Lumiya Build Guide

[Volund Starfire]

BODYSUIT

The bodysuit is one of the most complex pieces. It appears to have the base of a long sleeve dancing leotard or a spandex catsuit. It is possible to have one which zips up the back. It is recommended to also include stirrups and hand bands to keep it from bunching. Now for the fun part?

 

A thick metallic colored elastic cord should be used to make the circuitry pattern. I would suggest beginning at the knees of the suit and extending it up the body to the right arm and down the left arm to the middle of the forearm. It should go on both the front and the back. The amount can be sparse or very intricate, depending on the source and the amount of detail you with to use. The coloring should be silver with a possible touch of purple.

 

To connect the cord you should either sew them on or use fabric staples. They should be put on at angles and should run together at points. For ultimate accuracy, you could also attack small blocks of plastic in silver and purple at random areas. Keep these sparse and be sure they are level with the floor when the costume is worn.

 

 

 

BOOTS

Now is when it gets fun. For most of the armor parts, you will need to purchase two silver latex or PVC full body suit with integrated boots and gloves. These can be found on ebay, amazon, or fetish supply sites. Make sure you get one that fits and one that is a size larger. For now, you?ll use the one that fits.

 

For the boots, you will want to mark off and cut from the middle of the thigh on the inside to about the navel on the outside. You should cut it a little more on the outside and use that to seal over the flap. However, wait to seal over the flap for now. Try to get the boot as close to your reference/desired shape as possible, but do not forget the flap. Also, save the inside of the leg part? you will need some of it in a moment.

 

Using a stiffening piece (interfacing or other material), put it in the top portion of the boot. Over this stiffener, place a piece of the cut boot to hide it. Not fold over the edge flap and secure it so that it is stronger around the edges.

 

Finally, you will need to secure a pair of shoe soles onto the bottom of the boots. Before you secure them, though, paint them silver. While it may not take on the bottom of the sole (I would say tape the main part of the bottom) the sides are important. The soles should be flat soles and not very noticeable. You can connect them using any method you wish, but I would suggest sewing them on.

 

 

 

BELT

The belt is actually a series of geometric shapes connected by one or two bars. The buckle is a solid block and could be a snap-hook or other square pressure buckle. Alternatively, the buckle could actually be on the back? in any case, the central item is a cube.

 

The ?buckle? is connected directly to two triangular pieces by the tip of the triangle. Those have two bands which connect to trapezoidal boxes over the boots. These trapezoids are connected to a square block with a single cord. These are connected to another set of rectangular pieces by a single cord.

 

Each of the boxes, except for the buckle on the front, has a recessed body. The edge looks to be half the width of the block itself. The cords between the triangles and trapezoids are circular. The rest are square blocks. The internal of these recessed areas contain shapes and greeblies which resemble circuits or other devices? however these are only shown in one source.

 

You will need to sew or tape Velcro onto the boots with the opposite piece on the trapezoidal boxes. This will keep the belt up as well as keep the boots up.

 

 

 

CHEST BOX

The chest box is a smaller version of Darth Vader?s chest box. It is about half the size of the chest box in all aspects (length, height, and width). Unlike the Vader box, this one does not have as much detailing.

 

The box is gray and not glossed like the silver. It has a bit of a lip around the edge much like the Vader box. Beyond this, there is not much detail which is visible in most of the reference shots. I am using the fact that Lumiya is ?Lady Vader? and as such would have some Vader-ish look to her chest box.

 

It has three ?coin slot? style lights on the right of the box (facing it). This is much the same as the Darth Vader box which Lumiya was supposed to replicate. However, those are slat to the surface of the box and red in color. The light pattern should be the same for consistence.

 

On the left of the box is a red and blue plate, like the Vader Box. These do not have to light up, but it will not downgrade this. As a replica of the Vader box, they should not light up. However, if you ask any Vader, most will say the lights behind them look cool.

 

The lower plate is actually a series of buttons or switches which should replicate those on the Vader chest box. I would suggest that they be made smaller, as to fit on the box. The three white and one red would be fitting.

 

To connect the box to the chest of the suit, I would suggest either really strong velcro or sewing a couple of hooks onto the chest of the bodysuit to connect the chest box to.

 

 

 

GLOVES

The gloves of the suit should be cut from the silver latex material that fits. Both gloves should be cut from about ? of the way up the inside of the forearm to almost the shoulder. The excess part will become the gauntlet of the glove. You should also cut off a portion of the rest of the arm to use on the inside of the gauntley.

