Cloud City Leia WIP

RacheLeia (Rachel Folmar) · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 5:20 am Post subject:

Hey! Just wanted to give a quick update and double check on my embroidery colors. I got the pattern traced out and have been working hard on the embroidery for a couple weeks! Here is some of what I've done so far in different lighting:

And the back, with the reverse herringbone shadow stitching:

What do you all think?

I noticed in the pictures the cream embroidery kind of disappears; I think this is due to the fact that I have more of the ivory fabric piled underneath it in every picture. It doesn't blend in as much in person when up against something else, and I'm hoping it will stand out a lot better once the cape is lined with the rust colored chiffon.
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"Stay afraid, but do it anyway." - Carrie Fisher

SongofAmazon (Jenna) · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 12:40 pm Post subject:

This is looking fantastic. Your stitches are so lovely. I think part of the beauty of the embroidery is that it does kind of disappear when you're not looking closely at it.
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In planning and progress:
Riyo Chuchi, Havoc Trooper, Amilyn Holdo, Lilac Handmaiden

Charter Committee | Galactic Senate DCO | RLGS Web Site

Lora Skywalker () · Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 8:27 pm Post subject:

It is looking good. I think it's just the lighting, but the rust looks a bit redder than expected. But as long as it matches your fabric all should be well. Smile

Lighting can do funny things to colors.
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RacheLeia (Rachel Folmar) · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 8:41 pm Post subject:

Thank you both so much for the feedback!

Yes, I think it's the lighting that's making it look redder. It really is hard to get pictures with lighting that captures the colors well! I double checked just now and it does match my fabric pretty much exactly, so I think it should be okay.
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"Stay afraid, but do it anyway." - Carrie Fisher

SongofAmazon (Jenna) · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 10:02 pm Post subject:

The stitching continues to be lovely. What stitches are you using to fill in the flowers and ruffles? Satin stitches?
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In planning and progress:
Riyo Chuchi, Havoc Trooper, Amilyn Holdo, Lilac Handmaiden

Charter Committee | Galactic Senate DCO | RLGS Web Site

RacheLeia (Rachel Folmar) · Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 8:14 pm Post subject:

I'm using the shadow stitch/reverse herringbone stitch! That was what the standards said it was. It's a fun stitch to work! For anyone reading this that would like a tutorial, I found these to be helpful:

- https://www.theboldabode.com/how-to-do-shadow-embroidery.html?fbclid=IwAR2F-olhd3oq0Jb8F9_D-wLTKtHWLrOlUamUUMnvZ_FPC4Is5EOvAjhMgJ8
- https://www.thesewingdirectory.co.uk/shadow-work-embroidery-tutorial/
- https://www.needlenthread.com/2013/05/shadow-work-embroidery-a-monogram.html
_________________
"Stay afraid, but do it anyway." - Carrie Fisher

RacheLeia (Rachel Folmar) · Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 1:54 am Post subject:

Finally updating this! After barely touching it for the first half of the year, I'm once again hard at work on the embroidery. I finished the first panel and have made a small dent in the second. So far the embroidery has taken me about 130 hours, but I can tell I'm moving a lot faster now than when I first started so I'm praying to God that from now on it will be a little quicker. My goal is to have this entire costume done by a con I'll be going to next June. Shocked

Kudos to everyone who's tackled this embroidery so far, you all are actual superheroes.

