Twi'lek Pam

I'm impressed... those are really clean, even cuts! What did you use to cut the pattern out? Pam

It looks like the project is coming along nicely. It's amazing what a bit of detail work can do when you're cleaning up seams and shapes! Pam

Hi, It all depends on the accuracy that you're seeking for the project. Are you content with a slightly similar look? Or are you trying to make an accurate saber hilt? While I love giving TCCS my money, I've found that their saber parts are much better for making custom designs. They don't work quite so well for recreating specific sabers. Trying to use their pieces to create a KOTOR saber is going to leave you with nothing better than an "Eh, it's kinda close" saber. To get that one to look right, you're going to need the services of someone with a metal lathe. Or, the desire to buy a lathe and learn how to use it! (I really, really want one! Someday....) Pam

Metal bands can be used... they just need to be the right size and shape, and they need to be securely placed in the right position. In your photos they look quite far back, and a bit wonky in shape. I'd say that you need to experiment with the placement to get the right look. Pam

http://chucrew.com/Nihilus/hood.html Pam

I'm pleased to see that the mold is still in such great shape after time and castings have both taken their toll on it. It's always good to hang on to things like that, because you never know when the inspiration to return to the project may strike! It'll be interesting to see this costume evolve a second time; thank you for sharing the progress pictures. I enjoy seeing them. I'm very familiar with the shrinking issue with latex! This picture really illustrates the problem. The headpiece isn't fully dry yet, but you can see how much smaller than the mold it has already become. I have to make the head area a full 10% larger than my own head measurements, or the headpiece will be too tight to fit over my head once the latex shrinks.... And that is for little more than a "cap" shape! I can only imagine the problems that would be caused by a full-head mask that shrinks too much! You'd be green on the outside, but turning blue underneath! Happy costuming! Pam

Every time I feel that way about a new costume, it turns out to be one of my favorites when it's all done. There's something about working on costumes that are really cool but also intimidating that makes you rise to the challenge, and make something that you can be very proud of. Don't give up, and have fun experimenting! Pam

Whenever someone asks me about finding proportions or creating symmetry while they're designing armor sculpts, I always send them to your threads. You have developed those skills into a true art. And, I grin every time I see the word "ratio" in your posts... after all the years of my students asking me if they'll ever use math skills in real life, I can reply, "Well, yeah, if you make Rham Kota armor." (If they know who Kota is, they get an automatic A in my class!) Thank you again for continuing to share your work! As usual, it's one of my favorite threads. Pam

I love it when people upgrade pieces of their costumes! We learn a bit more with each build, and the improvement is always amazing. Thank you for sharing, and I'll be looking forward to seeing the final results! Pam

EL wire is seriously cool stuff. We bought some years ago (in green) to experiment with while we were making various lightsaber blades. We never did use it for a saber, but we still get it out to mess with every now and then, just because it's geeky fun. I don't know if it's typical or just the particular setup that we made, but it makes a steady high pitched hum when it is turned on. Have fun! Pam P.S. The Team Unicorn girls look great!

I would love to see this character brought to life! She's so calm and stoic, yet lethal... it's a fascinating combination of traits for a blue youngster in ballet slippers! I was pleased to see her in the "we'll hide in the galaxy" scene, too! Pam

We haven't really discussed it yet, but I suspect Shae would be represented by the Bounty Hunter's deatchment... she is a bounty hunter, isn't she? (EU characters are represented by the detachment that best matches their character type. Flagship specializes in EU darksiders and denizens, EU officers such as Thrawn and Daala go to the officer's detachment, etc. The Bounty Hunter's guild already represents some EU Mandalorians, so it's all good.) Pam

Welcome to the Flagship, Larry. No worries about your birthday; it takes a miracle to finish a legion costume in only a couple months... you'll be 18 before you're ready to get your costume approved for membership! (I say this from experience: Focus on quality, rather than speed. You'll be much happier with the end result, and more likely to see your costume approved without being sent back for heavy revisions.) I'll leave your first two questions to the folks who have made the costume and would know more than I about the saber and backpack. Look through the forum here, and you'll see a post or two about them, I imagine. For the third question, I can tell you that you must have buzzed hair or at least the appearance of such in order to get a Starkiller costume approved, and you would need to have short hair to wear the costume to official events as well. I imagine you'd have an easier time with that detail at conventions or very relaxed events... but when representing the legion at public events, most garrisons want their members to be in accurate costumes, including the hair. If he were compltely bald you would have the option of wearing a bald cap; but Starkiller has that head 'o stubble, which is a lot more challenging to create artificially. The only thing that comes to mind is a full-lace wig with very short hair... but that would be a big challenge to find, and a bit of a pain since you'd have to glue on the wig for each event. You'd be able to hide your hair down the back with the Raxus heavy training gear's neck wrap, but you'd not be able to do that with the TIE factory gear. If joining the 501st is your main goal, and you don't want to cut your hair, then you might need to consider a helmeted character. By all means, make the Starkiller costume if you want to, and wear it with pride... but you'll need to understand that the 501st does require the hair to be correct for approval. It's the details that really make a costume great! Pam

Nobody? Bueller? A little help, please? Pam

Hi, Welcome! Nope, you must have met my evil twin. (Or, am I the evil one? I can never keep that stuff straight...) We couldn't attend D*Con last year, because CV used up our vacation time and budget. We almost attended the D*Con Mixer a couple years ago, but we only made it as far as the door. We got there, saw the crowd packed inside, I went into shy freakout mode, and we left without ever going in. (Guess that disqualifies me from being the evil twin, huh? Evil should not fear crowds of like-minded geeks.) Pam

I received a notice from our web host that they're no longer offering free domain renewals, and our domain renewal was coming due. It was only $7.49 for the next year, so I went ahead and covered it. The domain cost is something we can include in the fundraising next year when it comes around again; I'm not going to worry about it this year. Pam

As long as the tights are form-fitting, correctly colored, and give the appearance of "pale skin" they will be approveable; we have the LMO's word on that. Do a good job with them, and they will be approved. As always, the way that we create the costume is just as important as what we create them with. That said, however... once the current LMO is out of office, the next LMO may very well have a different outlook, and things may change. Pam

. To see the official Legion CRL entry and a downloadable PDF file for this costume, please click here: http://www.501st.com/databank/Costuming:SL_brood Legion CRL Entry for Maris Brood Costume Components: 1. Hair: The long black hair or wig is braided into cornrows that run horizontally from the front of the head to the back. Two thick braids are wrapped around the neck, while four braids are looped so that they hang down over the costumer's back. 2. Horns: Seven red Zabrac horns are located on the forehead and at the top of the head. In the center, there is one horn just in front of the hairline, one horn at the center top of the head, and a third horn is located midway between them. On the left and right sides there is one horn that is just in front of the hairline, and one horn that is located near the top of the head. The horns appear to be growing from the skull, and do not give the impression that they are sitting on top of the hair. Each horn curves upward and slightly toward the back of the head. 3. Contacts: Special effects contacts in shades of red and yellow are worn to give the illusion of Sith eyes. While considered an essential part of this character, contact lenses are not required for 501st acceptance. All persons wishing to utilize contact lenses are encouraged to first see their optometrist for a fitting. 4. Makeup: Pale makeup and smudges of stage dirt are used to give the impression of a pale character who lives in a dirty environment. The eyes are heavily painted with black or dark gray eyeliner and eyeshadow. A heavy line of red-orange is painted across the bottom of each eye, and the lips are a dark gray color. 5. Top: The top is made from a weathered, dark brown leather or fabric. It is comprised of a narrow band that wraps tightly around the chest. A tight-fitting piece of the same material goes around each shoulder, connecting to the band under each arm. These shoulder straps are wide at the tops of the shoulders, and then become narrow as they reach the armpits. The straps are the same brown as the main wrap, but they also include a darker stripe down the center. A strip of wide, flat braided material goes across the chest. The braided strip may be the same color as the rest of the top, or it may have a red tint. It connects to the main band on each side, just under the arms. 6. Wrist Wraps: Both wrists are wrapped with strips of leather or a more solid material that create an X pattern on the backs of the wrists. The wraps are very dark brown with a copper tint. There are three strips that wrap around the wrist. They are set approximately 1.5 cm apart near the hand and approximately 5 cm apart toward the forearm side. The narrow open section has a V design in it with the V pointing away from the hand, and the wider space section has an X design in it. 7. Hand and Torso Makeup: The fingers are tinted with the same red-orange color that is seen under the eyes. The torso and arms may be smudged with applications of makeup or stage dirt to give a dirty, weathered appearance to the skin. The hands and forearms may be covered with spattered makeup, stage blood, or stage dirt. 8. Layered Belt: The outermost belt is worn at an angle, with the left side worn high, and the right side worn low on the hip. This belt is composed of two layers. The back layer is made of very dark brown leather or vinyl which is approximately 6 to 8 centimeters wide. The narrow front layer is made of a lighter, glossy leather or vinyl which is approximately 1.5 cm wide. There are no visible rivets or studs holding the two belts together. The belt closes on the right side, and both ends of the wide layer hang down, creating a pair of sashes that reach the right knee. 9. Braided Belt: The inner belt is made of brown leather strips that have a red tint. The belt is a flat braided style, and it is worn at a slight angle under the layered belt. 10. Mock-Chap Style Pants: The form-fitting pants are made with a mock chap design. The inner "pant" section is differentiated from the waistband and "chap" section by a different shade or gloss to the material. This difference may be created with two different kinds of material, or by a fabric paint application on one section. The pants are worn tucked into the top of the boots. 11. Thigh Strap: A strip of braided leather is worn snug around the right thigh. This strip is made from the same reddish brown leather that was used for the braided belt. 12. Shin Guards: The shin guards are straight across the top, sides, and bottom, but have a slight curve to match the shape of the leg . They are slightly wider across the top than at the ankle. The straps may be on the shin guards to hold them on. But it also uses dark brown 1/4" leather strapping that criss-crosses around the leg to hold the shin guards in place. 13. Boots: The knee high boots are made of dark brown leather. They have low heels, and fit tightly against the legs. The boots may straps and buckles on the outer leg. The section of the boot that covers the top of the foot may be a darker color than the rest of the boot. This may be a two-tone quality of the boot itself, or it may be created with a separate piece of leather that wraps around the top of the foot. Costume Accessories: 14. Guard Shoto Lightsabers: The tonfa style lightsabers are weathered silver and may include black detailing. If bladed, the blades are red and are shorter than a standard lightsaber blade.

