Padmé's Lake Gown

I have always wanted to make (a version of) Padmé's Lake Gown from StarWars Episode II (Attack of the Clones)… but a) could never find the right fabric (since there was NO WAY that I was going to hand-dye it to make it ombre), b) was a bit daunted by the fit of the dress, and c) couldn't really seem to find the time.  Until now.  Here's a page with images of the original gown when it went on exhibit.  This is my favorite shot of it from the movie.  (Both links courtesy of The Padawan's Guide - best place ever for info/photos on all things StarWars costumes.)

A friend had posted a link to an Etsy shop which sells vintage saris (shamelessly promoting the shop - the saris I got are BEAUTIFUL and in wonderful condition; highly recommend.  I haven't found any other place to get beautiful silk - 5 yards of it - for less than it costs PER YARD in the states.).  So, while browsing (in my infinite spare time), I stumbled across the perfect sari for this gown: silk (thin and floaty like the real costume), multi-color in an ombre-ish pattern (like the real costume), in shades of blue (not like the real costume, but the colors I prefer).  So, I got it (and a couple others for later use - one of which will be a more historical - and a bit more modest - recreation of Jasmine's turquoise outfit from Disney's Aladdin based on Shoomlah's Historical Disney Princesses version), since there was a deal on shipping).

I had already (over a year ago) made the underdress base for the gown out of a stretchy, shiny knit fabric, but hadn't gotten beyond that.  Also, the underdress was several inches too short, so I needed something else that would be longer to go over it as an undergown, and yet not clash with the overdress piece.

This is where a sari comes in very, very handy.  When a sari is worn, the majority of it is horizontal (wrapped around one's waist as a skirt), but there is a section of it (the pallu) that is worn vertically (as the top of the skirt section and over the shoulder from front to back) and therefore has a different decoration.  The pallu for this sari matched the pattern of the rest of the sari, and therefore became the undergown (the pallu sewn into a tube, vertically, and attached to the underdress base). The rest became the overdress (folded in half, and half of the top edge sewn together to create a funny loop, and draped/sewn horizontally over the top of the gown; you'll see what I mean below, or if you explore the Padawan's Guide's page for this dress and several ladies' "making of" explanations).  And, I only had to make two cuts (one at the end of the pallu where the pattern changes; the other to fit the top of the pallu-piece-turned-undergown to the neckline and back-line of the underdress).  Which only means two hems.  …little did I know how annoying it would be to join the fabric together edge-to-edge for the two seams, though, oh well.

Finished gown:

Oh yes, and I also got a major haircut - 18 inches donated.  I like the new look; haven't had hair this short since college. :-)

Construction info (à la HSF):

Fabric: 1.5 yd blue shiny knit cotton-poly blend; 5 yd khadi silk sari

Pattern: None; referenced the Padawan's Guide page for tips about the overdress fabric layout, but other than that just draped it and went with it.

Year: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… StarWars time.

Notions: blue polyester Dual Duty all-purpose thread; slate blue polyester Gütermann thread; white satin ribbon for halter neck; powder blue grosgrain ribbon for underdress structure; silver sheer nylon stockings

Hours to complete: 12+ (lost count)

First worn: for the final photos… one day I'll get special shots taken with it, probably at the beach (when it's not winter and freezing)

Total cost:  $14.99 for the khadi silk sari (with its share of the shipping fee for the batch: $21.00 total); $6 (approx. $3/yd) for the knit; ribbon and thread from stash… approximately $30 all told, so not the most expensive one (that'd be the saque, which still isn't finished yet) but a bit more than normal.

Making of…

The underdress base is three pieces: front-wrap-to-back, back skirt, and mid-back strap (to attach the top of the undergown's back to, since otherwise the back was way too low for my taste).  I sewed the edges of the underdress into a small tube for a ribbon to go through so that the fabric (which was very heavy, actually, and stretched a LOT) would hold its shape and the proper edge.  The ribbon ends were tied together and (originally, during initial fittings until I sewed on the final satin band that would be the neck strap) used as the loop through which I put a choker necklace so that the length would be right when I was trying it on.