Here are some poorly lit pictures of what I've got so far:

I redrew some of the pattern at the top to better match the pattern I saw in pictures of the original

The reverse (shadow) side:

_________________
"Stay afraid, but do it anyway." - Carrie Fisher

VeroLeia94 () · Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 7:02 pm Post subject:

Wow. I love this costume and I think it's one of the most difficult Leia's costumes, so congratulations.
I think you did a great job Smile

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"Governor Tarkin, I should have expected to find you holding Vader’s leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board.” -Leia Organa ---

RacheLeia (Rachel Folmar) · Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 12:41 am Post subject:

VeroLeia94 () · Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 7:13 am Post subject:

I found these pictures. I hope they can be useful

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"Governor Tarkin, I should have expected to find you holding Vader’s leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board.” -Leia Organa ---

RacheLeia (Rachel Folmar) · Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 8:00 am Post subject:

Lora Skywalker () · Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:37 pm Post subject:

Beautiful work. Smile

Keep it up! Your stitching looks very neat and tight.
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DXO of Royalty & Senatorial detachment

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

RacheLeia (Rachel Folmar) · Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 9:09 pm Post subject:

RacheLeia (Rachel Folmar) · Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 10:39 pm Post subject:

Hey! Just wanted to check in and update you all on my progress and also get some feedback on my mock-ups.

Embroidery continues to go slowly but well. I'm almost done with the third panel. Our local con in June is obviously no longer happening and I am doubtful I would have been able to make that deadline anyway, but I'm still hoping to finish by SWCA (whether it happens or not).

My Casa Chili Oil fabric is no longer available from Joann. Fortunately I believe I have enough, but it's going to be precious and I don't want to make any mistakes on it! All the more reason to nail down my patterns extra well in mockups. After a lot of fiddling with my patterns (I ended up shrinking them all down quite a bit, and doing view A instead of D on the pants pattern after my initial D mockup could have worked as a parachute), I think I've gotten the tunic and pants about right. I haven't done any hemming on the tunic except for the neckline, but I did pin the front bottom hemline of the tunic up to an approximation of where it should be. I'd love feedback on whether that looks accurate, as well as the general look of the tunic and pants, the neckline, and the general shape (despite being unhemmed) of the points at the wrist. Let me know if all this looks good. (I wore my Senatorial belt to reference how it might look belted)

The ballet flats I found for super cheap at Target in the girls' section. US girls size 5 = US womens size 7 or so. I took off the bows and am planning on covering them with my Chili Oil fabric.

Next, I made a mockup of the belt out of cardstock paper. What do you think of the size and shape? It is about five inches from the top to bottom of the diamond, and I tried to replicate the shape I saw in the reference pictures as well as I could.

Finally, I used AlCeRey's wonderful yoke pattern to make a mockup of the yoke. I ended up making three—the first one I made from the pattern printed at 100% size, and it ended up looking way too big to my eyes (I'm fairly petite, so not all that surprising). I tried printing it at 95% instead, but I forgot to add seam allowances so it ended up being even smaller (perhaps 90-93%). Finally I made the yoke a third time, this time adding seam allowances to the 95% pattern.

I used some scrap poly batting and/or felt for the batting, which I won't be using on the final yoke as it's too thick and stiff, but I thought that would be the best way to get a rough approximation of shape.

I only made a collar on the first one and it also looked too big, so I'll be sizing that down, too, no matter which size yoke I ended up using.

I'd really love your opinions on which size yoke looks the best: 1 (at 100%), 2 (at 95%), or 3 (at ~90-93%).

(Please ignore the seam down the back of my tunic; I did that to nail down the sizing and it will not be on the final tunic)

#1:

#2:

#3:
(Because I forgot to add seam allowance on this one pretend the collar starts at the very edge of the neckline)

Personally I think I'm leaning towards #3, the one I originally made by mistake—the opening in front seems to be the right width, and it doesn't hang out over my shoulders too far. Only question is whether it's long enough and hits the right spots on my chest and back.

Reference pics:

But what do you think?
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"Stay afraid, but do it anyway." - Carrie Fisher

Lora Skywalker () · Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 7:39 pm Post subject:

Okay, firstly; nice progress. Smile

Then: I think you could make the tunic a tad shorter, but just a little.
And I'm also saying 3, width-wise. I think you may be longer in the upper body than Carrie, so you may need to lengthen it a bit, but do also keep in mind you don't currently have anything weighing the yoke down.
Number 2 could also be all right, but 1 is way too large.
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