you can just make them out in the photos). I am using blue thread and a thin beading needle to bead with, making sure to double stitch every other set of beads to reinforce.


In this picture, you can see the collar. I haven't sewn the second layer onto the collar yet, to make beading it easier. When I am finished beading it, I will sew the second layer on, to encase the stitches on the inside, so they won't scratch my neck. If you look closely, you can see the hand-basted stitches to block out the basic shape of the bead design.


Here's a closer view of my beading. So far, I have made it to the 2nd "V", there are 3 on the bodice.

After this, I plan to put my updates in a new post, as this post is getting rather long. I'll be sure to put links to my updates here.

Update 6-2-08: Here

TPM/AOTC [Blue] Senate Guard Costume

After a Rebel Legion event the end of March 2008, my husband (who was dressed as Episode 2 AOTC Owen Lars for the event) informed me that his original thought about the Senate Guard costume was indeed correct: He did want a Senate Guard Costume. Since I am the Star Wars fanatic in our household and always drag my husband along, I thought it only fitting (and smart) to make him a costume that he actually chose for himself. I have made him the Ep 2 Owen and a prequel Jedi costume but they were my choices. My next choice for us was going to be a set of X-wing pilot costumes from the original trilogy. However, my husband's desire for the Senate Guard has got me digging into research for it, and also for a costume for me that would compliment it (see my post about the Senator Amidala gown)

Here are a couple images of the costume I will be making, as money permits:



The costume will be fairly simple to make (with the exception of the helmet, if I can't find a helmet maker with a reasonable price) but will not be cheap as the floor length robe is velvet, lined with a satiny blue fabric. There also is an "under robe", you can just see the sleeve of the under robe of the arm the guards use to hold their blasters. They also have matching gloves. Thankfully, I found out the boots are just black instead of blue as I was fearing. Black boots are much easier to come by than blue ones, especially in 11.5 size mens'!!

We both think the blaster (seen here:)will be relatively easy to make out of wood, so that is what we plan on doing ourselves.

I was wondering how I would find velvet, cotton, lining fabric, and stretch material for the gloves that were all the same, or similar, blue color. This costume is beautiful, but it wouldn't be as lovely if the blues didn't match. I think I came to a conclusion: purchase all of my fabric in white and then dye everything to match. It will require the purchase of dye which will add cost, but when all things are considered, I think we'll both be happier with the end result if we go that route and it all looks uniform. It is, after all, a uniform!

I will be updating this post as I have more to share, but for now this costume only exists as research. I did purchase a robe pattern from Butterick (when JoAnn's was having a $1.50 sale!) that I will use as my base: B4050

I'll need to leave the hood off, and re-do it so it doesn't have sleeves, but has arm slits instead. I think I won't make it as full as the pattern calls for either. I haven't gotten down to the nitty gritty of altering the pattern yet, but I'll be sure to post my findings when I do.

Someone who had made the red Royal Guard costume (which is almost identical except in color and helmet to the Blue Senate Guard) said he used Simplicity 4942 View A as his under robe and I agree that it looks like it would work perfectly with very little modification. As an added bonus, I had already picked up the pattern when JoAnn's was having a 99 cent sale! View A is the "elf" in the bottom right corner wearing the white robe with brown belt:

Jedi tabbards and obi

I had someone commission me to re-sew a Jedi tunic and also sew a new set of tabbards and matching obi to go with it.

The tabbards are made from my own pattern, using reference from the movie costumes as a guide. The movie Jedi tabbards have a waist seam that I was not aware of until someone requested me to make a set of black pleather tabbards and he pointed it out to me. This site on the Jedi Council Forums is a great resource, particularly this image.

Since then, I make all my Jedi tabbards this way. It really helps them to lay properly with the angled pieces and the waist seam.