Wearables The Calien Project: Dressing a modern-day elf

Heeey there, long time no see! How's it going?

Thanks! I'm working on her coat right now and cut out a modern-day shirt last night I entered her in the current Sewing Project, so some updates go there instead.

 

Hoo boy, I feel your pain. I remember trying to wrangle full-time-and-then-some seminar and doll projects ... hang in there, free time will happen! I'll make sure to post loads for you to enjoy, even in lurker mode
Let's make this the year of fantasy projects

 

Embroidery (of sorts):



This is just enough to keep the layers together. Tried (and failed) to go symmetrical, then decided to just wing it as I couldn't get any of my pencils to draw on this stuff. Nature isn't symmetrical; I don't think an Elf would mind, least of all Ana.

Edit: Apparently not.

 

Surprise! There's another one from their story, whose head has been home for ages - I'd been in love with Fairyland's Siean sculpt for a while but didn't fancy the long elf ears they do, and the human version came with closed eyes. MP to the rescue: I actually spotted a human-eared Siean head with eyes modded open! The mod was incomplete, the price was irresistible, and she joined my floating head brigade ... up until now.
Her eyes look a bit wonky, I did try and finish the mod but it didn't come out super neat. Still, I'm happy with her. The wig is temporary, she'll get a dark brown one in the end.



(Here are the other two, by the way - Dave and Gawain.)

 

Thank you!

 

Totally random - with his nifty new (second hand, but new to the household) Miro 66cm body, Eric might get to double as an Elf in the girls' story ... more specifically, Cali's significant other. Once I get around to it, I'll try and make him an outfit similar to Legolas's (leggings, long-sleeved linen tunic, short-sleeved leather tunic /vest to go over it). It might even be green, but I'm not sure ... brown would look nice with his eyes. First of all I guess he'll get a longer wig - I've got a load of fiber incoming, including bamboo I've been itching to try my hands on, and a bit of alpaca. We'll see what happens.

(GAH sorry for the un-posed hand! I had Eric out for other reasons and put him in the next free space and saw those two side by side and wanted to share the spontaneous semi-plan with you guys ... and suddenly, creepy doll hand. Pardon!)

 

Came home to a fresh pack of supplies Bought some bamboo and loads of alpaca. Here's Tárion, draped in "hazelnut" alpaca which will soon become his elf wig:

 

It sure has grown ... remember when I said I wasn't going to shell a bunch of elves? (Brain is merrily making excuses as Siean and Eric are both pulling double duty ...)

Which reminds me ... I've had the milliput armoury sitting around semi-finished for ages. Tárion will need a short sword and dagger, given that he's a member of the Guard ... maybe a bow, too. I need to start mass-producing those with this many elves in the household!

 

Started Tárion's wig - then remembered all LotR elves have that swept-back hairstyle. I ignored that for the girls since I want them a bit more versatile and capable of pulling off a "real world" look, but Tárion is another matter. Half the wig cap is already covered in alpaca - now I'm trying to figure out how to place the strands for the hairstyle I'm going for. I might not replicate the exact look, but something along the lines - and I'm definitely trying the herringbone braid. Should work beautifully with the alpaca fiber.

 

Did it! Herringbone braid and all. I might re-do that - for one thing I'm out of styling gel and this wig really needs some, and for another I need to add more fibers into the actual braid, it goes too thin too fast. But I'm reasonably pleased with the outcome.

 

Aaaw thank you so much
Herringbone braids are super easy, there are tutorials on youtube. They look so complicated, but they really aren't.
With wigs, for me it's all about the materials. I tried regular glue and artificial fiber once and it was a nightmare ... same with sewing / pre-sewn wefts. By now I'm all about natural fibers and liquid latex. Everyone has their preferences and materials that work best for them, I guess.
I'll be gone (work-related) for a couple days, but after that it's probably more clothes ... poor guy has nothing to wear. 'm hoping to have everyone's proper wig and one outfit ready by easter so I can take them along and do a photoshoot in my parents' garden.

And my inner enabler says: Yes yes yes! More LotR projects! Dooo iiit!

 

They sure do. Lucky for me I have enough scraps and leftovers from human-sized projects on hand, no need to go shopping for more.

What body is he getting? *curious* Maybe there are patterns already around you could use or base your designs on.

 

Don't worry, you're not hijacking! I love discussing similarly themed projects. If you do start one, link to it here

Re-watched LotR to check out the Hobbits' costumes, and made a mental note on Elrond's robes. Technically Tárion isn't supposed to be wearing robes, but I might make some just because they're awesome. I do want a more Elrond-like one at some point for photostories, if I find a suitable sculpt that fits one of the bodies I already have. Suggestions welcome

 

d'awww, thank you so much! I'm happy you enjoyed it, and even more happy to have given you ideas.

Right now I'm planning Tárion's outfit and hunting for more guys (heads). Hopefully I'll be able to do a decent photoshoot around Easter when I'll have a bit of free time

 

Thank you! Have loads of fun with your sewing, and do share pics The sewing wiz's in the Styling&Crafting subforum are a wonderful and helpful lot. I honestly don't know what I'd have done without them sometimes.

Most of my dolls have some sort of backstory - it's what inspires me to get any one sculpt in particular. (I've got something similar going on here right now, only they're not home yet so it's just the beginnings.)

 

Stash dive! Here's what I'll make Tárion's outfit from:



Faux suede for the "outer" tunic, white silk for undergarments if there's time.
The leggings belong to Cali, but he'll get some from the same stuff. I'd prefer the look of faux suede, but I don't have any stretchy green, and I do want them to be able to pose in their outfits ... so knit it is.

 

Merry pattern making ... Tárion is not amused, sitting on my work table looking grumpy as a dwarf. I'm reasonably pleased with the outcome - not sure if I want a test run or jump right in and go for the real thing. I'll probably test the sleeves because there are two versions, and if both fail, leave them off.

 

Yup. This'll work.




What do you guys think - should I add embroidery to the yoke part? I'd love to add (fake?) frog closures to the front like Legolas has ... would embroidery be too much? Another idea would be fabric paint, to go for an embossed kind of look, but I don't think I can get that to look neat enough

 

Tried and failed to come up with a fitting embroidery design ... guess I'll go the Ana route and just make it up as I go.

 

Started a wig for Sárie while trying to make up my mind about Tárion's clothes. Quick snap (resin mismatch exacerbated by artificial light) ...



I didn't have the super dark brown I wanted for her ... black looked good at first, but I feel it's a bit too stark. Might make another and go for brown, even though that'll be lighter than I wanted it to be. Or maybe I could dye the brown a darker shade ... if I dare.

 

YESH elves thread!

She's a FPL Siean (hybrid, currently on an EID body which doesn't match her at all as it's the pinkest thing in the household and her head is rather yellow because I guess it's a couple years old). I thought about adding some brown strands or layers, or mix the fibers together to get a darker brown ... trouble is, the brown fiber is (noticeably) shorter. I still might, mind you, if I'm starting over anyway, as I've got so much fiber. And it never hurts to have spare wigs

 

Wanted to finish Tárion's tunic, but apparently I'm out of the type of needles I need for the faux suede. Tough luck! So I went back to "modern day" and made Ana a sock shirt I'm in love with this tutorial! Been wanting to try this out for ages, here's the result:

 

Sneaky-sneak preview of Tárion's tunic progress!

 

Pinned up the tunic and put it on Tárion for fitting - the arm holes are too small to accomodate a ball joint, so I'll need to tweak the sleeve pattern (doesn't matter as I haven't cut them out yet). Apart from that, I'm rather pleased. Collar won't behave yet, but I'll do what I did for Ana's and add a strip of muslin with fusible interfacing.

The question of closures is still open. On the one hand I'd like it to open in front - on the other, it needs fancy closures and I don't have those in doll scale. a hidden zipper in the back and fake frogs in front might be a compromise ... not sure though. What do you guys think?