 

Using a stiffening material (preferably plastic or sintra), place them just as you did the tops of the boots. Put the material over it and fold them down. Sew it down or glue it. That is it.

 

 

 

ARMOR

The armor is being made using the larger of the two suits. The reason for its size is to double it over. This will provide the look of the armor folds as well as slightly strengthening it against stretching. You may need to modify the back slightly to add a new zipper up the neck.

 

It should be cut to the desired shape, make sure to leave some left over to fold into the lines. This is where more of the fun can be. The left shoulder can either lay against the body or be pointed as a pauldron. The same way the boot tops and the gauntlets were made can be used here as well.

 

The chest piece of the armor should be interfaced to provide some stiffness across the length. This should be done after sewing to gluing the folded material down.

 

To make sure the armor sits correctly, you should also sew on velcro to some strategic locations to keep it from folding or bending.

 

 

 

MASK

The mask itself is two separate parts. The first part is a plastic undermask which keeps the top of the turban in shape as well as shows through the turban. The second part of the mask is the turban itself.

 

Besides the general shape, the mask needs only be shown to the front. The mask cutout appears to have a similar size and shape to the painted part of Boba Fett?s mask. There is also some detail work on the edges. Besides the details, the mask is only necessary to provide the shape for the turban.

 

The second part of the mask involves the turban itself. I would suggest that it be made as a single piece of material with the look of the wrapping. To simulate the mask portion, as well as make it easy to put on and take off, I would suggest making the neck and ?mask? fabric so that it folds over and velcros closed at the neck. This cloth should be either black or purple.

 

 

 

CAPE

The cape can be made in many styles. It can be prestine and similar to Vader, it can be rages and tattered, it can be a robe-style which covers the left shoulder. It can be made in black or purple as both have been seen. However, it must match the cloth of the mask. It should connect around the neck, probably by velcro.

 

 

 

LIGHTWHIP

The lightwhip is a specialty item. The main body of the whip itself would be easy to either do youraelf or order it. The ship portion would be easier to do yourself (and probably cheaper). All you need to do is get a length of white and light blue EL line a length of leather cord, and a length of flexible cable or silver nylon cord. Braid them all together and stick them in the hilt.

 

[Guest Maia]

I am in the process of finishing this costume after six years of researching it, so I can correct some of what you have here. Some of your suggestions are interesting, but I opted to take a different approach and stuck with one version of the costume rather than trying to reconcile all the various, inconsistent, non-Marvel takes on her. I will be posting all of what I have done once I am finished.

 

Maia

 

BODYSUIT

The bodysuit is one of the most complex pieces. It appears to have the base of a long sleeve dancing leotard or a spandex catsuit. It is possible to have one which zips up the back. It is recommended to also include stirrups and hand bands to keep it from bunching. Now for the fun part?

 

You can't have a zipper in the back, sides, or front as it will be visible. The only way to construct the bodysuit is so it opens at the shoulders and is either snapped or velcroed there.

 

A thick metallic colored elastic cord should be used to make the circuitry pattern. I would suggest beginning at the knees of the suit and extending it up the body to the right arm and down the left arm to the middle of the forearm. It should go on both the front and the back. The amount can be sparse or very intricate, depending on the source and the amount of detail you with to use. The coloring should be silver with a possible touch of purple.

 

This depends on which images you choose to use. I have ignored ALL of the artwork outside of the Marvel comics at it is inconsistent with how the character is originally shown. Even within the comics, there is variation, but the original artwork in the comics is what really defines this character. The circuitry pattern cannot be cordage. After considerable study, I have decided that it is impossible for a wide elastic cord to give the flat appearance and variation in width which is shown. Nor will it move effectively with the body as the underlying material stretches. Instead, use a silver spandex lycra and cut to the width needed. Silver is shown as an odd bluish/purplish color in the comics. Silver is what was intended according to Jo Duffy, Lumiya's creator. I asked her about this ages ago and will see if I can dig up my notes from that conversation.

 

To connect the cord you should either sew them on or use fabric staples. They should be put on at angles and should run together at points. For ultimate accuracy, you could also attack small blocks of plastic in silver and purple at random areas. Keep these sparse and be sure they are level with the floor when the costume is worn.

