Padme Invasion Gown pt 1

Invasion Gown

So, I had to take a break from the Senate gown-- the velvet was giving me fits and I was starting to get too frustrated.   I'm off to begin the invasion gown instead-- a break you might say.
Official guidelines for wear during Comi-cons is as follows:

• Black lace over gold/antique gold base for fitted sleeves, bodice, and underskirt.
• Pointed/ textured black outer dress
• Smooth fabric mid-layer skirt.
• Gold Naboo Royal Symbols around the bottom of the skirt.
• Black smooth texture fabric hood/cowl.
• Two red and gold design ear bubbles.
• Long black feathers protruding from the top rear of the cowl.
• Forehead circlet with small red accents.
• White make-up on face and neck must be applied evenly. No splotchy make-up. Red upper lip, white lower with red stripe down center. Twin red dots on apples of cheeks centered beneath the eyes.

Of course, I am only concerned with the first 5 or so.I have decided to make the bodice and underskirt (with the overlays) into one gown. The "bumpy" drape will have the black velvet overskirt attached.

Padme Senate Gown pt6

What did I accomplish: beading the chevrons on the skirt and bodice.

The Chevrons (Original gown Star Wars)

I began the skirt beadwork while my daughter, a thousand miles away, was working on the beadwork at the breast and neckband.   Each night I would knock off at the workshop, head to my bedroom, turn on the TV and sit for another 3 hours to work on the handwork for the skirt (and later the bodice).

Marked chevron lines on the inner lining

Sewn chevron lines on the outer fabric forepart

Firstly, I figured out that the angle of the chevron was a beautiful 90^o.  I marked out the "Vs" on the inner lining in the back ( a stiffer drill/denim fabric).  I figured the bottom V on the skirt was about ⅔from the top, the second was about half that distance, and the top was about half the distance again.** Message me at designs.by.rhenn@gmail.com if you want the exact calculations.**  The bodice was beaded along the waist at the bottom and along the bottom of the beadwork at the breast.  I then split the difference for the middle.  After attaching the inner lining to the main forepart fabric, I sewed along the V lines that I had marked on the inner lining.  This created a nice clean look on the outer fabric for me to use as a guide.

 At first, I tried doing the beadwork as I always do by gathering 4-5 seed beads on my needle and thread, laying them against the line, pushing the needle through the fabric at the end of the 4-5 beads, then coming up from under and securing the middle of the 4-5 bead set.  Then I would move onto the next 4-5 beads.  I didn't like how that lay, because the thread was so fine, the seed beads would drape on it and lay unevenly.

Instead, I purchased a thicker twine, used for making bracelets.  I measured the length needed, with extra for ease of mind sake.  I used fray check on the ends of the twine to keep it from fraying as I beaded hundreds/thousands of beads on it.  (Let that dry hard!)  I tied off the end loosely and worked from the other.  Then I sat for hours stringing the beads.

Strung beads being sewn to
 the guiding line

Strung beads demonstrating the
securing  method

After stringing the beads, I tucked the side I had been using to string into the seam at the right place (the end of the chevron) and secured the twine to the seam allowance.  I then laid the strung beads along the line and secured it every 4 beads or so.  I tied off every so often with a knot, just in case the one stitch gave way, my customer wouldn't lose the whole row.  I made sure the beads were just loose enough that when I got to the bottom of the V (the point) I could make a clean angle up the other side.  When I got to the point of the seam, I removed any excess beads (which explains the need for a loose knot earlier) and tucked the twine into the seam and secured it to the seam allowance.

Three beads being strung to create a cluster at the point of
the V

Measured 5/8" from the previous
 cluster to create the new cluster

Completed cluster

Then starting at the point of the V, I brought my needle through the fabric from the bottom to the top and strung 3 beads.  I pushed the needle through the fabric at the same location I came up and drew the beds down, creating the little cluster.  I then measured from that point  ⅝" and repeated the method for creating the cluster.  NOTE!  Tie off each cluster with its own knot (it is not necessary to clip the thread).  That way if one gets caught and breaks away, you don't lose an entire line of clusters.

BE SURE to secure the strung beads every 3-4 beads to keep the line even, and make sure there is enough give among the beads keep them from bunching up on themselves.

Padme Senate Gown part 5

Now to fix the collar to the senate dark gown. Fixed.  LOL!  I ended up back with what I had originally designed.  A tad bit of trimming to clean up the curve (actually sorta straightened it).

And as part of the collar we deal with the embroidered front panels that run down both sides of center front.   The designs are set up as such: 1 single prong (on either side) near the waist, a 2 prong just below, and ten 3 prong that continues to the hem.  The single prong and double prongs are simply the same design as the triple prong with the top and second prongs removed  (top one for the double prong, and the top and middle one for the single prong).