 

Thanks! Actually the "piping" is a very tight zig-zag stitch over the edge of the insert / collar / thingy
I'd rather not have a zipper in front. Right now I'm contemplating hidden hooks and eyes (or loops) instead ... zipper in the back sounds the easiest way, unless I find a simple, in-scale way of making actual, working closures that can go in front.

 

Still no progress on Tárion's clothes - I've been busy with RL stuff, and in the meantime the weather has decided to throw a wrench in my doll photoshoot plans.

But! In spite of all the adulting I've done these past few days (ugh! And they call this a holiday) there has been Stuff. Stuff that's been kicking around for ages. Like this:


(ignore the half-done shoes - they were a quarter done when I found them in the UFO stash, the ones in the corner still need outer soles and the visible ones lack eyelets which I can't add at this time of night ...)

 

The body of Tárion's tunic has been sewn, and the collar reinforced with a strip of cotton fabric with fusible interfacing. Now I'm making his pants - can't have a half-naked elf sitting in the doll area!
Have a current WIP:

 

Thank you! I'm happy you like my crazy ideas. ^^

Got the remaining parts of Tárion's tunic cut out (after figuring out where the fabric had got to, as I've since remodeled and re-organized parts of the doll / sewing area) and the "wings" attached:



The sleeves will need to be set in by hand, like Ana's were. Luckily on both Ana's and this faux suede fray check dries without leaving a trace. The unhemmed edges add to the "this is totally leather, folks!" look.

 

Now with sleeves ... and back to trying to figure out decent doll-scale substitutes for fancy frog closures. Then again, I might go for hooks and eyes on this one. I'm also still unsure about the layer underneath - I think I'll just make white silk sleeves and sew them into the tunic to simulate layers without adding bulk.

And I just realized that If I shell more of these guys, I'll need three of these tunics o.O Good thing I'm documenting stuff anyway, or by the time I get them home I'd've forgotten what I did and how.

 

Thank you!
I love the idea of fake closures. Not sure how I'd make those either, but hidden hooks and eyes sound like a plan.

Actually I haven't decided on other colours / shades yet ... I'm trying to keep this low to no budget, working with scraps and stuff from the Larp stash ... darker embroidery will probably happen, like that "piping"-looking topstitch around the collar piece. The seam allowance from the "wings" needs some topstitiching to stay in place, I was thinking of maybe doing a chain stitch all around to hide the fact it's keeping stuff in place, and just look like fancy embellishment. Ana's coat needs the same treatment, the seam allowances want to fold down, causing the top of the "wings" to look weird.
Apart from that, I really have no idea what'll happen down the road.

 

Tárion says thanks

Simple knot closures sound feasible ... I couldn't say I'm looking for anything specific, anything adding to the "elvish feel" will do. Can be frog closures, can be fancier hooks and eyes ... I was thinking maybe making hooks and eyes from wire, so they could be both smaller and a bit more ornate. I'll probably end up trying both, there's still Ana's coat needing closures too, and I guess there'll be quite a bit more to come if more elves keep showing up like this. Anything that works will be used at some point.

 

Test run:


Yes, the eye is a bit "squashed" - I never leave enough wire on one side. But it works, and they're stable enough to hold a doll garment together. The only annoying thing is that my flat-nose pliers got lost somewhere ... but I have a couple round-noses and as long as I have two pliers, it'll work. I'll need eight pairs for Tárion, and they could even be a little bigger. The experiments continue!

 

GUYS. LOOK AT THAT.


@Answer42 you rock. I don't think I'd've looked up frog closures tutorials if it hadn't been for your input.

The Turk's Head Knot (who came up with that name?! History, U weird) nearly defied me - for the first couple tries, all I gut was a tangled mess. I cheated a bit and made the knot first (hence why it's so small compared to the rest of the closure), then sewed the strands of yarn together - they want to twist around each other, and the whole construct was easier to handle with a knot at the top.
I held this to both Anáriel's and Tárion's clothes, and they beat the wire hooks&eyes by quite a bit - definitely for Ana, whose embroidery is a similar shade of off-white, and I liked the contrast on Tárion's, too. Then again, I want the closures to match something, and he won't be wearing anything off-white (the silk for his undergarments is bright shining white), so he'll either have to settle for silver, or I'll have to find yarn to match the darker green thread I used.
Anyway, new Sanity Project detected! From now on, whenever I want to make something but don't know what, I'll sew up lengths of yarn to make more closures.

