verdaera
Active Member
I know a lot of people don't like this character, but I love the design of her. Wood elves have always been my favorite and even though I know I'm not Elf Material, I love the look of this costume. I am making her green suede jacket version:
I had a hard time figuring out how I would go about making the jacket because upon studying it, I was finding conflicting information, until I got the WETA books. I was finally able to determine they had made at least two versions of this jacket. The first one she wears most of the time. It is a short jacket with a removable skirt, that always has the leather cuirass over it, and the skirt is removed when she wears the raw silk travel coat over it (for the duration of Battle of Five Armies). They created a separate version of this for inside the Mirkwood caves where the skirt is joined, and in a way that makes it not able to be made as removable. It also is binded on all the decorative seams in silk instead of with suede, as the other jacket is. I decided to make the long Mirkwood version which I could wear with or without the cuirass (which is just too gorgeous to cover up with the silk coat anyway). I might make the short jacket if I managed to conserve enough leather to do so, I don't know if I have yet.
I've been messing with my pattern off and on for awhile, since I know I only have one shot with this leather and can't cut more pieces or make alterations if I screw up. I also wanted to make the sleeves as fitted as possible and still be mobile enough to draw a bow. This proved a challenge with the first fabric I used as a mock-up, but JoAnn's finally came out with a suitable fabric; sweatshirt fleece. It's woven, is thick and only an ounce less heavy than my suede, and has about the same amount of stretch.
I got a couple hides of a green deerskin for this, and dyed silk habotai for the binding. I've also some leather stashed for her cuirass when I get to it, and have some lambskin coming for her pants.
I've got my jacket cut out, and many of the pieces have to be binded before having the decorative insertion stitch hand-sewn to it, and then sewn to a shaped strip of leather (since no skin is seen under the stitch, that's my best guess). It's a two-step stitch, sort of like a buttonhole insertion stitch, and then the two are woven together (I won't do that until the skirt is on) But, I have half the bodice put together! (color adjust since my camera doesn't want to capture the beautiful color of this leather)
I also have my pants pattern ready to go, I made a version out of stretch denim.
And I've been collecting WETA props for this. I might attempt my own versions so I don't worry about ruining the good ones at con.
And that's where I'm currently at! Trying to finish the Gaol Cell version of the costume by Dragon Con!
I had a hard time figuring out how I would go about making the jacket because upon studying it, I was finding conflicting information, until I got the WETA books. I was finally able to determine they had made at least two versions of this jacket. The first one she wears most of the time. It is a short jacket with a removable skirt, that always has the leather cuirass over it, and the skirt is removed when she wears the raw silk travel coat over it (for the duration of Battle of Five Armies). They created a separate version of this for inside the Mirkwood caves where the skirt is joined, and in a way that makes it not able to be made as removable. It also is binded on all the decorative seams in silk instead of with suede, as the other jacket is. I decided to make the long Mirkwood version which I could wear with or without the cuirass (which is just too gorgeous to cover up with the silk coat anyway). I might make the short jacket if I managed to conserve enough leather to do so, I don't know if I have yet.
I've been messing with my pattern off and on for awhile, since I know I only have one shot with this leather and can't cut more pieces or make alterations if I screw up. I also wanted to make the sleeves as fitted as possible and still be mobile enough to draw a bow. This proved a challenge with the first fabric I used as a mock-up, but JoAnn's finally came out with a suitable fabric; sweatshirt fleece. It's woven, is thick and only an ounce less heavy than my suede, and has about the same amount of stretch.
I got a couple hides of a green deerskin for this, and dyed silk habotai for the binding. I've also some leather stashed for her cuirass when I get to it, and have some lambskin coming for her pants.
I've got my jacket cut out, and many of the pieces have to be binded before having the decorative insertion stitch hand-sewn to it, and then sewn to a shaped strip of leather (since no skin is seen under the stitch, that's my best guess). It's a two-step stitch, sort of like a buttonhole insertion stitch, and then the two are woven together (I won't do that until the skirt is on) But, I have half the bodice put together! (color adjust since my camera doesn't want to capture the beautiful color of this leather)
I also have my pants pattern ready to go, I made a version out of stretch denim.
And I've been collecting WETA props for this. I might attempt my own versions so I don't worry about ruining the good ones at con.
And that's where I'm currently at! Trying to finish the Gaol Cell version of the costume by Dragon Con!
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