My Costume & Workroom rebuilds- or how to hand sew and fibreglass in the same space!

[mdb]

Re: mdb's 2014 Costume and Workroom rebuild projects!

Sooo... workroom is different yet again... Broke down the old warddrobe by the age old method of "push it over until it collapses on itself" so that is gone. Old shelves have been moved to the back wall and screwed to the studs (hooray for power drills! but I need a new set of goggles as I can hardly see through them now.

So a few photos not yet shared over here:
Elissa gown progress:
Tiara:

Ribbon lattice to go over the pleated hem:

1" wide gold ribbon wrapped in an X over plastic, purple metallic ribbon sewn to the X and green metallic ribbon to the top row. Gold tassels at the bottom of each XX and paste jewels to each intersection. All hand sewn. And ready to be hand sewn to the hem and the hem tacked down at the top of the filligree ribbon.

Bodice and decorations:

Full dress:


My Togruta mold has not yet been opened as the weather has been really up and down. The wet weather means there is a delay of about a week per cast. Ah well. I do have one set ready to be supported internally

Iam also debating on making my RD 16a armour (in SWTOR I have all the pieces except belt and chest for my Merc., the chest doesn't come in orange and the belt is okay to be swapped for another similar model.) or Pepper Potts.
I got this as inspiration for Pepper:


My RD 16a gear:

Wandering around Belsavis and Illum it's a lot pinker or lilac than the character screen- very brown due to yellow lighting of the mantis.

 

[mdb]

Re: My Costume & Workroom rebuilds- or how to hand sew and fibreglass in the same spa

The beading of the final bodice applique is happening...

But I tested the bodice and wig (badly pinned in place because my hair is FUCHSIA!!! at the moment) and tiara:

And my hem:

This hem is build of:
1" gold ribbon with green and gold shot ribbon over-4 lines of hand sewing
row of beaded and embroidered trim from a skirt and jacket Heat n Bonded and shaped- still needs a few fixes by hand
1" gold ribbon with green and gold shot ribbon over-4 lines of hand sewing
Trellis of 1" gold ribbon with purple and gold shot ribbon, red paste jewels and white paste jewels all hand sewn, gold tassels hand sewn to the ends.
The pleated hem underneath was a strip of red and black shot taffeta sewn over with 2X wide filligree silver ribbon, 2X 1" gold ribbon and 1X green and gold ribbon then hand pleated and sewn to the hem.

Next up is to sew the looped braid somewhere on that hem to make it blend in more with the rest of the costume.

Honestly most of this costume is being worked on indoors because I still need a super strong vacuum cleaner to go around my workspace!

And I am going to have to add links to these projects that do have WIPs. Just as part of keeping things tidy!

 

[mdb]

Re: My Costume & Workroom rebuilds- or how to hand sew and fibreglass in the same spa

So, I am on the hunt for the perfect storage for the back wall. I want all my projects to be able to be stored over there.

Anyway. I have since become besotted with Elsa. Problems of the story aside and of her backstory especially I think many of us can identify (older sibling, suppressing of talents, trying hard to hurt anyone to the point of hurting yourself.. any or all.. *maybeall*)

So I've tried a test pattern and it worked and a test wig, which also worked so now I'm starting to tackle the final version.

I have most of my materials (waiting on dye and debating on support layers) and now I also have tested some other colouring. Right now today I'm full on graphics working. I've scaled my exisitng cape pattern and am about to overlay a super rough layout of shapes from the artbook side view and then fill in with extra info from a few screen caps of the video Disney released. Will be screen capping some of that progress.

Also testing a method to ombre shade the skirt.. it seems to be working but I want to really stress it as even matte finished sequins will laugh at paint over time.

So I think it is time to charge my camera and start capturing progress rather than stress my phone any further (the camera keeps failing- also I have to clear data regularly to actually get usable thumbnails...)

 

[mdb]

Re: My Costume & Workroom rebuilds- or how to hand sew and fibreglass in the same spa


Workspace now is completely useable. All projects in buckets (sometimes multiple in one bucket other- Elissa- take more- five, five buckets Elissa! What are you doing!!).
Portable desk, industrial overlocker and repurposed computer desk.

Also Elsa thread updated and I will work on Elissa tomorrow

 

[Stinkape]

Re: My Costume & Workroom rebuilds- or how to hand sew and fibreglass in the same spa

I just cleaned up my work area, feels good more room to work. Your hard work paid off nice aera you have ! Good job !

