As for the belt, I think this
https://amzn.to/2xD17jf would work as the base layer. HOWEVER, I found a 1 1/2" patent leather looking belt at a thrift store, so I used that!
I used this Gold mylar tape
https://amzn.to/2xKu7p8 over a really skinny belt (also found at a thrift store),
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| Can't beat $1.99 for a costume part! |
but one of these should work
https://amzn.to/2IXYTLL ) as the gold layer.
I'm still working on the Stormtrooper I started last summer, so I have plenty of E6000 on hand.
https://amzn.to/2MSkU0Y . After I carefully covered the top of the skinny belt with the mylar tape (the size was almost perfect - it covered the sides and overlapped a bit on the bottom) I spread e6000 on the bottom of the gold belt. I did this little by little, using a q-tip to apply a bit to the black belt and letting both sides get tacky before clamping them together. ***Make sure to check the CRL (which is in draft at the time of this writing) for placement!*** The mini spring clamps (similar to these
https://amzn.to/2MQnB2V ) I like to use for smaller E6000 projects were being used on the necklace/harness, so I used clamps similar to these
https://amzn.to/2zb5eE8 (I think these are a bit smaller than mine, which would have worked as well.) Make sure you use protective gear in a well-ventilated area when working with E6000! You'll need to be patient and wait at least 24 hours for it to cure.
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| Starting to clamp the gold belt layer! |
I used a variety of clamps I had on hand (again, thanks to my Stormtrooper build!) as you can see. I ran out of clamps, so I also used some of the rare earth magnets
https://amzn.to/2ucDdq2 I use for my Stormtrooper. I was worried about the c-clamps denting the leather/pleather/gold, but they didn't! I did throw some foam in there, as you can see.
On to the buckle!!!
Here is where I felt truly inspired as a Star Wars prop maker. I looked around my basement and wondered how I could create the triangular prism of Qi'ra's belt closure....
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| Math review time - this is a triangular prism! |
...and I found an old plastic thing designed to slide on the bottom of your door to keep out drafts (link here:
https://amzn.to/2MSslF8 ). The space under the door was too tight for it to work, but I'd kept it for the past four years just knowing I would need it at some point....
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| Mine was brown, but you'll be covering it up so it doesn't matter! |
I trimmed off maybe 5 or 6 mm to make it a shallow triangular prism.
As you can see above and below, I pulled off the insulating foam and rubber ribs on the bottom.
I had to dremel down the ribs on the bottom so the snaps would lay flat.
Above and below, you can see that this fit PERFECTLY on my mini-anvil.
I put in four rows of snaps. This will give a little bit of adjust-ability with my final belt. These weren't applied exactly, so one configuration is a little tight. However, I did space out the left and right sides differently deliberately, so the belt would't be upside down accidentally.
The next few pictures were from my first version of the back pendant. This triangular prism wasn't as shallow as my final one. I saw Solo again on Sunday, and tried to absorb EVERY DETAIL of this gown. There aren't many good reference images of the back belt closure, so I paid extra attention to that. I was struck by how shallow the triangular prism was!
I used black gorilla tape
https://amzn.to/2zeHUFs strips to pull the top edges together to form the triangular prism. In version 1.0, shown in the next two pictures, I overlapped the part covering the ends. In my final version, I cut the ends into triangles that lined up exactly. That enabled the tops to be smoother.
Whether you overlap the triangles or just apply perfect triangles to the edges, be mindful of where you put the tape edges. I ended up using an exacto knife on a cutting mat to trim the pieces so that the edges of the tape ended up on the edges of the prism. I used black sharpie on any white tape glue parts that showed.
*NOTE**I attached the pendant in my final version before adding the ends as you can see below.
Now, back to pictures of version 2.0!
The pendant I used for this version came attached to a leather necklace. Its a bit small, but I drilled tiny holes in the bottom corners of the belt base and stitched through the leather necklace (I trimmed off all but a little bit as you can see in the picture)
There seemed to be a rectangular frame on the top in the picture, which I made by cutting a rectangular frame out of craft foam. I then covered the craft foam in the mylar tape. Then, I used a Gorilla superglue variety that had a brush to glue on the gold frame.
https://amzn.to/2MSuXTK
And here it is!
More details:
