TK50721 ANH Stunt Build - First Cut

So you want to be a Jedi

So, you want to be a Jedi?

This guide isn't about the sewing bits. I touch on that in other places. Or I will, once I sit down and finish more posts! This guide is for you if someone else is sewing your Jedi soft parts, or if you've already got those figured out!

There are TONS of resources on the Rebel Legion forums, especially the Knights of the Jedi Order forum. First, start with the CRL guidelines.

Besides the Outer Tunic, Inner Tunic, Tabards, Obi, and optional robe, you'll need the following:

Lightsaber

Okay, so THIS is why you want to be a Jedi!

I know a lot of advanced Jedi who swear by The Custom Saber Shop. Eventually, I imagine I'll get to that point!

I got my lightsaber and my husband's lightsaber from Ultrasabers, and we love them! ***March 2021 Update - since we got our lightsabers, I've heard the quality for Ultrasabers has gone down significantly, so I can no longer recommend them***

I went with a budget build, so we have light, but no sound. I couldn't quite justify the additional price for sound, which can almost double the price for some models, as Rebel Legion troops are often loud, and conventions are almost universally loud, and plus, as my husband remarked, we can just make our own lightsaber noises! At Ultrasabers, this is the "stunt" version. 

I have the Apprentice V4 , which I picked because it reminded me of the flashlight I pretended was a lightsaber when I was a kid. 

I'll walk you through the options I'm familiar with.

If you're not ready to commit to a color, you can select "Adegan Silver," and can get it with color disks. There are tons of different colors, which is awesome, but your blade color won't be as vivid as it would have been as a dedicated color. The CRL states that acceptable Jedi blade colors are: "blue, green, yellow, orange, white and violet. No red, pink or black blades."

I have the basic AA battery model. My lightsaber has a 32" blade, which is large than the 24" that comes with Initiate sabers. My husband has the Bellicose model, which comes with the 36" blade standard. I like the 32" because I can still hang it from my belt, and it can fit in my biggest suitcase when separated from the hilt. I'll need to get a 32" blade for my husband for DragonCon! 

There are a number of style options you can pick. The next option I would suggest taking is the Blade Retention Screw Wrench. For $1, its worth having a tool dedicated to removing your blade! I suggest keeping it in your Jedi pouches! Blade plugs are neat for when you're carrying your hilt without the blade, but we haven't used ours yet. Worth getting, but something you can eliminate if you're on a budget. 

NOW we're on to something you need -- the Covertec clip! This is how you'll hang your lightsaber on your belt, and is necessary for Rebel Legion approval, unless you have an original trilogy saber that hangs from a clip. You can see mine on the far left of my belt below. Order the clip from Ultrasabers (currently $10) and then add the Covertec wheel (currently $14 with installation). 

Those are the key options you'll need. If you plan to fly with your Jedi, I do suggest ordering a blade that will fit in your luggage at this point, as you'll save on shipping. I need to get my husband a 32" blade, or I'll risk him buying some fancy fishing rod case and then wanting to actually use it to fly all over creation to fish. . .

BE AWARE, however, that I've heard stories about lightsabers being flagged by TSA for additional inspection (understandable, considering it is a metal tube of electronics), so you'll likely want to pack the hilt somewhere it can be easily examined. 

***August 2018 update - If you want the most beautiful, highest quality saber EVER, or want something customized and gorgeous, check out https://www.aofcustomsabers.com/ . I troop with a lot of people who have Arm on Fire sabers, and they are superb! If you can fit one into your Jedi budget, do not hesitate! ****

I prefer the Original Trilogy style, which I'm wearing here:

There's another style, which seems to be more popular in the Rebel Legion, which is the Prequel Trilogy style. The OT style is easier to make, so that made my decision extra easy! The belt and boot colors DO need to match, so if you already have your boots, you'll need to coordinate with them.

If you're looking to source your belt and/or pouches, Civlized Galactic Gear does absolutely beautiful work and I've heard nothing but positive things about them. https://civilizedgalacticgear.com/

Boots

I decided to be strategic, and use my Imperial Officer boots for my Jedi, as that would allow me to pack one pair of boots for two costumes when traveling! If you think you'll want to put together an Imperial Officer, or a Han Solo, or one of the many other costumes that require black Equestrian boots, and you don't already have boots that you can use, I HIGHLY recommend that you spend a bit more and get multi-purpose boots! Your cheapest option, for men's sizes, would be PVC riding boots. They'll run you about $60 or $70. 

***February 2018 update***
I'm optimistic about these boots for men, available on Amazon. (***August 2018 update - I ordered a pair for my husband's Han Solo and I can now HIGHLY recommend them!***) They have no zipper, so they may be challenging for some to put on. The version with a zipper has the zipper in the back, which doesn't work with the CRL. Here's the women's version.  Perhaps, ask your local cobbler if a hidden zipper could be added to the inner calf. (Zippers don't work for level 3 Imperial Officer approval, however.) I've also heard of people having luck with http://www.sovietboots.com/ .  I had ordered a pair of officer boots from http://www.imperialboots.com/product/officer-boots/  for my husband, but that batch had some quality control issues. Their customer service was fantastic, however, so while that particular pair didn't meet expectations, I still recommend the company. If you need a zipper, they have them with a hidden zipper on the inside. I also want to add that I love my stormtrooper boots from them! Just need to finish my armor so I can actually wear them. . . .
***end February 2018 update***



I found my boots on ebay for $50! For ladies' sizes, I'd suggest searching around for a deal.

Here's the full CRL listing for Generic Jedi Boots:

Brown or Black Boots – Leather or leather-like (no rubber boots).

a. Mid-calf, but not above the knee. (motorcycle boots, or “engineer” boots, ~ 14″) Extensions like seen in the movie are allowed).

b. No visible laces or outside zippers. When necessary, inside zippers are permitted.

c. Straps & shin-spats are allowed but not required (though can be used to cover laces and zippers).

d. Boots and belts should match (be of a complimentary color), i.e., black and black or brown and brown. No black/brown combinations.

e. Buckles are permitted, but should complement the boot and not detract from the overall look of the Jedi costume.

f. Low-heeled 1 – 1 1/2 inches maximum. Spike heels are not permitted.

g. Mini-Chaps (not above the knee) are allowed.

For comparison, here's the boot section of the Imperial Officer CRL:

Officer Boots For 501st approval: Knee-high, black, lace-less, smooth non-textured, leather or leather-like material. Rubber is not acceptable. PVC or synthetic material is allowed as long as it gives the appearance of leather. There are no stretch panels, buckles, snap tabs, or decoration. Boots have conservative heels. If zippers are present, they are hidden on the inner part of the boot shaft. Not visible from the front, side or back. The top of the boots may be flat or Spanish Style, but not Cowboy or Super Hero (pointed at the front) style.

For level two certification (if applicable): Boots do not have a zipper.

For level three certification (if applicable): Boots are made of leather. Not vinyl or PVC. Exact replicas of English riding (dress) boots or Equestrian boots.

Pick 3 of 4!

For approval, you need at least three of the four required extras: Inner tunic, Jedi Pouches, Food pellets (at least 4), or a Robe/Cloak. 

For this, you might want to consider the weather. A full inner tunic and an outer cloak will add to the heat, but will also keep you warmer in cold weather! The inner tunic can actually be a "dickie," so it doesn't need to add a lot of warmth. 

The food pellets are supposedly easy to make, but they're even easier to buy! I got a set of 8. Four went to my husband's Jedi, and four to mine!

You can make your own pouches, but you can also buy them. If you do buy them, make sure what you pick meets the CRL!

Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi!

I already had one of Arda's long clips in dark brown, leftover from the hair I ordered for my Ceremonial Leia. And I just realized that I posted my pattern and accessory sources, but not pictures of the actual garment! Maybe I should post those before I start on my Senatorial Leia. . . .
Anyway. . . I decided to use the two long clips for the buns after reading Kay-Dee's wonderful tutorial. I was in part inspired to start this costume after reading about the origin's of Leia's hair.

Even if it would PROBABLY be faster and easier to hand draw patterns, I still love putting them into Inkscape and making printable PDF patterns. I'm indebted to the work from http://chucrew.com/Leia/dresspattern.html , Check her work out for assembly instructions!

Use this link to get free shipping on your first Arda Purchase.


Other really useful references: http://www.padawansguide.com/leia_anh_makingof.shtml

Oh, and here are the finished bunz . . .

Historical Costuming for Alternative History

One of my favorite projects over the past couple years has been creating and expanding the wardrobe for my character, Lady Elizabeth, for the weird/wild west Alternative history LARP (Live Action Roleplaying game), Keystone.

