Lady Vadore Update & Sneak Peek!

An amazing thing happened this past weekend, guys: John and I finished my costume.

Can I get a "Wahoo?!"

I'm sure I'll find ways to add even more detail in the next few weeks, of course, but it's a huge relief to be ready this far in advance of Star Wars Celebration. We tried it all on Saturday night (and I say "we" because I need a LOT of assistance to get in the thing), and then I just hung out, you know, chillin', in my rather restrictive costume for an hour or so to see if I would suffocate or keel over or both.

Happily I did fine, although sitting is an adventure and I had some fascinating marks all over my face and torso afterward. Heh.

One of the reasons this costume has taken so long is that John and I have focused on lots of tiny details you can't really appreciate when you first see the whole thing. So while the following images are, indeed, a complete tease, they're also to show you some of the finer points you might not notice during the grand reveal.

I hope you like them. 

There aren't many fabric trims available in copper, so I applied a copper wash on all the gold button highlights and hand-painted metallic copper strips on all the gold braided trim.

A vintage piece with custom painted filigrees and pale green Swarovski crystal accents. This is probably my favorite part of the whole costume, after the mask, and I can't wait to show you guys what it does.

The feathers flash iridescent green in the light, with a few horizontal veins of purple.

Tiny calling cards (only an inch and a half tall) that John and I designed and printed on a textured linen cardstock. ( I should mention I'm not going to be foisting these off on unsuspecting con-goers; they're actually a part of the costume. You'll see.)

Thanks for all of your help on the name, too, guys; the consensus seemed to be "Vadore" would get the proper pronunciation across.

I have a tutorial coming up for my lightsaber, so look for that soon. In the meantime, I'm already brainstorming what my next project should be! (Don't tell John; he just now got his dining room table back after two months. Ha!) I'm a little steampunked out, so I'm thinking....I dunno....resin jewelry? I've wanted to try mold-making for ages. Or painted sneakers? Or a comic book purse? What do you think, guys - anything you want me to test-try for you?

[In case you missed it, you can see my completed Vader mask (and lots of progress pics!) here.]