Blood Dragon FemShep! Black Widow! Krogan and a tank! (page 2).

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Re: Blood Dragon FemShep! Definitely

Femshep progressings! « The Plain Jane Costume Chronicles

I am having issues- maybe kinda sorta went over data limit DLing all the Mass Effect games and content and all that... whoops. Anyway so I think this should work for getting images and text in to this post:

Gun! (love the corner of my industrial overlocker in the bottom left corner It has an oil gauge and an on and an off button. It sounds like a tractor. Actually I need to give it another run, I haven't used it in a very long time so it may need a bit of care when firing up.... I've been using my Babylock for my costuming lately as it is portable.

Okay, all good, more info in my blog but basically after lots of planning here is actual real progress... ZOMG!

 

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Re: Blood Dragon FemShep! Definitely

The pattern has been cut from the mannequin and transferred to card. Well, the basic 8 or 9 panel body anyway (the main fitting lines).



Yep, check out that butt curve! Stretch fabrics are not all the same. I have some ridiculously stretchy microdenier fabric that could be cut as two parts (left and right with a body seam) but the fabric I'll be using and PVC needs a lot more care. Especially over the bust- darts or seams are a must!

It's hard to store a pattern like this as it is made of so many thin strips. You should see my Samara pattern... it's a mess! But I still have it So I'm probably going to look for an A3 folder to put them in. It only takes a day to refit (you do have to fit on the body, a dressform or mannequin stretches the wrong way) but it's a day I would have been happier actually working on the costume

Anyway, so I am debating on making the seams exactly as they are because it would require horizontal knee seams (around the calves there are 1/2 the number of the thigh) or go for how it would work in the real world. I also prefer the balance of 8 vs 12 panels per leg... I'll have to see how it goes when I transfer the pattern to more card and add in the extra seam details.

Right, I have a few folders of patterns to sort through so I may try and do that tonight... I have an A3 folder but it has art from when I was a kid in it...

 

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yay!!!! But boo. Th fabric is very thin when cut in to all those thrips so:
1) Make the comfy one. If I can spray a mesh design over so be it but I’ll have a back up at least and something interesting as a costume full stop.

2) Make the suit from my 2 way silver fabric- it can be cut on the bias like my first Mara Jade bodysuit. It works well when you alternate panels.

I have both lots of fabric out on the table as well as the pattern pieces but I will be trying to redo the pattern before another suit. With the new fabric there is not enough textural difference to warrant avpiding seams

Also.. I have apparently thrown away my Shae Vizla bodysuit pattern. I am not impressed with myself but I did wind up rescuing a few others:

Samara rolled in to a ball... ouch...

Everything laid out flat and ready to be tidied. These are bodysuit patterns, Victorian base blocks, leather stamping layouts and some armour and prop templates.

Hit hard with fatigue this week so progress is even slower than it has been for a while. But it is happening.

 

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Re: Blood Dragon FemShep! Definitely

I'm posting all these "boring" updates as a friendly reminder that fabric even for bodysuits is not easy. I'm choosing to do proper seams because that's what the art work shows rather than printing because it does make a difference

I now have a pattern that will allow me to do fine tune fitting once on the body again.

But the fabric I have is only stretchy on the cross so I'm cutting it diagonally (bias) so as to maximise stretch. But even beyond that I am alternating panels to prevent twist (as stretch fabric on the diagonal is wont to do).

I'll definitely be doing this in straight PVC as well. Time to start testing paints for mesh texture!

 

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Gave up on the bodysuit for a while So the bulk of the leather is cut. Next is to tool everything and then wet form. It'll be a few days at least of this. Woot! I listened to Das Phantom der Oper (Vienese cast) and the Canadian cast of Phantom of the opera and then some 16thC French music cutting this so it was a bit more of an effort than it might have seemed otherwise

 

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Ahahhahahahah, so I bought some lycra with a nifty pattern. Hoping to ovedye it. Nylon dyes easily with dylon stovetop (though I think the new formulation is decidedly natural fabrics only- very annoying.) But I have some iDye Poly that will dye the base to at least a charcoal whether it is nylon or polyester. The pink is not a pigmented print (thank goodness!) but a dye type of print so after washing it all in the morning I should be able to knock it into correct colour.


I will try and get a better photo of the fabric in the morning before I wash it all. The foil looked silver in the auction but the gold is fine too.

 

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Re: Blood Dragon FemShep! Definitely

Dyeing success!!!


Compare the before and after! iDyepoly works. It is super fantastic amazing and I can't express how easy it is to dye polyester and nylon with the stuff.
Big pot, put in the dye, get hot, put in colour enhancer, stir add fabric. Poke around a bit for 20 minutes and voila! That was about three yards of fabric all up.

Oh it's still in the pot still hot so still dyeing so it'll be properly coloured by the time I sew the suit up properly tonight.

