Paw Patrol!

For Halloween 2015, we made Paw Patrol costumes for our niece and nephew.  One was Super Spy Chase, and the other was Marshall.

It was actually hard to find a plain top and bottom for kids, so I ended up using McCall's 7214 pattern, which is for a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costume.  I used fleece for the arms and legs, and twill for the shirts.  They each have a collar, which I made out of foam and sewed to the neck.  Marshall has a zipper down the front, which I made to look cartoonish by using black foam and sewing a zipzag down it with gray thread.  Marshall's spots were all hand-sewn.

Chase has bright green stripes, so I used a lime green ribbon and hand-tacked that on (and apparently didn't take any photos ...)

My husband made the backpacks, helmets, and dog tags, which you can read all about on his blog here.  I made ears for Chase out of fleece and pink felt and attached them to the completed helmet.

I attached the dog tags to the collars using the same foam as the collar, and made tails that attached with a safety pin.  The final costumes look amazing!

The niece and nephew thought so, too!

One final note: I don't make costumes to sell, so please don't contact me about having me make these costumes for you.  If you want advice on making your own Paw Patrol costume, you can email me at casualcostumer [at] gmail [dot] com

Eowyn's Green Dress

My friend Katie asked me to make her a dress for Dragon Con.  We decided to make Eowyn's green gown, though she wasn't concerned about being super accurate.  I used The Costumer's Guide to Movies as my main resource.

For the pattern, I used Simplicity 4940 (surprise, surprise - the green dress is even on the packaging).  The outer dress is made out of green crushed velvet from Jo-Ann's.

The under dress, which was used for the reverse of the outer dress as well as the lining, was a metallic paisley brocade, also from Jo-Ann's.  I dyed all nine yards with apple green Rit dye.

The original fabric laid over the dyed fabric

It turned out so well!

Attaching the reverse to the sleeves and skirt was a bit annoying, but it worked out.  I ended up sewing down the seams of the outer fabric to tack it down nicely.  The front panel is open, like Eowyn's.

I also added a collar.

The final touch was adding the embroidery along the collar.  I couldn't find anything I liked, and even dyed some cotton trim before deciding it wouldn't work.  I finally ended up using a gold lace.  I tacked it down and hand-stitched it around the entire collar.  I actually ended up straightening it a bit more from what you see in the photo, as I didn't like how uneven it turned out.

 

The final product ...

Fiber Etching Silk Velvet (Devore Technique)

For Clara's Robot of Sherwood dress, I had to burn off the pile of silk-backed velvet.  I'm putting these instructions here because even though I followed the directions, they weren't good enough, and I ruined a LOT of fabric, and wasted a LOT of money.  I don't want that to happen to you.  Please note that I've only used the devore technique on silk velvet, so I have no idea if the following directions apply to other fabrics.  As far as how much fiber etch you'll need, I used about 44 ounces for Clara's dress (not including the chemical that I wasted).  There may be better ways to do this, but this is what I did, and it worked pretty well for me.

What You'll Need:

- Silk-backed velvet.  I used the Moroccan Red velvet from SyFabrics.
- Synthrapol, a chemical to prepare the fabric for etching, purchased from Dharma Trading Company
- Fiber Etch, a chemical which you can purchase from Dharma Trading Company.
- Paint brush
- Respirator
- Gloves
- A design or pattern

Note:  Always wear a respirator during every step that involves the chemical.  It's nasty stuff.  I also wore the respirator while scratching off the pile, as you'll end up breathing it in if you don't.  It's essentially dust at that point, and it's also nasty.  Also, PLEASE test a LARGE piece of cloth on each step before you do this.  Trust me.  I practiced on a small piece because I didn't want to waste fabric or fiber etch, and it turned out that my dryer dries unevenly.  The small piece turned out great, but the large panels were unevenly heated, and I tried reheating them, and I ended up burning holes in the fabric.  I had to throw out FOUR of the six panels.  I also had to buy four more yards of fabric, and another 32 ounces of fiber etch.  It was not pretty.  There were tantrums.  But hey, it all worked out in the end.

Step 1: Wash the velvet in HOT water using the Synthrapol, and then tumble dry.  I know this seems scary, but I did a test before I tossed all nine yards in, and it actually works great and removed all of the wrinkles that had set in during shipping.  This is a necessary step because the Synthrapol will remove any impurities that will keep the fiber etch from working properly.


Step 2:  Draw your pattern on.  You can use stencils or free-hand it.  Matt made me a pattern that I drew around using a washable fabric marker (it disappears when you wet it - you don't have to actually wash it out).















