Twi'lek Pam

As far as I know, nobody has finished this costume, or applied to get it approved. Some have expressed interest, but I haven't seen it go past that stage. Pam

The KOTOR version does have two layers on top, but they're not Jedi style tunics... they're more of a traditional pullover tunic design, and the outermost is padded and modified for his cape. Check the standards thread, here: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=848 Pam

I think shoes/boots are ALWAYS the hardest part of every costume. Without the right equipment it's very difficult to make them yourself from scratch, modifying existing pairs isn't always feasable, and sometimes those designs we see in the references just don't seem to exist in real life! In looking at the shoes, I think I would be more concerned about the lack of covered toes, rather than the bit of heel. I don't think the heel would be too much of a problem, but those open toes probably will be. I've seen two Arica costumes that included closed-toe sandals, so I know that they do exist... it just takes a bit of hunting to find them! Pam

I'm no expert on the fit of long gloves, but those look pretty good to me. Great price, too! Pam

It's difficult to tell in the photographs, but those look like fabric "opera" gloves. If so, they probably will not be approved for the costume. The gloves that the Sith Lords wear are sturdy leather (or pleather) gloves, rather than delicate fabric. Like I joke sometimes, Nihilus would never go to the prom! Pam

It's hard to judge exactly how much paint you will need, because it depends on what type of paint you use, how much body area you are painting, how much experience you have, and how thickly you put the paint on. The more practice you get, the less paint you will need. The most important thing to remember is that you should ALWAYS have extra paint on hand. Get more than you need, because it would be terrible to run out when you're getting ready for an event and you're not finished with your painting yet! That said, this is Reel Creations, and it took me about 6 ounces: ::sigh:: I miss being that skinny.... Pam

You're close, but it has little to do with the CRL. This costume has two concerns: it isn't yet in the legion, and it's EU. All new to the legion costumes are submitted by your local GML in a "New to the Legion" approval thread in the GML forum. In that thread, the LMO along with the representative DL and any GML's who also know the costume will discuss the character and costume for inclusion in the 501st. They will first decide if the character is appropriate for the 501st as a Star Wars villian. (The Sith Acolyte should be an easy decision in that department!) Then, they will decide if the costume itself is ready to be approved. If it's good to go, it's approved by the LMO, and we have a new character in the legion. If the costume isn't ready yet, it will be deferred back to the costumer with a list of things that need to be upgraded or finished. New to the Legion costumes are frequently sent back for revisions. Since it's setting the standard, it needs to be top quality. After a particular EU character has already been approved and is known among the GML officers, any future submissions for that type of costume go to another thread in the GML forum, titled "LMO/DL Approval- Expanded Universe Costumes." Because of the nature of EU costumes, in the past we had a lot of trouble with GML's approving EU costumes that weren't up to 501st standards yet. They simply didn't know enough about the costumes, and tended to approve them without question. There were jokes that the EU costumers were the "bathrobe Jedi" of the legion. To avoid this, all EU costumes are posted for LMO/DL approval in the GML forum. Often the LMO/DL simply checks the costume and says that it's good to go, but other times they find details that need a bit more work, and they let the local GML know what needs to be finished on the costumes. The GML reports back to the costumer to let them know what to finish. Once that work is done, the GML posts new pictures, and the costume is typically approved. Pam

I've had a similar problem trying to figure out the sizing of decorations on the forehead of my Twi'lek headwraps... it's hard to judge the size until it's actually on your forehead! So far, so good! Pam

Assuming the gloves are long enough to stay tucked under the armor, and wouldn't show the skin of your wrist when you're moving about, they would be fine. Some folks have problems with gloves that are too short; they end up pulling out from under the armor and bunch up, or reveal the wrist, which is a no-no, and it can get frustrating to have to keep tucking them back in again. There isn't a specific size for the pleats that I know of, each person should make them in proportion to their own size. I would suggest making a mockup section with some fabric scraps, and see what looks right to you. Pam

It's very difficult to see the details of the sabers when the picture is very small, but if it is a Darth Vader saber, that is approved for the 501st. Mara is shown holding a Vader saber on the comic art. Pam

Welcome to Flagship! It looks to me like you're off to a great start, and you've already made some smart decisions. It's good to wait on the hems until you have all of the pieces. (I've made the mistake of hemming a dress only to find that it was too short once I had the boots on, so it's good to see somebody else avoiding that frustration!) The pins on the front.... are those holding closed a seam, or the two sides of a true robe? We call it a robe because that's what it reminds us of with the loose fabric and big sleeves, but it really is an outer dress that is only open to the waist. Just to make sure, the front below the waist should have a closed seam, and you pull it on over your head. The sleeves and hood might be considered a bit too big in volume, though that appearance may change as you continue to finish the costume. It's one of those "wait and see the final look" instances. Looking nice so far! Pam

This is the compressor I use. It's pretty quiet, it's reliable, and it has survived being hauled back and forth across the country in my luggage over the last seven years! http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/tes/tes50204.htm Pam

Welcome! My husband is working on an acolyte (and I'm working on Eleena), so I'm really enjoying the SWTOR build threads around here! Pam

The officers of Flagship and Spec Ops would need to discuss this costume and get some input from the LMO's to determine which detachment it would fall under. Spec Ops tends to take the random armored troopers, so they may have an interest and possibly even some discussion about it already. Or, they may not be interested.... you never know! Pam

