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[angele]

Hi everyone! I have been an official Mando since 2014 with my female Late Crusader with TT visor kit.

 My favorite picture of all times of me and my riduur.


I have trouped many times, have made a lot of friends, and want to continue the fun with a new endeavor.

Many of you know me from the Rebel Legion for my custom Duchess Satine Ceremonial Gown approved in 2014.

 

I was the first approved Satine and I even wrote the CRLs! I did not do a WIP for the RL. I just bit the bullet and applied for membership.
It is very recently that I even knew that Satine can be an official canon Merc!

In this WIP I will post the few construction pictures I took and give more information about my process. See you soon!
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UNDERDRESS
I started by drawing my concept of the different layers of the gown, keeping in mind patterning in real life as compared to animation.



The CRLs state “floor length underdress is made of matte fabric with a two layered skirt”. I believe the writers of the CRLs must have taken the idea of two layers from this early concept art (below) which shows the underdress to be ankle length and two layers. It does not show the slits however and it would be a real engineering feat to make the hem flip up that way!



I personally do not see any indication of two underdress layers in the actual animated series of TCW.



The dress is “…open in front from neck to waist”, has “Four knee-high slits are spaced evenly on the side front and side back of the dress”, and “Fitted sleeves are elbow-length, then open into petal shaped open cuffs” but…

“A pair of short black pants can be seen in the side view of the reference photo, and should be worn under the skirt, not to hang below the ankle.”

I have stopped every frame of every episode Satine is in to see evidence of pants but there does not seem to be any pants worn under unless they are tucked into knee-high boots.



I chose tropical weight wool fabric because of its amazing properties for cooling the body, its matte finish, and it doesn’t wrinkle. I draped my princess seam pattern with raglan sleeves directly on my dress form. Princess seams because they would allow for placement of the slits at the hem and raglan sleeves because they fit nicely and allow for movement.

I made a standing collar with stiffener to keep it up.



You can see the collar in this scene from the show when Satine has taken off her headdress.



I used my embroidery machine to create white, vine-like design on the hem.





I took tucks at the elbow in the sleeves like the examples from the show.





I chose a bronze-red polyester fabric to make slightly padded upside-down teardrops at the tips of the petal sleeve. I chose to hand sew them on using a blanket stitch.

I made the opal-like jewels from a mixture of Polymer clay colors including uncolored translucent. I chose to make the jewels removable for laundering purposes.





I shaded the light to show how pretty the clay is.



The finished underdress!

[angele]

OVERDRESS

As per the CRLs:

“Sleeveless overdress is made of a royal blue with a subtle printed or jacquard textured pattern.”



I used a royal blue, scroll patterned, poly/cotton blend, jacquard fabric for the overdress.
 
“The dress is open down the front with a wide v-shaped neck-line. The center edges of the dress almost meet at the belt.”

I chose to do a bodice and separate skirt because the waistband will be hidden under the belt. I used plastic canvas as a stiffener in the shoulders to make them stick straight out. I made long T-shapes from Sintra (expanded PVC foam core), shaped it and inserted it into the two front skirt petals to make the tulip shape.



“There is a free hanging, curved, triangular shawl-like piece hanging over the shoulders to the back of the dress. The bottom point of the shawl piece touches the bottom edge of the belt.”



I made a very minimal back to the tabard-like dress because of Arizona heat.



“The skirt has a rigid or puffy structure to make a tulip shape.
Dress has a three paneled skirt with right front, left front, and back panels. Panels are petal shaped with rounded tips. Each panel is separate from the others.”



“Skirt panels are decorated with long, narrow petal shapes made of the same fabric as the panels, and are sewn on. Front panels have three petals each and back panel has five petals.”



“The center front petals have another lighter colored petal peeking out at the center front edge. These petals are made of a fabric patterned with a subtle printed or jacquard textured pattern and the color and pattern should match the reference.”



I made my lighter blue petal from a lovely jacquard silk which requires a stiffener in each bottom edge because the fabric is very soft. I used a triangle of a product called FOSSHAPE 300 (www.wonderflexworld.com) as my stiffener. It looks and acts like quilt batting but it hardens and shrinks a bit when you steam it. You can shape in into soft curves if needed.

