Sif (The Dark World) - Completed (Mostly)

[coregeek]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Its all looking great. Thanks for taking the time to document this build.

Have you sourced the leather yet? Just wondering if your going to purchase local or online.? I've been trying to find the right leather for the handle wrap for my Sif sword project and haven't found the right color yet.

 

[andveryginger]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Its all looking great. Thanks for taking the time to document this build.

Have you sourced the leather yet? Just wondering if your going to purchase local or online.? I've been trying to find the right leather for the handle wrap for my Sif sword project and haven't found the right color yet.

Thank you! I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, so the compliments and encouragement help me to stop tweaking and move on to the next. I'm still not entirely thrilled with everything, but it really is exciting to see it all starting to come together!

We have two Tandy locations in town, but, because I wasn't sure if I would have access to my old Kenmore workhorse during construction of the under vest and skirt, I wanted to keep things lighter and easier to manage. I ended up sourcing the leather online, from an eBay seller by the ID of "theleatherguyofmn." It's not very heavy -- 1.5 - 2 oz. lambskin -- and the color is pretty good (if not quite as dark as some of the BTS shots I've seen). I'll likely end up either interfacing, underlining, or interfacing and underlining the overall construction of the vest and skirt for strength. The leather alone, however, would probably work fairly well for wrapping the grip of the sword, while keeping down the bulk. I purchased the "red" lambskin hides, matching them up as well as I could with my monitor and asking questions as I went. If you send him the listing ID, he can help coordinate if you need matching/similar colors across a few different hides.

(And I so want to order a cast of that sword from you... let me know when/if you're going to offer!)

On the progress front, there's not a great deal to report. I took most of yesterday off, and haven't done much today. I struggled with "order of operations," as it were, regarding the belt on the breastplate. It seemed to make more sense to put the leather on the insets before I placed the belt. Unfortunately, once the worbla is painted with the filler primer and other shinies, it won't adhere to itself the same way it will while in its "natural state." I finally decided to suck it up and go ahead and put the belt and discs on; the leather inset will simply have to go in two pieces. This will also require some crafty taping during the base coat phase. Meh.



I also got the pauldrons started. A friend of a friend (who excels at leatherwork) is building the bases for me, to which I will mount the worbla pieces. The shape isn't quite right, but it's getting there. I need to find a good sphere to round the shoulders properly:



I'll also end up refining the second plate there a bit, but it's at a decent starting point. Once I get these shaped, I'll probably start with the detailing while I finish the template for the shield. The shield will complete the armor for DragonCon. While I'd love to be more screen accurate and do the boots as well, I decided that comfort was going to win out: I'll be wearing my Sandlar boots for the con. I might do the legs for my local cons (which are not 4 day, 24-hour cons), but I just refuse to kill my feet when walking will be the most reliable form of transportation for the four days. (And reality check -- Hollywood? Try doing a good side kick in wedge heels like she was wearing. It ends up in a "safety moment." If you want height, just pull a Peter Jackson and use camera angles, k?)

And now off in search of a properly-sized sphere for shaping the pauldrons...

 

[coregeek]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Thank you! I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, so the compliments and encouragement help me to stop tweaking and move on to the next. I'm still not entirely thrilled with everything, but it really is exciting to see it all starting to come together!

I know how you feel. Sometimes I get really caught up in making things too perfect and I have to remind myself, that it really doesn't matter to anyone else but me. I've learned that if something is well made people still respond positively even if it is not 100% screen accurate.

Thank you for the info regarding the leather, I'll check into that seller.

I've been working on test casts for the Sif sword and I think I'm probably about a week away from offering them for sale.

Keep up the good work. The Asgardian costumes are a lot of work. It took me 3 months of my free time to build King Loki and I didn't do any of the fabric work. It pushed me to the limit but was worth it.

 

[andveryginger]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

I know how you feel. Sometimes I get really caught up in making things too perfect and I have to remind myself, that it really doesn't matter to anyone else but me. I've learned that if something is well made people still respond positively even if it is not 100% screen accurate.

Yeah, that's the thing -- you can get 80% of the detail (sometimes less!), most people will get it, and it would look pretty good. But I have a hard time leaving it at that; I always get as close as I can within the time and skill limitations I have. Sometimes that means sewing a hem in the hotel room the night before. I'm trying to avoid that this year. (Hah!)

I've been working on test casts for the Sif sword and I think I'm probably about a week away from offering them for sale.

Yay! While I'm fairly happy with my own efforts, yours is much better detailed and cleaner than my build. Definitely looking forward to having one.

Keep up the good work. The Asgardian costumes are a lot of work. It took me 3 months of my free time to build King Loki and I didn't do any of the fabric work. It pushed me to the limit but was worth it.