This is great as I can now make myself a generic Black Widow/Catwoman suit from my precious PVC instead of as a back up to this costume. I still plan on misting/sponging with fabric paint to dull the foil and to also add a little weathering.
2yd R Good Foil 4 Way Speedo Nylon Lycra Spandex Suplex Print Made in USA | eBay

 

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Re: Blood Dragon FemShep! Definitely

The lycra has taken on even more dye, yes! So all I will need to do is use the fabric paint to knock down the shine and to also add some dirt. No photos as I'm waiting for it to cool so I can wash it all gently in the sink and machine. I'm concerned I could shock the foil print too much if not.

I have also managed to test my texture for the leather:


I cut down a wastepaper basket so that I could get full panels done in one go rather than use small texture tools. It's still hard on the hands and I'mm need to weigh the mesh down so I can hammer gently all over. This was a super rough test just to see if I could do this. I may actually get the leather a little wetter (again rough test, it could have done with a few more passes of the sponge) and use a plank of wood and my mallet to really get a good even surface.

 

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lol! I'm have a Blackadder moment. "Percy; it's green."

Yes after washing the excess dye out I have a forest green bodysuit with gold squares! Good thing I had pretty much already decided on using fabric paint to knock it back Basically stretch the suit on my manniquin and mist with watered down paint and sponge extra where needed. But it's a significant improvment already to have a metal mesh texture on a dark background

 

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The collars have been tooled (swivel knife to outline, edge beveller to smooth, swivel knife again and finally cut with scissors (to keep the raw edge as smooth as possible) and have soaked and are now hardening flat. I figure if any pieces can be left flat it's them, I will need them to hold their shape well as I back them and stick them to the harness.

The textured pieces for thighs and arms have been tooled (wetted, hammered with a mesh tool then edged as above). I've just draped them over pipe to get some gentle curve to them. This will help when I go to back them as well.

I have a heck of a lot more to go. Good thing the backing can probably be done with just spray contact glue and then the fiddly pieces will be done once I am no longer shaking That is a lot of smacking leather represented by very little up there!

 

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And tonight the shoulders and back thing. Still cutting.. so much cutting.... then the gluing... so much gluing.... And dyeing and painting.. oh man this may not get done, but I'll keep trying!

The wetted pieces are still soft enough to curve a bit more, and the dried pieces are definitely firmer than prewetting.

I also have the internal harness for the chest pieces wet forming over my mannequin. I forgot to grab a photo. But it sits smoothly in the curve of the shoulders now vs the card. I also had to reshape the uppermost thigh piece, it looks much closer to the source now and it even helps the lower pieces sit better.
Russet is such weird stuff to work with. When wetted for tooling or shaping it goes a gingerbread biscuit colour and in the still damp stages feels a lot like drying fresh pasta. I keep wanting to make tortellini with it.... or wontons.

 

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Re: Blood Dragon FemShep! Definitely

I went a little overboard today. I need to edit some video to make it able to be uploaded to youtube and added to my blog but in the meantime:
Shoes!!! So cute!!! These are from the same company as I wore with Liara, except I cut them down to use with my GG Leia but I cut too far down the front and rather than waste a good shoe base I am going to cover them with the same russet and then also get some soft leather in there to line it as well. That will be from a recycled skirt I’ve had for years and years. They are obviously not flat but I know these shoes. They are comfortable and make my feet look bigger. I have issues with my tiny feet.



Just some of the pieces I cut today. I edited more images they haven’t seem to have uploaded… The grey spool is super tough thread used for lacing closed the leather as follows after this set of photos.



The main reason for using russet: Wetforming! Harness and top thigh pieces on Ms Foamy and the hip pieces on my torso mannequin. Also my greaves on my own greave forms. I machine sewed holes along each edge and then pre-threaded needles to lace the leather over the forms tightly. The same method as for My Liara greaves. Except this time the thread was amazing to work with. Lucky find, I will grab another spool and then name my source





The other reason for using russet is of course the tooling. I have not got a photo of all steps, I grabbed some video which needs to be edited for tomorrow though Here you can see the mesh texture and then a small wedge and cut lines starting to be tooled.





So not bad for a day with a two hour nap in the middle of it I may have to do this more often until my B12 levels get normal-

 

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Re: Blood Dragon FemShep! All hand tooled leather

Hopefully this works. Or not. Anyway, a video of me cutting one of the pieces of leather. Just to give an idea of the process. I need to buy some glue and cut strips of leather to stabilise the already cut leather...

Tonight I am tooling some more (cutting knees and shoe pieces) and hopefully also pulling apart some other shoes as a High Fashion option. I have borrowed a camera to be able to get some more in progress photos but I really need to play with the settings.

