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[Vercopaanir]

I am building a kit for my Vod'ika.  She picked the fabric for her vest out of what I had available and we got started. 

Build plans so far:



I did a tape body pattern on which I drew the rough outline for her vest.



Cut that up into the different panels for the pattern



Transferred that onto tissue paper, cleaning up some of the lines (hard to draw straight edges on a person) and rounded out a few others

   

I left the sleeve pattern long because we haven't decided on her shoulder armor just yet.

Several days later....

I pulled all the browns and grey fabrics I had on hand and let her choose which ones she wanted.  This was the collection she ended up with by the time we finished sorting through her options.  Fabric on the left is for the vest, right side is kama and she wants fur on her kit.  I'm thinking leg wraps and a fur hood to enlarge her shoulder silhouette.  (She wears glasses so we're going to have to get a bigger bucket).



I then took the pattern and began building the vest.  This method is so much faster then the way I did mine originally.  It took me four mock-ups and three vests before I was finally happy with fit and texture for my vest.  This one however, came together in a couple hours this afternoon. 

   

   

   

   


I painted the bathing suit clips the same copper color as we will be using on the armor.  She also wanted the elastic side closures like my original vest.  Since I didn't have any elastic that matched I found a super stretchy brown fabric/ribbon and we used that. 

   

And test fit...

   



I still need to add the velcro closure to the top of the left shoulder, put the trim around the neck and finish quilting the side panels.  I stuffed the brown microsuede looking fabric with the same stuffing I use when making stuffed animals. 


For the flightsuit we are going to use a set of green scrubs and we got her a brown close fit shirt for her to wear under them.  This brown will be mirrored on her leg wraps (I have a bit of suede in almost that exact same shade).



I still have to remove the labels and remove some of the pockets but the fit is pretty go already.  Not much tailoring can be done without causing a loss of motion

[Vercopaanir]

Bit more work done on the vest.  I got the velcro mounted to the shoulder, finished the quilting on the sides of the vest and added the trim to the neckline.  I do need to add a small dart as there is just a bit to much fabric around the neck.  ( I know what I did wrong but it's too late to change it now). 

   



I pulled the leg pocket off the scrubs and removed all the labels.  I still need to pull the pockets off the top and tailor it just a bit more in the waist area but otherwise not much more is needed to make it fit correctly.

I also pulled out the suede and hide we are going to use on her leg wraps.  She really wants fur on her kit so I am trying to tie it in in a balanced fashion.  (No idea how I am going to make a fur hood with the fur I have on hand but that's a problem for later.)  She also decided she liked the leather kama better then the fabric kama we were planning on when I started draping her options on her.  So we're going with the brown leather kama instead of the same fabric as the center panel on the vest.

   



I plan to sew the kama into the grey waist sash that will sit under her belt. 

[Aster Veris]

This looks so epic! For fur ideas, you should totally check out @ meaganthepagan on instagram (unsure who she is on the forums). For a fur hood, maybe check out some fantasy capes/cloaks for designs? Game of thrones probably did something like that 

[Vercopaanir]

This looks so epic! For fur ideas, you should totally check out @ meaganthepagan on instagram (unsure who she is on the forums). For a fur hood, maybe check out some fantasy capes/cloaks for designs? Game of thrones probably did something like that 

Thanks! I'll look her up.  The design isn't really the issue it's how to turn small rabbit hides into a hood.  As in how to sew fur to keep the fur looking like fur and not like I sewed a bunch of hairy stuff together.  I Really don't want to buy fur, just use what I have been given, or got in a bundle with something else to make the hood with.  I did find some interesting tutorials on how to sew with hides and hide the seams and keep the hair going in the right direction and laying correctly.  That said I may of been able to talk her into just using the fur as a ruff around a fabric hood.     I did look up How to make an Astrid hood and it was pretty epic, the one cosplayer has a really awesome design, I do need a helmet in hand to get the size right.  (sigh, put this on the back burner for now)  I really appreciate your idea's and input! 


Update on progress:  I worked some more on the kama, cut some darts into the sides then sewed them closed with waxed cord. 

   

Then I sewed the kama into the sash and added the copper pleather trim

   

   

We are still debating whether or not to put the copper up the slit.  It would complete the overall look but she doesn't like the fact that it draws the eye right to it so we left it plain for now.  I might just add some decorative stitching and call it good rather then the copper trim to the edges of the slit.

Next I pulled out the belt I had been given but it didn't fit me and matched her kit perfectly so it became hers.  It had a faux snake skin buckle and end cover that I cut off.  Then I pulled out the wooden ring I had sanded and painted months ago when I was first thinking about this build and used that as the center piece of the belt. 

