ANH Leia: Ready for submission?

anakinsandhater () · Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2017 2:04 am Post subject: ANH Leia: Ready for submission?

Posting pics from my Leia belt here, just to make sure I get it right before I make some irreversible changes! I'm doing ANH Senatorial Leia. A good friend of mine who can sew is making my dress, so I'm taking care of the rest of the stuff Smile

I wanna confirm that this shape is approvable; I used 2mm thick white imitation leather for the belt, with aluminum pieces and button covers for the metal bits. Nothing is spaced properly or attached yet:

I'm really bothered by the dip in the top because it's definitely off center. But it's really hard to trim it cleanly Sad

I don't have a knife sharp or strong enough so I'm using my scissors and penknife and hoping for the best. Or is it normal to have slightly unrefined edges?

SongofAmazon (Jenna) · Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2017 12:06 pm Post subject:

Generally I think it looks pretty good. The belt leather is a little bit on the wide side, so you could stand to trim it down just a bit.

I honestly would not have noticed the off-center point had you not pointed it out. A good box-cutter is often the best tool for cutting materials like this.
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Lora Skywalker () · Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2017 9:22 pm Post subject:

You could also flatten out the top curve a bit more as it is a very soft curve. Smile

But overall it looks good.
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anakinsandhater () · Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 2:41 am Post subject:

Thanks for the recommendations! I trimmed it but it is still rather thick. When I get home from work I'll probably make more adjustments and maybe flatten the top curve more

anakinsandhater () · Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 3:57 pm Post subject:

Update:

Trimmed more and flattened out the top more

Edit: It was midnight when I decided to stop, and after I put away up all my stuff I looked at a picture of ANH Leia again only to realise looks much thinner than mine is and the metal plating on her belt almost touches the edges Laughing

I should probably trim more off.... again... I knew it still looked kinda off

plushie (Shana Rich) · Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 5:11 pm Post subject:

Looking good!!

all the new senatorial Leia's are making me antsy to get my belt revamped!
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anakinsandhater () · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 12:41 pm Post subject:

thanks!

Finally done with my belt!

I thought the belt would be the hardest part of the costume but her BUNS, oh man. I have very thin hair and I did not realise that would be a problem with the ponytail hair extensions I ordered, sigh. I've been trying to look for kanekalon hair online but all the online stores I've looked at don't seem to ship to my country Mad

I shall resume my hunt, wish me luck

anakinsandhater () · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 12:42 pm Post subject:

Edit: Oops, double posted.

Lora Skywalker () · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 2:18 pm Post subject:

Everyone hates the buns. Laughing

But at least you have done good work on the belt. Smile

I've sometimes found kanekalon hair in small exotic shops in my country, usually places with all sorts of things and without a webshop. Rolling Eyes

Keep looking around.
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plushie (Shana Rich) · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 3:43 pm Post subject:

The belt was probably my favorite part to work on. It looks great!

As to the buns, keep at it! I can see how thinner hair would be problematic. Mine's very thick, so I had little to no issues.

Have you tried this website, Doctored Locks?

https://www.doctoredlocks.com/

They do color matching too if you don't want to dye your hair.
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anakinsandhater () · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 5:05 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the link! I've just managed to find them on Aliexpress though, which is a huge relief because shipping to my country is free. I honestly didn't think I'd find it on Aliexpress, I should have looked there first!

I was hoping to have my costume done by May the 4th so I can wear it to my local Star Wars event but it looks like it's not going to happen. My friend isn't able to finish my dress on time either. But that's alright, I'm just hoping my local base is reasonably active when I get to join officially. I think I'll be their first Senatorial Leia, actually, once my costume is approved

plushie (Shana Rich) · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 5:18 pm Post subject:

Awesome find on the bun extensions and good luck to you!!
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anakinsandhater () · Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 3:17 pm Post subject:

I'm back! After an excruciatingly long wait, my kanekalon jumbo braids have arrived.