 

Sewn on, sewn on. Fabric staples will damage the lycra with time and wear, and create holes. I tacked the silver lycra in place one spot at a time, 1/8" apart, knotting each place off separately so it would all stretch and move naturally, and yes, that took forever to do. I am still finishing the area in the lower back as I need help to pin things in place when the costume is on before I do the sewing.

 

BOOTS

Now is when it gets fun. For most of the armor parts, you will need to purchase two silver latex or PVC full body suit with integrated boots and gloves. These can be found on ebay, amazon, or fetish supply sites. Make sure you get one that fits and one that is a size larger. For now, you?ll use the one that fits.

 

For the boots, you will want to mark off and cut from the middle of the thigh on the inside to about the navel on the outside. You should cut it a little more on the outside and use that to seal over the flap. However, wait to seal over the flap for now. Try to get the boot as close to your reference/desired shape as possible, but do not forget the flap. Also, save the inside of the leg part? you will need some of it in a moment.

 

Using a stiffening piece (interfacing or other material), put it in the top portion of the boot. Over this stiffener, place a piece of the cut boot to hide it. Not fold over the edge flap and secure it so that it is stronger around the edges.

 

Finally, you will need to secure a pair of shoe soles onto the bottom of the boots. Before you secure them, though, paint them silver. While it may not take on the bottom of the sole (I would say tape the main part of the bottom) the sides are important. The soles should be flat soles and not very noticeable. You can connect them using any method you wish, but I would suggest sewing them on.

 

I made my boots using a soles from a set of flat Chinese style slippers and sewed silver leather onto them. The tops extend upward to the waist and are body hugging. They snap onto the bodysuit at a few places along the thigh and at the waist. The soles should be black.

 

BELT

The belt is actually a series of geometric shapes connected by one or two bars. The buckle is a solid block and could be a snap-hook or other square pressure buckle. Alternatively, the buckle could actually be on the back? in any case, the central item is a cube.

 

The ?buckle? is connected directly to two triangular pieces by the tip of the triangle. Those have two bands which connect to trapezoidal boxes over the boots. These trapezoids are connected to a square block with a single cord. These are connected to another set of rectangular pieces by a single cord.

 

Each of the boxes, except for the buckle on the front, has a recessed body. The edge looks to be half the width of the block itself. The cords between the triangles and trapezoids are circular. The rest are square blocks. The internal of these recessed areas contain shapes and greeblies which resemble circuits or other devices? however these are only shown in one source.

 

You will need to sew or tape Velcro onto the boots with the opposite piece on the trapezoidal boxes. This will keep the belt up as well as keep the boots up.

 

The belt itself is two ~1/2" wide strips of black leather about 1/2" apart, with the triangular, square, and rectangular boxes attached to them. The buckle is in the front. The belt sits at the hips, not right at the waist. There is only one good image of the belt in the comics. The boxes are not plain but have detailing inside of them. This varies considerably depending on the artist (another reason I stuck with the Marvel version).

 

CHEST BOX

The chest box is a smaller version of Darth Vader?s chest box. It is about half the size of the chest box in all aspects (length, height, and width). Unlike the Vader box, this one does not have as much detailing.

 

The box is gray and not glossed like the silver. It has a bit of a lip around the edge much like the Vader box. Beyond this, there is not much detail which is visible in most of the reference shots. I am using the fact that Lumiya is ?Lady Vader? and as such would have some Vader-ish look to her chest box.

 

It has three ?coin slot? style lights on the right of the box (facing it). This is much the same as the Darth Vader box which Lumiya was supposed to replicate. However, those are slat to the surface of the box and red in color. The light pattern should be the same for consistence.

 

On the left of the box is a red and blue plate, like the Vader Box. These do not have to light up, but it will not downgrade this. As a replica of the Vader box, they should not light up. However, if you ask any Vader, most will say the lights behind them look cool.

 

The lower plate is actually a series of buttons or switches which should replicate those on the Vader chest box. I would suggest that they be made smaller, as to fit on the box. The three white and one red would be fitting.

 

To connect the box to the chest of the suit, I would suggest either really strong velcro or sewing a couple of hooks onto the chest of the bodysuit to connect the chest box to.

 

The box is actually black, with three Vader coin slots, two buttons (one red, one light blue), and a gold/brass bar across the botton. The depth is close to Vaders to allow for a battery and electronics in back. I used industrial snaps to attach mine. The blink sequencer is a Vader one. This is one of the details which varies the most outside of the Marvel comics. Mine is based on a Marvel comic cover.

