Confessions of a Jedi junkie....

[Schph Gochi]

Just like alcoholics....the first step to curing an addiction is the public admission of guilt....

so..
I, Schph Gochi am a Jedi junkie....

Today I finished yet another tunic set....declared it a piece of defacation........decided I hated it.....and began to plan my next one....
(Cheryl...I can HEAR your eyes rolling in your head all the way from Mokena)....

as I went to put away the new tunic set (made from the supposedly to "die for" wool crepe) into the bins of all of the other Jedi stuff...the horror of my addiction hit me....
while "filing away" this latest edition....I had to really take a look at my addiction....

I think I need help......
the worst part is....where I LOVE Jedi costumes.....I hate all of mine....
Every other Jedi costume I see on anyone else....I love...
my own...not so much...

Below is photographic proof of my addiction (and there are 2 tunics not even on the wall.....they are all the same color of the natural Osnaburg...then there is the GL flannel set...made as a gag...and too horrid to even show).....

Tunic sets....
pants.....
undertunics...
cheater undertunics...
lightsabers...

EGAD! I need to stop!




and....
now for the really horrible part...
no matter what Jedi costume I make....
it will be blech...
because it is the old and tired body that goes inside
that is the real problem....

well..
I gotta go and get some exercise...

and ponder the stupidity of making yet another Jedi costume...

[Leda EmBorr]

LOL!!!!!!

Words cannot express the ominously familiar feeling that comes over me when hear you speak of your addiction.


I have a similar problem with boots.

[kafaraqgatri]

Your not gone yet.

There's not a Parks saber in your collection! XD But in the words of Vader.

Impressive!.....Most impressive.....

[Leda EmBorr]

Not in mine, except for 2 prototypes he did....

[JediKai]

I'm right there with you!

I only have one EL saber though. I have 3 hardware ones I made with acrylic blades, though.

[Cara Drume]

I have nowhere near such a large collection, but making sabers is like eating peanuts; you don't want to stop. I just finished (except for paint) my first custom hilt and I'm working on another already. I'd have it done except I'm broke right now. I was so bored that I actually made a Luke ANH hilt out of a paper towel tube, aluminum foil, a bottle cap, a chunk of styrofoam, four round buttons, eight popsicle sticks, some black paint, and a LOT of glue and Scotch tape. I need to keep it; might make a nice craft project for my nephew when he gets older.

You know it's bad when you start making SW props out of junk.

[Schph Gochi]

kafaraqgatri said:

Your not gone yet.

There's not a Parks saber in your collection! XD But in the words of Vader.

Impressive!.....Most impressive.....

look again....there are two Parks there....


then there are the two Ultra Sabers that are "in production" and not in the photo.....
and the FX "construction" set isn't in the photo either...
and...then there is the two "training sabers"...not in the photo either...


If I end up making another tunic - it will be one that goes to the floor (Like Old Ben's).....

[Solinbeb Newau]

I'm sure your worst one is probably better made than my...well, one.

I'm not saying mine or horrible, but I did make it. *L* I know how badly I sew.

[Jauhzmynn Enz]

Usually the first version of a tunic I make isn't stellar, but I get better.

I haven't a hugh impressive collection of anything,although my tunics will reach critical mass and overtake my mundane wardrobe soon. My hubby has the costume bug now. Only he's a Sith junkie.

I've worn out 2 make that 4 over tunics so far.

I have 3 parks sabers, a saber from Auuhnold, a mini from Maaster replicas. I may snag one or two more minies, and one full sized saber with a QuiGoneqse design and that's it for sabers.

[Kryy Jacobi]

Schph, you're not a junkie... you're a perfectionist.

Same results, different motivation. (And a lot more "noble" sounding. ;D)

I have the same problem, just haven't been doing it as long as you!

Waist seam is too high, next time too low. Obi is too tight, next time too loose and belt sags. My Covertec is too far to the side and my elbow bumps my saber, next time it's too far forward and my saber doesn't hang straight because of my (girl-shaped) hip bone....

sigh....

Don't get me started on sabers....

... or boots.... (Leda, I feel your pain )

[Kryy Jacobi]

And I almost hate to ask...

_(sorry)

.... but a perfectionist (or a junkie) has been through all of the ideas....

What type of obi do you like best? I see one with ties on the floor...

Of ALL of the parts of my costume, the obi has been the most difficult. I'm sure it's dealing with the female "shape" but I was fighting with that piece (AGAIN) yesterday at Connooga... grrrr....

Need to head over to those threads and re-read...

[Ani-Chay Pinn]

What? I have more than THAT!

