Now that I'm not in the comps but judging them I am much more free to chose costumes that are stand alone and not really able to have a skit oranised for them;) Also I can feel happy about insane detail that no one else cares about;) Now what I'll be looking for as a judge will be made public as soon as I sort out my forms!

So to that aim I have started drafting some new costumes, the two I'm working on today are from that movie which had so much potential... X3, sigh. Jean Grey's Uniform and her Phoenix costume of course!
The uniform most worried me but I have got to a point in drafting that I feel confident in making it :) The insane detail in this is the piping which in PVC is going to be a major PITA! Especially as the piping is top stitched three times of very specific widths... I will buy a double needle or borrow someone's top stitching machine (they are industrial things and require a deft hand so I'd rather get a double needle!)

This was the twill pattern I worked on last night:
(IMG:http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v609/glittersweet/th_jeangrey1.jpg)
I initially took three vaguely jacket shaped pieces and used darts to fit it then drew on it where main construction seams were and then cut those from twill. Today I tweaked it to what you see above and then cut the pattern in 2 way stretch PVC which is simialr to my final fabric.
This is my stretch pattern as of today:
(IMG:http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v609/glittersweet/th_jeangrey2.jpg) (IMG:http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v609/glittersweet/th_jeangrey3.jpg)

The snakeskin is a little distracting, but I lost the other test fabric (white panne velvet, the pile is a good indicator of when a piece has too much stress!) Still it's a good guage for how annoying the real fabric will be to work with. Luckily the needle I have is the right type but I need to buy really good quality thread to sew with (the thread I used is bright pink and shredded every 30cm or so...)

Off to test pattern the coat and corset of her other costume!

Oh, I also ordered new boots for my Catwoman costume and am going to start collecting materials fo cast for the claws. I won't be allowed to make them as the real ones were (which really are weapons!) Then I can fix the cowl (chin strap and domes to attach it to he suit.)

Awesome!!!
The X-Men movies are some of my favorites, I'm really looking forward to seeing progress on this costume :)

Thanks :) Don't be surprised if there are reports of the air turning blue in Auckland though;) This is setting out to be a fiddly costume. It should be fun though as well.
I had thought of doing this or her red costume (which I have made a first draft of now) for Armageddon last year but I just did not have enough information on the suit or the back of the red costume for me to ve happy with anythign I would have done. I have information for them both now, the red outfit was on display at in London and I got sent some images of the back and other detail shots:) The coat was displayed not quite as it should have been which did in fact help a great deal in working out some shapes ;)

Looking forward to seeing the finished outfit & It's always refreshing to see someone possessing more skill than just being able to reach into their purse or wallet :)

Could you elaborate on this ("not really able to have a skit organised for them!") not wanting to derail the thread just never been to a costume Comp :huh:

As for being officially insane I'm reliably Informed "that a little madness now & then is cherished by the wisest men" :P

Thanks:) I have to admit the proliferation of these uniforms on ebay made me a little wary of making my own. It might be easy to assume I bought it;) Still it's definitely a challenging project and that's what I want I can carry cards to ay that yes I made it if need be;)

For the Cosplay comps (the info should be on the Armageddon site soon, I rewrote the pages and Bill just needs to read them and make any changes he needs to) it's about presenation as well as the costume. The easiest way to really be in character is to have a scene you can do or perhaps write a monologue. I was able to wing a monologue for Catwoman based on a few speeches she had about the rotten men in her life ;) ) but it's not always that easy. Sometimes it happens also that you really like a costume and character but didn't like what they did to them in a comic/tv series/animation/film etc.

Hopefully the webpage and the registration will help clarify, I set up an email account specifically for the Cosplay comps which I hope will continue in years to come regardless of who is judging. Any questions can be sent there as well once the web page is up :)

Last night I did test a pattern for Phoenix's red coat, I am not happy with how it drapes with the corset underneath, but I do think with the corset over it looks right. SoI may just have to live with that;) The test fabric I used is lighter but is starched so it drapes like the red taffeta used. I'm sure there are weights in her hem to keep it hanging well;)
Ooh, I just had an idea, I don't think it was used in the movie but it may help my coat fit better..... I'll see if darting each panel will help....

Today I'm on a hunt for some materials for all my costumes. I'm also going to take apart an old catsuit and see if I can pin it into a Mara Jade pattern. If it works I will probably use that as a test for how this PVC fabric sews up before cutting my Jean pieces.

michaela, your skills are excellent.......real inspiration to many of us,........credit were credits due,and recognition of skill is whats needed here............ B) B)
very nice work,.......ill watch this thread with great interest..........
(that last bit is kind of a palpatine rip-off line thing... :lol: )

see you in wellington.
i have just ordered a new pred bio helmet/mask to use at wellington armageddon (yeah,i know i said the pred woudlnt make it,but i had a change of heart)
im hoping i'll have to time get a better cowl for batsy before wellygeddon.
see you on saturday catwoman ?.............lets kill em' like we did at auckland.............
(now that,was cool....)
(sorry to take this off topic during my last bit..........)
i plan to do bats on sat & pred/bats on sunday. ( ? ) B)

Thank you:) But we shall have to see how the final sewing actually goes! I have never made a suit with so many pieces. I daren't count how many are in the jacket alone....

Excellent:) Yep Saturday sounds good.


Oh gosh I have too many costume plans I really should get into gear and start sewing!

Yes, as I suspected I'm going to have to hold off the Jean Grey suit until Auckland. Firstly I cannot find a matt red pvc for the piping but secondly, and probably most importantly, I can barely hold a mouse let alone cut and sew at the moment.
The X suit is still going to happen, it's a matter of taking it very slowly though.