Thank you! Yes, they are a lot of work -- more than I thought when I started this late last year/earlier. I'm enjoying the challenge and the learning curve. My only regret is that I had to put aside Tauriel, since the detailing for Sif is taking more time than I thought. Ah well. One more Hobbit movie still to come, so I'll have time, and I'll have more time to try and source the right materials. =)

Did a little bit more prep work today, as I sat watching bad movies (Breaking Dawn, anyone?). Made my stencils for the scrollwork and got the designs traced onto most of the armor:



I also found a lovely 5" styrofoam ball at Michael's, which I then used to better shape the shoulders:

 

[BGefrich]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

This is looking better and better all the time.

 

[andveryginger]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Thank you... It's definitely a lot of work!

Today, started adding the puffy paint to the scrollwork:



And started detail painting on the sword:



Still needs more dry brushing to add the right textures and highlights, and the red leather wrapped grip, but I'm pretty happy with the progress. Yet another learning curve on a new project. There are days I feel like I'm chiseling away at a redwood to make a toothpick...

 

[coregeek]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Stellar puffy paint work. Do you use anything special for a tip? Or just the standard bottle. This looks very precise.

 

[andveryginger]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Thank you -- another case of slow and steady winning the race. Just sat back with "A Good Day to Die Hard" on in the background, and went to work. =)

What you see was accomplished using the small bottles of Scribbles fabric paint (iridescent silver). It has a finer point than the small-bottle Tulip metallic paints, which surprised me, given that the Scribbles is the "cheaper" option. I used Tulip on the sword and had a harder time controlling the flow, even with steady pressure -- maybe a combination of the viscosity and the point. The Scribbles paint went on much easier and I like the results better. I'll be curious to see how much the paint contracts as it dries, in comparison to the other.

 

[jollyskeleton]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Love the progress!

 

[andveryginger]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Thanks!

Started the primer coats on the smaller pieces today -- the back "skirt" plates, and the front hip plates. I'm currently using the Rustoleum Filler Primer, as I've had pretty good results with it on the sword. Given that I likely won't be sanding the area too close to the scrollwork, and that her armor has a bit of texture to it as well, I'm contemplating switching to some regular gray primer. Just have to see how the skirt plates and hip plates turn out with a couple of coats.

Still have to wrap the grip on my sword and finish the detail painting on the blade. Going to try and get that done this weekend. Got a trip down to Galveston, though, to stock up as the (in)famous Colonel Bubbie's is going out of business at the end of the summer. Might have to see if we can get some of the stuff for a TFA Cap (DH wants to do one).

 

[coregeek]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Yay! While I'm fairly happy with my own efforts, yours is much better detailed and cleaner than my build. Definitely looking forward to having one.

Now taking orders on the unpainted version: http://etsy.me/1rH5q0R

 

[andveryginger]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

So I probably should have just used regular old gray primer... The filler hasn't been a total catastrophy, but is requiring a quite a bit of sanding prior to the base coat of color, as it has completely changed the texture of the worbla. The primer is also bringing out all these lovely flaws that I thought had been better blended and shaped. Ugh. Still, not too bad:



I'm now in the process of packing my things to take back north with me to Newfoundland. There, I'll finish painting and sewing the remaining pieces of this costume and my Corellian Jedi that's been simmering on the back burner while I've been pushing through the armor build. I only wish my new sword from Coregeek were coming with me. Alas... It will have to wait for a later con.

More updates in a few days when I'm settled back in!

 

[andveryginger]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

...and finally back to work!

Took a few days to unpack, and then I worked on my patterns for my Corellian Jedi. The pants for that are officially 95%, and will be the first piece I finish for con. And I leave in 25 days. Ouch.

So after a great "date day" with DH (Guardians rocked, BTW, in case you were wondering), I came home and got cracking on the shield. Basically, I started with a good reference image that I scaled up to the approximate size I needed, then washed through the "find edges" function in PaintShop. I then printed it out over several sheets of paper, piecing it all back into one larger whole. I trimmed it down to just shield-size, then taped it down onto a portion of easel/art paper. I added 1/4" all the way around, and cut it out, giving me a template for the leather backing. In this case, I expect to use some sealed and painted craft foam.

I started to trace the more detailed designs out on scrap paper, but then realized that I could just as easily copy it on the scanner, print it out, and take some of the work out. Duh. I think I need more sleep! What I get for playing Diablo III until 2 AM, I guess...

This is what it looked like before I turned off the lights in the sewing room for the night:



I've had the layers and construction all rattling around in my head for weeks. I finally started jotting down notes so I could think through my processes, making sure what I think is going to work is really going to work. Tomorrow will be the test.

::crossing fingers and toes::

Going to try and get the first coat of base color on the armor tomorrow, too. Whee!

 

[coregeek]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Looks like a great start to the shield. I researched it quite a bit (as I had someone interested in me building a commission). Here's the only reference of the back I could find. In case you need one.

 

[andveryginger]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Looks like a great start to the shield. I researched it quite a bit (as I had someone interested in me building a commission). Here's the only reference of the back I could find. In case you need one.

View attachment 357308

I did, actually. I pulled some screen caps while I was home, but didn't get them all uploaded before I came back north. I was just going to wing it, but looks like I won't have to. Thank you! =)

After an unusually sweltering week, today has been gorgeous! Sunny skies, lower humidity, good breezes, and some good company have been very motivating. Needless to say, it's been a pretty productive day: I got the base coat of "flat soft iron" on the armor; templates for the shield knot- and scrollwork sorted; and started cutting foam for the shield. Getting the templates for the shield prepped was probably some of the most tedious work I've done for costuming so far. Cutting the foam was slightly better -- and only because the foam cut easier with the Xacto knife than the paper. Still, I can't argue with results:



As I was cutting templates, however, I realized that I could be applying the base coat of color to the armor and letting it dry while I fussed with the details. So... I went out, set up a makeshift paint hood, and got to work. I've been using the Rustoleum Universal metallic paints with decent results. My only real complaint is that each new can has spattered a bit, making an even layer something of a challenge. Once I thought I'd done fairly well, I stopped to take a picture of my work while it sat on the shelf:



Looking at the picture, it appeared that the paint had not quite layered up so well on the front portion of the breastplate. There were two factors in this -- the spattering paint issue, and the fact that the lovely coastal breezes kept sweeping into the garage, blowing paint in the wrong direction. I moved the breastplate into the makeshift paint hood (I'd been painting the larger pieces on a big piece of cardboard), and recoated it. It looks much better now (worbla bubbles aside ::sigh:: ):



The texture turned out okay -- hers is not entirely smooth, and this is a close approximation -- I'll still be going over it with some steel wool to soften it slightly prior to sealing and adding the leather insets. The top coat of color will be "dark steel" (slightly lighter than the "soft iron"), after which I'll add highlights and weathering.

As for the bodice and skirt -- I have the patterns refined and ready to go. There's this little thing called a "rajah cloth," however, that makes it safe and easy to press (yes, press!) leather during the sewing process. Given that I'm using a lighter weight garment leather, I decided this was a good idea. Unfortunately, the one I already have got left behind in Houston when shipping back north. ::facepalm:: So I ordered a new one last week and am waiting for it to arrive here at the end of the North American supply chain. If it doesn't get here by Wednesday of this coming week, I'm going to have to start without it. Heaven knows I've got enough to keep me busy while I wait!

 

[andveryginger]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Shield -- ready for worbla. Yay!



The very back layer will eventually be red and resemble leather. I'll likely use puff paint to add in the infinity knot-style details at the bottom and on the raised piece. That will allow me to better shape and scale the design to the available space.

And now for a break. And maybe a cookie.

 

[jollyskeleton]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

That is a gorgeous shield!

 

[coregeek]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Shield looks awesome!

 

[andveryginger]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Thanks all for the warm fuzzies -- they are much appreciated and definitely helping me keep some momentum going!

I took a couple of days off to work on my Jedi tunic, and swung back around to Sif this evening, after dinner. As per my previous post, I'd glued down the bits and detail for the shield, only needing to sandwich it between the worbla. What a lot of work! Three-ish hours and I finally got everything laid out and the worbla shaped over all the nooks and crannies:



It's still "open" across the top, so I've not yet trimmed it all the way around; I'm slowly making my way up from the bottom. Try as hard as I liked, and despite going very slowly from the center, there are still a few air bubbles on the left side, closer to the knotwork detail. I worked most of them out or down, so I'm not sure how much will show. Larger pieces like this are definitely harder to work with than the bracers I did last year! Hoping to finish sealing it up and trimming off the excess worbla tomorrow. There's a bit of rain in the forecast, so painting is up in the air. I'm fairly well protected in the garage, so we'll see. If nothing else, maybe I can start getting the fastenings in place on the inside of the pieces -- industrial strength velcro, some leather straps, and some D-rings, just to name a few.

And on a related note -- does any one have any experience using adhesives with worbla? I've been contemplating the best way to attach the red "leather" to the shield once I have it done, and I'm not sure what adhesive might be best suited. I have contact cement and E6000 spray handy at the moment. Might have to conduct a little experiment tomorrow to see which way to take it.

 

[coregeek]

Re: Sif (The Dark World) - WIP

Doing a large piece like that completely bubble free and smooth = total PITA. I bet you're glad that part is done. You can use a fine needle to poke bubbles then heat lightly and press them out. (You probably already know that trick I'm guessing.)

As for adhering I've found the best thing that sticks to worbla is hot glue. That may not help since you have a lot of space to cover. I'm guessing contact cement may, I haven't tried it. I do know that Super 77 (spray adhesive) and quick setting epoxy don't work.