Episode I: A New Hope ... oops, that's Episode IV

To sum up the history in a nutshell, I'm not a costumer. Well, not really. I was in the SCA for about 20 years, so I did stuff like this:
  

(my dress, not his stuff. BTW, the veil over the shoulder?
Ladies, white can be see-through. An important lesson.)

 


... but I wouldn't consider that real costuming. Not really. Hence, my assertion I'm new to this whole cosplay / costuming thing. :)  









Now my husband (that's him in the picture up there) is a HUGE Star Wars fan. As in "amaze you with random trivia about characters that only appeared once in a comic book in 1978" huge. So when we left the SCA and he rediscovered the 501st Legion, I had the brilliant idea of making him one of these:



(screen capture from, I think, Empire Strikes Back.
Most definitely property of Mr. Lucas.)




... because it's all cloth, right? And those other costumes, like stormtroopers and stuff, they have plastic! So this has got to be easier, yes?

Sometimes I laugh at how naive I was. But mostly I cry.

See, while I'd done dresses that were fitted, I'd never done anything that was tailored. And to do that uniform correctly, tailoring is involved. Talk about a steep, steep learning curve.


About a year after the project got underway (and 7 months past my original "get-it-done-by" date), I attended a panel at Dragon*Con where the 501st folks were discussing the different costumes. Someone in the audience said how easy the Imperial Officers looked, and the panelists just smiled and one made the comment that you shouldn't be deceived by the fact that it's all cloth. I wanted to shout, "Hallelujah!" from the back row. You see, it was finally done, and my husband was wearing it at that very panel. And here he is:



(Dragon*Con 2010)





I can't even tell you how many things I want to change on this costume. And how much I really, really wish I'd straightened him up before we took this picture. Ah well! He likes it, it got him into the 501st, and he is loving it there! :)



BTW, the hat, while finicky and time-consuming, is my favourite part of this costume.







So there you are. My initial foray into the world of costuming / cosplay. I've been asked when I'll make mine, and my usual response has been "when I get over the trauma of making his." That time is now, and mine is underway (with so many lessons learned!). But that, and the other current projects, are topics for other posts.

Until then, I recommend a nice light Pinot Grigio for the spring evenings. And white wine is so much easier to get out of fabric when you spill it. :) Always practice safe sewing!