Carolina Garrison

Hey all! I'm Amber, and my husband (Andy) is a new member of the Rebel Legion. We attended our first event (him as a Jedi, me as a handler) a few weeks ago at The Booth Amphitheatre.

I'm working on two costumes currently (with others to come) , and I wanted to get some opinions on this one, since I'm planning to join the 501st with it (with Dark Side makeup) as well as the Rebel Legion. We got it pre-owned, but the previous owner and I are pretty dang close in measurements. The dress, headpiece, boots, and gloves all fit perfectly. The outer dress fits me the same as it did the last owner, but I don't care for the fit and I'm debating whether or not it is worth trying to fix, or if I should get a new one all together. Take a look!















^Here is where you can see the fit of the outer dress. I don't care for all the extra fabric in the front, which is caused by the way the darting was done instead of making it with separate panels.



^See all the excess fabric? I would much prefer it be fitted as it shows in the game. Also, it is too heavily textured for my tastes. It has also had some wear and tear, so I'm not sure it will hold up to all the changes I want to make. I wonder if it will be worth trying to fix even though it's only going to last so much longer. Every time I rub my fingers across it, paint comes off. That can be lessened with a coating, I'm sure, but again: Is it worth it for something that won't last more than another year?



^Lots of excess in the back as well. My concern is that even if I do get it fitted properly, the zipper will need to be removed and replaced with a longer one. And I've only ever sewn one zipper in my life. So a hidden zipper in pleather (by hand because I have no machine right now) is pretty impossible at the moment. In the end, it would have to be sent to someone who can make all the adjustments needed. By then, I think enough money would be sunk into the old one that could've just been used for a new one.

The only thing I think I can manage to do myself by hand is reducing the sleeves on the outer dress. The gloves are also quite worn, but I think with a few fixes they will hold up just fine for another year or two before they need replacing.

P.S. I am going to put a seam in the headpiece to keep it down. And I am going to make a new belt, as the one it came with was 1) a bit too small for me, so it didn't tuck into the loop much at all, and 2) it was just too stiff, so it didn't drape naturally or even wrinkle.

How's the vision while wearing it?

Wow. That looks amazing so far. I love seeing costumes / armor that you don't see regularly. I personally love doing characters that aren't seen in public often.

Since it's such a unique character, and since you purchased it "previously owned" from someone, be sure that it still adheres to the most up-to-date 501st Legion CRL Guidelines if you haven't already. This will help ensure that you have everything looking as best as it possibly can for approval.

See here:
http://databank.501st.com/databank/Cost ... arr_unseen" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, be sure to sign up and check out the forums over at the 501st Legion - Flagship Eclipse Detachment. I'm sure there is some helpful info on those Detachment forums regarding the Visas Marr.
http://www.theflagshipeclipse.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If it was approved for a 501st member in the past, it may not be up to code as of now. Although at a quick glance, it looks great to me. Just double-check the guidelines to make sure you're not spinning your wheels. Also, feel free to contact our Garrison Membership Liaison (GML) - Jason Hill. He can help assist you as needed prior to approval. His username on our Garrison forums is: Cantina Security

Good luck on getting everything in order. I look forward to seeing you as a member in our Garrison in the near future.

Hmmm, yes, the sleeves on the under coat are a bit large, and also are to be gathered just below the elbow. The gold embellishments on the under coat sleeves are supposed to be on the glove tops, instead of the sleeve bottoms. According to the CRL that is .

As far as the over coat having to much material, we need to make sure it has the seams in the proper location , under the arms etc. But it doesn't look too large on you. It looks really good. Just need a few adjustments.

Here is the CRL for her.

http://databank.501st.com/databank/Cost ... arr_kotor2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This will tell you everything you need to know about the current standards. Keep up the good work and let us know if you have any questions.

Looking forward to seeing the final product, this is definitely one you don't see often.

Carnage:

It's surprisingly decent, actually. More or less, everything is kind of fuzzy from the fabric, but I usually wear glasses, so I'm blind anyway even before I get the headpiece on. I have very sensitive eyes, so I'm going to try some daily contact lenses to see if they fare better than those I've tried in the past. Will update ya'll when I give them a try with the headpiece.

silverBoyd:

Yeah, I'm looking forward to doing it. I know I won't be able to wear it to some events, but I do plan to have another costume for more regular events. (I suspect for the large events where an EU character wouldn't be recognized, I will go with the Rebel Legion in my Rey costume that is in the works)

As for the costume guidelines, I've made sure to check over both 501st and Rebel Legion guidelines just to make sure it'll be to standard. I believe it was approved for the last owner about a year ago. So far the only thing that I've looked at that needs fixing to be to standard are 1) the veil to be sewn down (it's easier to sew it than trying to bobby pin it every time) and 2) the outer dress sleeves, which may be moot if I do just get a new one. (fully intending to)

Cantina Security:

The seams are definitely the biggest cause for the excess fabric. Also, I'm actually doing the Unseen/Unheard version.

http://databank.501st.com/databank/Cost ... arr_unseen" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Planning to make a fabric run either this weekend or during the week for belt materials. My mother-in-law has a sewing machine I'm going to steal so I can put it together. I'm thinking snaps will be the best route for securing it.

xapologies:

You don't, and I was actually surprised not to see a Visas here. Is anyone else in the 501st Carolina Garrison working on her, or has there ever been a Visas in this Garrison? I've already been told that I'll be the first for Blue Ridge Base RL.

P.S. Any opinions on the veil? Most go straight across the bottom, but mine is cut at an angle (to help it sit a certain way) , but I think I can trim it and fix the gold if need be.

Thanks, everyone, for the feedback! It's good for motivating me to get to work.

Alright, so I've been nitpicking this thing for weeks. My personal interpretation of this version of Visas involves the under dress color being much darker. And since dyeing it would be one heck of a process, I think I've come to a decision that I can accept:

I'm going to remove the sleeves (or alter them, but I don't think there's enough fabric there) and redo them so that this can be a KOTOR version. Then down the line, when I've had some practice, I will make the Unseen, Unheard version dress and veil with a darker fabric, and use the same outer dress, boots, and gloves.

Honestly, I hate that I haven't gotten to do any work on this costume myself aside from altering the veil. This way I can actually do some work on it, and I'll be happy knowing I didn't compromise on the fabric. (Plus that works out great, because the guy who sold this to us is also getting rid of his Darth Nihilus costume, which will fit my husband. So doing the KOTOR version of Visas would be more fitting)

the KOTOR version would be cool too. Keep up the great work. You;ll eventually become a 501st member in no time

Wow, I hadn't realized I haven't updated this with my new belt yet. Sadly no progress on the dress and outer dress, as it's going to take some saving up for fabric for the main dress, and we're still sourcing someone who can make the outer dress. Not to mention the fact that I had some computer problems, so I won't be able to get a sewing machine for at least another month.

A friend offered me her machine, so as soon as I can afford to get some practice fabric and veil fabric, I'll start working on the sleeves and attempt the alteration of the veil. In the meantime, here's the belt.

Old:



Notice how flat it is? I couldn't get it to drape naturally or even wrinkle a bit at all.

New:





Ironed it a bit for the sake of pictures, but the fabric is gentle enough that it will form natural wrinkles. If I were to do it again, I would probably sew it in a curved U-shape to avoid the odd lay of the angled drape. I'd also opt for some sort of hook-and-eye closure instead of snaps, which I'm concerned will cause holes in the fabric after enough use. But all in all, I'm pleased with how it came out. (and I have enough fabric to make three or four more belts if this one wears out!)

Coming along Nicely. great work. Keep it up.