And, the sari fabric… the blue doesn't really match, but you don't end up seeing the underdress base much at all anyway.

Here's the pictures of the sari from the vendor; sorry they're so small (the first is a good shot of the pallu section).  Quite pretty:

Making the undergown:

This is the back (you can see the seam down the middle that I'm sewing together as an overlap).  I forgot to take a picture of it when it was flat (not pinned/sewn together); pinning and sewing the edges together was a pain - the fabric was quite crinkled (and I was hesitant to take an iron to it); but it worked.

I then pinned the center back to the underdress's back strap, and then tried it on again to make sure that the top edge of the front and back would work out.  When it did, I cut that part off, roll-hemmed the edge, tried it on again and pinned down (and flattened) the edges of the sari fabric over the edge of the underdress so no knit fabric could be seen, then sewed it all together.

Not bad.  It looks weird on me by itself, so you'll have to be content with a flat photo of it that I took when it was pinned:

When I was sewing it, I cut a length of white satin ribbon and attached it at the top of the front, and then will use that to secure the top of the dress.  It fits fine and really could be strapless, but doesn't look complete without it.


Making the overdress:

Overdress fabric (folded in half)  /  Overdress fabric (as a sewn "loop"; not a circle, because the two ends are not sewn together but are a continuous edge that forms the back/base of the skirt):

I then sewed the center top (the inside top of the loop in the right photo above) to the top front of the undergown (so that it was attached across the entire top), and the center back (where the two purple stripes join) to the center of the undergown back where the underdress' back edge is (you'll see in the pictures below) - not where the upper strap/edge is.

Gauntlets/aka sleeves:

Since there wasn't enough sari fabric to sew the overdress into loops for the arms to go through (and stay in place), I had to make separate under-sleeves to attach the gathered sari to.  This was probably the easiest part and took all of a minute or two.  I took an old (read: too small) pair of nylon stockings that I'd worn once, maybe twice, and from the leg sections made two arm-length pieces.  Because they're stockings, they hold to my arm without any need for elastics.

However, sewing them to the overdress at the proper place, and then gathering the sari fabric as it is in the original dress, took more than enough time since because the gauntlet fabric stretched so much, I had to pin it while wearing it, and then fuss with getting the 'line' of the gather not only in the right place, and the right length, but to look right (running stitch; then along the line of the running stitch, made an internal fold so it looks like it's two pieces of fabric coming together on the outside).


Final gown:

I debated about making the beadwork and the knot that decorate the back and front of Padmé's dress, but decided against it.  The dress is fine as it is, and has an interesting enough pattern that it really doesn't need decoration.  Maybe someday I'll find the right beads and make them, but until then, I like it as-is.

Next StarWars dress… Padmé's light blue Tatooine cloak-with-hood and skirt outfit.  Might not get to that until much later this year, we'll see.

Curtain call - finished masquerade costume

And... It's posted!  Sewing has taken a back seat lately due to long work days and plenty of classwork on top of that.  But at least this was done in time for the Desolation of Smaug premiere (not that I went to it, but it's the thought that counts), even if it waited until two weeks later to be posted.

So, since I gave a ton of background in my previous post, this one will just contain a few updates.  I did reference the Rivendell musicians' gowns in construction initially, but in the end I more closely followed Thranduil's silver robe (especially in terms of fabrics, colors, and silhouette) with an Arwen/feminine interpretation (from FOTR, the farewell dress).  So it's a touch "Oriental" (stretching it a bit there), (more than) a touch "fantasy", and really not remotely historical at all except for the en fourreau back and the front pleating; but it's masquerade, so that covers it just fine.

Here's the fabric (the outside will be the side that reflects lighter; the other was too dramatic):

Here's the final outfit:

Just the facts…

The Challenge: 2013 HSF #22: Masquerade

Fabric: 4-ish yards 44" sage-silver brocade (poly-something); 1-ish yd 44" crepe-back satin (yellowish sage); 1930s green dress (HSF #21)

Pattern:  My favorite kind: sketch out a rough drawing, then make it up as you go along, draping and pinning as you go until it looks right-ish.

Year:  Um… fantasy.

Notions: Sage green polyester thread, a few pins (for the final photos)

How historically accurate is it? Not really at all; borrows from several eras, pure fantasy, really.

Hours to complete:  14-16 (sewing all those pleats was FUN)

First worn:  For these photos

Total cost:  Stash project.

And the making of…

Finally and fashionably (heh) late... HSF #21 - Green '30s glamour

Ok, finishing this gown took longer than I thought, and posting even more delayed than that... but it's done, so it deserves a post.

A little backstory on this dress, as it kinda happened as a result of another project/challenge that's in the works...  A while ago (June), I'd posted about the upcoming projects I wanted to do...  On that list, at the very bottom, is a "Mirkwood elf gown" in - you called it - green.  Lo and behold, more recently, an HSF challenge was announced for a Masquerade costume.  And an idea was born... I decided that the Masquerade costume would be the elf gown, but have some historical origins (1920s or '30s, due to the fabrics).  

Since the whole thing would be a bit much to make in two weeks, I decided to split it into two projects: the underdress (which could be historically accurate to an era) and the overdress (which could be pure fantasy with historical references/techniques such as an en fourreau back, and some sewn down pleats like the dresses from The Hobbit).  

So, I needed to find an appropriately historical gown to make (in green) for the undergown.  Initially, I thought this would have to be a '20s gown (or a purely medieval gown) due to the typical "elven" silhouette of long lines and draping from the shoulders, which I wasn't too happy about since '20s doesn't work well for me and I have plenty of medieval stuff already.  But... watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey again, I paid special attention to the elves' gowns to see what the undergowns looked like, and had a pleasant surprise.  My original recollections were mistaken - the undergowns (female elven musicians, in that Rivendell dinner scene) were closer to the '30s in their silhouette/gown draping than medieval (barring the overrobes).  And if there's one "modern" historical era that I like the clothes for (and that the clothes actually look good on me for), it's the '30s.  So, now I just had to find an appropriate designer whose necklines and drapings were sufficiently "LOTR"/"fantasy"/"medieval"-ish that could pull off being the undergown for a (completely fabricated, since I haven't seen any previews of elven finery for H2) Hobbit-era elven gown from Mirkwood (assuming they all don't dress in leather and fighting gear all the time). 

And in my searches, I stumbled across Madeleine Vionnet, one of the designers known for bias-cut, bias-draping, and the more simple, elegant styles (with a mix/match of grecian and A-line silhouettes).  So, found two dresses that I'll be combining together into one: a 1936 gown that will be the chiffon overdress, and a 1936-38 gown that will be the model for the underdress (slight modification to the neckline of the bodice). 

I also found (on sale/clearance) a taffeta curtain of just the right shade of green to match the metallic leaf fabric for the Mirkwood dress.  The only issue: it was sewn into one of those valences that were all folds, so I had to take all of the stitches out.  Thankfully, it was all one sheet of fabric (instead of a bunch of strips, which would have stopped this project cold), and was a good size, too.  I also had some sage green chiffon in my stash that was originally intended for a reproduction Arwen coronation gown (yes, I was that LOTR-crazy at one point) but thankfully never got around to using.  So, that'll be the overdress for this and sewn in the style of the peach chiffon 1936 gown, while the underdress will be a halter top and bodice shape like the white-black 1936-38 gown but not covered with chiffon (and with a slightly different neckline due to how the fabric gathers).  I also happened to have in my stash this gorgeously heavy satin ribbon that was (I kid you not) the EXACT shade of pale green as the taffeta curtain.  I seriously could not have found the same shade had I gone out and searched for it, or dyed it myself.

So, here is the final product:  (taffeta pinned / taffeta sewn )

(full ensemble)

Just the facts!

Challenge: #21 - Color Challenge Green - 1936-38 evening gown, à la Madeleine Vionnet

Fabric: green taffeta valence curtain from Wal-mart red-tag clearance section (2yd by 2yd); sage green chiffon (stash) - 2yd of 54" fabric

Pattern: none; draped based on photos of extant gowns (linked above), with a few modifications for fit

Year: 1936-38

Notions: sage green polyester thread (from stash); 3yd satin ribbon (for taffeta dress sash, chiffon dress halter strap and edge binding on sides/back, and chiffon dress belt); silver florists' wire artistically twirled for the belt "buckle" of the chiffon overdress.

