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Pam's Visas


Twi'lek Pam

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VERY good job as always pam! I'm curious as to how do you put it on? is there a zipper somewhere or is it just large enough to slip on without the sash?

 

 

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 :-)

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Guest Anonymous

Hey Pam, your costume looks very accurate! Awesome! :)

 

I don't see a thing of an invisible zipper at the back... I guess that's why they call it invisible. Where exactly did you put it? :)

 

I see now your skirt is made out of several parts, and it seems my question I asked (in general) in my topic is answered. I now understand the seam that shows the underdress, I needed some time to realize. Thanks a lot for posting these pictures and instructions!

 

I'm thinking about only adding mesh under the gold layer, since I think it will be impossible to find exactly the right shade and shimmering of the upper fabric altogether. I want a sculpt of my head too! LOL

 

Did you use anything like weighted thread to keep the underside of the veil in place or was the fabric heavy enough by itself? :)

 

Nora

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Hi there,

 

Invisible zippers are great. They're designed to be placed in a seam, so when the zipper is closed, it really does look like there's only a seam there. I love them! It's hard to see the zipper in the photo, partly because of that glare on my upper back, I think, but there's a seam up the center back of the dress, and the zipper is hidden in it. You can see the base of the zipper (I always have trouble hiding the transition from zipper to regular seam) just below the red belt.

 

 

This is the pattern I used for the red inner dress. I had to redesign the arms and make the dress longer, and I took a bit of the fullness out of the skirt... but they were fairly easy modifications to make.

 

VisasRedDressPattern.jpg

 

 

This is the base pattern I used for the black outer dress. I had to change the neckline quite a bit, I widened the cap sleeves a little, made the dress longer, and I took a lot of the fullness out of the skirt. It helped to already have a seam where the slit in the skirt would be located, so all I had to do was widen that slit when I finished the edge. Basically, I cut a triangular section of fabric away from each side of the slit so that it was wider at the bottom than at the top. That way it would hang open and reveal the red inner dress more.

 

VisaBlackDressPattern.jpg

 

 

 

I was able to exactly match the color of the veil and the color of the see-through mesh by using the "dyed to match" fabric selection that is offered at JoAnne Fabric. It's in the area where they sell fabric for prom dresses and things like that. The downside is that they don't have a stretch fabric in that area... and every problem I've had in the making of my veil came from having to use the stiff, poorly draping fabric that I chose. I desperately want to make a new veil with a softer, more flowing fabric. To weigh the veil down, I hid a length of weighted cord inside the bottom seam. The cord is made for weighing down curtains, and can be found in the curtain supply area of many fabric/crafts shops. It has small pieces of lead attached inside the cord, which can be cut to whatever length you need.

 

Pam :-)

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Guest Sakara

i used the same type of cord on my veil...makes it hang so well and swish when i walk rather than flap!

 

the cord i used was the lightest i could get for weighing down nets and lace curtains

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Guest Anonymous

Great! That's just what I needed :D

 

I think I see the zipper base, but it is barely visible. :)

 

 

How did you measure what the right width was (at the underside) for the leather skirt? I can indeed understand you used that method to widen the gap; the thought has occurred to me.

 

I'd better look for a stretchy fabric to make the hood from than. I'm thinking stretch cotton or something... If only the back has the same material. May not be shiny enough though... Though I am not looking for a shiny material anyway. Cryptical, huh?

 

I'm only familiar with washing machine paint... But I have no idea what kind of store this Joanne Fabric is, just a regular fabric store? I live in the Netherlands so we don't have that shop here. I think there may be a risk in using different fabrics and painting them... I fear they will turn out differently because the other fabric is thinner...

 

How much do you see through the veil?

 

I'll go look for the weighted cord in a fabric store when I have money. I believe I have some patterns at home that might be helpful for making the underdress.

 

Nora

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How did you measure what the right width was (at the underside) for the leather skirt?

 

I'm only familiar with washing machine paint... But I have no idea what kind of store this Joanne Fabric is, just a regular fabric store? I live in the Netherlands so we don't have that shop here. I think there may be a risk in using different fabrics and painting them... I fear they will turn out differently because the other fabric is thinner...

 

How much do you see through the veil?

 

 

I used a heavy, stiff material to make a muslin "mockup" of the dress first. That let me determine the changes that needed to be made to the pattern, and then when everything fit correctly I took the muslin apart and used it for a pattern. That kept me from wasting any of the expensive pleather material.

 

While there are many different brands, you should be able to find paints that are made specifically for painting on fabric. You need to treat the fabric gently after it is painted, but the paint usually stays on very well because it is designed to bond to the fabric threads. When I painted the design on my sleeves, it took only two coats of paint. For the veil, it took three coats because the first coat really soaked into the mesh fabric. I wanted it to have a thick look to it, so multiple coats gave me the best effect.

 

I can see through the veil fairly well, though it is a bit dark and difficult to see details, or to read anything. When I was working on the veil, it was hard for me to see how the seams looked even when I was leaning close to a mirror. Everything seems to blur together a bit. When I wore my Visas in a parade last weekend, I could see the floats and dancers who were a block away from me, but I couldn't read the big signs that they were carrying.

 

Pam :-)

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Guest Anonymous

Thank you! :)

 

Sounds like a good idea, using scrap thick fabric for the upper dress. :)

 

I'm going to look for the Jaquard paint you guys are using. It looks the best. I could make a small metal wire into the veil, so it won't bend too much and I can put the veil right over my face and my eyes won't show. Let's see if that is possible.

 

Anyway I'm really shutting up now. :wink: It's your topic.

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