OK, you do have more sabers than I do. I have:

- 1 Parks
- 1 Random saber
- 3 FX (one I'm going to convert to Luxeon)
- 2 sink pipe Yellow Box hilts
- 2 experimental PVC/wood sabers
- 1 converted Hieland flash tube

Costume-wise, I have:

- 1 cream osnaberg cotton short tunic set
- 1 lined cream silk noil short tunic set (linen tabards)
- 1 brown linen short tunic set
- 1 taupe crinkle short cotton set
- 1 cream heavy textured cotton short tunic set
- 1 taupe silk noil long, floor length tunic set
- and there is an undertunic and different colored cotton pair of pants for each of these (no pants for the long tunic), though I mix and match the colors on all of those. And I got most of the pants at the Goodwill, so I didn't spend much time on those.

- 1 chocolate brown wool crepe robe (just like Qui-Gon's)
- 1 medium brown wool robe (just like Obi-Wan's)
- 1 medium brown tropical weight wool robe with Mace Windu sleeves
- 1 taupe cotton twill robe

- 1 brown pair of boots very much like Adi Gallias
- 1 dark brown pair of boots that I added straps to
- 1 plain brown pair of boots with a vertical strip on the sides
- 2 lighter weight brown pair of boots that look OK, that I can wear as back-up, or with the long tunic

- 4 complete belts with pouches
- a couple bags of food capsules
- sundry belt accessories
- 4 or 5 covertec clips and some extra knobs in case I make another saber
- 2 communicators; used to have 3 but I lost one at DragonCon (plus one Bic shaver I painted silver)
- a box of saber and Jedi 'bits' in case I make anything else
- probably a few other things I'm forgetting

And finally....

- one complete Jedi costume covered with mirror blue organza for the 'blue ghostie' outfit.


I must admit that I DON'T have any plans to make another Jedi costume unless I see something really cool. And I have a Harry Potter and Worldcon masquerade costumes to make, so my costume-making time is taken for now. Maybe I'll try cream or taupe colored pleather for tabards, but that's it.

Each costume got better than the last one. The last one I made was the long tunic. That style is very forgiving of all body features.

Schph: what clothes DO look good on you? You CAN'T say 'nothing'; there's always something.

Try incorporating some of those things in those clothes in the Jedi tunics. Straighter side seams? Or more of an A-line on the tunic? Do you want more of a waist? Or less of one? Better fitting around the bust. I don't really have much bust at all, so I don't do that, but darts can help a lot if it's sagging.

And what about the tunics do you want to get rid of? You can't say the whole tunic. Try to pinpoint the things you don't like about how they look and modify it. Color? Shape? Sleeves? How about longer tabards, like Qui-Gon's?

Try mixing the different colors of tabards, tunics and obis and see how those look. I think that for the lighter colors, slightly off-color tabards photograph better than if they're the same color as the tunic, but that's just my preference.

And 2 things that ALWAYS make a costume look better no matter WHAT you body shape is:

- Head up and keep your eyes on the horizon; good posture is good fashion.
- Clothes that match the contours of your body always look better, with no tight areas that cut into you or bagginess; if you have to choose between the two, too loose is always better than too tight.

Instead of making a new set of tunics, try modifying and experimenting with one set that you already have and see of you can get some results. If you say you hate them, it won't be a huge sacrifice.

[Hendel D'bu]

Boy, Ani-Chay... you are my hero! I always look for your posts and always find them so informative!

I am working on the second edition of my robes... the first set a friend and I worked on, but you know, you really have to be a stickler for details to be a costumer. And, if you want something done right, you really have to do it yourself (at least, I have found that to be the case.)

Anyway, your tips are wonderful, as I struggle through modifying a pattern and now two mock-ups, both of which I'm not really happy with. But, like you said, they get better each time. (and, thank goodness for Wal-Mart $1/yd fabric!)

This time I found the 'perfect' fabric, which mimicks Obi-Wan's tunic in EpIII; it's that stone-ish khaki color, too. I really like it, and it doesn't stretch like the last fabric I tried. I am really struggling with the undertunic, however. Just can't seem to get the neckline right. *shrug* I think I'll try Kai's t-shirt suggestion and see how that goes.

Anyway, thanks for all your input, Ani-Chay. It is truly appreciated!

~hendel :-)

[Hendel D'bu]

Minor correction... it isn't Jedi Kai's t-shirt undertunic idea, it is Granny-Wan's. I just looked at it again, and it may solve all the problems of this universe!

(sheesh! how many failed undertunics do I need to make??)

:-)

[Schph Gochi]

kryyjacobi said:

And I almost hate to ask...

_(sorry)



What type of obi do you like best? I see one with ties on the floor...

Of ALL of the parts of my costume, the obi has been the most difficult. I'm sure it's dealing with the female "shape" but I was fighting with that piece (AGAIN) yesterday at Connooga... grrrr....

Need to head over to those threads and re-read...

All I have is obis....with the tie....
I used to do the other kind of sash with velcro...after doing one obi....I threw the rest away....
obis are the way to go...
completetly adjustable....

want an Obi pattern?