my Visas costume progress

[Guest Anonymous]

Okay, here's a picture of what I meant:

 

(and I think this fabric looks a different color every time I photograph it)

 

On the left is the back side of the crepe back satin, same as I used in the shirt and skirt. On the right is the chiffon sitting on top of the shiny side of the crepe back satin. I'm considering doing that layered effect for the veil, but not sure yet and I wanted to get others' opinions. It would actually be easier to do just the same fabric as I used in the underdress, but I often like it when not everything that's the same color is exactly the same fabric ... just a personal preference of mine, I think I said before, I may like texture too much. What do others think?

 

EDIT -- JoAnn's may well have answered my question for me, by way of not having exactly the same fabric as I used for the underdress. And I am about 2 inches short with what I have now ... so it looks like that option is not actually an option. They have a fabric that is supposed to be the same ... I bought the stuff I was using earlier nearly a year ago, so it may be that it's just a subtly different dye lot, or something. I suspect if I tried to order the stuff I had from before I would still end up with what they have in the store now.

[Guest Sakara]

All i can say is the way i did my veil. I had a chiffon that matched the fabric i'd used for my dress and the back of the headdress. I doubled up the chiffon for the veil part so that when worn its close enough to my face that i can see through it, but anyone looking at me cannot see my eyes. Think the most common question i get asked is how do i see!.

I found a doubled chiffon was the best solution to seeing as the dress fabric was far far too thick.

[Guest Anonymous]

I am definitely going to use chiffon for the part that covers my eyes, I had just been unsure about the rest of it. But it turns out I do have enough of the original fabric after all, for the outside layer at least, so I think I will just use that.

[Guest Anonymous]

Okay, finally, here's what I have on the veil.

 

 

It could probably stand to be a half inch or so longer all the way around, but other than that I'm pretty happy with it. It's currently got weights pinned to the front points if you're wondering what those are, the actual one will be weighted with a chain around the whole thing.

 

Here's the headband by itself:

(yes, my hair is bluer than last you saw it)

It's basically a slightly curved piece of fabric with two strips of elastic in the back. On the real one, I will put some elastic across the top too. The veil is held to the headband with just two pins here, on the actual one it will be a little more secure.

[Guest Aysel]

interesting way to do the face part, you'll have to keep us informed on how that works out once you get the painting done

[Guest Anonymous]

I wasn't sure how to do the veil at first, I wanted to see if there were options other than the "D" shape because in many cases, the seam where it's attached to the back ends up kind of puckered, and I wasn't sure I could avoid that. I looked around at different veil styles and found this SCA page http://lynnehurstinvites.com/edyth/notes/veil.html#_self, the "working veil" looks very similar to Visas' aside from not covering the eyes. But I couldn't quite figure out a way to do a one-piece veil like that that covered the eyes and had the correct darts in it, so my headband was kind of a compromise between the one-piece veil and the "D" shape. Since I won't be sewing the two pieces edge-to-edge, I think it will be easier to get the back piece to lie smoothly on the forehead (or perhaps stand away slightly, to simulate being folded back like the one-piece veil).

 

The painting may be interesting. My biggest worry there is that the seam will stand out where I sew the chiffon to the crepe.

[Guest Anonymous]

Hmmm, I really like how you are doing your veil. It looks like it holds across the eyes really well, which is what my current problem has been. And then it looks like after you get the headband part right, you can just handsew the veil part to the headband. I might try it your way .

[Guest Sakara]

..i use toupee tape ( the tape also known as boobytape, tittape, modesty tape) and use that to securely keep my veil from exposing my eyes (especially in out UK windy weather, its vital, even with my weighted veil!)

[Guest Anonymous]

Well, I took a break from working on this for a while, and then I shut my fingers in a door, which kept me from sewing for a bit longer. But now I'm back!

 

I've been working on the gold trim, which I've decided to do by embroidery as I am terrible at painting steady lines. Embroidery at least has the benefit that it's easier to undo mistakes. Plus I love the look of couched gold threads ...

 

I am starting with the trim for the cuffs, because I figure that'll be less visible than the veil. I'm going to turn the excess black under and sew it by hand to the sleeves, but I wanted to share where I was at now. It doesn't photograph all that well (too shiny, I think) but I don't think it looks all that bad in person.

[Guest Anonymous]

Finished cuffs! I need to track down better gloves though ...

[Guest Aysel]

those look pretty! but yea tacking (the things we do to make things just perfect)

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm back!

 

We moved, and then I worked on other costumes for a while, so yeah, this has been sitting abandoned for over a year. But I got back to working on it and today I finished my veil!

 

[Guest Aysel]

that looks REALLY nice, you got the curve around your head shaped just right, which is the toughest part of the veil.

[Obickay]

That is really nice work. Looks great.

[Guest Anonymous]

I absolutely love how you have been making your costume! I especially like the veil you've made. Can't wait to see it all finished

 

I'm going to begin making my own Visas costume in the New Year and its wonderful to see so many people making their own beautiful costumes!