 

Heh, the knots are not so beautiful up close. For some reason (probably because I'm using yarn) they won't pull tight neatly without a lot of help, and even then they're kinda lumpy. But in that scale it doesn't really show, and it's not cheating when nobody can tell, right?

I got five pairs of fancy frogs made (ignore the excess yarn, it'll get cut off). But - who will get them? I'm a bit afraid they'd interfere with a belt ...
For Tárion I could use the fancy ones at the top, and switch to hidden hooks and eyes underneath the topstitch / fake piping. Ana might never even wear a belt ... but I don't knoooow! What do you guys say? Who gets the fancy frogs?


(I don't even know what's going on with Ana's eyes. They look just fine in person, then I take a pic and - derp. )

 

I agree. Re-checked in daylight and Tárion really needs something to match his embroidery.
I also checked where a belt would go, and decided to put three pairs of frog closures on Ana's coat, then switch to hidden hooks and eyes at about belt height so it won't interfere. Plus, I pinned all five pairs of frogs to the coat and they started looking "off" at about waist height

Also, "frog hack" if anyone else ever wants to make these from yarn: Put FrayCheck on the point where you'll cut the excess yarn before you cut it, let dry, then snip off the excess. Cutting it before adding FrayCheck might cause the sewn-together strands of yarn to come apart even if the knot itself holds.

Edit, Ana with fancy closures!

They're not as crooked as they look. And with something resembling a belt, she doesn't need hidden hooks and eyes either.

 

Tiny update - apparently Tárion's colour scheme is out AF. No yarn, no ribbon, no anything matching his greens could be found ... so back to silver wire it is, and maybe add fancy stuff once I can find suitable materials.
I do have one other idea, but I'd rather not go into details until I'm quite sure it works.

The next update(s) might be dealing with an incoming addition to the gang who (like Eric / Tárion) will hopefully be pulling double duty - so he'll need both his RL and fantasy wig, and clothes to match. Expect updates near the end of the week.

 

He's here!!!


Looking super pink, while Tárion looks banana yellow. Tárion also gave me the stinkiest dolly stink-eye ever when I stood them there, and is currently doing his best Grumpy Elf.

Also, Mr. New Guy needs a name. (He had one in the story, but I'm scrapping that because nope.) Considering he came home during the coldest cold spell in a while (especially considering it's freakin' MARCH), I'm thinking something to do with ice or snow or cold ... but so far nothing sounded too convincing ... we shall see. Suggestions welcome, maybe you guys have better luck finding something nice than me.

 

That idea is seriously cool!
And oooh yes more projects. Holidays coming up in two weeks, then there's time. (And I'll need to talk to the boys about that attitude. They're both members of the Guard, they need to be able to work together! Unless Mr. New Guy is not who I thought he was ...)

 

Mr. New Guy having a wig (cap) made ... doll arrival rituals XD



Actually, I'm impressed. He can sit. Straight. Iple has done some serious work on those joints.

 

Look who's getting the Elrond treatment and looking extra smug about it

 

Heh, they definitely should. At least if you ask them that's what they'll say.

He won't really be Elrond - I don't do pre-existing characters. But I started the wig and thought "impressive-looking guy, black hair, pointy ears ... that sounds familiar!"
The weather has warmed up and there's spare time today, so I'm working on his faceup right now. Expect an update soonish.

edit - wig and face are done, but styling his hair was a challenge. The black alpaca is extra soft, very long, and fluffy as can be, which makes it hard to style. Loads brush out, but the wig still looks super poofy. I may need to unbraid what's been braided, wet it, wrap it tight and let it dry ... or brush it a dozen more times and hope some more comes out. I wasn't able to get a herringbone braid into this because it kept sticking together. Must be a dream to spin though!

Anyway, this got done:

(Look how pointy his ear is. I can't get over this guy.)