The Quest For the Crossover Crinkle

The biggest challenge with Gab costumes is already becoming evident - it is finding the right fabric! In fact, "right" would be a misnomer - it is finding fabric close enough to do the job. It has been brought to my attention that a lot of the fabrics used were specially woven or sourced from local companies to give the costumes an authentic look and feel.

So, while still on the search for peasant skirt linen, I decided, for the sake of variety, to turn my attention to the crossover set while I waited for my multitude of samples to arrive. In theory this seemed like a good way to keep myself occupied and alleviate the boredom of continually failing fabric hunting. In actuality it simply expanded my continually failing at fabric hunting to a larger scale.

Studying the crossover top, the first thing that draws attention is the fact that it's textured. There is a distinctive patten. I concluded that I should focus on matching this texture above all else, buy the fabric in whatever colour it came in, and dye it later. The skirt and top appear to be similar colours so I figured if I bought them both in a similar colour I could dye them both with the same stuff and get a near perfect match. So I gravitated towards textured neutral cottons and bought this:

Well that was rather stupid. I don't know what I was thinking with that one but it was fairly cheap so never mind. The hunt continued, and then, in an unexpected place, I found this:

This is my parents' tablecloth, acquired second-hand somewhere around the 1970s. But that looks remarkably like the crinkle effect I'm aiming for! It was generously donated to the Gabby Project and I gleefully skipped down to the haberdashery for the packet of bleach, got back, threw it in the machine and waited to see how it would come out. Well it came out.... exactly the same as it went in actually. So I was no closer to success and £6.50 out of pocket.

With ebay still yielding no results, I decided to brave the Fancy Silk Store. Now, the Fancy Silk Store in Birmingham is a wonderful place but going in there looking for stuff is no mean task. It is three floors of high density stock and you can lose an hour in there without noticing. There is only one place I know more evil in terms of sapping the time away from you, and that is Platoon, the army surplus store in north Manchester (if you like that sort of thing). FSS is normally pretty good at coming up trumps with the weird and wonderful. I had found their linen range rather lacking when I'd gone searching for peasant skirt fabric (not enough variation of brown) but they rarely fail so I thought I'd try for textured stuff and start throwing dyes around if necessary.

I have often found the staff of fabric stores rarely "get" cosplayers. Realistically their main clientèle can be divided fairly neatly into two categories: People who make their own clothes and are just after something to do the job, and rich middle aged women who are into arts and crafts and are looking for "something lovely" to make a teacosy out of. You walk in with a photograph of someone off the telly and declare "I'm looking for something like that. No not just a BIT like that. Not just in that colour or with that vague sort of pattern. EXACTLY like that!" and they look at you as if you're nuts. As such I have given up asking for help and prefer to be left alone to browse in peace. And fortunately the folk at FSS seem content to let me do just that. This may partly be due to the fact that they have so many different materials that even THEY don't know what they have in the shop. (They probably do, but I don't envy them during stocktake.)

Skirt linen (left), top crinkle cotton (right).

On this visit I gravitated, as I always do these days, to the cottons and linens section where I found my blue peasant shirt fabric. Their range of textured cottons was really quite impressive and I found several matching the striped crinkles of the crossover top. Slightly oddly however was the fact that they all differed in thickness and texture. It didn't come in brown at all, and the white was the thinnest and flimsiest of the lot, so in the end I decided to plump for the closest pattern in a coral pink. This makes the process of matching up the colours of the top and skirt even more complicated.

The skirt looks like a linen. All the early season skirts appear to be a linen in varying shades of brown, and thus far I haven't found anything suitable for a single one of them. Many of the linens I am ordering from eBay are turning out to be far too thin - thankfully I have got into the habit of asking for samples from eBay rather than ordering by the metre based solely on a photo. At FSS though, I found a dull orange linen that was nice heavy duty that frayed well - always important for that dishevelled peasant look. I was expecting having to dye both the top and the skirt of the crossover set in order to match them up, so it looks like I'd be throwing a reddish brown dye over the orange and a terracotta brown over the pink in order to try and meet in the middle around a kind of reddy-maroon-y-brown. Fingers crossed....

"You make me wanna dye...."

Sleeves - decisions decisions!

With a lot of the primary construction on the peasant shirt done, I had to start thinking about which of the two sleeve styles I wanted to go with.

Gab's summer look?

Now admittedly the shorter simpler style would be a LOT easier to do, and I believe is also the one that matches up to my fabric better. However, this style is, let's face it, the more boring of the designs and is, as a result, commonly hidden under the jacket. So, much as the lazy part of me is SO tempted to lop the sleeves off at the elbow and have done with it, fact is I prefer the longer ruched sleeves. The longer sleeves are also the style more often viewed without the jacket, in several iconic moments such as the pilot episode and Renee's credit shot. The shorter sleeve style does, however, make an appearance in episodes such as 'The Titans' when Gabby wears the mint green shirt, so I may make one of these at a later date with the short sleeves, for the sake of variety.

I have stated before in my first assessment of the peasant dress fabrics that the longer sleeved shirt exhibited a geometric square design, and as such I was unable to find a close match. The fabric I have found has more of an organic linear texture to it but nonetheless I like the overall silhouette of the ruched sleeves and would like to replicate that look.

The neckline of this first variant is also a little higher, with the lacing just below, as opposed to the later designs which are lower cut with the lacing running from the waist to the bustline. The lacing on these designs also threads through small fabric loops sewn into the front of the shirt, whereas I cannot see any similar loops on the long sleeved version. I prefer the lower lacing though, so I'll be using that. If I am true to period and use cord instead of elastic around the neckline, I can keep the option of altering the neckline by tightening or loosening the cord accordingly. I may have to see what effect this has on the lacing though, as it may work without throwing off the rest of the garment.

As such I am effectively combining features of both designs - the long ruched sleeves of the first variant, and the bodice style lacing and crinkled fabric of the latter.

You may be able to see above, there are two channels running down the length of the sleeve from shoulder to cuff. I have sewn these in, as well as sewing similar channels around the neckline and cuff themselves, while being sure to leave spaces where necessary in order to thread the cord in when it arrives. The channel around the neckline is rather narrow so I have ordered the smallest cotton cord I could find (3mm) and am expecting a lot of fun(!) with a darning needle when it arrives. I may have to take the sleeves in slightly to get the right look but, again, I won't be able to tell until I put all the relevant cord in place and see how the sleeve behaves when it's all gathered together.

Overall shape of blouse so far, without cords.

Sleeve channels and neckline channel.

Meanwhile, the hunt for skirt and sash fabric continues. The viscose for the sash was a nice colour for texture wise a complete no-no, and the skirt needs a red dye throwing over it in order to get closer to the reddish terracotta of Gab's series 1 skirt. The jacket is close enough to the overall look (although it has been brought to my attention by Phil Aldridge that the actual jacket is a woven mixture of two different blues, but until I find anything closer, I am quite pleased with my current purchase) so I will be carrying on with the jacket next once the shirt is finished.

My fabrics so far - jacket, shirt, sash and skirt.

Why Gabby?

So ok, here’s a big question I was pondering when I first dreamed up this blog. If I’m going to make a character from ‘Xena’ my inspiration for spiritual strength and physical fitness, surely Xena herself would be the obvious choice, right?

Well it’s true enough that Xena is certainly the driving force behind some of my emotional developments. The “Warrior Princess” theme is my ‘get up and go’ track of choice, and I am considering getting a WWXD bracelet to refer to when times get tough. This is all well and good, but as a cosplayer I like to have a more practical goal to aim for, so naturally the journey I’m taking involves at least one cosplay.

As it stands, I do not have either the skill or the budget to be Xena , nor do I look even slightly like her in terms of face or build. (There was a brief time long ago when I had considered making myself a Xena costume out of leather or leatherette and cardboard or plate metal but ultimately I kind of like playing characters to whom I bear at least a passable resemblance.) So I decided to look elsewhere.

Velasca, God of Chaos. Another cosplay I considered.

As a show, ‘Xena’ is abundant in beautiful costumes. I have considered a variety of other outfits from the show as well, either for aesthetics or for giggles. I’m also a Joxer fan and while I’m not adverse to crossplay (I spent a year running around as the Tenth Doctor) his kit also falls under the category of too complicated in terms of prop making. There is the option of genderbending which would give me a bit more freedom in terms of design but I reckon ultimately I’ll show my Joxer-love by cosplaying Annie Day from ‘Deja Vu...’ at some point. Yes I’ll have to work with leatherette again, yes I’ll undoubtedly wind up bleeding over my sewing machine, but hey – I get to wear my glasses as part of a costume! Velaska was another one I looked at, and may still do, simply as I have always loved her outfit and character. The asymmetry and fabrics of her outfit as awesome. I’ve also done Aphrodite, but (un)fortunately there are no photographs. However I do believe she is still lurking in a box somewhere....

Even further back in the mists of time I had considered a Callisto costume. That may have been more feasible than Xena, as most of the metal work in that seems to involve hitting rivets with hammers, and that’s something even I can do. But in terms of physique I am nowhere CLOSE to Hudson, and while I don’t rigidly cosplay only to my own build, I doubt attempting to look like her would do much for my confidence. Years of eating disorders have taken their toll and my body image is a shy, fragile little creature prone to go scurrying off into the woodlands like a frightened rabbit at the first hint of an unflattering photograph. And while I WAS able to slim down to spend a year as a moderately convincing Amy Pond, THAT didn’t involve a leather bikini. Facially I am more like Hudson than Renee, (wide skull, brown eyes, small chin, rather toothy grin prone to looking a little manic) but I’m probably a passable Gabby in terms of both face and physique. (Well, I say physique, I mean a physique I can reasonably aim for in the time I have without resorting back to unhealthy habits.)

So, Gabrielle looks to be the best in terms of both self image and costuming ability, but what of the costumes themselves? How do I choose, what to do, what to skip?

I agonised over which one to choose before deciding to do ALL of them: The peasant dress, the crossover twinset, the BGSB, the sari, the leathers, the red velvet, then most likely the Amazon Princess and Amazon Queen kits and maybe one of her one off dresses too. She has a lovely range of costumes which decrease in coverage throughout but increase in complexity, so I can expand my skills and fitness simultaneously as I work my way through the seasons. I’m going to be implementing many different skills as I work through the project, including embroidery, beading, weaving, leatherwork, prop making, jewellery making, and maybe even the odd bit of metalwork. And hopefully as each costume comes together I’ll have achieved the physique I want to look and feel good wearing it, and can, little by little, show some abs as I gradually regain them...

The ever shrinking outfits of Gabrielle.

Gab's Abs - a Xena Online Community Challenge

Some of the lovely folk on XOC.com decided to hold a little friendly challenge - to see if we can get abs like Gabrielle! Perhaps not quite capable of deflecting the strike of a sword, but maybe something kinda fierce looking and ripped!

It's been a while since I really had any kind of visible musculature of which to speak so it's kind of a big thing for me to start trying to get that back. I still have a some weight to lose but some planks, situps etc may well help along the way, alongside my usual three runs a week.

So I'm using this plan, albeit spread out a little so I'm using it on non-running days. It may take a little longer than the proposed month but hey ho...

Realistically if I can even do these I'll be thrilled, let alone get any visible effects. I probably need to shed another stone before any muscles, abs or otherwise, start to show but with running, situps, yoga and continued calorie control I'm hoping it'll all make a difference.

My starting point. Around 160lbs.

 Wish me luck!

Back To The Doctor!

As I said on my first post, my most recent fandom has been Doctor Who, but a degree of elitism, bullying and general ego issues among fans (certainly on the UK side) has put me off the scene. If it weren’t for the charity work I do under the banner of the show, I would have quit cosplay/cons as part of the DW fandom entirely.

