Tag Archives: hannibal

HANNIBAL/ELISSA GOWN

HANNIBAL/ELISSA GOWN

by michaela de bruce, August 15, 2014

I have used more than half of the steel boning I snaffled just on the bodice. 6 bones, one each side of the zip and then side front and side back.

It took the entire Canadian cast recording to just install the boning at the sides. And I may have launched in to a full on singing session with it…. (not now, greek style yoghurt and voice work is nope.)

Tell me again sewing isn’t impressive as other costume elements?

And this is as someone who knows what they are doing and can herringbone stitch like a wizard. Yep, herringbone twill tape and herringbone stitches to hold and sew in one go, and allow the stitches to stretch a little with wear.

 

Unfortunately it has left my hands useless, this immediately makes the damage in my wrists aggravate more inflammation. So time for a wheat bag break, possibly for the day.

 

But the boning really makes a difference. The bodice feels looser with it in as the fabric doesn’t bunch up around my waist.

 

In celebration of the way the bodice is turning out I am investing in better velvet for the skirt ropes (I cannot find anything that rolls like the Broadway stuff though, sigh) and a lace front wig. Said wig will have to double for Mina and potentially for Maleficent as well. So… oh, I can afford two wigs surely? Regardless, I’ll have to get a widow’s peak in each as I cannot do round wig hairlines. They just do not, I repeat, do not work with a natural widows peak and I am not shaving mine off!

Leave a Comment

Filed under projects: media recreations, Uncategorized

Phone camera deleted oy…

All my photos, sadly including the baby pukeko (luckily I sent one via email!) and luckily I haven’t really done mouch in the way of costuming since I uploaded photos earlier..

But I did manage to record myself using my texture brush so that has gone… Luckily I have heaps to do anyway, and it looks really good, will soften the texture once it is actually all done but yay 🙂 And boo for finally getting camera, clay and me all in one place only to lose the recording.

Also getting rid of a heap of fabric bits and jewelery and everything. I gave friends a chance to snaffle them up but now they are going to charity. Still got a few costume pieces to tidy and pass on as well. But about 200L worth of stuff is going byebye. And it’ll be a relief 🙂

I’m an obsessive maker. I don’t buy much for costuming except for shoe bases, wigs to cut and/or style or very rarely a licenced piece that I know I could make but it wouldn’t look like the original injected item. So I have a couple of sonic screwdrivers, a TRON disc, Trek communicator and tricorder and an E11 (white!) all to modify.

But I am at a point where I am pretty satisfied with my catalogue of skills. Not complacent but I am not quite so driven to try new stuff because I need to know now. Also I’m getting older so I really want costume pieces that will work with me.

Hooray for badass older characters like McGonagall, Flemmeth, Granny Weatherwax and co. But Maleficent and my custom costume will work for a long time, ditto all my historic gear. And frankly my Shae Vizla will work really well too. Though I really am so tempted to make the RD16A gear. I really am. Aside from the mystery kidney belt thing. May just interpret it as exactly that because it is very unbalanced (goes up to bust but sits at the upper edge of a belt- yay for female gear defaulting to hip level belts!) Which means you’ve got solid edges knocking and sitting and trying to be in the same place at the same time.

The point is, as I’m zoning out, that I don’t mind letting go of a lot of what I have stashed. And I also don’t need to dispose of it right now, right now, go away! So I can take my time.

I also realised I have been actively avoiding sewing. I mean full on avoidance. Do anything to not use my machines. And I’m not sure why. Even hand sewing. I seem super reluctant to wok on my Hannibal skirt for instance. Maybe it’s that. Maybe it’s the task of putting the skirt on the netting and also fitting the bodice which is basically a corset. It might well be. I have several sets of stays also out back not finished.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Elissa net skirt!

I took the original apart and made an extra layer so there are four all up with ruffles on each. Put face to face so that all the ruffles are inside rather than directly under the taffeta skirt or against my legs.

sm_DSC_2671

 

And it stands up by itself..

sm_DSC_2596 sm_DSC_2595

 

The third layer is the most supportive:

sm_DSC_2663 sm_DSC_2662

The ruffles are super dense at the top to create a bit of a bustle.

Outermost ruffles are soft and long (three rows). So the following photos are from outside in:

sm_DSC_2654  sm_DSC_2652 sm_DSC_2651 sm_DSC_2650

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Elissa ribbon trim

Once you get the rhythm going it’s really pleasant to loop the ribbon over and under.

image

This goes over five seams in total (side fronts, side backs and centre front). And jewels! Up and down.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Hannibal/Elissa/Dressing gown costume logistics, so far.

Sooo… I am going to try and count jewels, ribbon lengths and bead amounts today. Ahahahhahahahahahahha

At least this has taken  more than a few years because I would have had to employ an entire costume shop to make this. Funnily enough as that is how they were originally made… so to the tape measure and notepad! And photos to possibly help illustrate the points…

Fabric:

20m heavy net. I think. I can’t find journal or facebook posts from the time I took photos of the net.

1m cotton drill

1m cotton muslin

2m velvet

13m taffeta

Decorations:

443 assorted paste sew on jewels

325 hand cut appliques

68.2m assorted ribbon

36.6m looped braid

 

So far. There are the ropes to go and the above does not describe how much hand sewing was involved. Most ribbon is hand sewn on both edges for instance. I also have another 20m or so of ribbon and braid to go on the bodice and the other side of the waterfall drapery and maybe the apron. So this really is more like 2/3 because I still have more jewels as well (plastic from my first version and more paste.)

And I haven’t worked out how much for the dressing gown. I think it’s 4m of brocade, but the georgette ruffles.. no idea. All edged with lace and more lace at the elbows and neck….

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Last post was some time ago…

So this is going to be weird- I did have a big break before doing the jewels and pinning to the skirt. Now I will need to press the pleats again before sewing.

image

Possibly will machine the pleats at the upper most row of ribbons. And then I still need to work out how far apart to do the appliques on the skirt between the tabs. Before mountng it all on the net under skirt and sewing the heavy tabs in place. Then the drapery and the huge snaps down the back and freacking huge fence hook at the waist and hiding it all with the faux bodice.
But man that trellice so makes the hem. It just makes it so Phantom.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Princess!!

Hannibal tiara!

image

I may put some more bits on later.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Elissa/slave girl bodice progress

Just laid over the bodice but the front two jewelled pieces are done- sans backing and fastening.

image

And to show just how much work there is in these I have omly barely started the back piece. Organza appliques, couched cord and galloon, applied Saree pieces. I still have to finish the couching then bead (both on a frame) then the jewels and looped braid.

image

These do look very Aussie/world tour because I used the shapes of Marina’s gold tone appliques with the larger coloured jewels of Maree/Danielle’s bodice and the slight heart dip in the top.

I have started the wrist pieces, but deviating a little and keeping with the gold on back of the jewelled pieces.

Oh and yes, that is a super chunky metal zip up the front 🙂 I will lace the back as well.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

So, I may have had to have had a high dose of steroids the other day and it may have finally kicked…

So, I may have had to have had a high dose of steroids the other day and it may have finally kicked out… currently squinting and hunched ove the keyboard and hoping to get some sleep tonight.
A few added stresses aren’t making things great so I’m putting a…

View Post

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

So, I may have had to have had a high dose of steroids the other day and it may have finally kicked…

So, I may have had to have had a high dose of steroids the other day and it may have finally kicked out… currently squinting and hunched ove the keyboard and hoping to get some sleep tonight.
A few added stresses aren’t making things great so I’m putting a…

View Post

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized