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Monday, December 20, 2010

Kaylee dress on hold until the new year and holiday wishes to those who read my blog

With Christmas only a few days away, I'm putting this project back on hold, until the new year!
The bodice pattern is still not done. May try soon, should only take me an hour or two to complete. maybe three at the maximum.

Thank you to all who keep up with my blog!
Happy Holidays!
And if i don't post again before 2011.
Have a Happy New Year

- Leopardmoon

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Coraline (part 2) ((Dragonfly Hairclip)) and Kaylee shindig dress update

Kaylee dress update first

The bodice pattern is still not complete, will try and finish this afternoon though.

Now on to Coraline and her dragonfly hair clip

I now have

[ ] Yellow Raincoat
[ ] Yellow Gumboots
[X] Jeans (i'm going to use a pair i already have)
[ ] Blue wig
[X] Dragonfly hairclip
[ ] Little me doll
[X] Button key

I made my own using Gold oven bake modeling clay, some plastic jewels, a hairclip, some hot glue and some PVA glue.

The clip is not as accurate as I'd like it to be but oh well, a lot of ones you can buy are not accurate either.
The dragonfly part has a wingspan of 7.2 centimeters and is 4 centimeters from head to tail.

I made a pattern out of paper, then I flattened the gold modeling clay to the thickness i wanted.

Then I put the cut out pattern on the clay and used a needle or pin to trace around it, before baking the clay.

after the clay was baked i used some PVA glue to stick the plastic jewels on in the desired arrangement on one side and then waited for a while for that to dry.

I hot glued the hairclip to the unjewed side of the dragonfly, with the narrower end of the clip pointing to the left. You may have to put quite a bit of hot glue between the dragonfly and the hairclip, for the clip to stay on. You also may have to reglue it from time to time.


Pattern


Jeweled side of Hairclip

Back of Hairclip

Saturday, November 27, 2010

New Costume - Coraline (Part 1) ((Button Key))

Recently re-watched Coraline, and wanted to make a quick costume.
I have chosen her distinctive yellow rain coat and jeans outfit, but i'm going to add a 'little me' doll and a the black button key to it.
The dolls i've seen for sale online are far too expensive, so i'm going to make my own, but i'll get to that point later.

All i have done so far is make the button key using a pin, a toothpick and some black oven bake clay. There are people that make and sell these online, but if you want to make your own there us how i made mine.

I'll need

[ ] Yellow Raincoat
[ ] Yellow Gumboots
[X] Jeans
[ ] Blue wig
[ ] Dragonfly hairclip
[ ] Little me doll
[X] Button key

To make the button key, it helps to find a good reference pic, i paused the movie at the scene when Coraline is setting then ghost children free and used that as my ref.

To make the button part of the key make a ball of the black modeling clay, then press it down with your thumbs. Leave a little edge on it. To make the holes use the pin to cut small holes near the center of the button.

Then i made thinish cylinder out of the black modeling clay and put it on one end of the toothpick before attaching the button with a small amount of the of the modeling clay.

I then covered the rest of the toothpick with a flattened piece of the clay, then cut out the bit using the pin.
This is where your ref comes in really handy.
when the bit is finished, attach it to your key with a little of the black modeling clay on each side.

then all you need to do now is bake it, if you used an oven bake modeling clay, Then thread a cord through the top button hole, tie it off and you are done. (you don't need to do this if you aren't going to wear it as a pendant)

Here are pictures of my finished key (Click on one to make it bigger)



I use this brand of oven bake clay
http://www.dukit.co.nz

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

errr slight change of plans

Sorry haven't posted an update in a while. been kinda busy

I know halloween is only like four days away which left me having to pick a new costume.
Vampire slayer
also with exams coming up within the next few weeks I'll put it on hold til December when i have some more time.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Kaylee's Layer cake shindig dress, part 4 (Patterns and prototyping)

this part was fun and kind of tricky, the front part of the bodice is displayed on it's own but not the back or even one of the sides.
the sketch for the front took me a few minutes but i got a shape i was happy with.
still need to sketch out the back and the sides.

as well the bodice pattern stuff, this week i trialed the fringe with some blue string, and now i'm confident i can do the fringe for the final dress

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Still working on front, my original was too short, and was slightly lopsided
Finally getting close to something usable, still have the back and sides to do though

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Kaylee's Layer cake shindig dress, part 3. (Yay)

Went shopping, got some of the stuff i needed,
Just a zip some thread and some of the fabric,
I still need the lacey embroidered materiel for the overlay on the bodice, I've deiced to use a mix of net and cotton on the petticoat so i'll need to get some net and more cotton, still need all the ribbon for all the trim, some more white, peach and pink satin for the over-skirt, I'm swapping the organza out for satin coz it's cheaper, and i still need also to get the buttons


Satin, Zip, white cotton thread, white cotton fabric.

Here's a better photo. the cotton fabric in on the left, thread is next. then the zip and the satin

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Got the lacy material for the overlay as well as the ruffly ribbon for the neck trim and for the sides of the bodice.
Had a quick look around in mum's sewing box and found a couple of spools of pink thread and another of white.
Here is a pic of my newly reorganized drawer where i'm keeping the stuff

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UPDATE: couldn't find anything i could afford or liked yesterday for materials

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Kaylee's Layer cake shindig dress, part 1, (Hi there)

This Blog is a progress diary of my progress as i make some of my favourite costumes from my favorite shows and movies.

I'll post updates on my progress as more and more of the different costumes get made

First Costume for this blog is...

Kaylee's "Layer Cake" Dress from Firefly episode Shingdig

http://imageevent.com/benaequee/costumes/completed/kayleeshindigdress
I'm using this set of instructions to make the dress, well I'm going to follow them as best as i can, they are quite vague.

Why i want to attempt it: I'm a firefly fan and this is one of my favorite costumes from the show, but it means not much time to do much else other than sewing even with a machine. SO MANY RUFFLES!!!!!

I want to wear it for Halloween, but after this project, i think next year I'll dress up as River Tam or Coraline

but first i have to get the materials but that means maths

-Leopardmoon