I immediately attempted the pin to your hair and twist it into a bun method. I could see the bun come together but it was so difficult to pin into place that it all just fell apart. So I thought, it's alright, I can always practice until I get it.

Then when I took the hair off to store it... I realised that it's super hard to comb through the hair without "dislodging" it and, well, once you have little locks of hair coming loose it's nearly impossible to put it back

With this method how do you manage to take it all out and wash the styling products off and comb it and store for future use? I'm completely lost on this Embarassed

Again, my hair is super thin so maybe this isn't the best method for me, and I've been thinking whether I could possibly make the bun and attach it to one of those huge hair claws so it can come on and off easily?

In the meantime, I should probably take a look at the insta-bun tutorial again

rab96 (Becca) · Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 7:53 pm Post subject:

Hi there!

I know Leia buns can be EXTREMELY difficult! It takes me almost thirty minutes to get mine done for an event! Everyone always laughs because I NEVER change on site because those DANG BUNS! lol

In the mean time I am working on a tutorial for these buns, I just haven't had the time to put the footage together lol.

May I ask what kind of kanekalon you are using? I know the regular "frizzy" kind is kind of a pain. It was the first one I tried and quickly discovered it was not the right consistency for me! Now I know there is a way to smooth it down, but sometimes thats just a bit much?

Also I am not a big believer in using hair product on fake hair. It's impossible to brush out, and since kanekalon hair is cheap, I just use two sets for a few troops, throw it out and buy some more. Instead of hairspray try using invisible hair nets that you can purchase at Sally's or a local beauty supply store. They keep the frizz down and buns in place, again just remember to place the bobby pins in! Also try finding a higher quality bobby pin than the ones you can buy at a drug store/ grocery store.

The BOMB pins I use! They don't bend out of shape easily and they stay put in your hair!:
http://www.sallybeauty.com/premium-bob-pins/MTAGRP2,default,pd.html?list=Search_Results#q=bobby+pins&start=1

So I opted to start looking for a different texture for the kanekalon hair. I was lucky enough to find what is called "silky smooth kanekalon hair" It's a lot easier to twist since it isn't as bulky and may work a lot better with thinner hair.

Here is the ebay seller I buy mine from:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Braiding-Hair-Yaky-Braid-Silky-Kanekalon-Fiber-Extensions-Assorted-Colors-/201816930741?var=&hash=item2efd39f9b5:m:m_KibfB8jCjfbV62QpXI__g

Also NEVER UNDERESTIMATE HOW MANY BOBBY PINS YOU WILL NEED. I bought a pack of 300 and they come in handy! I'm pretty sure I use over 20 just in one bun! Just keep pinning until it stops falling or you can feel it tightly on your head!

As with everything they do take a lot of practice, I just kept trying it at night before I would go to bed and see what I could get down. There's also a tutorial already on Youtube. It's a pretty good one, except the girl makes it look SUPER EASY!

Anyway, feel free to hit me with as many questions as you need! And good luck with those buns!

-Becca
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anakinsandhater () · Posted: Tue May 16, 2017 1:35 am Post subject:

Oh dear I did not realize people use the kanekalon hair a few times then throw it away and buy new ones Embarassed

that will be a giant pain because I don't live in the US and still haven't managed to find any shops that sell it, even the seedy beauty stores in really old malls, so I have to buy it online and it costs me about $7.5 per pack and takes 10 days to arrive.

Anyway, yeah I used the frizzy ones, which actually wasn't a huge problem until my bobby pins literally started popping out of my bun... and when you're left with just the end bit there's so much hair and I can't tuck it in anywhere

I would gladly wait for your tutorial! Yeah I've seen the one on YouTube and she does makes everything look so easy! And her natural hair is so thick and nice gaaahh. But i don't think she's an actual RL member who wears this for long periods of time so it would be great to watch how you guys do it Smile

Anyway I'm still considering the insta bun method! It might be the best option in my case because its a permanent solution, but then I now have to figure out how to operate a sewing machine hahah

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