Nonetheless I decided to attend the much hyped about ‘GallifreyOne’ convention in Los Angeles this year. Call it one last ditch effort to find some nicer people to talk to! It was their 25^th time hosting this event, and just over 50 years since the start of the show so it should be a big one!

Gally a few years ago. Photo by James Moran.

Although, as I learned once I arrived on the Wednesday night, Gally is ALWAYS a big one. 3500 attendees, five halls, three photo studios, three full days, four evenings, and more guests than I could shake a sonic screwdriver at. The way they fill all these rooms is a method completely alien to most UK conventions and one which I really REALLY wish we could import. The main hall may be dedicated to the guest talks with the actors, but the other rooms are thrown open to regular con-goers who – with good notice, of course – are free to host panels to discuss whatever interests them. They can plug their latest fan project, debate their views, advise on their particular areas of expertise and most of all bond with like-minded people and feel included, rather than merely gazing up at a combination of celebs and a few hand-picked fans who are considered ‘worthy’ of the microphone (and time of day).

Having met most of these guests I kept my celebrity stalking to a minimum and hung out at the cosplay panels for a lot of the time – one of which it turned out I was speaking at! This was news to me as I had emailed the organisers many weeks beforehand and heard nothing, so had assumed the panels I volunteered for were full. But apparently I was on the schedule – and when I checked the Friday listings I could confirm: yes I was. I now found myself wishing I had prepared something in advance, but in the absence of a Powerpoint presentation and a pointy stick I just had to turn up, meet my fellow panellists and do some free-form gabbing. Fortunately gabbing is what I do best!

I made a dress! Rose, 'Unquiet Dead'

Saturday night was masquerade night, and it’s worth pointing out that Gally Masquerade is TOTALLY different to how Xenites have described the fancy dress parade at Burbank. It was also considerably more complex than I am used to, with a two page application form and two sides of A4 detailing different rules, times, meetings, inspections, categories, time limitations and safety requirements. Some of the entries were PHENOMENAL. I have always envied people who have the skill and imagination to come up with a build stuff that is large, original, or a combination of the two. There were some AWESOME entries – such as a life size Bertie Bassett creature, and a burlesque style TARDIS corset with light up panels and wig. I just had to make do with doing a lap of the stage in my dress I made to look like the one off the telly, but it was still a LOT of fun, and the other competitors were lovely: none of the competitiveness of the British circuit – just a lot of well wishing and encouragement.

Sunday saw my favourite panel of the weekend: a whole hour of instructional costuming genius courtesy of Steve Ricks – a man who is not only a tailoring genius but a genuinely lovely human being, as he shares his research, sources and techniques with the world via a series of blogs. His blogs inspired me to start my own, and getting the chance to chat with the man himself and learn so much was just fab. In a world where many people guard their findings jealously, Steve's openness and community attitude is a glimmer of hope in a savage world.

I now have an urge to go make myself a tailored vintage suit. What a shame Gabby doesn’t have any in her wardrobe! Hmm...  I may have to go off-piste and make myself a Melissa Pappas costume from season 2.

To sew or not to sew?

Gabrielle Costume the First - The Peasant Dress

Now we get onto the stuff where I actually know what I’m talking about.

The costume part of this journey is a return to my roots for me, partly because sewing custom kit is what I spent ten years doing, and partly because Gab was THE first costume I ever made at the tender age of around 12 or 13. The majority of that particular costume has now been consigned to the scrap bag, and I am starting again.

It makes logical sense to start at the beginning. I like the idea of building up my collection of Gabrielle’s costumes chronologically, and also this project goes hand in hand with my long term fitness plan, and Gab’s first costume, rather conveniently, is the one that shows the least skin. This way I can start off covered and build up to the belly shirts as I build up my belly muscles. Perfect!

 So, project 1, the peasant dress. 

