Xylem Xixa (Dadward) - Sleeves and Wrapping
Remaining Tasks
- Ears (100%)
- Earrings (100%)
- Contacts (100%)
- Antenna
- Claws
- Tail
Almost ready to cross Xixa's arm warmers off of my list and I am loving how they are coming along! This weekend I plan on taking a huge dent out of my task list. There will be a lot of experimental dye mixing to get that perfect tail hue. :) The arm warmers should be done 100% by this weekend and I anticipate the completion of the boots as well. I'm hoping to have the majority of bodysuit completed by this weekend (I'm still trying to figure out a way to avoid using closures. Hmmmmmm......), which leaves me with a week for attending to details.
First I carefully drafted a pattern using muslin, taking great pains to make sure the points at the end were just right as well as the curve around the back of the wrist. Xixa's sleeves begin below her elbow, which generally is what holds them up so I had to make sure the fit was fairly tight. I then marked off where the wrapping would go and cut my final piece out of my white vinyl. Next came the construction of the wrapping itself. I cut ten 10.5"x3" strips of vinyl and used Fabri-tac to secure a fold of 1" for all of the strips (thanks Gray's Anatomy for acting as a weight). Once this had dried I folded over the remaining inch into a glue line once again secured as it dried to ensure no bubbling. I could have sewed these shut much quicker, but was looking for a seamless finish, which is why I also chose to also glue them to the sleeves rather than sew. All I have to do now is paint the power switch on and sew up the inseam!
For the boots I did the exact same method for the wrapping except the measurements were 15.5"x3" to accommodate my calf, which is decidedly beefier than my forearm. I started out using my white vinyl go-go boots as a base for construction. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but much like my Dethklown boots, I scrapped em at the last second instead opting to forever alter my beloved white plats. Ho hum. I figure it's worth the sacrifice though because I'll have unique kickass boots at the end of this and can always buy another pair of white plats later on. Not like I wear them too frequently ANYWAY. The shape fit better and I wouldn't have to deal with filling the gap that the heel creates. I got some batting and wrapped the plats to make them more conical and without a, uh, foot shape (Xixa's feet are apparently made for stampeding). Next came the muslin draft of the boot cover pre-marked to take in account wrapping space. Tonight I'll be cutting my vinyl draft and gluing down the wrapping to the final cut. Next step is adhering it to the boot itself!
