In this thread, I’ll be talking about how I went about creating a replica of Geralt’s Skellige Undvik armor set that appears as an unlockable skin in the Witcher III video game to be worn at DragonCon 2022 in Atlanta.
I started by gathering reference images to get a clear look at all the details and get a plan together for how to attack this project. Among the many, many images I saved, these were two of the most useful.
I decided to approach this costume layer-by-layer and work from the inside out. This way, I was sure each piece was sized and proportioned to fit over the one beneath it.
While you don’t really see much of the very inner layers of the costume, I decided that I wanted to include a shirt for a few reasons:
Next, I began building the black gambeson. I modified my LARP Rogue gambeson pattern (available in my Etsy shop) to create the base for the body nd sleeves. The gambeson is made of lightweight black faux leather. The body is lined with washed muslin for structure and the collar, sleeves and skirt are all backed with headliner foam - a pretty standard technique for my builds.
The sleeves, skirt, and collar were topstitched to create the padded segments. Once the pieces were assembled, the armholes and ends of the sleeves were bound in black faux leather.
Next, the outer edges of the gambeson, from the waist at the center back split in the skirt, all the way around was edged to 1/2” with a rust-colored faux suede. The edging was then trimmed with a dark gold 2mm soutache braid.
Finally, the grommets and lacings were added to the front and sleeves.
The next layer was the tunic. I started the tunic by further modifying the same gambeson pattern to fit properly, edited a few of the seam lines, and determined the wide edging. I then had a useable pattern to get started.
The tunic and pants were made out of a dark green burlap that was dyed with black and brown washes to give it some depth and mottled color. The burlap was backed with washed muslin to not only keep it from warping and give it structure but also to give it some highlight and prevent it from looking too flat.
Next, the edging at the bottom of the skirt tabs and the center front was made of medium-weight black faux leather backed with black cotton and attached. It was then time to map out and create the scroll design on the front and back.
The scroll design was created by stitching down 1/4” ivory braid and then “outlining” it with 2mm ivory soutache braid. Once complete, the outer edges of the tunic were given the same trim treatment as the gambeson except instead of faux suede, the tunic was edged with burgundy faux leather.
To complete the tunic, the buckles and straps were added to the front and detailed with bronze studs and the armholes were bound in green twill.
I started by gathering reference images to get a clear look at all the details and get a plan together for how to attack this project. Among the many, many images I saved, these were two of the most useful.
I decided to approach this costume layer-by-layer and work from the inside out. This way, I was sure each piece was sized and proportioned to fit over the one beneath it.
While you don’t really see much of the very inner layers of the costume, I decided that I wanted to include a shirt for a few reasons:
- I wanted to be able to have the gambeson sleeves tied on so that the underarms would be open for movement and ventilation.
- I wanted the gambeson sleeves to be elbow length to reduce bulk and heat under the gauntlets.
- I wanted there to be an inner shirt to catch sweat and prevent too much soaking through all the other layers.
Next, I began building the black gambeson. I modified my LARP Rogue gambeson pattern (available in my Etsy shop) to create the base for the body nd sleeves. The gambeson is made of lightweight black faux leather. The body is lined with washed muslin for structure and the collar, sleeves and skirt are all backed with headliner foam - a pretty standard technique for my builds.
The sleeves, skirt, and collar were topstitched to create the padded segments. Once the pieces were assembled, the armholes and ends of the sleeves were bound in black faux leather.
Next, the outer edges of the gambeson, from the waist at the center back split in the skirt, all the way around was edged to 1/2” with a rust-colored faux suede. The edging was then trimmed with a dark gold 2mm soutache braid.
Finally, the grommets and lacings were added to the front and sleeves.
The next layer was the tunic. I started the tunic by further modifying the same gambeson pattern to fit properly, edited a few of the seam lines, and determined the wide edging. I then had a useable pattern to get started.
The tunic and pants were made out of a dark green burlap that was dyed with black and brown washes to give it some depth and mottled color. The burlap was backed with washed muslin to not only keep it from warping and give it structure but also to give it some highlight and prevent it from looking too flat.
Next, the edging at the bottom of the skirt tabs and the center front was made of medium-weight black faux leather backed with black cotton and attached. It was then time to map out and create the scroll design on the front and back.
The scroll design was created by stitching down 1/4” ivory braid and then “outlining” it with 2mm ivory soutache braid. Once complete, the outer edges of the tunic were given the same trim treatment as the gambeson except instead of faux suede, the tunic was edged with burgundy faux leather.
To complete the tunic, the buckles and straps were added to the front and detailed with bronze studs and the armholes were bound in green twill.
