Sewing Fantasy Threads: Patterns and Progress on Medieval/Renaissance Fantasy Designs

Oh wow, that is so cool! I love the ingenuity of everyone in making these different designs. I'm amazed what everyone comes up with. Awesome job!

 

MB Lilac: I have to agree with everyone else, your clothes are beautiful!! I'm just amased with the intracacy of each of the outfits! If you dont mind me asking, how long does it take you to make an outfit?

 

(oops I think I posted this on the wrong thread at first >_<) MB Lilac: I have to agree with everyone else, your clothes are beautiful!! I'm just amazed with the intricacy of each of the outfits! If you don't mind me asking, how long does it take you to make an outfit?

 

Finally took some pics of some of my first armor work I've made to keep for my own dolls:


This is brigandine, a leather vest that would have had metal plates riveted between its layers. Would have, except that Kevya is a doll, so he just gets leather with little studs. The lower half is split for riding and mobility, and the back has spiral lacing. Eventually I'll be making more armor of various types.

 

Nice! Very authentic-looking. Armor is very challenging to make, but it's also very rewarding because then your doll gets to wear something unique.

Have you ever considered staining or painting down your outfits so they look used and worn? I find it really helps give an even more authentic look - like the character has been living in his outfit for some time as opposed to just having come home from the tailor. I use folk art paint mixed with fabric medium and diluted with water.

Just adding a photo from my recent trip out west. My three characters were photographed in many places we went, but especially in the Columbia Icefields of Jasper National Park.

 

...oh my.....

That may be the single most stunning doll photo I have ever seen here.

 

She speaks the truth! Amazing work, MB Lilac!

 

Thanks! There's a lot more in this thread - http://www.denofangels.com/forums/s...e-43-Iplehouse-Kyle-JID-and-Doll-Leaves-Maya)

 

I'm inclined to that point of view myself.

Teddy

 

i stop by this thread to be blown away with the creativity that flows through here. not only are the costumes/clothing to die for, but now the photography.
-MB Lilac, you take breath taking pictures. just wow!

 

Thank you! Most outfits like the ones in the photo above take a week to a week and a half to make. It all depends on how much handwork there is.

 

Wow! You must have so much patience to put into your work!

Rosslyn, EilonwyG, Egalantine, everyone else; your outfits are fantastic too! Your all so talented!

 

HI everyone!!!

I've been oggling over all these awesome pictures of everyones and it got me inspired to start making my fantasy character wardrobe!! So I started off with what every traveler needs a cloak, I'm nearly done, just gotta find a clasp but I wanted to jump in and say hi, Also MB Lilac your dolls and there outfits are so amazing!!!! And with out your pattern for an 8 inch wig I never would have been able to make the hood on my dolls cloak (she's an slim MSD)!!! I should have some pictures tomorrow!!!!

 

Thank you very much! Yeah, sometimes I distress things, and I think this armor could use some of that to get it to look less fresh off the workbench. I tend to use the same method- acrylics work really well for that sorta thing!

Those shots of your dolls out traveling are indeed some of the best doll photos ever.

 

Here's a Near East inspired design I did last month for the 12th Project Runway challenge.

 

I recently had a Limhwa Mono join my doll family. I stole his outfit off a fantasy art doll I made a very long time ago - it just needed some minor alterations. It's rather flashy as the character was a prince in a fairy tale I was working on.

 

amazing work all of you I'm inspired to do better!!

 

Wow! That is stunning.

Teddy

 

Walmart has metallic sead beeds in two sizes in steel, bronze, and copper that are just the right sizes for "studs" (it's what MB Lilac uses) at $1.50 for a big tube.

 

I'm getting ready to make a new dress or two, replacing these older dresses, which I made years ago when I had Dollfie Dreams to work with. the green dress is modeled on an SD10 swarrico body, which is a little bit taller than the SD10 on the right. I took the snapshot as a reference for when I use the old dresses to make patterns for new dresses. The sleeves are a little chunky, and a few other problems I want to keep track of. The "patterns" came from Medieval Costume and Fashion, by Herber Norris, which is Dover publication.

 

Good luck with the project - I look forward t seeing how the new versions turn out.

Teddy

 

I used to use the metallic seed beads as simulated "studs", but found them too irregular. Now I use perfectly round metal beads (silver and gold), which I get from a specialty bead store and do cost more, but they look so much better.

 

Elasaid Aiden: I cant wait to see them!

MB Lilac: Ahhh, what store is that if you don't mind me asking? Is it online, or a physical store? (And your prince look wonderful by the way!)

I dont know if this is the place to ask this, but what kind of closures do you guys use on your costumes? I've looked around but no one ever really takes pictures of those. >_<

 

It's a physical bead store, but they have a website - http://www.beadfx.com/

I use the 2.4 mm, 3 mm & 4 mm Metal Beads in gold and silver - http://www.beadfx.com/catalogue/metalbeads.php

For closures I use several things. Underclothes get tiny snaps. Many outer things have eyelets and lace up. I also use hooks and eyes. My Kyle's red under-tunic does up with snaps and has small gold beads to simulate "buttons". His black leather surcoat does up with hooks and eyes, which I've covered with fancy metal jewelry findings. His wrist-guards lace up through eyelets. His cloak ties on.

 

Ahhhhh Okay thanks! So really it's just a big mix of things. ^_^ And the bead website looks really cool! Thanks!

I finally have something to contribute! I don't know if this is medieval/ renaissance enough, but its has a bit of historical flair to it. >_<
It's almost like a ballerina outfit with the flaired skirt and tight top, but I tried to make it a little renaissance-y with the corset and colors. Almost like the old style mixed with modern style. If its not historical enough I can take it off. But i figured it fit into the fantasy thread more than others.


Dragon Born part one. by Dove_Heart, on Flickr

It's supposed to be a little viking inspired too, because I made it when the live action How to Train your Dragon came out, so she wanted a cute viking outfit. >_< I'm not sure how well it fits into that though.... (maybe she would match the movie characters better)

 

It certainly fits, and your girl looks so ready for an adventure in it.
Did you make the corset of leather? It has a really nice fit.

 

I think it's adorable! The corset is very nice, it has such smooth lines.

Did you want the outfit to look so monochromatic? I can't help but want to add a colored sash for her or something.

 

starlady: Thanks! Its actually some sort of fake leather, I had some scrap pieces left over from an outfit I made for a friend. It actually has a bit of stretch to it, which helps it to fit better. ^_^ And she has as much adventure as she could in my backyard! lol Elasaid Aiden: Oooohhh! I didn't think of a sash! That would probably be cuter than a belt to hold her sword. (though maybe not as suited to adventuring.) hmmmm I've always been a fan of big bows on the back of dresses, maybe a sash with a huge bow....

 

I like the look of a sash wrapped around the waist, and then the sword belted over top of the sash It gives it a bit of a piratey/swashbuckler appearance.

 

Ahhh I'll have to try that! Thanks!

 

MB lilac~ your outfits are absolutely incredible and so inspiring! Thank you so much for sharing tips with us

I'm currently working on an outfit for my 73cm DT18 boy named Laz. I am going to a renaissance festival meetup with some local doll people and I wanted him to be properly outfitted. It's a mix of styles with some Manga, historical and steam punk influences



I have a lot more finishing work to do but it starting to look more complete!

 

Hello everyone! Really amazing work in this thread.
I am attempting to make an in scale chainmail gorget for my SD and I am trying to use 2mm or 3mm rings to do it. I get the concept of how to make it, but I am having a lot of difficulty in the execution. I don't think my pliers are small enough, plus they are magnetic, which is infuriating.
Does anyone have any advice on how to accomplish something so small and tedious. I really want this to be actual chain mail, not an illusion with cloth or anything.

I saw MB Lilac's beautiful chainmail sleeves, but she said she used a glove that had cut off fingers, correct? I need a gorget around the neck. Please help!

 

If you have the wherewithal to purchase it, you can get chainmail that small in pieces it will be easier to fasten together than to make yourself.

http://www.ringmesh.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RMM150

If you can find one, you can get chainmail gloves that are made for people who commercially cut meat, fillet fish or open shellfish.

http://www.uline.com/BL_6575/Steel-Mesh-Gloves?pricode=WU522&utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=chainmail%20gloves&utm_campaign=Gloves

http://www.cooking.com/one-size-oyster-glove-by-savoir-vivre_162133_11/#axzz24jQdJ5qe

There are also some on ebay for about $40

 

Actually it was a full glove, and I cut the fingers off for chain-mail sleeves for two outfits by cutting one jump ring at a time. It wasn't that easy to do, and I would have much preferred working with flat chain-mail. The finger-tips of the glove fingers were worked into a round dome on the ends and it was a challenge to open them up. The bottoms of the fingers were also uneven. It was impossible to reuse the cut jump rings, as the cutting process gives the cut ends "points", so they easily undo - believe me I tried. I thought I did a great job filling in some of the unevenness with the cut jump-rings, but to my surprise everything just came undone and fell apart with almost no effort at all. Normal jump-rings have flat butted ends because they've been sawed, so when you join them together the two cut ends butt nicely together, so you'd need some in the same size to connect your chain-mail pieces.

Chain-mail gloves are a very expensive way to get chain-mail for dolls, and they are a pain to work with. I only did because I was given one as a gift by my son who thought he was doing something wonderful for me. I'd have much preferred flat chain-mail, so when my glove is all used up, that's what I'm going to get.

 

Thank you so much Ladies! I really appreciate your advice. I'm going to check that out and I hope I can come up with something soon.

 

I would definitely suggest a non magnetic needle nose! I can't imagine how hard that would be. I've also found that sometimes if I am having trouble attaching rings to one side it is easier from a different side. For example top instead of bottom. Because of the way you attach the rings sometimes coming at them from a different angle is helpful. Good luck with your project!

 

Lilac, your costumes are simply awesome! After each photo, I said, "oh, it can't get better than this..", then the next one did. You are an inspiration. I'm going back through my fabric stash to see what's there!

 

Tetradeka, I'm actually making my own bits of chainmail out of individual rings at the moment - what a pain! XD

2 or 3 mm rings seem awfully small... I'm using 6 mm rings with the 'four in one' technique and I honestly couldn't face up to using smaller rings. In my non-expert opinion, the 6 mm rings don't look as if they are too large, either.

 

I guess it would all depend on the size of your doll. The chain-mail I used had 3mm rings, and it was for MSD. Larger dolls can definitely have bigger rings.

Yes, making chain-mail from scratch is very tedious. I tried it once and found the worst part was starting, and then the first few rows. Once there's a bit done it became easier to see the pattern and where to attach the next rings. It was hard on the eyes though.

 

It ... makes me feel relieved I have only one knight in my doll family, I have to say . But 'real' chainmail looks so great that I think the effort will definitely be worth it. Your work always looks truly splendid, MB Lilac, but I think you deserve extra Endurance Points for making MSD chainmail .

 

Well one option is what I am going to use for Vickie, and that is to use metal mesh you often see made into purses. The official name is "Ortolon" and it looks like this--



It's extremely flexible, easily as flexible as chainmail, comes in some fabulous colors besides gold and silver, and you can often find purses cheap at thrift stores. I just got one with enough of the Ortolon to make Vickie her armor for under $15.

 

Wow Victoria V.- That is pretty neat! I had an old purse made out of that and I didn't even think about it. Although I don't think it will fit what I am trying to do, it's going to be really handy in the future.

Thanks for the 6mm tip. The chainmail is for an SD13 girl, so I think I will try bigger than 3mm

 

Always check before you take one of those purses apart to make sure it isn't a valuable one! Some of these are vintage and just get tossed in the donation bin by people who don't think.

 

I used metal mesh for my RealPuki armour.

I bought it in an "1-Euro-Store" in form of earrings. The material is aluminium, I guess, and it breks easily if you bend it more than two times. And one has to be VERY careful with handling it as it has sharp spikes on the wrong side. So a chainmail like this should never touch resin or valuable clothes directly.

 

That is damned impressive - and totally ADORABLE too!

Teddy

 

That is so cute! It's amazing where you can find supplies for costumes if you think "outside the box"

 

I've never even seen mesh like that. What a great idea!

 

Harey! That is just so stinking cute.

VV- Yes, you are right, you never know if an old purse is a Chanel classic (or similar).

 

Super creative! You could use that for any sort of "dragon scale" armor you could want to make to! Cool idea!

 

Very true, and I plan to make Vickie a bodysuit to go under it of heavy faux suede. The spikes are actually the things that hold the rings that hold the little squares together; the better Ortolon has had those nicely turned under, but you never know if you got the cheap stuff or the good stuff until you can look at the back side. Even the better Ortolon is still metal, and can still scratch, so you should either line your armor or make a bodysuit.

 

I'm really in love with that chain maille idea! My grandmother used to have several clutch purses made out of that stuff that she gave to us to play with when the color started to wear off of them and they became less than serviceable for her in the evenings. I wish they had survived in a craft bin somewhere, but I'm sure I could find some other of the stuff elsewhere. Thank you for sharing, everyone!

I've been working on a dress for one of my girls. Since I was stuck inside while a Tropical Storm raged through town I suddenly had some guilt free time to sew . So far I've done all hand stitching and beading. It will be an evolutionary project, to get me back into crafting shape.

Initial sketching done, so I don't forget which fabric goes where and what the heck my original idea was before I started cutting fabric. I do tend to get off track.


Photo taken in my storm darkened apartment with my phone. The power kept going out, so I wasn't into having expensive cameras plugged into things for uploads.


The new dress, not yet finished in terms of details, paired with on of my old medieval fantasy dresses. They're both initially based on medieval pattern making techniques, and then got tweaked in a rather sculptural way.

 

I just put up a free pattern with instructions for a shirt for my Iplehouse Tedros (EID) - http://www.antiquelilac.com/free-shirt-pattern-for-tedros---tutorials.html



It's sort of a one-size-fits-all kind of shirt that was worn for centuries. Robin Hood in Prince of Thieves wears one, and it would also work for a much later pirate.

 

Thanks Lilac. I am going to try this for my Gang boy! May have to adjust it though.

 

Hi Lilac the pattern is not downloading.

 

This shirt is beautiful. Chase has no shirt yet, I guess he will love to wear this style.

 

Thanks for pointing that out. I usually check everything to make sure it works, but have been suffering thru two weeks of a nasty toothache, and somehow forgot to add the links.

Sorry about that. I went and added the link - and checked it.

It should be working now.

 

Hi Lilac,

Oh, thank you so much for sharing another great tutorial! I appreciate your generosity, and this one I might actually feel brave enough to tackle! I have the perfect white cotton gauze in my stash.

 

Hi Lilac: thanks the link is working now.

 

Fabulous! Thanks for sharing Lilac!

 

That is an awesome shirt! Thanks for the tutorial! I'll have to try it after I come back from vacation. What material did you use in your shirt?