How historically accurate is it: hand-sewn (not that accurate for the '30s), polyester taffeta (pushing it), chiffon (ok, that works); based on a plausible combination of two actual dresses (could pull it off).  Overall, accurate enough to pass muster.  

Hours to complete: All told: 11-12 hours spaced over multiple weeks:
... the taffeta underdress took about 1.5 hours to drape/pin/sew, once the fabric was no longer a curtain (that prep work took another hour and a half), so total 3 hours;
... the taffeta bodice took about 3 hours (mostly draping and pinning to get it to fit right);
... the chiffon overdress took 5 hours (hemming chiffon, that is frustration), and then I hemmed the rectangle left over for a "wrap" like the matching one in the photo.
... the satin ribbon was too wide for both the tie at the neck and to edge the chiffon, so I cut it in half (width) and hemmed an entire side of it (for the tie) and sewed it onto the chiffon (as a border), which took a couple hours.

First worn: for these photos

Total cost: $10 for the curtain.  The rest came from my stash, thus "free" for this project.  But, in actuality... the chiffon was probably $3/yard (red-tag at Joann's years ago), and the thread was probably $3; the ribbon was a 3yd spool for about $3 (clearance); so, $12.  Not bad. 

And the making of...

HSF #18, or, the challenge completed by accident

In my last post about the saque, I let slip that I had just made the gown of a française without doing it over panniers (but using rather inconsequential padding instead)... and then wished I had had panniers because the gown felt so... unfinished and the silhouette was leaving a lot to be desired.  (Not to mention the minor embarrassment of having made a gown essentially blindly.)

So, while in the middle of something completely unrelated (schoolwork) - I suddenly had a brainwave: I have three or four more old ('80s) bridal hoops just sitting in my closet that can't be worn unless some wear and tears are fixed, and that no longer have that perfect conical circumfrance (from being shoved into garbage bags and stored - squashed - in any which place/box/hanger over the years): why not take one of them and mold it somehow into full panniers using ribbons underneath and creative gathering/sewing at the waistband.

And, as sometimes my crazy ideas do: it worked, and in less than two hours I had historical-looking (when worn under something) panniers of the trapezoid variety (with another hour or two to sew everything in place).

(Sidenote: I tried the saque on over it - and wouldn't you know - it looks great now, PHEW!  Major shout-out there to Katherine's tutorial skills - proof that one can make an accurate saque sans panniers to drape it over.  Only problem is that before I can take pictures wearing the saque over panniers, I need to make the petticoat, since the other I was using has a significantly narrower hemline and won't fit over the panniers, and the gown with only the panniers looks very bizarre.  Always one more thing to complete...)

Mind you, it was a completely spur-of-the-moment thing (well, procrastination played a little hand in it - there's only so much reading about budgeting and budgeting systems that one can take at a time; six hours is enough to send anyone loopy).   Only after it was done did I think, "wait, wasn't there an HSF related to re-making something?  I hope it covers making something newer into something older - going the reverse of what is usually done in history."  And, sure enough: HSF #18: Re-make, Re-use, Re-fashion - and, even better, it's only due in less than a week!  Very timely.

So, without further ado, the finished panniers (collapsed top / collapsed bottom / front / side):

Before (collapsed / front / side):

Just the facts!

The Challenge: HSF #18: Re-make, Re-use, Re-fashion... modern hoops into 18th century panniers

Fabric: the hoops are a polyester/nylon blend base fabric with plastic boning in channels (3); also used scraps of a quilted cotton for part of the waistband and to secure some of the "molding" (you'll see in the photos below)

Pattern: None. Silhouette based on images of gowns in museums from 1760s-1770s, and from browsing of others' pannier projects (theirs are significantly more authentically made than mine).

Year: time machine'd from 1980s to 1760s-1770s

Notions: all-purpose thread; 56" of 5/8" black satin ribbon (leftover from another project); safety pins (to close it, for now - eventually I'll sew on a ribbon tie)

How historically accurate is it? Shape-wise, when you can't see the panniers themselves, it'll pass for accurate since it mirrors the more trapezoidal/gradual/flared panniers rather than the "block" ones. Materials-wise, not remotely. Construction, passable.