I enlarged the photo and traced the three prong onto a clean piece of paper (window and masking tape method).  Scanned it into the compute and using the basic paint program, removed the top prong for the double prong, corrected the empty space, and saved it to its own file.  Repeated the steps to create the single prong.

I used this one to trace the final pattern out of.

The black and white traces.

Single prong

Double prong

Triple prong

I sent these each to an online digitizer so that they could convert it to the size I needed and the format for my new embroidery machine (.dst).  They sent me a file for each and a jpg of what it should look like when I embroider it out.

Digitized example 

Digitized example

Digitized example

You might notice the difference in their samples-- they were done on different days with different folks.  But that shouldn't  effect the outcome on my machine.  My machine allows me to flip the image horizontally which I will do to complete the left side (while worn) of the lapel band.

Padme Senate Gown part 4

After farming the bead work out to my daughter (see post ) I sat on my laurels.  Not because I was lazy, but because if I begin and don't have a clear course of action I may not be able to correct the path.  So I lamented and considered and discarded idea after idea: how was I going to solve the embroidery down the front.  Originally I had hoped to have a couple of months however, as I stated before, the fabric was very hard to come by.  This left me panicked.  I finally broke down and purchased an inexpensive embroidery machine (made sure it could hook up to my comp--I know, usb drive would be best, but I have no problem hooking up my comp to the God send).  But I couldn't get the software to produce customized embroidery options.  So I did an internet search for a digitizing company that could turn the digitized format file over pretty quickly.  I found 24hourdigitizing.com.  I had already determined how large I needed each embroidered piece to be (calculated the length of the waist to the hem and divided by 13).  I had taped a print out of the picture to the window, traced a clean black and white copy, and scanned the image.  So I sent the jpg to the company, they sent back a quote, I said "OK!" ($15, not bad and i can keep it forever).  They got me the final file back (in the format for my machine) with in about 6more hours.  I plugged it into the machine and gave it a go.  Perfect!  Right size and everything.

The next day, I sent the other two designs off to them (that is today the 3rd of August) and I am waiting for them to come back.  Now onto the construction of the surcoat.

I started by sewing the body of the surcoat (bodice) portion.  Easy enough.  Sew the back to the front at the shoulders and under the arm (side).

Then I went to the collar.  The collar however, was not laying as I liked.  So to alleviate frustration, I am going to cover some of the skirt prep.

The velvet is a frustrating fabric--a rose with thorn.  So I kept the selvage and turned it under about 1 1/2"-- by sight, no ironing, no pressing--and I then hand stitched the hem in place making sure to only snag a few strands of the underside of the fabric so that it hopefully will not show on the outside when the gown is worn.

Hand stitched hem

Hopefully the hem stitches don't show too much

I hem the bottom first because of the next step-- a trick I learned from the Tudor Tailor.  I tie the skirt to the dress dummy at the waist.  I adjust the gathers and such, pulling up the waist until the hem lies where I need it to, whether to the floor or such as I have ascertained.  (On my own projects I adjust my dress mummy to my height at the shoulders so that I know the hem can fall to the floor.)

Rope/cord at the place I wish for the waist to be.
Gathers adjust to the approximatly placing they
will fall when the skirt is cartridge pleated later.

The front part of the surcoat skirt will lay flat on either
side of the center front about 4" so I adjust the gathers
to reflect the front flat.

The skirt of the surcoat needs to fall just below the
hem of the underskirt, due to the color of the
underskirt.  It might be good idea to shorten the hem
of the underskirt by about an inch to accommodate
this.

Use the marking tool to mark waist

You may notice that the back of the gown has less excess at the waist, this is one reason why we take the next step.  Now we use chalk to mark the waist.  Once the skirt is removed from the dress mummy and you lay it out on your flat surface, you will notice the chalk mark reflects the slight slope downward in the front.

Step 1a

1a.  Before we lay the skirt on the flat surface, fold the gown in half, matching center front to center front.  Be sure the hem is even with itself.

2a.  Lay the garment on the floor smoothed out.  

3a.  Use a large straight edge, ie yard stick, plank of wood, what-have-you, to straighten and even the straight aways.

4a. Use your eye to even out the curve down the center front. 

5a. NOW: using a ruler or 1/2" stay or such guide, draw another line above the first.  You are creating your 1/2" seam allowance.  CORRECTION:  Add 1" to the top--the method I use to attach the skirt uses 1/2".  So you need to add 1/2" for seam allowance and another 1/2" for the attaching method = 1".

