Halloween Costume: Star Wars Sabe Decoy - Part 2

I have finished the dress for my Halloween costume.  I started with merging two patterns for the dress (Star Wars Sabe Decoy - Part 1).  The dress turned out fairly close to the picture from the movie, but the hard part is the sleeves and the vest.


 The fabric in the vest seems to be striped with uneven stripes.  I searched all over, but couldn't find anything close to it.  I decided to make use of the serger and make my own.


I cut strips of a stretch mesh and a stretch crush velvet type fabric and serge them together in stripes.






I like the result and it was fun to do since I didn't really have to pay close attention to the width of the stripes.  They look like they ares slightly different widths.




I sewed two rows of it to each sleeve before sewing them together, then attached them to the dress.













Next, I made a pattern for the vest by pinning and cutting tissue paper to the dress form.















Once I got the pieces the way I wanted, I cut a layer of black netting a little bigger than the pattern piece (to allow for seam allowances), then attached the rows of striped fabric to it.

I cleaned up all edges with a serger and sewed the pieces together.








Next, the belt.  I made a pattern piece in the shape I wanted, then cut heavy-weight pellon the same size.  I ironed it on the back of a piece of pleather larger than the pellon.










I wrapped the edges around the pleather and duct taped it.

Next, I cut two pieces of cotton a little larger than pattern, sewed them right sides together, then turned them right side out.

I sewed the cotton piece to the back of the belt, going around the edges.  Then, I turned the edges of the ends in and attached velcro for the closure.









This is the finished dress.  I think it looks a lot like the photo of the costume.  The belt is a little thick and I need to iron it more, but it is pretty close.

Next step: the headdress.

Sabe Costume Part 1  Dress
Sabe Costume Part 2  Vest
Sabe Costume Part 3 Headdress
Sabe Costume Part 4 Headdress
Sabe Costume Part 5 All Together Now

Halloween Costume: Star Wars Sabe Decoy - Part 1

Sabe Battle Decoy, Episode One

This year for Halloween, I am making my own Star Wars costume.  I am going with the battle costume worn by Sabe, the decoy in Episode One. 

I am making the red dress first, then doing the overcoat/vest after.  It looks like it is attached at the sleeves, so I will do that, but otherwise leave it unattached for the rest of the dress, relying in the belt to hold it together.

FABRIC

For the fabric, I went to a discount upholstery store and got 5 yards for of red polyester fabric that looks somewhere between raw silk (it is not) and some kind of shimmer.  I got one yard of the same fabric in black for the v-neck.





 PATTERN

I tried to look for a kimono pattern, but didn't end up finding much. I ended up doing a combination of two different patterns.  I started with the bodice from Vogue 8789 (view A) and modified it slightly.  It isn't a kimono style, but it has a v-neck in the pattern and that was close enough for me since it meant that I don't have to buy a pattern since this one is in my stash.  I made the following modifications:

• The back of the bodice on the pattern had the v-neck on the back, as well, but I rounded that out so there is no v-neck in back.
• I made a bias out of the black fabric and finished the  v-neck on the front and back
• I took out the back darts, since I wanted a less fitted look at the waist

Burda 12/2011 V-neck Blouse

I used skirt from Burda Style 12/2011 V-neck Blouse #106.  The pattern includes a modification to make the shirt into a dress and has the pleat in front that I am looking for.  I didn't use the top of the blouse because I didn't want to deal with the band around the lower bodice.  I knew I would have to lengthen the bodice and get rid of the band, so it was easier just to use the Vogue.

Plus, two more issues.... I didn't like the pleats on the front (and it has many more on the back) and the instructions were terrible. I just didn't want to put in that much work on a pattern I was going to cover up with a black v-neck.

I like that it has puffy sleeves that should work nicely if I don't add the cuff.

 Here is the dress so far without the sleeves.  I am happy with the pleat in the skirt and I think the v-neck is close enough for me.

Sabe Costume Part 1  Dress
Sabe Costume Part 2  Vest
Sabe Costume Part 3 Headdress
Sabe Costume Part 4 Headdress
Sabe Costume Part 5 All Together Now