 

 

The gloves of the suit should be cut from the silver latex material that fits. Both gloves should be cut from about ? of the way up the inside of the forearm to almost the shoulder. The excess part will become the gauntlet of the glove. You should also cut off a portion of the rest of the arm to use on the inside of the gauntley.

 

Using a stiffening material (preferably plastic or sintra), place them just as you did the tops of the boots. Put the material over it and fold them down. Sew it down or glue it. That is it.

 

I used a combination of silver spandex and leather for these. The arm guards are metal and are off being chromed at the moment. One arm is completely covered to the shoulder while on the other the glove stops part way up.

 

ARMOR

The armor is being made using the larger of the two suits. The reason for its size is to double it over. This will provide the look of the armor folds as well as slightly strengthening it against stretching. You may need to modify the back slightly to add a new zipper up the neck.

 

It should be cut to the desired shape, make sure to leave some left over to fold into the lines. This is where more of the fun can be. The left shoulder can either lay against the body or be pointed as a pauldron. The same way the boot tops and the gauntlets were made can be used here as well.

 

The chest piece of the armor should be interfaced to provide some stiffness across the length. This should be done after sewing to gluing the folded material down.

 

To make sure the armor sits correctly, you should also sew on velcro to some strategic locations to keep it from folding or bending.

 

I am using chromed metal again, but have done a prototype in silvered leather over sintra. Both strap together underneath where that isn't visible. The chest armour is NOT one piece. It is a form of lamellar armour with several hinged pieces which slide over and under one another. You cannot effectively imitate this by making it in only one piece and sticking folds in it, as it will not move as it needs to. The neck covering I have extends down from the helmet and tucks under the armour. It is not visible once the helmet is wrapped.

 

MASK

The mask itself is two separate parts. The first part is a plastic undermask which keeps the top of the turban in shape as well as shows through the turban. The second part of the mask is the turban itself.

 

Besides the general shape, the mask needs only be shown to the front. The mask cutout appears to have a similar size and shape to the painted part of Boba Fett?s mask. There is also some detail work on the edges. Besides the details, the mask is only necessary to provide the shape for the turban.

 

The second part of the mask involves the turban itself. I would suggest that it be made as a single piece of material with the look of the wrapping. To simulate the mask portion, as well as make it easy to put on and take off, I would suggest making the neck and ?mask? fabric so that it folds over and velcros closed at the neck. This cloth should be either black or purple.

 

Metal framework blocked in with sintra and with silvered leather overtop, all wrapped in a charcoal grey scarf. I also have a metal version in the works but think the lighter one will be more wearer friendly. The 'turban' is not purple. That's an artistic convention used in the comics to represent a dark or charcoal grey . I used a charcoal grey, handwoven wool gauze. If you leaf through the comics you will see that in some panels the scarf is shown as black.

 

CAPE

The cape can be made in many styles. It can be prestine and similar to Vader, it can be rages and tattered, it can be a robe-style which covers the left shoulder. It can be made in black or purple as both have been seen. However, it must match the cloth of the mask. It should connect around the neck, probably by velcro.

 

The cloak is black and full. Mine is not tattered. The purple is again a comic artistic convention to show contrast. How it drapes varies by comic panel, even on the same page.

 

LIGHTWHIP

The lightwhip is a specialty item. The main body of the whip itself would be easy to either do youraelf or order it. The ship portion would be easier to do yourself (and probably cheaper). All you need to do is get a length of white and light blue EL line a length of leather cord, and a length of flexible cable or silver nylon cord. Braid them all together and stick them in the hilt.

 

This is the definitive picture of her whip from the comics:

 

 

The handle is silver, but the lashes are always shown as white, never silver. It has three different types of lashes in it: one type is a leather round braid, the second is studded flat leather and the last is a flat leather with a V-shaped laced pattern. Depending on which comic panel you look at there are anywhere from three to seven lashes. I used five lashes in mine - two round braided (4 strands, each 1/4" wide), two 1" wide studded, and one 1" wide flat laced. There is no room in the hilt to add any light-up effects once all of that is anchored in place so I didn't bother with that. It took an entire day (yesterday) to make the round braids and my wrists are still not happy with me about that. The length of the lashes is ~13' and width about 1" using Lumiya's body proportions to help estimate that.

 

 

 

 

[Twi'lek Pam]

Maia, thanks for sharing your research!

 

I'm looking forward to seeing how these costumes turn out!

 

Pam

[Volund Starfire]

Wow... You have been at this far longer than I... and it shows.