 

[mdb]

Re: My Costume & Workroom rebuilds- or how to hand sew and fibreglass in the same spa

It's sooo good. Aside from being a no exit for the bees and wasps in the area If you go to my Elsa thread I get chased by a bee while showing how my overpainting works

 

[mdb]

Re: My Costume & Workroom rebuilds- or how to hand sew and fibreglass in the same spa

Tomorrow is another tidy day. My current storage colution is wonderful though. Square buckets fit on the shelves and use max area possible, they also allow for easy transport as well as to dump tools in to for end of week sorting.
I've been seriously unwell with iron deficency (woot- my body takes any iron not used as haem and makes it not bioavailable in an attempt to keep inflamation under control) so I have been doing little bits here and there and then being really tired to properly tidy.

I have slept all day (seriously, but this was the first time in a long time it felt regenerative) so tomorrow is tidy day.

Meanwhile I have been working on all the costumes in my initial post as well as really tackling my Silurian mask:

Got them up They aren’t as big as the file from the camera but they are at least fairly clear.

Explaining my main tool use- a loop of metal strap that carves and shaves.

Super short shot of the loop used to cut.

Finer detail work- reshaping a nostril with a fine tool- go slow with super fine shaving and pressing.

Finally using a silicon tool as well to help shape.

I learnt something watching these myself I use my hands a lot. A lot. Constantly holding or checking weight. I’m not sure if it is in one of these but I do sculpt at night or during cooler days. This way I can carve the shapes out and press texture in without worry about melting the clay with the heat of my hands.

Anyway, I kept the videos short worried I would not be able to convey just why it’s hard to teach how to shape. It’s a mix of learning types- hapatic and visual mostly and both are difficult to convey in digital media. But I think there is something here that is at least worth sharing.

 

[mdb]

Re: My Costume & Workroom rebuilds- or how to hand sew and fibreglass in the same spa

Also, I found some images of mold repairing

Slave Leia bikini and collar mold repairs (additional silicon)


Shae Vizla helmet mold resupport (ready for replacement keys and rigid jacket).

 

[mdb]

Re: My Costume & Workroom rebuilds- or how to hand sew and fibreglass in the same spa

Further repairs to my Shae helmet mold and a new blank wall for getting photos. ZOMG!



Also I have inspiration on my windows (please ignore the weeping window issue, this is a converted garage and Auckand is.. well it's wet )



I looked at them and felt like saluting. I still have a few in the house though. Also Shaak Ti really is incorrigible. That is the one model car manged to be snarfled in to my workroom. I loved scale model cars as a kid but they were not really intended for me. My She Ra girls were the only figures I had that sort of fit. But not really as they were all in staunch poses so din't fit properly.

 

[mdb]

Re: My Costume & Workroom rebuilds- or how to hand sew and fibreglass in the same spa

I forgot to discuss the head cast issue. So I need another for my Maleficent make over. I looked in the face of my Silurian and couldn't destroy her.

Photos later but today I have taken a loading dose of antihistamines, will take some more in an hour, and then get a fine detail layer to my face mold and then start the actual casting of my face!
I need to tint my resin really, so luckily I have epoxy/urethane pigments so my head cast may be a creepy zombie grey...

Other updates have been:

New dremel, actual dremel, it is awesome.

Got rid of even more stuff to others, just waiting to make over a few more to pass on as well.

My work space is wider than ever and the bucket system has been extended to include my messy chemicals.

 

[mdb]

Re: My Costume & Workroom rebuilds- or how to hand sew and fibreglass in the same spa

It's the US week of making, and I'm sharing my workroom make over and latest projects

This is as tidy as it gets while working on projects as large as Maleficent and my Historic gear. The skirts need space or they wind up wrinkled like heck! So I am looking for a towel rail I know we have to anchor all the pieces that need to be hung, there is a hook but it's really slightly in an inconvenient spot

Also, yes, the walls are painted, the photoarea has a new vinyl floor area

 

[Nick K]

Re: My Costume & Workroom rebuilds- or how to hand sew and fibreglass in the same spa

Love this thread mdb and fantastic work so far. Sorta puts me to shame a bit

 

[mdb]

Re: My Costume & Workroom rebuilds- or how to hand sew and fibreglass in the same spa

Cheers Nick It's been a long slow lesson in maintenance of work spaces, but it is so worth it And hey, kia ora

Currently working on Ahsoka and some historic gear Will be sharing the latter as soon as I get a bit further progress

 

[mdb]

Oh.
My.
Gob.
I started this thread in 2013.
My how things change.
Life got very tough indeed, my projects have not given me the joy I need so many have been put aside.
The pandemic has taken a massive toll on my physical and mental health.
However.
I am back, I am making, and I have the last 'glassing project I think I can physically handle.
It merges my history, my SCAdian, my Cosplay interests.