Step 3:  Wearing a respirator, SOAK the parts of the velvet that you want to remove with the fiber etch, and I mean SOAK.  I had purchased the 4 oz bottle to test the technique before purchasing more. I found it was easiest to use the squeeze bottle to apply the fiber etch. Because I was doing such a large area, I cut a larger hole in the tip.  Using the paintbrush, really jam all of the fiber etch in.  Brush in all directions to make sure that it's covering all of the pile.  If you think it's soaked enough, soak it some more. When you look at the wrong side of the fabric, you should see that the chemical is completely soaked through.  Please note that the respirator is really important here.  The chemical is really strong, and it can damage your lungs and make you feel dizzy.





Steps 4 and 5: Dry the fabric completely. I hung it on the clothesline in the utility room overnight. When the chemical is dry, the fabric will be stiff. Throw it in the dryer. I put it in with a few towels to tumble it around better, as just the fabric wasn't enough. I had it on high heat set for 30 minutes, but took it out around 15-20 minutes in. This took a lot of trial and error - every dryer will be different.  You'll know when it's done, because the pile will turn black and brittle.  If it has heated unevenly, the directions say that you can put it back in the dryer or iron.  DO NOT put it back in the dryer!  DO NOT attempt to iron.  These are MISTAKES.  You will burn holes in the fabric.  Instead, turn your hair dryer on high and move it back and forth over the unprocessed parts.  You will see them turn black right before your eyes, and so can stop before you over-process.

You can see the right side has been scraped off.

Step 6: Scrape off the pile using the edge of a credit card. Some of the pile will still probably not have processed correctly.  If this happens, heat with the hair dryer again.  If it still doesn't work, then you didn't soak the fabric enough, and you have a new piece to your design. 

You can see in the left side of the photo that the chemical has processed.  The right side of the photo shows what it looks like after being scraped off, leaving the design.

Beware: lots and lots of pile ends up in your house.  It's everywhere right now.  It's like glitter, so try to contain it as much as possible.




 
Step 7: Wearing gloves and a respirator, soak fabric under cold running water.  Hand wash with liquid soap (I used Dawn dish detergent), lightly rubbing fabric between hands.  Rinse thoroughly.  This will remove the remaining chemical and any remnants of the pile that gets caught in the fabric.  As long as you don't have any holes in the fabric, it's pretty tough.  I didn't have any issues with it.  However, I tested this part of the process on the fabric I'd ruined, and the tiny holes that I had in the fabric absolutely shredded.  So please make sure that your fabric is intact; otherwise, you'll have a real problem.

Step 8:  After washing the fabric, place it between two towels and pat dry, then hang to dry completely.  If it gets wrinkly, you can steam it.  You might be able to tumble dry it, but at this point, I wasn't taking any chances, so I didn't try it.

The Finished Product:

When you've finished all of the steps, this is what you're left with.  As you can see, there are a few mistakes where the velvet didn't process correctly, but for Clara's dress, this adds to the design.  Obviously, if your design needs to be perfectly clean, then practice until you've mastered the technique.

Over-Processing:

The following photo is what happens when you over-process.  Don't over-process.  Learn from my mistakes!  Even if you have a small hole, it will shred and ruin your entire project.  You can see on the lower right corner that I put some fray check to see what would happen.  It discolored the fabric, making it even worse.

So I ruined four of the six skirt panels this way because I'd already sewn the skirt together (to know where to put the design).  I remade the four panels separately. 

That's how I fiber-etched Clara's skirt.  I may try this technique again in the future, but on a much smaller scale.

Clara Oswald - Robot of Sherwood

When the Doctor Who episode Robot of Sherwood aired last year, we immediately knew that we had to make the Clara and Robin Hood costumes.

Matt got to work on his Robin Hood, though I made the tunic and trousers.  He's posted his build over on his website, so check it out.

Clara was a tough project to get started because it involved processes that I'd never done before, processes that involved pretty much one shot, or they'd be ruined.

Bodice and Skirt:

For the bodice I modified Simplicity 3809 so that the neck had a different shape. I used Simplicity 4940 (my favorite pattern) for the skirt, and modified it so that it had a seam in the front.

You can see in the photo of the original costume that the bottom of the skirt is see-through.  This effect is achieved by using the devore (fiber etching) technique.  Devore means "devour", and it burns away plant fibers like cotton.  When using this technique with velvet, you must use silk-backed velvet, which means that when you apply the chemical, only the silk is left, which makes it look like chiffon.

Back in the spring, I ordered some swatches of Moroccan red silk-backed velvet from Syfabrics.com and a 4oz bottle of the fiber etch chemical from Dharma Trading Company. I tried it out on a small swatch, and it looked great, so I ordered 9 yards.  Those 9 yards then sat in my sewing room all year.  I was so scared to touch it, because I knew that I literally had one shot at this, as you cannot reprocess the chemical.  (Please note that the skirt and sleeves ended up using about 44 ounces of the fiber etch.)

