Tag Archives: elissa

Today’s plans

There is a mix of street works and digging of property happening so my head is a little unhappy. But I have Maleficent, Elsa, Elissa and Ahsoka to choose from. Or Mina.

Maley and Ahsoka are in the workroom, both are safe in terms of tools and materials so technically I could make use of the patchy sun for Ahsoka.

Maley is at the stage I need to possibly use my dremmel to kick back some of the plastic support as I think I need to scoop out and move some clay from near the base- I think that is what is making my horns curve too much.

Mina needs her bodice internal support tested. The form she was made on now obviously won’t fit as I have padding inside. Also very nervous about my ribs. This bodice is built like a corset. With hip gores and everything. Still I need to try it on.

Elissa would be sitting on the floor sewing the last few jewels then basting the skirt to ruffles. Much as I really need that skirt support for the Wishing Dress and for The Mina I think I should keep it just for Elissa.

Oh speaking of which. I decided to test my voice. And it really is true- somehow trained singers can sing better with a chesty cough than normally. I am not sure how but I found my voice sitting really well. So well my pitch was more stable than it has been in the past. So my pitchy pals- you can do it- take teachers advice but also sing for yourself and enjoy it as much as possible, record yourself and play back just to yourself to get used to how your voice sounds outside and love it at every stage. Love your voice, only you sound like you. Also often it really is less about not being on note but about support and placement. It really is.  And of course that relies on stable core support so when that slips the note slips. It may take time but that muscle memory will lay down. I wish I’d really understood that as a teen.

I was in a group recording (not sure what) and I heard myself. I was asked how I could in amongst all those voices- it’s because I have listened to my voice on tape day after day for years. And so I know what it sounds like even in a mix. Also I tend to be able to pick up the training-my vibrato and when it turns to bleating. Funnily enough it actually works really well when I place my voice higher I sound like a few musical theatre singers when I do that. Still too nervous to ever pull that in an audition. Though I did once at my perf. arts. school. Did well. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..

Maybe I just need to embrace the twee?

But I also had trouble because all the mics I have blow out no matter how far from them I am. Had luck placing my hand over but not touching my phone. Protected the mic. Unfortunately in that recording I did miss a note so I’m just going to remember what I did then see if I can get something out there.

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Phantom Hannibal costume tidy up :)

I’ve been adding more ribbon to the skirt so as to make it balance more with the extreme business of the appliqued hanging panels.

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ANd this is what the inside looks like.

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So why did I hand sew? I didn’t want to have to take the hanging panels off as they are just perfectly sewn down at the top under the two rows of ribbon. If I was to machine them I’d be either banging those about or have to take them off.

But the other reason is that hand sewing allows the two ribbons to appear to float over the fabric, creating shadows and depth of texture. It helps the green and purple to really pop over the gold.

I did machine sew all the ribbon on the pleated hem though. And that is partly the need to sew that quickly- the pleats are three times the full length so it was going to be bulky and time consuming to hand sew! The effect is now of a single fabric due to the machine stitches.

Now I can start pinning the extra appliques and jewels on the skirt 🙂

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Oops, slight problem here…

Oops, slight problem here…

I knew it would be a problem to store but I really can’t do anything else with the Elissa skirt. Umm… Yeah.

  1. Sandy T. says:

    Do you have any patterns for this dress (I LOVE POTO) I really want to make this costume. (I wasn’t on planning on doing the big skirt, just the ropes and bodice.) If you have any tips or help. Please let me know! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH. You are a costume genius.

    Reply
    1. admin says:

      Thank you 🙂 I originally used an 8 panel ball gown bodice as a base for my first version, which then was adjusted to make a 10 panel bodice.
      A wedding gown pattern section is probably going to offer a good option as it will include instructions and material guides for making a self supportive bodice 🙂

      Reply

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HANNIBAL DONE!

HANNIBAL DONE!

by michaela de bruce, September 27, 2014

Except not because my boning poked through (so was removed) and I need to move the seams to actually work with the curves I do have and with the non curves. The boning sticks away from my waist, so I also need to knuckle down and nip in the waist again.