Alright, so I presented the Nightsister's case to the LMO in charge of Flagship costumes.... pros and cons and so forth concerning the leg wraps. He's in agreement that there is so little skin showing on the legs, that form-fitting leggings may be used under the wraps without detracting from the quality of the costumes. Body paint would still be required for the arms and faces, and the leggings need to match the color of the rest of the skin. Pam

Hi everyone, I am looking for some high-quality images of some professional quality makeup applications for the legion's CRL project! (In other words, yes, I'm going to be picky about the quality! ) I need some images of Starkiller's bloodied arms, both the cut on his upper arm, and the blood running down his forearm. The pictures need to be well-lit and high resolution. If you happen to have a Starkiller costume and some FX painting/photography assistance, please shoot me a PM! The makeup needs to match this reference: Thank you! (It's always nice to get bloody for a good cause, right?) Pam

Hi, everyone. I'm currently finishing up the last bits of the Revan CRL entry, and I find myself needing some more images of his costume. I am in need of the following detail images. The key will be great lighting, a white background, and large, high resolution images. If you have a Revan costume and you would like to help out with these images, please shoot me a PM. I would greatly appreciate the help! Please don't take any pictures without contacting me first. They need to be taken in a very specific way, and I don't want to make anyone waste time on photographs that I can't use! balaclava (tight fitting) shirt with piping/seam sewn across front of chest chest armor armor bridging piece abdominal armor belt with o-ring boots back armor Thank you, Pam

Hi, A copper mask... that could be very interesting to see! Be sure to take lost of pictures and share your progress! This is the game render of the mask, which is what you should base your dimensions on. As for the sizing, the best thing to do is base your measurements so that an equal area of your own face is covered by the mask. Use ratios, if you know how. I don't recommend basing your mask off someone else's measurements. This is your project, and it should be created to best fit you! Pam

Figuring out the colors of EU costumes can be a real challenge. (For that matter, even figuring out the color of the costumes in the movies has been difficult. Some of us know all about the debates over the color of Anakin's tabbards, Han's jacket, and Leia's pants!) The best advice I can give is to look at the images from a neutral color background (the publicity shots instead of the cartoon stills, which use a lot of colorful atmosphiric lighting), and then use your best judgement. Personally I would lean more toward various shades of red, rather than orange. The colors can lean toward orange or burgundy or brown as needed to bring out the details of the layers, but keep the base color of red as the central focus. All we can do is try our best to match the references, which will change from one image to the next, that's just the challenge of EU costuming! Pam

Hi, The most important key to getting a costume approved (aside from making sure they are a 501st worthy baddie) is having full-body front and back images that are consistent in design. For that, your best chance would be the interior comic images. The other artwork looks considerably different from the interior art, and I doubt you'd find references to support that look and show the back side or what's to be worn under the robe. I'm wondering, will this character appear in the game or the other published material? We tend to wait until the games come out before any game character is considered ready for legion approval. We wait and see what there is to really know about them before we move on to that next big step! I'd say to keep collecting reference images and take it from there. She might be approved someday as a legion costume, or she might not... but either way it would be a lot of fun to make and wear that costume! Pam

Hi, everyone. It took a while, but I have officially accomplished a miracle! That's right.... MY E-MAIL INBOX IS EMPTY!! BWAHAHAHA! I'm sorry it took me a while to get caught up and active on the boards again. I came home from our vacation to find a very full mailbox, so I've been working away at it ever since (wimpering every time another "you've got mail" chime sounded.) Since coming home, I have read and replied to exactly 196 emails... and about a dozen or so PM's as well, though I still have at least another dozen PM's to answer. I promise I'll try to finish answering those as quickly as I can, and then I'll get started catching up on the discussion threads I missed during my absence. Thank you again to the folks who kept an eye on things while I was gone. It was really nice to know that the forum was in good hands while I was internet free! And now... the pictures! (Well, a few of them, anyway. I took over 300!) The beautiful state of Oregon: Star Wars geeks atop the Space Needle. Seattle, Washington: A pastel sunset near Victoria, BC: Another beautiful state... Alaska: The Mendenhall Glacier: Aww.... crud. I just heard the "you've got mail" chime. The miracle is over, folks! Move along, move along... Whales! I loved seeing whales day after day! Scott living his dream on a zipline. The beach near where we set off for a drizzly morning of kayaking. I suspect it's a good thing that we didn't spot any orcas until the following day. If we'd spotted them before this, I think Scott and I both would have had some issues with kayaking out into deep water! This picture was taken after 11:30 at night. It was fascinating to see how the twilight lasted so long... it never really got dark at night! *chime* GAHH! More mail!? No fair... Pam