01/02/13
Finally have my new group assignment for Uni......West-End Nights!
After much deliberation, we have chosen to create costumes from the show Mamma Mia! (which, for those of you who are not familiar with this production, include plenty of florescent lycra!
I will be constructing the bright orange costume, to be modeled by the lovely Donna, while I'll be modelling the bright yellow suit! (no laughing in the back!!)
Next task is to start cutting the toile from the stretch satin......
Stitching the top to the bottom was a little more difficult than I had first thought. Everything was overlocked together making sure it still fit the model perfectly. I also had to leave an opening for the zip which would go down the back of the bodice and halfway down the back of the trousers.
08/02/13
Started to draft patterns patterns for the more simple areas of my costume e.g the skirt and belt, sleeves and cuffs and collar. After lots of playing and fiddling around, I've decided to construct my collar using buckram to strengthen it! Hopefully starting my toile next week so let's just see how this turns out.....! Pictures to follow...........
15/02/2013
After lots of research, I've decided to construct the costume from a stretch satin fabric. This will give the appearance of a lycra jumpsuit while also looking smooth with a shiny finish. Received plenty of fabric samples and some cheap stretch satin so on with making the toile........
Two examples of the orange 'Mamma Mia!' costume that I'm constructing!!
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Bit of messing around with buckram and the collar starts to take shape.
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One large 'do-nut' shaped piece of calico cut out to make the short flounced skirt.
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Two size 10-12 bodice block patterns pinned to dummy and cut to shape. This will make the strengthened front panels for my costume.
Next task is to start cutting the toile from the stretch satin......
20/02/2013
Started to cut out toile using cheaper fabric (not in correct colour) and then stitch together. For a nice, small seam in the stretchy fabric, I've gone for the four thread overlocker on 0.5 cm seam allowance. considering the usual seam allowance on costume is 2 cm, this seemed very small!!
Cut out bodice back and front, overlocked together and cut out strengthened piece for front.
Costume toile with full bodice pieces, flounced skirt with calico underneath, muslin sleeve with calico cuff and the buckram collar.
The sleeve was easy to construct. The original costume sleeve looks like it's made from a sheer fabric such as chiffon so I chose muslin for my toile. I took a basic sleeve block, drew around it, cut out the pattern and opened it out to a width of 1 metre. This looked quite a lot of fabric at first but once gathered at arm scye and wrist, the lightweight muslin hung in the correct position.
04/03/2013
Managed to also cut out a basic trouser pattern and adjust so it is tight fitting. (Remember these trousers are to be tucked into some lovely 6 inch, knee-high, silver platform boots!) Next step will be to attach bodice to trousers and make sure it fits the model!
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Stitching the top to the bottom was a little more difficult than I had first thought. Everything was overlocked together making sure it still fit the model perfectly. I also had to leave an opening for the zip which would go down the back of the bodice and halfway down the back of the trousers.
11/03/2013
The original costume has some shiny silver padded rolls over each shoulder. To make these I took a rectangular shaped piece of wadding and trimmed it down so it would curve over the shoulder.
This shape seemed too big so I cut it in half length-ways and this to work better.
I then wrapped a piece of calico around the wadding and trimmed it to fit. When opened out, I was left with a leaf shape that I would use for my pattern.
When put together and pinned to the dummy, I was pleased with the results.
I stitched the shoulder roll to the arm scye and then stitched the sleeve to the shoulder roll.
Next I finally managed to start cutting out the final pieces beginning with the silver lining for the skirt and collar.
Once all the silver linings had been cut out, I then used the same patterns to cut out the pieces from the orange satin and calico where I needed the extra fabric. Starting with the cuffs seemed a good place to begin. I had to remember not to stitch around all edges as I needed to handsew silver cord around the edges and apply the hundreds of silver stars!
1/04/2013
Well it seems to have taken an eternity, but after a couple of weeks of sitting at uni hand couching metres and metres of silver cord and applying hundreds of metal stars by hand, I can finally see an end.......the bright orange fabric has given me a headache after hours of staring at it!!
Once all the cord had been sewn on, I could then make the holes for my eyelets. here's the (rather large) eyelet making machine at uni!
When the eyelets had been placed I could then begin gluing the crystals around each one. Each of the 12 eyelets has 12 crystals around it so that's 144 in total. Thought this part would take forever but luckily only took about 30 mins!
A few more metal embellishments were then applied down the front of the bodice, silver elastic threaded through the eyelets and powernet fabric stitched to the inside of the bodice. The sides were then stitched down and silver cord hand sewn down the edges to cover the joins.
15/04/2013
Now that the bodice was finally complete, I have to finish the trouser legs before I can stitch the two together. I thought about hand sewing the silver cord down the side of each leg first but realised (just in time!) that there was a row of iron on diamonds either side of the cord which would need to go on first.
After the diamonds had been ironed onto the trousers I began to sew on the silver cord. Trying to get my hand up the tight trouser legs and couch on the cord at the same time was quite time consuming!
The bodice was then finally overlocked to the trousers!
29/04/2013
The zip was then added to the newly constructed suit ensuring that I left a small flap to conceal the zip.
Next I want to add the sleeves to the suit, but before this can be done I need to make some epaulettes.
06/05/2013
The hand-in deadline is at the end of this week (10/05/2013) so it's all systems go at uni!!! Every single sewing machine and overlocker is taken up and queues have begun to form!
I have a couple of days at uni to finish everything off before it gets assessed and marked, then (if it's good enough) it ends up on the end of year catwalk show on 23/24th May!
10/05/2013
Hand-in day is here and I've finished! Costumes, patterns, research files, construction logs and technical files all done and handed in! Phew :)
23&24/05/2013
End of year catwalk show!
My friend, fellow costume student and my model, Leanne finally wearing my completed costume for the catwalk show!
Here's me modelling the yellow Mamma Mia! costume made my Leanne! You can visit Leanne's blog by clicking on the image above!
Leanne (in orange), me (in yellow) and lovely Lauren (in pink) on the catwalk showing off our Mamma Mia! costumes! Check out Lauren's blog here: costume-creations.tumblr.com
A bunch of us modelling our costumes!
14/06/2013
Well, after a short break, I've gone back to uni to get my results and so happy to receive distinctions for all my costumes!!! I am looking forward to starting the second year of my degree with tailoring and millinery on the menu!
See you in September! x
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