Category Archives: Lord of the Rings
Done, but Not Premiered
Technically done again! No really. Well, ok, maybe not. I could add more. This is one of those costumes you could always just add a little more too. But for right now, I’m finished. Finished sewing the trim on the overgown’s neckline, then made a sash for the back. Used the sari trim lined with
Arwen Overgown
After much hemming and hawing (no pun intended), I made the overgown. Well, it’s not quite done yet. Need to finish hand-sewing the trim around the incredibly wide neckline. Also need to add sash ties in the back because in my attempt to make the overgown big enough to go over the first gown, I
Almost Done, Accessorizing
Technically, both costumes are done now. Pulled a marathon (for me; I stayed up past midnight 😉 sewing session last night and finished my gown. Designed sleeves based on, well, not much ‘cept the fact that I wanted to be able to eat in the dress yet still have a semblance of Floppy Elf Sleeve
Arwen’s Gown, In Progress
Today, I got the main body of my black and silver elf gown done. Not sure if I’ll bother with the overgown because when I sewed the wide sari trim to the neckline, it just looked so good against the solid black. I think the silver overgown (a la the two-part Requiem outfit) might detract
Aragorn Tunic, Done-ish
I sweated it out in the nearly 100-degree house and almost completed the Aragorn tunic. Omg, do I rock or what?!? This thing looks freakin’ awesome. The perfect silver and black diamond fabric, fully lined, stand-up collar, fold-over closure, totally like the movie costume, and just cool in its own right. I’m totally self-satisfied with
Arwen Rivendell Outfit
Photos of me taken at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden. Screencaps from the Lord of the Rings movies added for costume comparison.
Embroidery complete
I’m done! I spent all weekend embroidering the sash, and, boy, was that a trial. I started Saturday, and I can’t remember the last day I said “f**k” quite so often. Machine embroidery is tough! And metallic thread doesn’t make it any easier — even winding the bobbin was a pain in the ass! The
Basic bits done-ish
I finished sewing the basic outfit. Need to hand-sew the hems of both the under- and overgowns. Need to sew the placket into the overdress and sew on the hooks and bars. Next weekend, I’ll start the sash. I am going to try to embroider the design — very ambitious for me! I’ve been practicing
Fiddly stuffy
I started with the underdress, which has long darts in the front and back to give it a fitted shape. It had been years since I’d made anything with darts (I’ve been loving princess seams for quite some time ;-). This was a bit of a challenge, and I mucked it up. Even transferring the
Rivendell beginnings
This is the purple brocade outfit that Arwen wears as the Fellowship bids farewell to Rivendell. This costume is seen on the extended DVD of Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring and in a flashback sequence during Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. I got the amazing opportunity to make this costume
Arwen’s Mourning Gown
Photos taken at Oak Hill Cemetery in San Jose.
Final pieces
Finished the crown. I printed out tiny versions of the White Tree of Gondor and practiced painting over the print with dimensional gold paint. Had to trim a lot of branches from the tree so the details didn’t blur together with paint (what kind of sacrilege is that, to lop off parts of the White
Making an easy, inexpensive Crown of Gondor
Started the crown and veil. Got sidetracked by Valentine’s Day and my birthday, but I finally had a half a day free to work on these pieces. A while ago, I made a paper template of the crown and cut it out of buckram. Because I didn’t have a long enough piece of buckram in
All but accessories
I finished sewing the gown! This must be a record time for me, especially since I spent so long fiddling around with the trim. Today I spent six straight hours hand-sewing the hem and the final parts of the trim. Also this weekend, I bought the black chiffon for the veil. Went with the dirt-cheap