But I do still like my old rope skirt  and I love the overall Aussie feel to the colour blocks and proportion. Also bodice is fully multifunctionsal- the bust applique snaps off too, so Carlotta style upper can be done 🙂

For an idea of why it took almost a decade from the last version? Each row of trim on the bodice took 15mins. That’s the vertical ones. So….

The scarf is the new tour version. Yes. That is what it is. Yes. Ehem. I need to remove the dye from the ends and then dip dye in green then black and see if I can also wrangle in there some glold bars (no dye areas- silk goes yellow in the dye remover) and then find somewhere in Auckland with long fringe.

I will add little forehead curls. But more old school than new school tiny ringlets. The curls of the wig are big and soft and need a more subtle hairline. But OMG! Widow’s peak lace front wigs let people see the full expanse of my giant forehead! This is new!

Wig is from Wigfashion on ebay. The same colour- lovely chestnut with deep red highlights- very subtle but it warms the whole wig.

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ELISSA HEM

ELISSA HEM

by michaela de bruce, September 18, 2014

Small section left to fill plus a couple of filligree pieces on the top of the red band. And stones. But once the tabs are tacked in place.

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ELISSA SKIRT

ELISSA SKIRT

by michaela de bruce, September 18, 2014

Reminding myself of how this will look finished so it is worth being worked on.

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NOT EVEN RESISTING ANY MORE.

NOT EVEN RESISTING ANY MORE..

by michaela de bruce, September 23, 2014

So that red wig? Guess who has gotten her Carlotta on?

Inspired, yes, by Rachel Anne Moore’s interpretation (inspired by la Divina, Maria Callas) but also because the red dress Danielle Everette wore in Carlotta Side Story was just the most glamorous version possible (in part because she’s stunning and tall and so the lines all create this perfect vertical 188os silhouette- my legs are long so I can get a similar effect even if not as tall!)

Anyway. So I’ll be using my ruined Cleves gown velveteen for the velvet parts so as to recycle something I can’t wear now.

I also have 10m of magenta/fuchsia silk organza to turn into ribbon for the pleats.

And I’ll be making a second bodice for my Elissa gown.

And a fake head! Time to grab a male wig form and cover it with muslin! Opening cadenza at everyone!

So.. .. extra wear out of some of my projects 🙂

Hopefully I can do the bodice and wig soon and then the red dress next year.

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ELISSA/HANNIBAL BODICE TRIAL

ELISSA/HANNIBAL BODICE TRIAL

by michaela de bruce, September 3, 2014

Angel of music,
Your final warning,
Stay away from my mind.
Angel of music I have a court order,
And I have friends in Star Wars.

Sorry, my costume wardrobe behind is just Mina and All The Star Wars props.

If she knows Shae, Erik, you probably should back off.

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ELISSA TEXT UPDATE

ELISSA TEXT UPDATE

by michaela de bruce, August 26, 2014

I have bound the top and bottom with gold ribbon and the belt is actually looking good 🙂 So I’ll see if I can line all those applique pieces so they also look nice when taken off 🙂

Cold of heck is still here so I am seeing my GP tomorrow just in case.

Also, I managed three goes of Think of Me in a row with no fatigue in my upper range so I may be busting out my Mozart aria CD if I can find it and playing around with this new lightness (possibly due to the cold and how I am holding my soft palette and getting a lot of resonance in my nose proper- not nasal but I can feel the bones all around vibrate more than usual.)

The inner smile trick works, inner smile combined with breathing through a cold and yawn. Seems to be the trick 🙂

Oh also, I am now just down to a bucket of trims for the gown. Trims, not all the things to make, just the trims. It’s a 10L bucket.

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ELISSA/HANNIBAL BODICE

ELISSA/HANNIBAL BODICE

by michaela de bruce, August 26, 2014

Front and back views of the upper applique snapped in place and the belt and lower appliques pinned in place.

I decided I did like the twisted braid after all and I’ll probably do a mix of Aussie and US styles here too: big stones and braid on the middle three seams. The loopy braid on the side and back seams.

 

I had to stop singing the cadenza at one point today. Yeah, but I managed a few scales as well and some good leg stretches (also if I support both hands I can still bend really far back and see upside down, so there is that!)

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