Still I got my Party outfit cut out yesterday :) it should work out well. And then I can decide if it'll be ok to make another outfit from the list;)

Oh and I have bought thimbles to be cut for new and improved Catwoman claws. I'm sure we have tin snips somewhere...

So I may as well post my progress of GG Leia here then;) i was going tp save them til after, but ah well;)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91424360@N00/
A teaser pic of one of the sleeves and a badly lit pic (holy 7 piece baggage set under the eyes Batman!) of the dress.

I cut the skirt separate so I could get those nice folds at the front. It wound up nearly a half circle but cut in three pieces (well six including the lining.)

The entire thing is self lined! The hood, sleeves and skirt are all bag lined and the body is flat lined. Let me just say how much I wish I had an industrial machine that did stretch sewing... I think the domestic one I borrowed went at 1cm per second;) It was great though it has a nice variety of stretch stitches. Oh I did use a plain straight stitch on the hood. I figured I could do a stitch no more than "1" long and stretch the fabric as I went. The stitch was short enough to not be that obvious when the fabric was relaxed.

The fabric is so wonderfully smooth and fluid. There was a firm crepey knit that could have made a dress closer in drape to the statue but I couldn't self line it and I didn't want any hems to show anywhere. I knew I'd have to make consessions to the design to suit me as a real person anyway. My wig will be fairly red too.

The hood was hand sewn on with back stitch; flat at the frobt and guaged (cartridge pleated) at the back. I made it long enough to go over my wig and buns of doom! The new wig though may not be as full as my test run.

Due to a reality check I'm going to have to curtail many costuming activities, I'm still debating what limit to set so for while I will be making plans and breaking them. So for Armageddon I'm quickly making a short over dress for my Witch Hunter Robin dress (started a few years ago) and making a "quickie"* Ever After dress. I have been consoling myself with chocolate so I am not sure I will really do justice to Catwoman this month;)

*Quick because I have a lovely bullion and lace trim already.

Sigh... this is why I started making projects "secret" it was to save the embarassment of not making what I said I would ;)



Ever After is off, at least until Auckland so I can get silver tissue silk to make the overskirt...

But Catwoman is back on.

And I'll hopefully have a Princess Vespa for Welly Geddon Star Wars/King Kapisi party:) Just what we need, a Druish Princess.

"Nobody knows, the trouble I seen...."

Off to work on what I can today and tomorrow.

nice work michaela, B)
see you in 11 days catwoman...........

Thank you :) Still for Saturday right?

I just had a set back. I bought some glue to help finish my Extreme Make over of a pair of ankle boots for Leia but the entire sprayer was gone. The button and the valve thing so I couldn't fix it myself. Me+ aerosols + trying to poke around= big 'splodey ;) Very annoying. I don't really fancy buying glue while down South so I'll have to go get a replacement tomorrow.

I also just put together my blaster for Leia. It was so fun. I officially love epoxy putty. I think I shall have to invest in a mask and other safety paraphrenalia because I want to do even more modelling! I have the bug. I may even try my hand at some Zam greeblies later in the year. But of course sculpting them rather more carefully than I did on my blaster. Don't look too closely as it's just my first ever attempt and it is.. uneven... It would shoot to the right if it was real ;)


I think I will indeed make my catwoman claws from the epoxy putty as it does seem to be as stong as it promised. The other option is to cast some in silicone. Bendy but safe claws;)

yep,saturdays a go.
wouldnt miss it for the world............its gonna be brilliant B) B)

Hey Lance,

I've been to the house and I really was in such a state of shock I didn't even look to see what state the Catwoman costume was in. It looks like it won't be damaged or anything but smokey and maybe a little dull with water. I wouldn't bank on me being able to bring it down with me at this stage unfortunately. But I'll hopefully be able to say tomorrow.

By the way, my site is down probably because there was some glitch in my payment for the domain name. It's just weird and perfect timing of course.

o.k pm me,and we'll figure it out ?
a lil wash & a lil perfume perhaps ? i dunno,...im being optomistic here....kinda gutted............
frosty and i have a common ground,as i was a firefighter for several years.the dang hoses (water) can do more damage than the fire itself....
lets hope it can be salvaged,.........if not,consider a batman/leia crossover ?....... B) B)
could make some interesting pix yeah ?
(if its (the costume)a lil dull,i could bring my airbrush......... :P )

from the mind of a firefighter :my friend greg,spoke to me after we fought our first fire.
i had taken the line (hose) with him,and done the job.it was 2.oo am in the morning.it was lightly raining,but the heat from the fire meant that we had to park the trucks on the "other" side of the road.
i understood,at that moment,the frailty of men,and how little our enviroment needs to change before we as men,become uncomfortable.
i remember my boot hitting the ground when i left the truck ......and i recall thinking "this is surreal"
greg said to me after we had done the job :"this is why we are called firefighters"
ie:we FIGHT fire........(we rush aggressivley into the blaze,and we confront it head on.we do not quit,until the fire is dead)

biscuits & tea arrrived at 5.45 am,and work commenced at 8.am
the volunteer firefighter creed is such : "so others may live"(ie:the protection of life and property)

excuse my rant. i figure you can relate to such deep things currently.

This post has been edited by td-0745: Apr 16 2007, 01:14 AM

Yeah, it's hyper real and yet not real. It's like the past never happened and our house has always been like this.

I may be able to get in tomorrow to get personal effects out, I find out about lunch time *fingers crossed*

[edited ]
look forward to your pm michaela.

This post has been edited by td-0745: Apr 16 2007, 10:44 AM

Well I have all the parts and parts to make some quickie claws makbe but only if it doesn't stress me;)

Sheee ees steenkee though.. steeeeeenkyyyyyyy. But a spot of febreeze and maybe a bit of luck.

thats good news......... :) B)