Hours to complete: 2 hours for pinning/shaping for finished 'product'; another 1-2 hours to sew in place.

First worn: Only once with the saque gown, but no pictures of it (except on its own) have been taken.

Total cost: It's FREEEEE! The hoops were from my costume stash (hand-me-downs I played with as a kid, so must have been from at least the '80s or early '90s); random pieces of fabric leftovers in my stash (as were the ribbons); and thread was just generic white polyester all-purpose from the thread stash.


And the making of... trial and error style... :-)

Summer dress (non-historical)

Several months ago I had shown a teaser of the fabric I was going to use to create a tropical sundress, Regency-style... well, a few weeks ago I finally started and finished it, and wore it the Sunday before last (and then promptly forgot to post about it until now).

And, here it is (with and without the sweater).  I wore it with a wide dark blue ribbon as a belt tied in the back (it would be mostly hidden under the sweater's edge), it made it look better.

Fabric: I used just over a yard and change of 44" wide thin/loosely-woven cotton fabric.  The underdress/lining is a compilation of a polyester remnant and several large (and oddly-shaped, trapezoidal) scraps pieced together from a previous project (the teal chiffon dress from a year and change ago).  

Pattern: None.  It gives a nod to Regency/empire-waisted silhouette, but is essentially one piece of fabric folded in half and cut with a back on the diagonal and two strips of fabric used as sleeve straps.  

Making of: Basically pinned it on to determine how it would look, noted measurements, pinned it together on the floor inside out, tried it on again (right side out), cut it, sewed it, tried it on again and made some adjustments, cut out/pinned on the sleeve straps, tried it on for placement, made adjustments, sewed the top edge and sleeves, and voilá, done.  

Accessories: I'd made a circle/A-line bias-cut skirt out of another woven poly-cotton earlier this year and used the rest of that fabric to make a loose shrug/sweater.  The color was perfect for this sundress, but... it was a bit too loose across the back (it gapped rather outrageously at the top and didn't stay in place), so I used a box pleat at the top to pull it together for a few inches and let the rest hang as usual.  In these pictures, I've tied it in a knot in front like a Regency spenser.

Construction details below...

Hit the saque! ...beginning HSF #17: Robes and Robings

...ok, bad pun.  Remember when I said that the 1865 evening gown was going to be the most ambitious thing I did?  Well, as it turns out, this robe will probably take the cake for that - mostly due to the shape of the skirt.  It's gone well so far, only a couple snafus (granted they were big ones, but thankfully easily fixed), so the robe part is done (stomacher will be finished Tuesday, and hopefully lower sleeves, too).  Granted - it won't be trimmed, and it won't have a proper self-fabric petticoat (yet), but the basic dress will be there.

Here's the dress as it was this weekend: no sleeve flounces or engageants, no trim, a pinned-in piece of fabric temporarily used as the stomacher (actually the square 'sample' piece that the stores have for ordering in bulk, it was on sale for a dollar so I grabbed it one day), and the bodice waist pinned to the correct height...

I rather like it so far, especially the back, though the front needs finishing at the time of these photos.

... Without further ado, here's how it got to the above photos.

Inspiration (and historical reference/"proof" for the existence of printed/indienne cotton saques) came from this Pinterest page of cotton saques put together by Katherine of Koshka-the-Cat (thank you!!).  And MAJOR props also to Katherine for her tutorials on making a saque (this project really fits nicely under the "Gratitude" HSF, too, I realized); I used those as my "making-of" guide, though I did a few things differently (so far it's come out ok though).  The silhouette I'm going for is not a "court" silhouette, but narrower, more everyday one like that of the "block print francaise (c.1770)".  Wide isn't the most flattering for me, anyway, and right now I'm making do with a rather extended hip roll padding (with quilted petticoat on top) in place of panniers, so I doubt I'd've been able to get that trapezoid shape perfectly right (I know, I know, shame on me.  Pocket hoops are on my to-do-list).

And the construction...