Elizabeth Swann. DMC costume research. Costume complete for halloween!

[BRRogers]

So fellow RPF'ers

I'm hoping to find what I would consider RPF level information.
Quick Backstory:
In the midst of doing my upgrades on my Jack Sparrow costume here at school, my 'lady friend' down home wants to come up and celebrate Halloween with me. Since Jack is on the table, we need a (relatively) simplistic costume that she can wear. So we're going for the 'boy pirate' Lizzy Swan.

I'm going for, but have a feeling that I will not be achieving SA on this one.
(And yes, I've done a search but all the info puts me in the same boat)

Has anyone found the fabric for the waistecoat?
I personally just spent the last 4 hrs looking at fabric, or trying to find prop-collectors' leads on the stuff, to no avail.

Obviously, the front has two different pattern fabrics. Both geometric, but I'm having a difficult time finding the patterns. Even if it was the wrong color... it could be re-dyed.

For instance, I DID find this for the back:

It's not the right color, but with a dyebath of dylon is the most viable thing that I've found for the back panel.

The rest of her costume will be a piece of cake but this...

 

[BRRogers]

Re: Elizabeth Swann. DMC costume research.

Alright then... I've given up on 'accurate' and will now settle for your submissions towards "Close enough"

also, *BUMP*

Edit:
By the way I just came across this: Could work well for the trim on the front of the vest:

(Although, at $23 p/yd with a 15yd minimum order..... eeesh)

 

[bleyd]

Re: Elizabeth Swann. DMC costume research.

Looking at this photo it looks to me as though the geometric patterns were added afterwards. I've never tried it but I was thinking making a pattern and using fabric paint to achieve that pattern look may work. I've seen some cool fabric paints at Joannes lately. Her Baldric looks like imitation ostrich. Her pants have a buttonfly too.

 

[BRRogers]

Re: Elizabeth Swann. DMC costume research.

OK. Well, like I anticipated: I couldn't get all the materials together that I wanted: As well, most of the fabrics I found that were "close" enough to my requirements... did NOT take dye the way I was hoping for. (hence, the very light color of the back panel)

So:
I found some "close enough" fabric:
I believe it's a linen- dye-subbed print... but I was VERY lucky to find it. I would have thought it was plain red linen but the light caught it just right as I was walking by where I saw the pattern. It needed a white interfacing behind it in order to actually make the pattern stand out.

Then I went ahead and bit the bullet, and started sewing based off of the pattern I made for my Jack Sparrow vest. Since she's about the same size, I didn't have to make too many changes other than what was appropriate for her vest. Still have some sewing work to do... but I wanted to get the shoulders whethered before I started sewing. (Hard to work on a contoured surface when it comes to fabric)

I realize that the colors are off... the trim and main pattern don't quite match up, and I used waayyyyy too much bleach concentrate on the trim. (I will go back in with darker dye) But, I think overall it's going to look very successful.

My Lady friend is in charge of finding Lizzy's brown pants. She will be wearing my OLD Jack Sparrow shirt (In process of making a new one now), as well as my OLD brown Jack Sparrow boots.

Also on deck before halloween. Upgrading my my 3 J.S. Belts with Acme & accurate materials. CABOOTS arrive tomorrow. Eventually I'll make a new pair of breeches and leather tricorn.

Anyway, I'm off to buy some brick colored fabric dye so I can fix my over-bleaching job... haha

 

[LizardJedi]

Re: Elizabeth Swann. DMC costume research.

Nice, more DMC Lizzys!

I did this one a few years ago... I don't have any good detail shots, but if you want something specific I might be able to do that.

For the vest, the front fabric I got at an upholstery shop. Its nice and thick! The back though, we hunted all over the place for that stuff, and coulden't find anything. What we ended up doing was buying plain red fabric (again, upholstery fabric) and stitching the lines down the back. Mine are just straight lines, but if looks like the pattern you found is better.

As for the pants, mine are made of our brown linen. Its pretty rough linen but looks pretty accurate IMO. I think we used the Simplicity Jack Sparrow pattern for the pants.

 

[BRRogers]

Re: Elizabeth Swann. DMC costume research.

Aw, that waiste-coat turned out beautifully!

Yeah... finding the fabric has been a HUGE struggle. The shops here in (Savannah) GA are really, really poorly organized, and the upholstery stock is minimal. (Unlike Orlando, FL... where I used to do my shopping. You could find SOMETHING in at least one of the stores down there)

 

[BRRogers]

Re: Elizabeth Swann. DMC costume research.

Ok, Halloween has begun and Night #1 is complete! Here is my lady in her pirate garb...
I think it turned out well...
(There will be more pirate hijinks tomorrow night, she was tired after arriving today so we didn't do too much)

One from the party we went to tonight: