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CrimsonDawn

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Everything posted by CrimsonDawn

  1. Mara has more of a matte look to her suit. Before you purchase it, I would run it by your GML but just from the photo, I don't think it will work.
  2. I used a 4 way stretch spandex from Shavali Fabric. They have an online Etsy store. Runs $10/yard and you should only need 2 yards at most. It’s 60” wide. Ya-Ya Han also has a decent stretch spandex at JoAnns if you aren’t local to La or want to order through Etsy.
  3. Oh I thought you were just using it as a base with which to pattern the bodysuit. Yeah, you might be able to cut it apart to then make new pattern pieces. That could be an option for you. I have not seen too many sellers make this but if you don’t want to sew it, I believe there are one or two vendors who do.
  4. It's a good base. Good luck on it!
  5. Your link doesn't work.
  6. Thank you so much!! Super excited.
  7. My costume was just approved! So happy about this.
  8. Got suited up and took my photos and I love how it came out. My GML said it looked good on initial viewing. Just needed some closeup, higher res shots of my knee pads. Excuse this pic having the holster as this specific shot was for my RL submission pics. I thought it was kind of funny that the only main difference between the two clubs was the holster but either way, I was glad to have it so I could submit to both!
  9. Made the cowl yesterday. I was unable to find any patterns for it so I basically took a piece of fabric and cut it on the fold following the image on the CRL. I then hemmed it and voila! Instant cowl. I also got the goggles in and they work great! Here are both of the pieces on. My shin guards arrive today. I just need to mod them with a bit of paint and I should be set to submit.
  10. I have wanted to make this version of Mara Jade for quite awhile. My only current approved Mara is the Arica disguise and can't really wear that to troops. My main issue was the bodysuit. I can sew but I don't have a serger and knew to get the proper fit, I would need one. I also was extremely confused on the diamond pattern and how to make it work properly. My last issue was budget. I can't afford to commission this so I knew that if I wanted to do this costume, I would have to make it myself, with help. I was very fortunate that my friend offered to assist me in my build and yesterday we were able to make and complete the bodysuit and it works great! We used the YaYa Han McCalls bodysuit pattern as a base. I am a very visual person so I try to sketch out what I want with my rudimentary art skills before I actually attempt any actual cutting etc. The main changes needed to the pattern are on the front. The shoulder princess seams and piping needed to be added in as well as the diamond on the front and the quilted stripes on the inside of the thighs. We ended up going with View D. The first step was cutting out the pattern. This pattern is RIDICULOUSLY oversized. With my measurements, it put me at a size 20. We cut the pattern at a 10. I used a 4 way stretch spandex I found in LA at Shavali Fabrics. Although I had purchased 4 yards, we ended up only needing around 2. The pattern calls for 1 3/8 I believe but that was inaccurate. The quilted area needed a bit more fabric and we removed the collar and the sleeves from the pattern accordingly. After the pattern was cut out, I taped it together including the 5/8 seam allowance as I went. Once this was done, the real work began. We traced out the new seam lines that would need to be added and then cut those out and retraced the entire pattern on pattern paper. Here is the revised pattern with necessary pieces put in. This is what the front of the bodysuit looked like with the modifications. We also eliminated the stirrup component and cut it straight down to end like a regular legging instead. The longest piece has the new princess seams and a reduced shoulder so it fits the CRL requirements. The crotch portion became a separate piece as did the quilted areas. The back princess seams are not a requirement and since I for one don't particularly like how those seam lines look on me personally, I omitted them and kept the back portion of the pattern as is. Here are all the pattern pieces laid out and ready to be cut. Only 2 pieces needed to be cut on the fold. That was the center panel piece and the crotch. I also ended up cutting 4 of the quilted area section and then cut an additional 2 for the batting for that. For reference, my fabric was 60 inches wide. You may need to adjust accordingly if you are working with less fabric. I ended up purchasing 2 packages of Wright's black piping and basted it to the side panels before beginning to attach everything together. The quilting was simple once I figured out how to get the minimum six panels I needed and drew in the lines with fabric pencil. The crotch was, again, the trickiest part but since I was using a 4 way stretch, it worked well enough and actually shaped quite well once we tweaked the pattern slightly. The diamond is more defined than in this picture but here is a closeup of the side panels and the piping. We added the preferred invisible zipper and added the hem to the pants and the collar and sleeve area and it was done. I'm so very happy with the fit and can't thank my friend enough for her assistance. Please excuse my dirty mirror. This is my "Swarm Wars" Mara but the pieces are the same so I plan on using them for this look as well. I had leftover leather from a prior build so made the belt/holster/harness with that. My friend 3D printed the harness buckle for me and I purchased the silver buckles needed for $2/each at a military surplus store. The buckle was $2 at Tandy Leather. My boots are my Jedi boots but should work for this. I bought drum major gloves off Amazon for $5 and plan on giving them a dip in tea dye so they can have the off white color required. I found a cheap pair of goggles on Amazon. I plan to paint over the logo and then they should be set. I already have the saber although it is not a requirement as well as a wig in the proper color. I found great Motor Cross shin guards off Amazon for $14.99. Even though they are kids sizing, all reviews say they fit adults well and have the proper circle over the knee etc. Shin Guards They should need little to no modifications. The last thing I need to make is the cowl. I have a general idea of how to make it as it looks like a wide infinity scarf so I am going to take some leftover fabric from my stash and attempt it today. I'm very close to completing and submitting for approval and I can't wait!
  11. Just approved Mara Jade/Arica here. Requesting detachment access please. DZ14006 https://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=26925
  12. Hello everyone! I am so excited to post my WIP thread for my Arica costume. I'm a teacher so during the summer I have downtime and decided to work on this costume for dual legion approval. The one thing I found was that there isn't a lot of source material for this particular costume. Just a few shots and fan art. I researched what others had done and kind of went with it from there. This is my primary reference photo. I was able to find a great knit fabric at JoAnn's on sale this week and bought 3 yards. In hindsight, prob could have used 2 or less but yay extra fabric in case of mistakes! https://www.joann.com/halloween-spirit-collection-costume-knit-black-fabric/11744018.html#prefn1=collection&prefn2=type&prefv1=Halloween%20Costume%2FDecor%20Fabric&prefv2=Knits&addShipToHomeConditions=false&start=1 The skirt I basically cut two panels (almost identical to Slave Leia skirt panels) and when I cut, I added a side band. I stitched the panels together at the sides and added a belt loop over the seam per the standard requirement. For the cape, I lay flat on the material and measured my wingspan. I initially cut it too long as shown here: But after conferring with a judge on the 501st side, I shortened it by 12 inches. I was able to find some random jewelry at Claire's for the circlet and bracelets needed. I bought very pliable bracelets and bent them in place and hand stitched the fabric around them. I am going to take the top ones and position them a little closer so I have more of a drape but overall I like how this came out. I found a mesh black bodysuit at Windsor and it works perfectly! All I need to do is stitch the blue bra portion to it. https://www.windsorstore.com/product/On-A-Mood-Mesh-Bodysuit-060010082 I found a headband at Claire's that worked great for the circlet! It had some mesh gold lace over it but I was able to cut it off and have a plain silver one. I then bought blue/teal gems at Joann's and glued them to the headband at my temples. I found thigh high dance warmers and am just waiting for them to arrive but I used these as placeholders for now. I also lucked out and found a blue bikini bottom that matches my skirt so I can wear it under my skirt for modesty and not worry about anything showing through. I am wearing silver sandals but also have these in black. Would the silver be approved or should I change them to black for my submission shots? Here is my step by step how to for how I did the bodysuit "bandeau". As mentioned in my previous post, I had already purchased a mesh bodysuit from Windsor and was using that as my base. I put the bodysuit on and measured roughly what areas I would need covered and how long the piece would need to be. Once I had those measurements, I took some scrap fabric and marked the length and width and also the center of the piece so I would know where to curve it in etc. I then sketched out the wings and the center pattern just to see if everything aligned how I needed it to. I cut out the mock piece and pinned it to me to see if it covered everything I needed it to. I realized my mistake only after doing this. I had measured with my bra ON and since I won't really be able to wear one with this (yay pasties ) I had to remeasure without a bra to get the accurate sizing I needed. Once i was satisfied with the overall look, I then cut out my mock pattern onto newspaper so I could have a paper pattern to work off of on my actual fabric. I cut my pattern on the fold so that both sides of the wings would be the same and added about half an inch for seam allowance. I cut two pieces and pinned them together before sewing. The knit was a tad slippery so I really made sure everything aligned before I put it all together. I ended up making the wings a bit thinner and more finger shaped and that helped a lot when placing on my actual bodysuit. Once the actual bandeau piece was sewn together, I tried it on with my bodysuit to make sure it was sewn in the correct spot and everything was covered. Luckily, it did. It wasn't too difficult to attach it once it was pinned so then I simply sewed the bandeau piece to the bodysuit itself. Once that was done, I put the bodysuit in an embroidery hoop to center the designs I needed to add to it. Because its a bodysuit, it provides more support on top and for that I am thankful. I did a full try on with all the pieces and am very happy with how its all come together. My thigh high dance tights should arrive tomorrow and then I can make submission pics. I ended up remaking my skirt and used an overlock machine so it wouldn't pull at the sides. I also patterned this second version differently. I cut two rectangles across my front that were the proper length and then cut a side 3.5 inch rectangular piece to attach. This worked a lot better in terms of construction. I then made 2 belt loops for each side. One is required but figured I might as well add both just to keep it even. The belt loops went over the seam lines and attached at the back. I have a wig that I forgot I owned. It was a tad long so I trimmed the back slightly to match the reference and voila! Done! I took submission photos and think I am ready to go. Any comments or tips are appreciated. Thank you!
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