With alternate history settings, you always want to know where things change. That point in Keystone comes in 1825, when Charles Babbage was able to successfully build the difference engine. King George IV. Over the next five years, difference engines were built all under London, forming one giant difference engine, called the Hub. The Americans, of course, stole and copied the plans. Like they do. And in 1830, they revealed this before the King was able to show the Hub to the world, stealing his glory and driving him to an early grave a year later. In our alternate history, that's when Queen Victoria ascended to the throne (not in 1837). She never married Prince Albert, which happened, in real history, in 1840. 

If this intrigues you, I encourage you to read all the details (so far) in the UK Nation packet for Keystone. I'm skipping over a bunch of stuff, like how Charles Dickens was a TRAITOR! Gasp! and how there was an amazing "arms race" between the US and UK of progressive legislation. Slavery? Abolished! Equal rights for women? Granted. On a side note, I thought this was a perfect strategy for Keystone's staff to create a world where we didn't have to deal with historical sexism and racism. 

Then, on June 21, 1865, the world exploded. Basically, everything other than the United Kingdom, Italy, the East Coast of the US,. It took years for the remainder of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Italy (now called Rome) to find each other, and draw up the Treaty of Cardiff. They began to explore the oceans, and in 1881 a group led by David Livingstone found land that contained groups formerly of what would have been the Midwest US, and the mysterious New Lhasa (which draws on both Chinese and Mexican influences). 

Players from the UK, US, and Rome are members of the Second Cardiff Expedition, sent to settle in the new land, in a town called Keystone. The expedition left in 1884. There were three "prequel" one day events in 2015, representing this transition. The first full year of the game, 2016, represented 1885. Now, as we begin year two, we'll be in 1886.

I didn't originally mean to spend so much time on the history and background of the game world, but that was, of course, necessary. Before you can figure out the fashion of your alternate history, you need to know what changed and when!

There are some more important details, from a costuming perspective. If you aren't familiar with LARPing, you should know that it is common for different in game groups to have costuming or make-up requirements. In a high fantasy game, for example, Elves would be required to wear prosthetic pointy elf ears. (Oh, and if you wear prosthetic ears, or a fake mustache, or stick a gem on yourself, or anything else, and are still using spirit gum, do yourself a favor and try Pros-Aide.) The British, in Keystone, need to have a red gem somewhere, generally have a robotic augmentation, and are ALWAYS covered from ankle to wrist to neck. The only two exceptions are if you need to, say, roll up your sleeves in the course of your job, or if you have an augmentation. Of COURSE you will show off that augmentation! If  (and only if) you had an upper chest augmentation, you could wear a low cut bodice.

Photos by Maureen Donaldson:

Photos by Linda C. Johnson: 

http://linda-c-johnson.artistwebsites.com/
https://www.facebook.com/lcj11768

http://froufroufotos.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bje2000/

Photos by Christine Catalano: 

For more information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Difference_engine 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria#Early_reign 

Keystone LARP United Kingdom Nation Packet

Resistance Rey Research and Costume!

Well. . .I finished this costume without documenting much in the way of the process. So, without further ado, here's my Resistance Rey research, followed by pictures of the finished project!

I scoured the internet for gray herringbone wool in a coating weight. I found this Grey/Cream Herringbone Wool Coating. I ordered two yards, which better be enough because it is now sold out!!! EEK!

I also ordered some of this Grey/White Double Face Knit as a possibility for the arm wraps. I don't think the texture or color quite work. I'll probably end up driving to a fabric store. If you're in the Boston area, do not, I repeat, DO NOT go to the big chain store for fabric or notions. The three Sewfisticated locations, in Dorchester, Somerville, and Framingham, have the advantage in both fabric quality AND price. If I'm a bit farther west, I'll head out to the Auburn Fabric Outlet at  773 Southbridge St, Auburn, MA 01501. Fabric is $3 a yard! I've found some gorgeous textiles here. They have a great selection of notions, too.

I've been garbage about posting details about my process. I have been taking pictures, but haven't had the time or the energy to put them all together to share. Well, when I have had the energy, I've been using it for more sewing. . .

The Rebel Legion standards are posted here. I'm starting with the vest because that seems like it will be the most challenging/interesting part. And I forgot to order fabric for the shirt. And I did get pants to alter, but I don't remember where they are at the moment! So, vest it is!

Here are general reference images from the Knights of the Jedi Order, and here is a great build thread on the Rebel Legion forum. I also found this article from Threads, posted in the build thread, really useful for the collar.


EmeraldB has a great post about making Rey's pants, and includes a pattern for the kneepads. She's got a ton of other information on the rest of the costume as well!