Beautiful work on the hakama, and I'm thrilled to see clips instead of rings on the cape. The soft goods are coming along nicely. The belt and sashes will need some work for approval. The silver bars on the belts are too short, the O ring is too small and thin. The black sashes should not be so obviously sewn to the ring (they're supposed to be draped through the ring. You can tack them to the ring, but that should be inconspicuous.) And finally, the red sash hangs from the back side of the black sashes, not from somewhere behind the ring as it is now. It is acually supposed to be the back side of the black sash. I'm not sure if the second layer on the belt (the one holding the ring) would be approved. The reference images don't show any signs of a two-layer belt. The red sash may need to have more clearly visible ribbing, and a darker, more maroon color. Pam

There are various pre-made sculpting forms available online, in stone, plastic, or foam. You just have to do some looking for them. Here's an example: http://www.monstermakers.com/product/de ... -size.html Pam

Hi, It's hard to judge exactly how much paint you will need because it depends on what kind of paint you use, how much body area you are painting, how much experience you have, what you use to apply the paint, and how thickly you put the paint on. The more practice you get, the less paint you will need. The most important thing to remember is that you should ALWAYS have extra paint on hand. Get more than you need, because it would be terrible to run out when you're getting ready for an event and you're not finished with your painting yet! I buy a lot of paint at once because I mix the colors, and bigger bottles are more economical in the long run. The blues are way too dark right out of the bottle, so I mix them with a lot of white and a little bit of turquoise or vein to tone down the color. I make a very large bottle, which I use for three or four events before I have to buy more. I would guess that an Aayla paint job takes me about 2 or 3 ounces of paint, while a full-body paint job takes me about 5 or 6 ounces. I haven't recorded how much I use each time, so I can't say for sure. I really advise you to paint yourself once just for practice before you go to an event. Learn how to use the paint, learn how long it takes you to put the paint on, and learn how much paint you need for one application. And, try the paint with and without an undercoat if that is something that you're concerned about. I don't think a white primer coat would be necessary, but perhaps a lighter version of the color that you're using. I know they do use a white primer before doing green or bluescreen body paint to get a true color application. You just have to experiment and see what works best. Then, while your're all painted.... use the opportunity to take some good costume pictures! The type of remover really depends on the paint you use. For Reel Creations, I like to use the remover that they sell. It works well, doesn't smell bad, and leaves my skin in nice condition. You can find some great discussions about the different kinds of paint and advice about them here: http://chucrew.com/TwilekCelebration/viewforum.php?f=8 Pam

I would suggest talking to Brian (stormtrooperguy) to get an official LMO (Legion Membership Officer) opinion on the alternate version of the costume. Things get increasingly difficult for us when artists choose to make their own interpretations of the original artwork and change so many details. According to the Talon's creator, the bikini top is supposed to be black leather. Not metallic silver armor. She even gave the reasoning why it's supposed to be leather. But the statue's sculptor clearly ignored that and made a metallic top. Details like that will not match the CRL, but if the LMO approves it, then additions can be made to the CRL. (Personally, I'd rather thwop the sculptor upside the head and tell them to respect the comic art!) Pam

I love sculpting pieces for my costumes... it's always a fun challenge, and adds a personal touch to them. (Plus, it lets me make something for the costume that doesn't require the use of my arch-enemy, the sewing machine! ) It looks like you're off to a good start with the sculpting. It really is good to use different clays because each kind is great for different uses. Soft clays are best for soft, flowing forms; while firm clays are best for shapes that need to have rigid lines. Have fun! Pam

I'm eager to see how the mask and blackout will look with the hood fabric draped around it. That really helps the proportions show up. It's looking nice, though! Pam

Welcome to the Flagship forum! Darth Maladi's skirt is one of those costume pieces that has a lot of different references. It can reach nearly to the floor, it can drape on the floor, or it can trail behind her. If you wish to make the dragging version, I would say that it needs to be a bit shorter than what you have now, but it can still be pretty long. On the floor.... or not! Your skirt looks beautiful so far, and the fabric has a very nice drape. Keep in mind that you need to be able to walk safely in the costume, and with a longer skirt you will always have people stepping on it. Stairs can also become dangerous if you're not careful! This was my favorite solution for the dragging skirt, from Malincha. I love this picture! Pam

Actually, your wife just knew that once you get a costume for yourself, you'll need another, and another, and another.... she wasn't afraid of them laying around the house, she was afraid of them taking over the house! Welcome to the forum. Pam

It's coming along quite nicely! Right now the colors all look so different without the color gradations, I'm eager to see how it will look when the dye is applied to "blend" them into a unified outfit! I think it's going to be pretty cool to see the change. Pam

Because legion members in some areas are not allowed to carry weapons (laws vary around the world), no one is required to have a lightsaber in order to get their costume approved. However, if you do have a saber in your approval pictures, it does need to match the reference images as closely as possible. Pam

We asked Talon's creator, Jan Duursema, for advice while the standards were being written, and here's what she said: The bikini top is supposed to be heavy tooling leather. The bikini bottom is also supposed to be soft leather. However, Jan acknowledges that it's not very practical for real life movement, so she recommends a black bathing suit bottom. (Jan commented that Talon wears no armor on any "vital" area because she trusts the darkside to be her armor. She wears the armor pieces on her arms and legs only so that she can use them for stopping opponents lightsabers... thus keeping her own saber free for attacking while the other saber is being parried, and leaving all the lines burned into the armor pieces.) Pam