Peasant dress, photo by Phil Alldridge

Ever had that thing where you picture something in your mind only to realise it’s actually completely different? Well I had that with this costume. I knew I had some pale blue cotton in my stores and was already rubbing my hands with Scrooge-like glee at the thought of how cheap this dress would be. Then, as I sat down in my reams of disused material and checked my references, the fates deigned to laugh in my face once more. The blouse is not plain cotton. Oh, and there’s more than one. In fact, throughout series one I have spotted at least three different pleasant blouses.

The first, from “Sins of the Past” (and other episodes), is arguably the most iconic as it it of course features in the opening credits upon Renee’s addition to them. It appears to be made of an almost shiny/silky material and has a very distinct almost celtic-style square spiral self-pattern on it. I’m actually none too keen on this, as the silky look and clean geometric style don’t quite seem right for Gabrielle’s simple peasant life. And I’m really quite glad I didn’t like it, as I predict such a material may have been tricky to locate, resulting in a fair bit of frustration, time and expense!

Moving on, another incarnation of the dress features a rarely seen GREEN variant of the peasant blouse. 

It’s also worth noting that this variant does not have the long ruched sleeves of the first design, and instead simply has short sleeves ending at the elbow. The material appears plainer, but with a texture to it a tad more organic.

The best shot I got the blouse material up close was the following image shown below, showing a linear pattern, like a very natural grain or series of creases. I liked this style as it seemed suitably organic and so fit the time nicely.

 Entirely coincidentally, I stumbled upon a suitable match for it in my local fabric store as I wandered aimlessly between the cottons and the linens bemoaning the fact that they just didn’t have a wide enough range of natural fibers in varying tones of muddy-peasant-brown. If this material takes a dye, I can also create the green variant blouse by adding a pale lemon yellow to it.

In this shot it is also possible to see the natural, open weave of her jacket, which appears to be a very loosely woven linen, and the fraying detail of the orange and yellow trim. Ebay came up trumps for that one with a lovely teal linen for 99p for a metre and a half.

We can also see how the lacing on the front of the shirt works – threading through loops stitched into the front. The lacing does not appear to go all the way to the neckline, and the drawstring around the neckline is also tucked inside, presumably leaving less dangling cords for unfriendly warlords to grab hold of during a scrap!

Here we can also see the sleeves of the jacket, which feature the same orange and yellow banding as around the front and collar, as well as some sections in black or green. It also features black lines which appear to have been drawn or painted on, as well as paler bands which appear to be lines where the weave of the fabric is different to the main body. I may have to appliqué these but it is simple enough.Because the stripes have a slightly different weave I may be tempted to see if I can find or dye cotton tape the same shade and use those instead.

It’s a very simple cut with no fastenings and ¾ sleeves a little longer than those of the blouse. The lining shown in the picture appears to be an identical or similar colour.

I already have, a set of patterns for bolero jackets, shrugs and capes, a Butterick, code B4664, one of which is PERFECT for Gabby’s little coat with a slight widening of the sleeves.

 

The skirt and sash appear to be a soft linen or linen mix, although for the sash I am considering a viscose/raylon blend – a fabric often used for pashminas – as it has a linen-like look only without the stiffness. It’s also worth noting from the shot above that the sash has a chocolate brown trim which sometimes shows depending on how it is tied.

 

Now for the blouse pattern, I already had in my stock a Simplicity gypsy girl pattern from their fancy dress range (reference 9966 if anyone is attempting to recreate this). If you do use this same pattern I highly recommend opting for option B/C with the higher shoulder seam (pattern piece 17, rather than 3) as style A is off the shoulder (see left). You will have to amend slightly, shortening the sleeves and moving the drawstring channel nearer to the collar hemline. Fortunately I already had this pattern in stock from when I created the Snow White renegade costume from ‘Mirror Mirror’

While the hunt for appropriate skirt and sash fabrics continues, I do now have the resources to begin basic construction of both the blouse and the jacket!

So, fabrics bought, patterns chosen, let’s get cutting!

Left: jacket linen. Right: blouse cotton. Upper left corner: rejected stock cotton, now potential jacket lining.