Twi'lek Pam

You guys almost got me in trouble. I don't think Darth Teacher is supposed to bust up laughing in front of the kids when she glances at her computer during science class! That was good... and there's the hanging belt piece! Pam

In looking at the references, the back right belt tail MUST be required, because it IS definitely in the game images. I am willing to consider having the left rear and right front belts be highly recommended because I cannot see them, either, so they may not have made it into the game. The third picture down appears to have the front belt, but that may be the loincloth. Is the back right tail the one that you have? I cannot see it in your pictures, but I can see a loop of leather that may be the belt tucked upward instead of hanging. (I keep grinning when I talk about the placement of the back belts, because my brain keeps going back to the "where's your cell phone?" discussion in Transformers where the solider keeps screaming "Left cheek! Left cheek!") Lightsabers we voted to always place in the recommended section because not everyone has access to milling equipment or affordable lightsabers. Eventually we all get the right lightsaber... but it's technically a prop and shouldn't stop people from getting their costume approved. Pam

Thank you for posting the images. Now I can see why you've been adament about the lack of belts. I can clearly see the back right belt (though I didn't see it in your costume pictures) , but I'm not certain if I can see the front hanging belt, and I can't see the back left belt piece. I can finally understand your reasoning. Thank you. Now, I have something of my own to share. Recently I was provided with the original character designer's turnarounds that were created for this costume. I was NOT allowed to share them yet, however. They were provided to help me write the costume standards, but that's it. This belt discussion has been difficult for me not only because I am uncomfortable about disagreeing with fellow costumers, but also because I have been struggling to defend my belief that the hanging belts should be there without being able to say, "But I have seen the turnarounds! I know that they're there!" The "extras" image on the 360 game IS a piece of the official turnaround. I have just been given permission this morning to share the complete high resolution file, so I posted it to the gallery. It's a great reference, and I'm immensely glad that it has been shared with us. To see the full-sized image, please click here: http://www.theflagshipeclipse.com/galle ... 1_copy.jpg Now, perhaps you understand my side of the disagreement, as I see yours. I do understand and agree that the belts are not visible in the game play. But this is something that we have encountered many times in the creation of the EU standards. Since the graphics of game play are not as detailed or often as complete as the creator's original renders, we established a ruling some time ago that the turnarounds would be the "ultimate" source for reference material. Since artists tend to change details as they work, we still turn to the game turnarounds over painted images as well. That is why I have been standing my ground. I'm relieved to be able to share the turnarounds now, so that everyone can see exactly what I have been talking about. For now, my preferece is to continue to follow the LMO's ruling that we should use the turnarounds as the prime standards source, in order to keep this character's standards consistent with the standards that we wrote for the KOTOR characters. I am willing to hear other thoughts, though, and I like to hear what others have to say about it. Let the discussion continue! Pam

Hi, I understand that the hanging belt ends are not visible in every image. In some cases I believe that they are hidden by the swaying of the loincloth or the angle he's standing at, and in other cases the images are artwork where the artist missed adding that detail. It happens a lot with EU artwork. However, the hanging straps ARE visible in the game's turnarounds, which is what we always base EU game character standards on. Using the game turnarounds as the "official" standards reference is an LMO ruling that has been in effect for the last two years. Think of it this way: if a Boba Fett costumer decided that he didn't want Wookie braids hanging from his shoulder, we would still tell him that they are required and wouldn't approve his costume without them, no matter how good the rest of his costume looked. I believe that we should hold the EU costumes to that same high standard. It's not difficult to add a few hanging belt ends.... you can add them easily before getting your costume approved. And, if you don't want them to be there all of the time, there's always the option of making them removable instead of permanent. Attach them with a bit of industrial strength velcro, and you're good to go! Honestly, I'm not trying to shoot you down or give you a hard time. You really do have a fantastic costume, and I'm truly impressed. I'm even more impressed by the fact that you did this work yourself instead of hiring it out. Three hanging belt ends is the last detail that I would ask for on your costume. It's the only thing that truly needs to be there. I wish I'd seen that they were missing earlier, so that I could have let you know before you took the time to set up a photoshoot, but we take what we are given. Three straps, and then I'll be calling your costume our "showpiece" Starkiller and cheering on the approval of this costume to the legion. Pam

