Wings!

I’ve covered the smaller wing frames in bias cut silk chiffon then I have sewn/glued silk organza on top. I’ll then paint the organza, but first I need to prep my big wings as well. 

I’ve covered the top wire with expanding foam, I did this with a little help from my flat mate. We would use small pieces of cling film to catch the foam and then gently wrap it up around the wire. This way it was held in place to dry on the wire, as well as encased in something with a bit of give for when it expanded. From there I used a small hand saw to cut and shape them, hopefully giving them the look of branches.

then I covered them in paper mache, but instead of using paper I used thing blue cloths. This gave it more of a soft texture that I feel is better for a tree branch. Once that was done and dry I then spray painted them with a base coat and then went in with acrylic paints and hand painted into them to bring in some highlight and shadows and such. 

Painting the bodice and leaves

Now that I know everything is fitting I have begun to paint the bodice and leaves. Using a pigment and binder I am hand painting the entire thing, and then going back over it and sponging so as to give it texture. 

I'll need to go back over the leaves and darken them a bit and add some more depth, but they are starting to come together and look alright. I've made them by painting upon silk organza that I have also sprayed with fabric stiffener so that I will be able to shape them and give them more life.

second fitting

Had the second fitting today, everything is fitting just fine. The only concern we’re having is attaching the wings, which we knew was going to be a bit tricky. As of right now the plan is to put them in slots in the back of the bodice, and then add a brace in-between them. To try and make this all easier I’ve changed the bodice to lace up on either side so that the back is then clear for attaching the wings. I’m also sewing a bra into the bodice, to help with shape, and I’ll be leaving the straps and attaching them to the bodice so that there is a little bit more support to hold up the wings. The bra straps will then be covered in flesh coloured mesh so as to blend better.

Dying for Summer Queen

Dyed my fabric for the Summer Queen costume today. It went alright the colours aren’t exactly how I would like them so I think I’ll have to re-dye the poly cotton, and then I’ll be dip dying the silk chiffon to give it a bit more depth. Once all that is done and the garment is put together I’ll probably have to then go back and work into it to get all the colours and depth that I want 

Dye samples

The Collar and cuffs for Lady Meux

After much debate and fiddling about I've finally decided what to do for the collar, I'll be gathering silk organza backed on silk taffeta that has been dagged on one edge and has had lace sewn onto the other. The lace was a bit tricky as I had some that was exactly what I wanted except it was the wrong colour. After much searching I just decided to paint the lace I had with fabric paint to try and make it into more of a pale pink, opposed to the salmon pink that if originally was.

 After the collar was made up I decided it looked to heavy with the taffeta on the bottom edge so I cut it away and it gave it a much lighter feeling over all.

 For the cuffs I have a band of bias binding made out of the duchess satin, and then a cuff of sillk organza, dagger, and knife pleated. I made sure that the knife pleats were going opposite ways on either wrist, I thought it would flow with the body movements better, and be less likely to get caught on anything this way. The cuffs are primarily hand sewn, partially because I was in a lecture when I made them and partially because I like how hand sewing looks. 

Making wing frames

First I drew out my wing pattern on gridded paper (yeah, had to grid that myself...not fun). Then I would bend the wire to follow the shape of the outline, whenever my wire piece ended I got a new one and made sure it slightly over lapped the old one. 

Then I taped the ends of my joints with masking tape to hold them together so that I would put flux on them, and then solder them together.

 Now that they're all soldered together I'm going to wrap the joints in a thinner wire and then put super glue on that to reinforce the joints .

 I still need to add some prongs along the top edge of the top wing, this will be so the spray foam will have something to hold onto. I'll also need to extend the rod at the bottom, this will then go down the back of the corset and help to keep the wings in place. 

I was in a bit of a rush getting everything ready for the first fitting of my Summer Queen, but it all got done and there was actually very little that needed to be altered.

<--- here are my bodice pieces all tacked out and ready to be sewn together, just in the knick of time.

Like I said the bodice needed very little altering, I'll need to open up the princess seams slightly at the top, and then take away a smidge on the centre front and centre back, but only about a half inch on each. The skirt may look long now but she'll be wearing heels for the actual thing, so that she has the "longer than life" modelesque legs. 

Since she's quite a petite little lady that meant the wings I drew out where just a wee bit to big...oh no, I'm going to have to have smaller more manageable wings...all in all the fitting went pretty well. The beading sample I put together ended up being just the right size, which is great!