Padme AOTC: Cut Senate Scene Gown

[Leia (Vera Campbell)]

This is my project of insanity for the year:



With all the beading and layers I fully expect it to take me over a year to make, especcially because I'll be working on a couple other projects concurrently. I've been studying this over the past year and have a plan of action.

I looked for real watered silk, but the only place I found it, it was maybe $100 per yard, but I found a similar looking fabric at JoAnn's home dec section:


It looks more butter colored in the pic than it really is, there is a bit more orange to it.

From what we know (thanks to the research on PadawansGuide and KayDee's exhibit pics!) this gown has a quilted hoop skirt to it, but I also think there's a corset to it as well, due to how rigid the bodice is. The gown is Elizabethan inspired, and the shape would indicate Elizabethan-styled undergarments, so this is what I have planned for my foundation pieces:


The chemise I am making so I have a washable layer between me and the corsettry and dress. I am pleating cotton lawn fabric now. I'm going to sew the pleated section to the yoke and control the top with some kind of decortive stitching resembling the Naboo symbol down the front of the dress. The corset is Elizabethan styled, the outer layer out of the yellow fab just to tie it in, and spiral steel bones for maximum con comfort. I was considering building the corset into the bodice, but the closure has to be lace-up to deal with the strain, plus I can use it for historical stuff. And then of course, the hoop skirt. I plan to use plastic tube instead of hoop steel, and I plan to make it all removable for travel.

I plan on making the yellow layer of the dress shaped like the drawings on the left. The eyelet section will sort of be a separate flap, and will zip up the back. I made it sleeveless because, the less bulk the better. I also plan to pad the middle section with maybe a really thin fleece or cotton batting, and interfacing, because the front in very crisp and smooth, too crisp for interfacing alone.

I'm hoping to finish the chemise in a week so I can start on the corset. I made a template for the Naboo symbol. When I get to it, I'll make the rest since the top two motifs each lose a 'branch'..



http://padawansguide.com/dark.shtml
http://padawansguide.com/dark_exhibit.shtml


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[JedHead (Matt Tolosa)]

I know this will look great on you, and it'll come out great, of course.

I'm just curious as to how many pages this thread will end up being.


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In Loving Memory of Chanel Vanecek, aka "Padme_Skywalkr" (Feb. 7, 1980 - Oct. 25, 2003) xoxo

[Leia (Vera Campbell)]

Well, there's about a thousand pieces, and I like to share my research, so maybe a couple
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[Aysel ()]

have you tried looking here http://www.thaisilks.com/ for the silk? not that the stuff you found at Joann's isn't shot on cause that's really dang close, but if you wanted silk you could try thaisilks, they have good prices. this dress is more Tudor inspired rather than Elizabethan (Elizabethan usually has a longer bodice), the height of the waist is your indicator, and I think either McCall's or Simplicity (or both) has the patterns you'll need for the undergarments. and you can cheat with the undergarments in the skirt area for coolness sake as these types of dresses can be very hot, and better to be cool rather than coming out of a troop with a heat injury (dehydration or heat exhaustion, been there done that)

good luck! this project will be beautiful once it's done
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[JedHead (Matt Tolosa)]

[Mieal Deneb (Rachel Orange)]

Do you mind if I share my progress on this gown in this topic as well? I was about to start one of my own. If you want to talk about this gown, I started it two years ago (got side-railed working on Ep3 Padme costumes during pregnancy and now getting back to it!). I sewed the velvet bodice and skirt yesterday and will probably be working on some of the piping today. I roughly calculated it will take about 16 yards of piping!

This is how I left it two years ago, but I've gotten quite a bit done on the rest of the gown since.

http://costumesandartwork.blogspot.com/2008/07/aotc-senator-amidala-gown-progress.html

Since I first started the beading, I've found Kathy's "touch wall" images and that will help me with the beading, which I plan to update a tad. I still need to add the second layer of beading with rhinestones.
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~Mieal

[Leia (Vera Campbell)]

[Leia (Vera Campbell)]

[Mieal Deneb (Rachel Orange)]

[Leia (Vera Campbell)]

Ahh yes, true, just with more stuff added to it. I think the way I'm going to do mine is to bead it separately onto a silver organza or something. If you look at this picture, it's almost like there's something else behind the beads rather than just beaded directly onto the fabric, plus the touch wall pieces were separate.



I'm excited, I just hope I can find something suitable for the 'flower' petal beads
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[Mieal Deneb (Rachel Orange)]

I agree that the applique was sewn onto something before being added to the dress. It was probably originally on some other type of garment. I plan to sew the second layer onto something first before putting in on top of the first layer, but I haven't quite figured out what I'm using yet.

For the flower petals, I found some acrylic navette cut rhinestones at Hobby Lobby and later at Michael's. They'll have to be glued, or I'll have to make holes for the needle and thread, but I wanted to make sure I had something.

I created an update on my blog. I included pictures of my original sketches (from April 2008!). Click on an image to view it full sized (just remember to hit the back button if you want to go back to my blog).

http://costumesandartwork.blogspot.com/2010/09/aotc-senator-amidala-cut-scene-gown.html

Now, back to sewing piping!
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~Mieal

[Mieal Deneb (Rachel Orange)]

I don't have a picture downloaded yet, but I got the sleeves done and attached to the bodice yesterday and I also got most of the skirt attached to the bodice. I'm going to have to trim the fabric at the waist a lot because it is so thick with the pleating that it is making the waist area too small.
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~Mieal

[MiraxTHorn (Carrie Ivey)]

Amazing progress, Rachel! It's going to be gorgeous!

Vera - your drawings are great!

I bought the gold home dec moire taffeta from Joanns several years ago. It's sitting in my basement along with all the patterns and bits I've gathered for this costume over the years. It's my goal to have it done in time for CVI, but I need to be not pregnant and at my normal weight long enough to start making some mockups. Maybe next Spring I'll get to start on this. Meanwhile, I'll be watching both of your progress with great interest!

Regards,
M.
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[Leia (Vera Campbell)]

I'm hoping to wear it to C6 too! It would be fun to do a big Padme group one day

Some progress on the custom chemise. I think I'm going to do some purple stitching along the yoke and some on the stomach area to control it all. I'm having fun with it even though it'll never be seen.


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[Mieal Deneb (Rachel Orange)]

Wow, Vera. I admire your attention to the unseen details! I don't think the original even had such and elaborate "under-structure". But, ours need to "hold up" better than the original because we will be wearing ours more than Natalie wore the screen-used original.

I've got an update posted on my blog: http://costumesandartwork.blogspot.com/2010/09/aotc-cut-scene-padme-senate-gown.html

I don't know when I'll be able to work on this again since I'm working on commissions now. Occasionally, I'll get moments of time to spare between commissions (like I just did) where I'm waiting for money, measurements, etc. so I might be able to pick it up again soon...I hope! Right now, I'm working some generic Jedi and the soft parts of Shaak Ti's costume. The Shaak Ti I've never done before so it's a fun challenge.
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~Mieal