http://www.theflagshipeclipse.com/galle ... p?album=25

Oh..... my..... goodness...... wow. You know, for somebody who spoke against details, you did a darned good job of recreating them! I am truly impressed. You did a fantastic job with your costume upgrades, and I especially like the clever way that you made your gauntlet flicker. The only thing I see missing are the belt straps that hang down nearly to the knees in the front and back. Here are the details for them: * Belt Two is second from the top. This belt is approximately 4 cm in width. It has thin lines etched into the top and bottom edges of the belt. It has a side release buckle on the front right side, with a tail piece hanging from the buckle that is approximately 15 cm long. This tail goes over belt two, and then tucks under the rest of the belts. There is a metallic silver slide clasp on the back left side of belt two, and a tail hangs from this clasp which goes over belt two and then under the rest of the belts. This tail hangs nearly to the back of the knee. * Belt Three is third from the top. This belt is approximately 5 cm in width. It has a side release buckle at the center back. A tail hangs from the right side of the buckle and hangs down to mid-thigh. A silver d-ring is riveted to the bottom edge of belt three. Located at the front left side, the d-ring is attached with two dark brown rivets which are visible on the outside of the belt. A metallic silver hook designed for holding lightsabers with d-rings is also riveted on the left side of buckle three. * Belt Five is at the bottom. This belt is approximately 4 cm in width. It has a side release buckle located to the right of front center. A tail piece hangs from the right side of the buckle, reaching nearly to the knee. A second side release buckle is located on the back right side. This buckle has a shorter tail piece hanging on the left side which is approximately 9 cm long. A thin strap of leather is used to attach a silver d-ring to the top left side of the belt. I'm grinning like a fool, I'm so pleased with this costume work. Absolutely fantastic job.... you are almost perfectly there! Pam

. Costume Standards for the Starkiller Training Costume A Starkiller Training Costume Must Have: (These costume elements are required.) Short Hair: * The hair is dark brown, and must be cut very short. Special Effects Makeup: * Special effects makeup should be used to create scars and dried blood stains. * A cut or lightsaber burn approximately 5 cm long crosses the upper right arm just below the shoulder. * Dried blood covers the back of the left elbow, with rivulets and smears showing from the upper arm down to the wraps that cover the forearm. (Do these wounds show up often enough to be placed in the "must have" section, or are they something that ought to be in the "should have" section?) Inner Shirt: * The sleeveless inner shirt should be black or very dark brown in color. * The inner shirt has a round, t-shirt style neckline. Outer Tunic: * The outer tunic should be made of a dark brown material with a strong twill weave pattern, such as bull denim. * The tunic has a Jedi style V-neck overlap, with the right side tucked under the left. * The left side of the tunic is unusually long, with a triangular shaped extension that wraps completely around the torso. The wrap begins at the left shoulder and goes across the front of the torso, under the right arm, and then diagonally across the lower back. The end of the wrap is hidden by the belts, and can be secured on the front left side in any practical way. * The tunic sleeves are form-fitting and badly damaged. * The left sleeve is torn off at the elbow. It reaches only to the elbow in the back, and hangs loosely over the forearm in the front. * The right sleeve has three tears or cuts. One cut reveals the lightsaber burn on the upper arm. Another long tear is located over the right bicep, and a third is visible just above the forearm wraps * The tunic fabric is heavily weathered, and should be stained to replicate the appearance of dried blood, sweat, and grime. * A trail of dried blood just to the left of the spine goes down the back of the tunic from a small puncture wound just under the armor. Pants: * The pants are made with the same dark brown fabric as the tunic. * The pants are slightly baggy, and should tuck into the boots. * The fabric must be heavily weathered, and should have a damaged area running across the outer right thigh, as if the fabric was snagged but didn't tear, or as if it were cut and then badly repaired. (I'm afraid this is the best image I can find for the tear in the leg so far. I'll keep looking for something better. You can see the tear on the lower thigh, below his hand. A tear is just a detail, but it's the multitude of details like this one that make the training costume so distinctive!) Fabric Wraps: * The wraps should be made with the same type of fabric as the tunic and pants. The edges should be cleanly cut and should not be fraying. * The wraps covering the hands and wrists are the same dark brown color as the tunic. * The remaining wraps are stained in a heavily weathered combination of tan and grey tones. * The strips of fabric used in the wraps may vary in width, but they should average around 3 to 4 cm. * A wrap around the upper left arm ties at the back of the arm, and has the ends cut short. * A wrap around the upper right arm ties in the front, and has a length of fabric hanging loose from the knot. * The wrap around the left wrist is tied at the outside of the wrist, and has the ends of the fabric hanging free. * The wrap around the right wrist is very long, and wraps many times around the gauntlet. * The boots are covered with thick layers of fabric wraps. The wraps cover the entire shaft of the boots, and wrap around the foot as well. * The ends of the wraps over the right boot should be tucked in at the top. * The wraps covering the right boot should be knotted near the outer top edge of the boot. The ends of the wrap fabric should drape down from the knot, hanging freely to the ankle. Loin Cloth: * The fabric should be a medium brown, much lighter than the tunic and with a warmer tone. * The loin cloth should extend just past the knees in the back, and it should reach to just above the knees in the front. * The fabric should be heavily tattered and stained, especially at the bottom edges. Armor: * The armor is made in two pieces, with one piece covering each shoulder and extending up to cover the sides and back of the neck. * The armor has a heavily weathered nickle finish. * In the back, the two sections of armor are held together by a pair of dark brown leather straps that are located close together near the bottom edge. * The gap between the armor sections is approximately 1.5 cm wide in the back. * In the front, the two sections of armor are held together by a pair of side release clips that are located close together near the bottom edge of the armor. * A leather strap goes under each arm. The straps are permanently connected to the bottom edge of the back sections of the armor. In the front, the straps are connected to the armor with side release clips. * A restraining bolt is located on the left chest plate. * Black scoring should be present around the bolt, flaring up toward the left shoulder. A trail of "oil" stain should run down the armor from the base of the restraining bolt. * A series of rivet holes are located at intervals around the edges of the armor. Belts: * The belts should be made of leather that has been stained very dark brown. * Belt One is at the top. This belt is approximately 5 cm in width. It has a metallic silver slide clasp on the front left side, and a side-release buckle at the center back. A tail piece of belt leather approximately 7 cm long hangs from the right side of the buckle. * Belt Two is second from the top. This belt is approximately 4 cm in width. It has thin lines etched into the top and bottom edges of the belt. It has a side release buckle on the front right side, with a tail piece hanging from the buckle that is approximately 15 cm long. This tail goes over belt two, and then tucks under the rest of the belts. There is a metallic silver slide clasp on the back left side of belt two, and a tail hangs from this clasp which goes over belt two and then under the rest of the belts. This tail hangs nearly to the back of the knee. * Belt Three is third from the top. This belt is approximately 5 cm in width. It has a side release buckle at the center back. A tail hangs from the right side of the buckle and hangs down to mid-thigh. A silver d-ring is riveted to the bottom edge of belt three. Located at the front left side, the d-ring is attached with two dark brown rivets which are visible on the outside of the belt. A metallic silver hook designed for holding lightsabers with d-rings is also riveted on the left side of buckle three. * Belt Four is fourth from the top, and is nearly hidden beneath the other belts. This belt is approximately 4 cm in width. The side release buckle is located at the front right hip. No tail pieces hang from this belt. * Belt Five is at the bottom. This belt is approximately 4 cm in width. It has a side release buckle located to the right of front center. A tail piece hangs from the right side of the buckle, reaching nearly to the knee. A second side release buckle is located on the back right side. This buckle has a shorter tail piece hanging on the left side which is approximately 9 cm long. A thin strap of leather is used to attach a silver d-ring to the top left side of the belt. * A larger belt is worn draped on a diagonal line over the other belts. This belt is approximately 6-7 cm in width. Lines are etched onto the top and bottom edges of the belt leather. A large silver slide clasp is located at the front left which has holes or rivets located at the top and bottom edges. Shadows on the belt suggest that the slide clasp is attached only to the right side of the belt, hiding the cut edge of the leather, and then the left end of the belt goes underneath it. The left side can then be attached with snaps that are disguised by the slide clasp. A matching slide clasp is located at the center back of the belt. Four large swivel clips are located on the back of the belt, with two on each side of the slide clasp. These clips are riveted or glued to the belt, and they do not have visible release buttons. (They're not Covertec clips, because they don't have the hook used to hang the clip on the belt, and they don't have the side buttons.) Gauntlet: * The gauntlet must have a top and bottom plate. It is not simply the top of a "off the shelf" fett gauntlet (Still checking this part out.) * The LED display should read "Order 67, Search, Destroy, Kota" as shown by the graphic provided by the creators of the character * The gauntlet fnish is the same weathered nickle as the armor. Boots: * Dark brown boots with low heels. * No buckles or laces should be visible. A Starkiller Training Costume Should Have: (These costume elements are highly recommended, but are not required.) Lightsaber: * The hilt should resemble the reference images for Starkiller's saber. * If the lighsaber has a blade, the blade must be red in color. * NO Unaltered Master Replicas FX sabers. Boots: * The boots should have a front panel that is approximately 7cm wide. * The panel should be made of the same leather and color as the rest of the boots. * While it is nearly covered by the boot wraps, the panel is visible at the top of the boot shafts .

All right... I have some free time to work on the standards again! (Well, actually I should be trying to finish our Baroness and Viper costumes in time for WonderCon in a couple weeks... but this has been bugging me, so I'll spend some time on it, too!) Michael (chosen one) and I spent quite a while last weekend going over the details on this costume. I had multiple Starkiller pictures open on my computer, and we kept flipping backk and forth between them over and over again until we figured everything out. I think our greatest success was that we were able to pinpoint the accessories and locations of each belt, and we even figured out where all of those hanging pieces of leather were coming from! We spent a good half hour on the belts alone, making what I'd call a standards list, and what he called a shopping list! Pam

We did it! Thank you to Kurt for your generous donation. Ladies and gentlemen, we have officially covered all of the detachment's forum hosting fees for 2009! Thank you again to everyone who has helped keep the forum funded. Pam

There does appear to be an extra strip of leather on the back of the boots, but it does not stick out like a finger loop would, so I'm guessing that it's just adding strength to the back seam of his boots. (Or, to follow his most dominant tendency... to add another layer!) Did you notice that at the top front of the boots you can see an extra leather panel covering the front of the boots as well? It appears to be perhaps 3-4 inches wide and covers only the front. I don't think I would add either of those details to the standards, though, because they're so difficult to see and it's hard enough to get correct boots for our costumes as it is! I have been studying the high resolution references extensively, and my conclusion is that the only black to be found on this costume is the t-shirt under his tunic... and even that I would make VERY DARK brown rather than black if I were to make this one. I believe that this costume is a lot like Anakin's, in that there are areas that appear to be black, but on closer inspection you find that they have the warmer tone of a dark brown instead. Even the belt clips and covertec pieces appear heavily weathered and brown-ish, rather than shiny brand-new black. I would give them a light wash of browns in various shades to tone the black of the plastic down and make them match the worn and dirty look shown in the rest of the costume. Pam

There is a 22" zipper hidden in the back seam. (It's funny... when I first started sewing, people told me that "invisible zippers" are difficult to sew into place. They're all I've ever used, though, so I wouldn't even know how to put in a regular zipper these days!) Again, thank you for your support, everyone. I'm glad to have one more costume checked off my ever-growing to-do list! Pam

And I'll third the motion. Good call, guys. (This is what happens when I'm trying to get things done quickly and make unverified assumptions as I type! Last week was parent conferences... three days of being judged by the parents of my students.... and today is my yearly teaching evaluation, an hour of having both the principal and vice principal sitting in my room judging me as I teach.... so I've been a nervous distracted wreck for the past week now! I think it's me, and not the wraps, that is a bit frayed at the edges! ) Let me get through my evaluation and followup (Thursday), and then I'll get back to work on cleaning up and finishing the standards. If you find any more mistakes, or would like to add anything else that needs to be noted, please be sure to post it! Pam

Here's what I have so far for the Starkiller standards. It isn't finished yet, but I wanted to share what I have so far. (Scott just came in an announced that I have 15 minutes left to finish if I'm going to reach my goal. Clearly I'm not going to make it, but I've been working on this all evening, and I did try... Hopefully that'll count for something! ) A huge thank-you goes to Dark Jedi for getting this started! . Costume Standards for the Starkiller Training Costume A Starkiller Training Costume Must Have: (These costume elements are required.) Short Hair: * The hair is dark brown, and must be cut very short. Special Effects Makeup: * Special effects makeup should be used to create scars and dried blood stains. * A cut or lightsaber burn approximately 5 cm long crosses the upper right arm just below the shoulder. * Dried blood covers the back of the left elbow, with rivulets and smears showing from the upper arm down to the wraps that cover the forearm. (Do these wounds show up often enough to be placed in the "must have" section, or are they something that ought to be in the "should have" section?) Inner Shirt: * The sleeveless inner shirt should be black or very dark brown in color. * The inner shirt has a round, t-shirt style neckline. Outer Tunic: * The outer tunic should be made of a dark brown material with a strong twill weave pattern, such as bull denim. * The tunic has a Jedi style V-neck overlap, with the right side tucked under the left. * The left side of the tunic is unusually long, with a triangular shaped extension that wraps completely around the torso. The wrap begins at the left shoulder and goes across the front of the torso, under the right arm, and then diagonally across the lower back. The end of the wrap is hidden by the belts, and can be secured on the front left side in any practical way. * The tunic sleeves are form-fitting and badly damaged. * The left sleeve is torn off at the elbow. It reaches only to the elbow in the back, and hangs loosely over the forearm in the front. * The right sleeve has three tears or cuts. One cut reveals the lightsaber burn on the upper arm. Another long tear is located over the right bicep, and a third is visible just above the forearm wraps * The tunic fabric is heavily weathered, and should be stained to replicate the appearance of dried blood, sweat, and grime. * A trail of dried blood just to the left of the spine goes down the back of the tunic from a small puncture wound just under the armor. Pants: * The pants are made with the same dark brown fabric as the tunic. * The pants are slightly baggy, and should tuck into the boots. * The fabric must be heavily weathered, and should have a damaged area running across the outer right thigh, as if the fabric was snagged but didn't tear, or as if it were cut and then badly repaired. (I'm afraid this is the best image I can find for the tear in the leg so far. I'll keep looking for something better. You can see the tear on the lower thigh, below his hand. A tear is just a detail, but it's the multitude of details like this one that make the training costume so distinctive!) Fabric Wraps: * The wraps should be made with the same type of fabric as the tunic and pants. The edges should be roughly cut or torn, and should be fraying at the edges. * The wraps covering the hands and wrists are the same dark brown color as the tunic. * The remaining wraps are stained in a heavily weathered combination of tan and grey tones. * The strips of fabric used in the wraps may vary in width, but they should average around 3 to 4 cm. * A wrap around the upper left arm ties at the back of the arm, and has the ends cut short. * A wrap around the upper right arm ties in the front, and has a length of fabric hanging loose from the knot. * The wrap around the left wrist is tied at the outside of the wrist, and has the ends of the fabric hanging free. * The wrap around the right wrist is very long, and wraps many times around the gauntlet. * The boots are covered with thick layers of fabric wraps. The wraps cover the entire shaft of the boots, and then wrap around the foot as well. * The wraps over the right boot should be tucked in at the ends. * The wraps covering the right boot should be knotted near the outer top edge of the boot. The ends of the wrap fabric should drape down from the knot, hanging freely to the ankle. Loin Cloth: * The fabric should be a medium brown, much lighter than the tunic and with a warmer tone. * The loin cloth should extend just past the knees in the back, and it should reach to just above the knees in the front. * The fabric should be heavily tattered and stained, especially at the bottom edges. Armor: * The armor is made in two pieces, with one piece covering each shoulder and extending up to cover the sides and back of the neck. * The armor has a heavily weathered nickle finish. * In the back, the two sections of armor are held together by a pair of dark brown leather straps that are located close together near the bottom edge. * The gap between the armor sections is approximately 2 cm wide in the back. * In the front, the two sections of armor are held together by a pair of side release clips that are located close together near the bottom edge of the armor. * A leather strap goes under each arm. The straps are permanently connected to the bottom edge of the back sections of the armor. In the front, the straps are connected to the armor with side release clips. * A restraining bolt is located on the left chest plate. * Black scoring should be present around the bolt, flaring up toward the left shoulder. A trail of "oil" stain should run down the armor from the base of the restraining bolt. * A series of rivet holes are located at intervals around the edges of the armor. Belts: * The belts should be made of leather that has been stained very dark brown. (Still working on this part....) Gauntlet: * The gauntlet must have a top and bottom plate. It is not simply the top of a "off the shelf" fett gauntlet (Still checking this part out.) * The LED display should read "Order 67, Search, Destroy, Kota" as shown by the graphic provided by the creators of the character * The gauntlet fnish is the same weathered nickle as the armor. Boots: * Plain dark brown boots with low heels. A Starkiller Training Costume Should Have: (These costume elements are highly recommended, but are not required.) Lightsaber: * The hilt should resemble the reference images for Starkiller's saber. * If the lighsaber has a blade, the blade must be red in color. * NO Unaltered Master Replicas FX sabers. .

I'm afraid our goal is to make our costumes as accurate to the references as possible. If just looking skinny was the goal, trust me when I say that I wouldn't have added quilting to the thighs of my Mara jumpsuit! My thighs are chubby enough without adding that extra bulk; but the quilting is in the references, so it's in my costume, too... chubby thighs and all! We now have high resolution grapics as well as confirmation from the costume's designers that the wrap goes all the way around, so, extra bulk or not, it'll be in the standards that way! Here are a couple example images. You can clearly see the diagonal lines of the wrap going across his back: (Notice the stain where blood trickled down his back, too... it's in every reference!) Pam

. Thank you very much to Beatrice (spookybc) and Michael (Chosen One) for your donations to help with the forum hosting fees. My bank account and I deeply appreciate your help! Pam

LOL! Okay, I guess I didn't make that great of a discovery.... Michael had already posted a message months ago saying that the wrap goes all of the way around, and Dark Jedi mentioned it to a degree in his standards listing as well! Oh, well, so much for my moment of observational glory! Pam

I made a fascinating discovery while studying images and working on the standards last night: The tunic is NOT like a jedi tunic that just wraps around in the front as we had expected! That wrap is VERY long. It starts at the left shoulder, crosses to the right across the chest, goes under the right arm, crosses around the lower back, crosses under the left arm just above the belts, and finally disappears under the belts on the front left side! It goes completely around his torso in a diagonal line, like the threads of a screw. It is clear that the Starkiller costume's distinctive look is created by applying many wraps and layers... but that was a layer of wrapping that I hadn't expected! It is very unique; I don't think I've ever seen a tunic style like that before. Pam

Thank you, everyone. (I'd like to deliver some great big hugs, but I've been told that Visas isn't supposed to smile, so hugs are probably out as well.) I finished up some more details on the costume, and took a few more pictures. There are still some things that I'm not entirely happy with, but overall I think it has come pretty far. If I were to do this again (which I probably will), I would use a better pleather for the outer dress, and a fabric with some stretch for the inner dress and veil. Sewing heavy pleather with a leather style top stitching was a learning experience, and I managed to mess up the bottom edge of one seam so badly that I had to make the dress a bit shorter than I wanted it to be. (But that's probably safer for walking in!) Getting the veil to fit was also a challenge: that thing has four pieces of fabric, four pieces of interfacing, three darts, three pieces of wire, one length of weighted cord, and seams that have been sewn, ripped, sewn, ripped, sewn, ripped, sewn, and so on. The veil difficulties were mainly caused by using stiff, non-stretch fabric... it just wouldn't drape naturally or conform to the shape of my head without puckering. I had to battle it into shape every step of the way. (I think it won most of the battles, though. It's an evil thing, that veil.) A bit of photoshop fun:

Okay, do you remember when I commented that I was jealous about the Starkiller lightsaber? Well, I'm REALLY jealous now! That is an absolutely beautiful saber hilt. It is wonderfully true to the reference images, and I like that you enhanced the depth of the lines at the emitter area just enough to really make them stand out. It adds a lot to the overall design. Wonderful work. I'm jealous. Pam

. Beautiful! Pam

Well, it looks like I'm continuing my tradition of taking nearly two years to complete each costume that I make for myself. The two year mark will be coming up for Visas this year, so I figured I ought to get the darned costume finished! I enjoyed making the stencil, and I enjoyed the painting that was involved in making this costume.... but I truly hate to sew. I kept getting frustrated and putting the costume away when my sewing abilities failed me, but I was determined to finish so it would come back out of it's tub again and again. This costume was made purely out of stubborness that I WOULD finish it... eventually! There are still a few details that I need to clean up before I can submit the costume for membership (such as the red fabric showing under the veil), but I'm finally beginning to see that light at the end of the costuming tunnel! Pam

I have never made this costume, so you'd have to take my suggestions with a grain of salt, but here is what I would do: Start with a dress form which has a full-sized neck to it, or make a body cast (a simple duct tape cast would do) of your shoulders and neck. It is VERY difficult to determine patterns on your own body, because when you lift your arms to put in the pins, you also raise your shoulders and distort the shapes of everything. Even if you have someone else helping, you still run the risk of repeated pin-stabbings! It's much easier to use something that you can just set on the table in front of you, and turn to see every angle. Using a heavy, fabric similar in thickness and stretch to the pleather you are going to use for the neck piece, drape it over the form and experiment. Try different cuts, different angles. If something doesn't work, toss it aside and try something else, all the while feeling grateful that you're not ruining your good pleather. Pin everything together inside out, so that the seams are on the outside, and just keep experimenting until you find something that you're really happy with. Use lots of pins, so that there aren't big gaps hanging open, and make sure the lines of the seams are straight and smooth. When you have the design all figured out, take a Sharpie and trace the seam lines. It will end up looking like a dotted line, since you'll have the pins in the way, but that's fine... just get the lines recorded. Use the sharpie to label the different pieces. If it's a stacked pattern, label the pieces from the top to the bottom. Label what's in the front, and the back. If it's a lot of pieces, it might even be a good idea to sketch what it all looks like on a piece of paper, and match the labels to the sketch so you won't risk forgetting what goes were. Then, take the whole thing apart. Lay out the pieces of fabric, and use the Sharpie again to solidify and improve the lines. If the lines tend to jump back and forth, smooth it to a straighter (or curved) line that can be easily sewn. Remember when you use these pattern pieces to cut out your pleather, you MUST leave plenty of room for the seam allowances! I usually leave a whole inch more than what my patterns ask for, just to be on the safe side! For the closure in the back, I would most likely use a tab that is permanently sewn on one side. It would go underneath the collar, and would velcro to the other side. By placing the tab underneath, it creates an easy to open and close option, it would be solidly connected all the way up and down so that nothing gaps open too much, and iit also provides a black surface that would fill any cracks that might be visible between the two sides of the collar. If you just use clasps or buttons, I would fear that the collar would gap open in between those places, allowing your neck and the top of the shirt to be visible. Hope that helps... and doesn't make things even more confusing! Pam

The reason why the US requires prescriptions even for non-prescription "cosmetic" contacts, especially ones with wild designs, is because of teenagers and their silly habits of doing stupid things. As cosmetic contacts became more obtainable in the US, middle school and high school kids started buying them, and sharing them throughout the day. This of course led to a spread of eye infections, some of them pretty serious, which in turn led to parents and doctors screaming that something needed to be done to better control access to such things. There was also the problem of low-budget (and unregulated) contacts causing damage to people's eyes. So, we all must now jump through prescription hoops to get our non-prescription contacts these days. I actually consider that to be a good thing... because if I didn't have to get a prescription for my Mara and Twi'lek contacts, I'd probably never have my eyes checked every now and then. Because part of the prescription process includes determining the diameter and curve of the eyes, it also keeps people from purchasing and wearing the wrong size of contacts, which can damage your eyes. Pam

. It's that time again! I have received the bill for this year's hosting service, and I paid it in full... so our forum is good to go for the next year. Because our new hosting service offers one free domain with each account, we no longer have to pay a $20 fee for our domain. (Yay!) Hosting fee for 2009: $119 And now, I shall repeat the plea from last year: If anyone is willing and able to help support our forum expenses for 2009, your donation would be greatly appreciated. Any amount would help. Please send me a PM if you would like to donate to our hosting fund, and I will give you the necessary paypal information. Thank you! Pam

Ooo.... good resource. Thanks for sharing that link! Pam