I finally decided in October to get started.  I've worked with a lot of velvet before - crushed, stretch, regular.  I've never had a huge problem with it.  The silk-backed velvet was a bitch.  Even though I cut out each piece individually, the patterns wouldn't pin onto the fabric correctly, which meant that each piece was a distorted version of what it was supposed to be (and don't worry, I only tested this out on small pieces of the bodice).  I ended up using temporary adhesive spray to literally glue the patterns onto the back of the velvet.  That worked REALLY great!

I then used Wonder Tape to tape the edges of the seams together, which was WONDERful (har har).  Seriously, this stuff is amazing.  Go out and buy it now, even if you're not working with velvet.

Anyway, I assembled the bodice and skirt, and then I also made a lining out of the Casa Collection RB Matte Satin - Scarlet, which I found at Jo Ann's.  I had no idea how I was going to attach the bodice to the skirt, but I knew I had to do all of the devore before I attached the bodice, so I put it off.  I also used the devore technique on the sleeves.

Devore Technique

I'll do another blog post with more detail about the devore, but here's a quick overview.  Note:  Always wear a respirator during every step that involves the chemical.  It's nasty stuff.  I also wore the respirator while scratching off the pile, as you'll end up breathing it in if you don't.  It's essentially dust at that point, and it's also nasty.  Also, PLEASE test a LARGE piece of cloth on each step before you do this.  Trust me.  I did it with a small piece because I didn't want to waste fabric or fiber etch, and it turned out that my dryer dries unevenly.  The small piece turned out great, but the large panels were unevenly heated, and I tried reheating them, and I ended up burning holes in the fabric.  I had to throw out FOUR of the six panels.  I had to buy four more yards of fabric, and another 32 ounces of fiber etch.  It was not pretty.  There were tantrums.  But hey, I'm a flipping EXPERT at this now (although, if I ever decide to do it again, I think I'd rather just take out a couple hundred-dollar bills from the cash machine and light them in the fireplace).

1.  Wash the velvet in HOT water using Synthrapol, which I got at Dharma Trading, and then tumble dry.  I know this seems scary, but I did a test before I tossed all nine yards in, and it actually works great and removed all of the wrinkles that had set in.

2. SOAK the parts of the velvet that you want to remove with the fiber etch.  I used a small paintbrush to really jam all of the fiber etch in.  If you think it's soaked enough, soak it some more. Matt had made me a pattern, which I traced onto the fabric using a fabric marker that washes off with water.  When you look at the wrong side of the fabric, you should see that the chemical is completely soaked through.

3.  Let dry.  I hung my panels up on the indoor clothesline.

4.  Toss in a hot dryer for 10-20 minutes (check on it VERY often if you're not sure how hot your dryer is).  When the chemical has been activated, it turns black and is very brittle.  If it has heated unevenly, DO NOT put it back in the dryer!  DO NOT attempt to iron, like the directions say.  This is a MISTAKE.  Instead, turn your hair dryer on high and move it back and forth over the unprocessed parts.  You will see them turn black right before your eyes.

5.  Scratch off all of the blackened chemical. I used the edge of a credit card.  Beware: lots and lots of pile ends up in your house.  It's everywhere right now.  It's like glitter.

6.  Wash under cold running water with liquid soap to remove any remaining chemical, then let dry.  I used gloves during this process as well as the respirator.

The following photo is what happens when you over-process.  Don't over-process.  Learn from my mistakes!  Even if you have a small hole, when you wash it, it will just shred.

So I ruined four of the six skirt panels this way because I'd already sewn the skirt together (to know where to put the design).  I remade the four panels separately.  However, because velvet is A BITCH, when I sewed them together, they were all wrong.  The hem, which has a lovely scalloped design, is uneven all the way around (and in one spot, there's no scallop because it all got hemmed away).  I think the only way I can fix it is to cut out the scallops from new pieces of velvet and sew it to the existing skirt, but I don't have time before Chicago TARDIS.  I'll fix it at some point before we do our photo shoot next spring/summer.

More Details

In addition to the devore, the skirt and sleeves required further details, including flowers and vines painted on.  My husband was kind enough to do this part for me, as he's an artist and I'm a terrible painter.  He did a beautiful job!  Everything was painted prior to stitching it all together.

 

Over Sleeves

The over sleeves are a modification of the pattern I drafted for Eowyn's jacket in 2013.  Luckily, the seams match up the same way Eowyn's does, but the shoulder is shaped differently.  I also had to modify the bottom of the sleeves, as Eowyn's sleeves are much longer and squared off.  The exterior is velvet, but the interior is silver.  For the interior, I used a silvery organza fabric that I found at Vogue Fabrics in Evanston.  I apologize, as I don't have the name of the fabric anymore.  It was too sheer and you could see the red velvet underneath, so I attached a black lining to the silver and it made a nice effect.  From L-R below, original fabric, fabric over lining, and lining.