 

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Re: Blood Dragon FemShep! All hand tooled leather

Tonight I cut the last of the main pieces of leather. Just the edges of the knees to go really, and the inner support. I discovered the thinner vege tan is fully ured but the super thin leather is not, so I am going to be able to do a few fun things like make pouches and replace my Darth Talon bikini and oh, make my butt cups.

I've put all the leather cut so far in a couple of buckets to soak and that includes a square of the thin stuff. I'll be sandwhiching it between the two lids (lettuce crispers, I ruined the main part with repeated use- I used them to pour melted plasticine in when cleaning)and that will give me enough to make the mini butt cups of the armour.

The above video should work now too.

I have photos of some in progress work but the battery to the camera is really short lived. So I have to charge it up before transferring. I also have a few videos of disassembling and reassembling shoes! Woot! And I love them.

 

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Butt Cups in action!



Pretty effective Oh that random sphere on the head of my manneqin? Cover for the outdoor light that fell off and so repurposed to stretch leather I was able to pre stretch the leather over that and then smooth to the flatter curve of the lettuce crisper lids.


And stretching leather over the toes of the shoes. Once dry these can be glued in place. Or dyed first. I'm not quite sure. I still need to shape the rest of the shoe pieces.

All the rest of the leather is still soaking. I think I will grab all the fabric I need from the workroom tomorrow and then start laying out the leather on the floor to dry.

My poor camera.. the grinding noise at the start of my video is the motor that drives the lens for focus. I took the camera apart twice and the first time I broke the connectors to the speakers and display (I can still view through the viewfinder, it has a much sturdier connection!) and must have left something loose as I got an error. Today I pulled it apart again and opened the motor and yep. There is one tooth missing from one cog. One.


That is end on, it's a two step cog- this has the smaller finer teeth the other end has 12 teeth, pretty sure I've pulled these out of a toy car before... pity I recently threw all those little spare parts away... but I need to get some snaps and other bits so will hunt through toys and see if I can find them. Pretty sure they are just nylon too.
And no, I'm not using the camera or being very finicky about being tidy until I know I can replace the cog and that is all that needs repairing. The housing is not entirely dust proof and within the first few months of owning it (April 07 purchace date) I had a cat hair in the lens. I finally opened it up to remove it only a few years ago.

 

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Got all of the above outside drying in the rare glimpse of sun today. Most pieces are at the tooling stage so have to be held in shape but carefully or marks will form.
I need to get the top thigh pieces wrapped around something over night too.

 

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My prop is finally looking good! I hope it survives the night.....

I have avoided having the heater on in the workroom so as to have all wall plugs available for tools! Speaking of which I just got a handy dandy heat gun holder... okay it's a hair dryer holder but all metal and transportable. No more twisting my hands and cord around until something goes wrong!

So The bodysuit is starting to look great. It's shiny shiny PVC but for some reason when you add lots of seams to the stuff it stops going from ZOMG shinysmexy! to zomg shinyfunctional. It just does. Makes me look like I have plastic armour underneath.

I decided to start again with my M98 and so here is what I have done over the last two days:

So nice and clean and tidy and actually pretty strong. The PVC pipe for the inner barrel and the styrene laminated in to the grip and underside will help stabilise the whole thing so I can make the shell and scope holder pretty light.

And a close up of the scope with the resined tissue (epoxy fibreglassing. Lightest greatest way to make travel safe props- aside from foam I still haven't tried my hand at that beyond some earlier attempts. But I have a plan.


And then I started glassing..&^$#@%^ and (*&^%# and *&^!!!!!!!!!! The resin does not set up fast. This is good that I don't worry about setting the place alight. But bad because the resin remains fluid and gooey and slumps. Like woah. So mess!


I have had to remove the tissue from the bottom three faces of the barrel as it was just falling off anyway. I know I know I'm impatient but hey, it should be all good in the morning.. I hope. I really hope it doesn't fall apart as the corners are not terribly strong...

So my current favourite substrate for glassing over for props and "boxy" armour (Like Shae Vizla is to use foam core board. Specifically the matte black stuff as it seems to have a crisper foam and a denser inner most core and the card absorbs more resin than the more common shiny white.
The white stuff is usually used for architectural models which is where I first snaffled the idea from. It doesn't warp and if you do a reasonable shell of tissue/cloth/matting you can pull out the card and foam from the inside/back. I am using this for my Shae Vizla armour as soon as I find the thinner stuff. I have 5/6mm stuff and I really only want 2-3mm for the chest.

The barrel is made of a series of strips of the stuff, the edges beveled back and the top faces pasted to the card with lunch wrap. Not the waxed kind the paper stuff that can be used to wipe up messes... ehem. But thin enough to absorb the resin and let the card also absorb the resin. Hense using paste not any kind of serious glue barrier.

And there are internal supports of the same stuff. Two inner most have a hole large enough for the PVC pipe to go through and the outermost had holes poked so I could pour resin down the inside. I'll have to drill out the outer two supports tomorrow to be able to really get the resin inside and to also tissue the underside.