   

After determining how long the belt needed to be to fit her (I shortened it almost 2 inches after removing the buckle and end of the belt) I started on the loin cloth.  This eventually will be armored but for right now it is three layers of leather/pleather.  The back is a nice dark suede (added for weight to get the proper drape) then the copper pleather, topped with the brown leather I trimmed off the kama when I cut it into shape.  The same three layers are on the copper overlays on the belt holding onto the ring.  The belt locks into place with screw on posts with round head...can't remember what they are called...that I painted to match the center ring.
It is all glued with fabric glue and then stitched on top.  My machine was unhappy when I tried to sew through the belt itself though so that was a bit trickier to get done.  Thank heavens for the sewing awl I got back when I first started trying to work with leather.

   

   

   



Still haven't pulled the pockets off the shirt or tailored it at all so it's a bit baggy around her waist and the tops of the pockets show above the sash. 
Boots are on order and once they get in we can measure and pattern the leg wraps.  In the meantime I started the patterning for the arm wraps that will be under her gauntlets.  I also drew the outline for the first piece of her armor while doing that as it should be similar in size.  I am almost ready to start templating the rest of the armor for her.

   

My assistant approved of the pattern and the grey fabric I was usuing.

[Aster Veris]

That looks so awesome, especially the belt/kama/loin cloth! Getting MAJOR Rebels Ahsoka vibes. Personally I think you should go with the gold lining on the back slit of the kama. The slit looks kinda unfinished and odd without it, considering all the other edges have the gold. I'm also loving how the blue works with the rest of the kit. This is great 

[Vercopaanir]

That looks so awesome, especially the belt/kama/loin cloth! Getting MAJOR Rebels Ahsoka vibes. Personally I think you should go with the gold lining on the back slit of the kama. The slit looks kinda unfinished and odd without it, considering all the other edges have the gold. I'm also loving how the blue works with the rest of the kit. This is great 

Thanks!  Rebels may have had a bit of an influence in my design. 


Update:

Yesterday I worked on attaching the holster to the belt.  I added the stitching along both edges of the belt as well.  It would have been faster for me to sew it with a needle instead of the awl but I used the awl so that I could get a proper locking stitch.

   

   


Then I patterned and cut out the fabric and layers for the arms.

   



Today I did the majority of the assembly for them.  I left the back edge open so that I can sew the magnets on the inside of the fabric.  I might not do that but I wanted to leave that as an option.

   

   

I sewed a feather into the the one (it will be covered by the armor plate but she's going to be a beast tamer and feathers are on cannon beasts, it just felt right.)  The right is the base for the bit guard that is a BRL requirement.  I'd prefer to not make things twice so I am putting this in now.

Boots should be arriving next week sometime and we haven't discussed gloves yet but we're not in a rush so those will come when we get to them.
It's just about time to start patterning armor.   

[Arco'thyel Wyshla]

Digging the hidden detail stitching! It always feels great to have details that make your kit look polished even when it’s half on. The feather pattern works nicely, the soft parts do strike me as very varactyl-y in color!

Bite guard?? I was planning on making a bite gauntlet for mine, but I didn’t realize they’re a BRL requirement! I gotta follow for secret OM intel.

May I ask what paper you’re using to make patterns from? I’ve been sneaking my mom’s printer paper, I’ll get in trouble before long.

[Vercopaanir]

May I ask what paper you’re using to make patterns from? I’ve been sneaking my mom’s printer paper, I’ll get in trouble before long.

My final patterns are all drawn on tissue paper.  It is very similar in feel and thickness to a purchased pattern (just a touch easier to rip but not by much)  I just bought a pack from the dollar store.  Works great, just be gentle when drawing or pinning.

[Doksho Vas]

Did I ever say I really envy people who can sew...
That thing is kriffin awesome by the way, love the idea.

[Vercopaanir]

Did I ever say I really envy people who can sew...
That thing is kriffin awesome by the way, love the idea.

Anyone can learn, I am self taught so don't let that stop you.   And thanks, I'm partial to it myself. 


Update:

The boots came in today so we were able to get the leg patterned out for her leg wraps.

   

   

Traced it out onto the caramel colored suede.

   

I asked if she wanted to see the stitches on the darts like the kama or hide them and she said make them like the kama.  So out came the leather punch and needle.

   



I pulled out the fur for the wraps and cut it into four approximately the same thickness strips.  When cutting with hide it is better to use and Exacto Knife instead of scissor that way you don't cut the hairs on the hide.  Then I laid them on the leg wraps so that we could get a feel for the look and discuss attachment methods.

   

   

I also removed the pockets from the top of the flight suit.  It still needs a little bit of tailoring but it's just about done.



And everything piled up before I cut the suede for the legs wraps.  Softs are getting closer to being done!

[Vercopaanir]

Tailored the shirt in a bit at the waist



Then I worked on attaching the fur to the suede leg wraps, some nice sharp pins are just what I needed.

   

   



When sewing fur you have to pull the hairs out from under the stitching to get the floof back.  That part took longer then any other step in making these.
My vod'ika didn't want velcro on these so I pulled out some sew on snaps.  I was two short of finishing them.

   

Another thing I learned with working with hides.  DON"T USE SCISSORS!  This clips the hair funny and leaves it looking weird.  Use an exacto knife on the underside (non-fur side) to cut the fur without disrupting the hair and lay pattern.  Keeps it looking natural and not like I butchered it. 

   



   

[Vercopaanir]

Picked up a few more snaps when I was at the store the other day and added them to vod'ika leg wraps.  I also added a bit of elastic to the backs of them as they are just a touch big on her and slowly start to slide down.  This should help with that.

   

[Vercopaanir]

Progress!

I had made the knife boxes earlier but now they are mounted on the cut up belt.  Velcro was added and they now fit nicely on her legs and keep the leg wraps in place as well.

   



I cut a chunk out of the belt (kinda like a dart when sewing) to both shorten the belt and prevent the gaping that can be seen in the belt in the back. 



Mounted the Armor to the tassel bit.



Finished quilting the bit guard.  Then we mounted the armor plates with sew on snaps. (We glued the one side to the plates.)  I still need to add a little strap to hold the hand portion of the guard in place as it floats up and away from the hand.

 

I weathered all the softs and then we did a test fit with the armor.

   

   

 

   

On looking at the photos, I noticed that you really can't see the weathering I did on the camel sleeves so I will need to add more there.  It is also hard to see it at the waist on the green.  I will need to add more there as well and maybe take it in just a touch more.

Now we rushed the armor part because it was decided last minute that she was going with me to MegaCon.  We got her wearable but there are still few things that need to be finished.





After the run around we have a fix/ adjust list.

The knees need padding.  She didn't like the feel of the attachment method inside the knee so I will quilt some squares of fabric and mount them on the inside of the pant leg to act as a buffer.  The one velcro strap on the knife sheath kept popping off, none of the others so I'm not sure what is up with that one but I might just add a snap the help keep it in place.

We also got her helmet!  Which is huge because she wears glasses and wanted the bucket to fit over them.  Given the size of the helmet we need to widen her silhouette to avoid the bobble head look. 

Step one of the make her look bigger project was to add quilted shoulder caps under the armor.  I put a lot of stuffing in these to get a good poof (very technical terms) to start the enlarging process.

   

Then I padded the inside of the shoulders with foam.



   



Over top of all this we are adding a fur cape-ish thing.  It was going to be a hood but she was never really sold on the idea and she pointed out that if she pulls it up it will only add to the bobble head problem so I set the hood idea aside for now.

   



With these additions her shoulder to shoulder width is just about twice that of the helmet.  The helmet is 1/2" bigger then half her shoulder width which is within the recommended range for fitting helmets. 

[Vercopaanir]

You know you've missed a few updates when you get the 30 days warning notice.   

So here's what I've been up to.

I made the knee pads and got them attached to the inside of the pant leg.



Moved the buckle from one side of the vest opening to the other for ease of getting in and out.



Made, mounted and weathered an actual loin cloth.



Weathered the sleeves, around the knees and the middle of her flight suit shirt for a more consistent overall weathering look.









And got the locking backs on the front tassel bit.

[Starling]

This is so cool, and maybe one of my favorite builds ive ever seen! its so cool seeing how you do the sewing aspect of things, i feel like im learning just from reading through your threads! (also love to see the glasses accommodations, im taking notes!)

[Rambler]

Commenting to keep track of this project. It looks amazing! I loved seeing the patterns being formed from the duct tape, I don't see the second half of that process often.

[Vercopaanir]

Commenting to keep track of this project. It looks amazing! I loved seeing the patterns being formed from the duct tape, I don't see the second half of that process often.

Thanks Rambler!  I know most usually just go from the tape to the fabric but I prefer to add that extra step in to smooth out my patterns and add seam allowances so that when I go to cut them out I don't have to worry about it.

This is so cool, and maybe one of my favorite builds ive ever seen! its so cool seeing how you do the sewing aspect of things, I feel like I'm learning just from reading through your threads! (also love to see the glasses accommodations, im taking notes!)

Glad you could learn something from it!  That's how I learned pretty much all my sewing skills, looking through people threads on the forums and YouTubing the things I didn't understand.  Always willing to answer questions if you have any! 



Update that is long past due for this thread.

This kit is now approved!  I did however, make a few adjustments mostly to the weathering.  We also added on the fur cape that I had talked about earlier in the build so some quick close ups of the additional weathering we added.  I ended up adding some light grey weathering as well as the black and brown because the green kept eating it.  It would just disappear in the pictures unless you were taking a closeup, the grey was different enough that it stood out more.

Knees




Midriff





Sleeves




Gauntlet cuff



Bit Guard





Pouches





Fur cape with teeth closure



Seems the only pics I took of the cape are with it on her so...
Here's the approved kit!





We're taking this kit onto brigades but for now that's all folks!