The sleeves also have a lovely silver lace fringe.  I purchased some lace from Etsy, but it had these long dangly bits.  I cut them off and attached the lace to the sleeve.

 

 

Final Steps

After all the skirt panels were done, I attached them to each other.  For the bodice, I attached the under sleeve to the lining and the over sleeve to the velvet.  I attached the bodice neck to the lining neck, and stitched them together at the two fronts.  The bodice seemed pretty flimsy, so I made 1/4" channels in the seams and inserted zip ties as boning to give it some shape and support.  Zip ties are great if you don't need a ton of support, like you would for a strapless dress.  Unlike plastic boning, they're already straight and super cheap.

After I turned the fabric to the right side, I ran a quick line at the bottom to keep the two together.  I left a few inches of the front of the skirt open for the eyelets, and then attached the bodice to the skirt.
I also made the cuffs for the sleeves.  The last thing I did with both pieces was add eyelets and laces.  This was surprisingly easy, as Matt had made an awl, which I pushed though the fabric (instead of cutting a small hole), then pulled the eyelet through.

I added trim around the neck.  I used a silver trim from Jo Ann's, which was similar to the trim I used for Elsa, just slightly wider.
The final step was adding 3mm crystal rhinestones that I found at Blinggasm.com I attached them using E6000.  Again, wear your respirator for this step, as E6000 is nasty and will make you feel pretty sick if you're using it for more than about five minutes.  It apparently also has really awful side effects if you're using it on a regular basis.

Accessories
Clara wears a lovely headpiece that's made by Topshop.  They don't have them anymore, so I made my own by first making a mold, then cold casting in resin.  I then braided several lengths of silver chain and attached them to the larger piece.  My first version was a bit too large, so Matt sculpted me a new one.  He added the detail into the sculpt.  The earrings are feather charms that I found at Michael's.  She also wears several rings from Topshop, but I simply pulled them from my own jewelry.  I may eventually try to find something better, but right now, I don't care.

Clara wears peep-toe booties, and the originals are something like $300.  I found the following shoes at Charlotte Russe for significantly less.

The final step was ordering an 8-foot-long belt from FlagCenter.com.  I also bought a cord and tassle from Jo Ann's in case the belt didn't get here in time (it took almost a week for them to ship it, and the shipping was 3-5 business days).  Those I just glued together, so they don't look fabulous, but they'll work if need be.  I also purchased red tights from Amazon, as I could only find maroon tights in the stores.


And here are the completed costumes!

Caspian's Tunic

I've been gone a lot longer than I thought!  Well, I'm starting to really kick into gear for DragonCon, so I've been working on a bunch of costumes.  First up:  Caspian's tunic!

I finally convinced my husband to be the Prince Caspian to my Queen Susan.  He made the boots a few weeks ago (you can see that on his Tumblr here), and just finished the chain maile the other night.  I've been working on his tunic and trousers.

Here's the finished product, but I'll go into more detail below.

I made the trousers by ripping a pair of his old jeans apart, tracing the fabric, and then making a new pattern.  The fabric for the trousers was Soho Suede Green from Fabric.com.  The fabric for the tunic is a brown suede from JoAnn Fabrics.  It probably should be the same material from Fabric.com, but you literally see just his elbows and collar, so Matt was kind of meh about what fabric I used.  I found the pattern for the tunic here - it's the same one that I used for Eomer's tunic.

Step-by-step instructions for constructing the tunic after you've made the pattern and cut out the fabric follows (the green fabric is for a Robin Hood costume):

Step 1:
With right sides together, sew the front to the back at the shoulders.

Step 2:
Open the tunic up, and then attach the right side of the sleeves to the right side of the tunic.  You'll want to put the middle of the sleeve on the shoulder seam.

So after you do that and open the whole tunic back up, it will be t-shaped.

Step 3:
Go to the edge of each piece of fabric and hem it up where you need it.  This is much easier than trying to do it once it's all sewn together.

Step 4:
Fold the tunic at the shoulder seam, right sides together, then pin and sew the sides.

Step 5:
With the right sides still together, sew the sleeves together.

Step 6:
Find the middle of the front of the tunic, then make a straight cut about 2-3" long.  Turn each side and stitch.

View of right side

View of wrong side

We go back to Caspian for ...

Step 7:
The collar, if you need one.  I had to make my own pattern for the collar.  I cut out four pieces and then attached them to the neckline.

Step 8:
Time for the eyelets!  I do these after I attach the collar to make sure that I have enough room to actually sew the collar on.  Mark the fabric where you want them to go, cut a tiny, round hole, stick your eyelets in, and whack 'em with the hammer!

Robin's Hood

Caspian's front. I swear I cannot get this suede to photograph at all.