 

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Re: Blood Dragon FemShep! Leather armour and M98- aka Big A** Gun (page 2).

Mwahahahahahhahah.. my gun worked! i have been playing boomstick while wearing my fluffy pink bathrobe... Photos and sanding later I've just been busy today with sleeping and helping with organisation of several events at the next couple of conventins...

No.... no I do not need to install my ipod and speaker inside and make it make noises.... nope... nope... ah crap. Sound files off I go....

 

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Re: Blood Dragon FemShep! Leather armour and M98- aka Big A** Gun (page 2).

Okay.. so did you know there are different types of elastic? I did but didn't know their names however in looking for elastic for this costume it turns out you can have:
Knitted elastic- smooth surface not really distinguished pattern. Not quite right. Basically a "single" strand looped into each success row
Woven elastic, okay... a bit more texture but generally ribbed across not in line- elastic warp and a "single" weft.
Braided elastic- ahhh, that's the puppy! The texture on the straps in ME armour is like braided elastic! This is several warp elastic strands wrapped in several fibre strands from end to end. Most common in narrow widths though. So I may need to order some online. And who knows if the merchant knows what the differences are.

However today after a CT scan to determine if there is anything in my sinuses (if not I get to add another autoimmune disease to my collection, whoopwhoop! Sjogren's which actually would be an easy thing to deal with- aside from the blinding sinus infections) I headed to the local hardware store and Spotlight and then dollar stores and grabbed:

3m of 120 grit sandpaper- on tough card as it makes sanding so much easier
1 220 grit sandpaper sponge
Selley's water based contact cement- should absorb in to the leather a little better than the solvent based spray I have.
1-2 inch wide paint brushes- for painting resin and dye on to the leather
a small tube of A2 contact cement for fiddly joins
Two polystyrene balls to carve- forming and gluing my knee cops
One large polystyrene cone- to form and glue my thigh and arm pieces to the support layer- also vegetanned leather but lesser quality and already fully sealed
Three rolls of masking tape to hold the leather to shape while gluing


What I didn't get:
Rub n Buff, doh!
Elastic, as mentioned- if need be I will buy some wide belts as they have crept back in to fashion.
Cummerbund clasps- would make getting in to and out of the armour much easier.
Rivets/chicago screws- I need to be able to get washers and rivets at the same time- Though I also realised there are small Chicago type screws used for making your own photo albums so I may be able to use those as well. Most important for the thigh pieces as they need to hinge somewhat.


I also grabbed a swim cap so I can be Shaak Ti this weekend for a library event

 

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Re: Blood Dragon FemShep! Leather armour and M98- aka Big A** Gun (page 2).

The company I bought my hides from recently posted a you tube video about the making of a guitar strap using traditional tooling techniques. In it the artist brushes a white glue on the back and on some suede and then brought the two layers together. I was initially disappointed as I thought it was a PVA and another leather craftsperson I know suggested the same. Disappointed because where I live it has been so damp I have been loathe to use any glue that could delaminate under these conditions.

A Dying Art Form [Documentary]
(For dyeing, I use a scrap of wool blanket, just because I still have remnants of that, but it is better than a brush or sponge so go wool and fleece!)

And then the artist said he used contact adhesive. And I made a huge sigh of relief and my brain went dingdingding.. you know what that stuff is right, it said. It is the stuff you have used before (though probably a different brand):
Selleys Kwik Grip Advanced - Contact Adhesive | Selleys New Zealand

This is so good. I have a small tub of it and it can be left open while working as opposed to solvent based adhesive. It dies feel a lot like PVA as you paint it on and it does not stick until it has started to dry clear, but wow is the strong amazing, especially on the porous layers of leather.

I did use a solvent spray on the thigh pieces which means I need to use a similar solvent to fix the missed patches. Of which there are a few and of which there are none in the water based glue.

So, hugely recommend this product. I believe 3M has a similar product, but I had already tried this and knew how it worked I think they have a range of "green" products.

Oh that's the other advantage- it is easier to clean while working (damp cloth) and easier to remove from skin (not quite as easy as PVA! But hot water and soap and voila- or some baby oil helps as well.) Also safer and not liable to combust and far less need to wear a mask.

So I have most of my armour glued together so pretty soon some photos that show it. The laminated pieces are now the equivalent of 25mm hide so is nice and solid.

Photos tomorrow I hope, I'm also debating sealing the leather now before the rub n buff or just use the rub n buff direct. So some testing tomorrow as well to see what offers best protection. After the rub n buff is applied I iwill be sealing all the armour with Dubbin anyway. It really helps prevent the polish from coming off on to anything else.

My shoes are starting to take shape too. Just putting in some internal layers to prevent too much wear on the ankles.