Sandstorm Leia - fabric selection

[Boudicca (Jen B)]

If I start work on two Leia costumes at once, maybe I'll finish one

I've been thinking about doing the "Sandstorm" Leia costume from the deleted scenes, and today while running errands I ran across a HUGE upholstery fabric shop I'd never seen before. (Big Y Yardage in Orange, for the locals). Of course, I had to go in and see what they had.

The fabric with the wide stripes seemed to me to be the toughest to find of the three fabrics in the outfit.



I could stitch several strips together, but I wanted to try to find something close first. This place had hundreds of bolts and thousands of swatches, so I didn't know where to start, but two hours later, these two were my faves:

#1





#2
(This was on a bolt with no label - I think it was a large remnant so if I go with this one I'll have to go back soon!)



What do you think? Would either of these work?

Now, to figure out if anyone makes those boots.... advice/info wanted!
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Jennifer B
Rebel Fleet Trooper and Jedi Knight

[Lora Skywalker ()]

The colors seem good, but the pattern is off.

I've been wondering about something... What if you found a nice heavy fabric in the right base color and then dyed the brown stripes on? Just a thought.
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DXO of Royalty & Senatorial detachment

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[Boudicca (Jen B)]

Thanks! I haven't actually made any SW costumes that involved patterned/striped fabric, so I wasn't sure if it was more important to have one unified piece, or the exact pattern.

I love your idea but I am awful at dyeing fabric. I've tried several times but something always seems to go wrong. So I'm not sure I could dye stripes into a piece of fabric, although I could ask around locally for help.

I just re-read Liz's WIP thread, and I see from the comments that the best bet is probably to start with the lightest cream colored wool and build up from there with dye or with sewing on stripes of a lighter-weight fabric?

I actually took a look at wool fabrics last night and Mood Fabrics seems to have lots of options. I searched for "wool suiting" in "cream," "ivory" and "beige". Will probably order a batch of swatches and see what looks best.

Also, and this is a fundamental question about the costume and how it would be judged - would I be required to have the full Slave Leia bikini underneath the wrap? I know the dark red cloth peeks out under the wrap, but you can't see the rest of the bikini. If not seen, is it required for costume approval?
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Jennifer B
Rebel Fleet Trooper and Jedi Knight

[Lora Skywalker ()]

Just about the color, not the standard.

Hmm, ever tried with fabric pens? A brown fabric pen might work together will a ruler. Though you'd probably have to use a few of them. I'd used fabric pens before to color change something.
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DXO of Royalty & Senatorial detachment

Detachment website: http://www.senate.rebellegion.com/

[JedHead (Matt Tolosa)]

Good luck with the hunt. I was lucky my Luke wrap for that scene was one color (and that I was pointed to the accurate goggles).
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[Boudicca (Jen B)]

Thanks! Yeah, at first glance, I thought - oh, a wrap, that'll be easy! HA.

And fabric pens could work but along the same lines... spray paint perhaps? Might be possible to mask off the fabric in sections and paint on the stripes.
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Jennifer B
Rebel Fleet Trooper and Jedi Knight

[Lora Skywalker ()]

Worth testing. Or maybe some other paint that will go into the fibers without 'running' and won't just lie on top.
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DXO of Royalty & Senatorial detachment

Detachment website: http://www.senate.rebellegion.com/

[GearsMcT ()]

On spray paint, having gotten a lot of it on me with my hobbies I can attest to sticking with dyes. They are the time-tested standard. Standard spray paints are not designed for cloth. At most, shooting fabric-paint type of paint thru an airbrush could work, if indeed it does. Brush painting tempera or other fabric-specific paint onto the material would work too.

So while those paints and normal dyes saturate, spray paints of all stripes don't, Rather, they bleed into the surface just enough to latch in, but then forms a thick crust on top.

On something like wool, with all the inherent motion of the fiber, that crust would crack and flake into tens of thousands of small pieces over time. I wouldn't trust acrylics due to the spray can nature, but maybe. Lacquers are just plain dangerous to health.

in any case, you don't want these chemicals, processes and materials settling into your skin over time. Dye markers sound like a good bet. The more natural, the better.
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-Tom

[Ihala ()]

I've used this to stencil designs onto other costumes

http://www.joann.com/upholstery-spray-fabric-paint-8oz-saddle-brown/10941276.html

It works well, doesn't bleed and is pretty soft. It comes in quite a few shades of brown and tan

[PondLife81 (Christine Evans)]

Has there been a standard submitted for this costume? I am working on it right now and I cannot seem to locate one?

Thank you.
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[SongofAmazon (Jenna)]

It thought we had, but you are right, they were never finalized. I will bring the standards back up for discussion this week so that we can have something for you all to go by.
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In planning and progress:
Riyo Chuchi, Havoc Trooper, Amilyn Holdo, Lilac Handmaiden, Sache

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[PondLife81 (Christine Evans)]

That sounds great!!!!! Thank you!!!
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