6a.  Carefully cut through both layers of fabric following the second line you drew. 

NOTE to CONSIDER: some of us don't have even leg lengths, uneven hips, or what have you. 

• The previous steps might need to be altered in that the fabric should be marked on the dress dummy
•  then the fabric laid out fully on the flat surface.  
• Then using the chalk markings you made, smooth them out and then mark your 1/2" seam allowance.  
• Cut at this new mark along the entire waist line.  
• Proceed to the next steps.  (except folding in half)

7a. fold your lining fabric in half, keeping your selvage edges lined up.  I am using the selvage as my finished hem.  If you choose not to do this, then finish the hem as you wish before proceeding.

8a.  Smooth the fabric and then lay the skirt you have already cut on top, matching the hems and center back (fold).  Now move the over skirt down past the lining so that the hem of the lining is about 1" shorter than the overskirt.

9a.  Trim the front straight edge of the lining if needs be.

10a  Using a fabric marking tool, trace the waist line of the over skirt to the lining below.

11a.  Cut the lining.
12a.  I find cotton velvet frustrating to deal with.  Polyester velvet more so.  While attempting to sew the lining to the velvet at the waist, it shifted with no mercy shown to me.  So I adhered the two together with fabric glue applied within the seam allowance at the waist.  Once dried I sewed them together along the waist.  (That worked.)

I am moving onto to fixing this collar.  The skirt has to wait until the under lining of the collar and forefacing have been attached to the bodice.  So I will move onto fixing the collar.  Ugh.


Warmest Regards,

Padme Senate 2 Gown pt 3

July 26, 2012:  Ok.  The part (one of them) that scares me: the neck and chest bead work. I blew up these pics and traced the pattern (as best I could) and created a template.  There are pics at this address that give some great detailed shots.  Something that I noticed in one of them is that it appears that the bead work was done on a separate waist fabric, trimmed, then sewn on like an applique.  I can't substantiate this however, when looking at other pics.  So I will be doing the bead work straight to the main fabric (that is already had the inner lining basted to it and neck attached--now they are treated as one piece).


Finding the Navette stones (flower petals) is NOT easy.  However, I did do some serious internet searches and found gold and cobalt colored sew on rhinestones.  Unfortunately, they are acrylic.  I will sew them on on their own string so that should crystal ones be found they can be easily replaced.  I approximated that there were 18 flowers comprised of both 3 yellow and 3 blue "petals", tons of dark blue seed beads, and half the amount of golden (not metallic) seed beads, and both blue and yellow round cut gems.

Padme Bead work pattern for
chest (not the neck)

The tools and materials needed: fabric tracing paper, pattern, washable/disappearing fabric marking tool, thread, beading needles (for fabric not stringing necklaces), scissors, beads, embroidery hoop.

Pattern for chest: it is apprximately 5" tall.  The picture is a 1/2" image vertically, flip it for the other half of the breast.  There are yellow seed beads that create clusters as does some blue.
















And the neck:  I haven't marked it  yet.  But here it is.

The picture to the left shows tracing paper for fabric (chalk on one side) I chose to use for transfering the pattern for the bead work onto the bodice.















July 27, 2012:  Ok.  So changes.  I was hoping to use the tracing paper and I did.  I tried blue, white, and pink.  The fabric wouldn't take the chalk.  So I nearly cried.  Then celestial music sprang forth (not from me, of course, because I worse than a toad with a cold).  I own a projector and a fabric pen that will write on the moire fabric. So.  Now to figure out which wall to project onto.

I had to get a decent copy to project.  So I made the template below.  The horizontal band near the top is actually the neck line of the bodice and the "heart" above it is the center front of the neck neckline.

UPDATE: I was wrong about the horizontal band; it actually runs horizontal from center front out almost exactly horizontal.  It seems to end somewhere along the shoulder seam.

Breast Bead work

Neck template

I will update all of the posts as I go, so be sure to sign up for updates!


Update: August 3, 2012:  Since I was concerned about time constraints I farmed the beadwork out to my daughter (she has always done my beadwork in the past).  I also invested in an inexpensive embroidery machine, but more on the later.  

Warmest Regards,

Padme Senate 2 gown pt 2

We get to the fun stuff after the bodice pattern is cut, tried on, adjusted, and pressed.

Now we have 12 pieces-- 3 each of the neck and bodice front, and 6 of the back.




Press them all.
Baste 1/4" from the raw edges of  the fancy fabric to the inner lining (shown in gold moire and brown) with WRONG sides together.

Fancy fabric basted to the inner lining.

I also used fray check on the moire edges since it would be handled so much during the beading phase.




Warmest Regards,