“Light blue under-petals are decorated with five jewels or beads along the center of the bottom edge, with a purple tassel attached to each.  Each tassel is progressively larger as you move away from the center.  The 4th from the center on each side also has another bead followed by a brown tassel hanging from the purple tassel.”



This is where I disagree with the CRLs. I think in the animators’ artistic style, tassels have lines which look like threads. I think the “purple tassels” would be flattened iridescent beads hanging from the edges of the lighter blue petals.



I made my flattened beads from a mixture of Polymer clay colors swirled together.

[Rugbyjedigeek]

This looks absolutely amazing. I know your work and im sure your finished the final outfit will be absolutely amazing.

[Kiru Setu]

Truly amazing craftsmanship! I am in awe of your talent.

[Derpatron]

Wow that is truly amazing!

[angele]

HEADDRESS



As per the CRLs:

“Flat, lyre shaped pieces that frame the face with curls at top points that are angled backward on each side and joined together under the chin at base of throat.

Lyre frame is covered with royal blue fabric with a subtle printed or jacquard textured pattern (to match over dress).
Lyre pieces are held together under the chin by a circular brooch. The center of the brooch is a flat opal-like stone with a bronzed gold ring around the outside.”

I used a thermoplastic called FOSSHAPE 600 (www.wonderflexworld.com) for the lyre shape. It is an amazing product. It looks and acts like quilt batting but it hardens and shrinks a bit when you steam it! You also can cut it with regular scissors and sew through it. 





“Flat forest green trapezoid pieces are mounted on top of the head between the lyre pieces with curved cut-outs in the middle. Pieces are covered in green moiré fabric (or painted to look like moiré). Pieces are curved slightly back at outer edges.”



I used FOSSHAPE 300 (it is thinner than FOSSHAPE 600) for the forest green trapezoid pieces, the headband, and the lilies.



“There is a bronze-red throne-shaped piece centered between the green trapezoid pieces. The center of the piece is a curved cap that rests over the top center of the head and then bends up into a round disk attached to the green trapezoid pieces.  The disk has five up-side-down teardrop-shaped opal-like stones embedded into it.”

I used both FOSSHAPE 300 and poly-clay to construct the bronze-red throne-like piece.

“A large circular disk hangs down from the cap over the center of the forehead. The forehead disk is decorated with royal purple floral filigree patterns and a round opal-like stone in the top center. The filigree pattern should match the reference. The throne shaped piece also extends to the back of the head forming a shield shape with royal purple floral filigree patterns.”

My forehead disc is made from polymer clay.



“Purple headband made of moiré fabric (or painted to look like moiré) that fits snugly to head just behind the hairline. The headband terminates on either side of the head just below the bottom of the earlobes. There is a perpendicular strip extending backward ending in a shield shape at back of head, the strip should be placed on the headband approximately 2.5 inches above the bottom of either side.
Six iridescent white ribbons of equal size are folded in half and attached by rivets to the lower edge of the shield shaped portion of the headband at the back of the head.

The ribbons do not look iridescent to me, so I made them from cotton twill tape.



“Two large horn-shaped earrings hang from purple cords attached to the headband. Earrings appear to be made of opal-like stone.”
I made my earrings from polymer clay.

“Six white trumpet-shaped lilies are woven into the hair on each side of the head in graduating sizes from small at the top to large at the bottom. Each has a center stamen.”



I made my lilies from FOSSHAPE300. The stamens are polymer clay on wires. The lilies are wired to the headdress making them an integral part of the headdress to make it easier to put on and take off.





I went one extra step and wired the jewels with lights!



You can clearly see the jewels glowing in the dim light of the Senate.

[Trent]

Absolutely amazing! what type of steamer do you use on the FOSSHAPE material?

[angele]

Trent - I use a clothing steamer for shaping and hardening the FOSSHAPE. I tried a steam iron, but the platen is just too hot and shrinks the stuff unevenly.
Mine is a Rowenta. I like the compact shape.