Star Wars The Force Awakens Cosplay

The whole family just fell in love with The Force Awakens and everyone has their own favorite character, so naturally we decided to cosplay them for HOT Con in March, (deadline March 11) and Free Comic Book Day, and Star Wars Day.  Normally Rob is Han and I'm Leia.  I'm still going to be Leia, but now Rob wants to be Very Lonely Luke since he already looks just like him and he never shaved off his beard to be Han anyway.  Seth wants to be Finn, Sarah is Rey, obviously, and Sylvan wants to be Kylo Ren.  So here's the research:

 Joanne's was having an amazing sale plus I had a ton of coupons, so today I bought linen in two shades of beige for Luke, cheesecloth for Rey, and purple polyester for Leia.  Also, they had Simplicity patterns for $1 each, so I bought 8 of them, including a faux Luke from the 1977 Star Wars.

I've already gathered most everything I need for everyone.  I've got Finn's black pants, shirt, boots, and brown leather jacket.  

Sarah had already ripped a hole in the knee of one of her school pants, so those got donated to the cause.  I found her black boots for her Zoe costume that still fit.  Various belts and pouches were filched from the boys.  All she needs is a white/beige t-shirt.  Sylvan donated his Ace bandage for her arms.

Sylvan already had black boots, pants, shirt, and a jacket.  I loaned him my vest.  We still need to get him a mask and wig, assuming he'll want to take the mask off at some point to eat.

Rob has brown boots from his Captain Mal costume and he'll probably wear the pants as well.  I have to make the kimono and we'll borrow a cape from stock.

I acquired light blue coveralls and will make the purple vest.  I bought the boots over Christmas. I still need a black belt with silver buckle as does Rob.  I just wish that my coveralls were long-sleeved.  Alas, they are short sleeved.

Today I cut off Sarah's pants, patched the hole in the knee, hemmed the cuffs and ran elastic through them.  I ripped the beige cheesecloth in half on the fold, used a flat fell seam to join the two halves, then zig-zagged over the cut edges and threw it in the washing machine with the linen for Luke's kimono.  I used a slip stitch to sew the ace bandages to the socks that are the base for Rey's arm wrappings so they stay together as a unit and we don't have to recreate the wrappings every time she wears the costume.  I used rolled up shelf paper as substitute Sarah arms so she wouldn't have to stand there while I sewed, which completely eliminated the possibility of me stabbing her with the needle when she inevitably wiggled.  All that's left now is the distressing.

I did a fitting on Sarah just now and the cheesecloth piece is entirely too wide for her narrow frame, so I ripped it in half and then had to cut another foot or so off the length.  She's so excited she asked if on the day of the Con could she cover herself in dirt like Rey.

Last night while we were at Once Upon a Mattress waiting for strike to begin, I cut out Rob's Luke Skywalker kimono.  Rob actually cut all the tissue pattern pieces for me while I was dyeing his Medea costumes.  We're going back today to finish Medea and while the last of that is dyeing, I'll serge and stitch Luke's kimono.  I may have time to drape Leia's vest pattern.

I got most of Luke's kimono stitched today (Sunday).  I only got the trim pinned on, but not sewn, around the neckline.  I did not have time to drape my vest.

Monday I got the trim sewn on to the kimono as well as the dickie.  It's almost done, I just need to hem the sleeves and the bottom and figure out if it needs any closures.  He's supposed to have a very wide leather belt with a silver buckle.  I may make a wide brown sash to belt it and then find a Goodwill belt to go over the sash.  I doubt I'll be able to find a very wide leather belt anywhere, although sometimes Walmart has them.  I have got to get started on my vest because there's only two weeks left from today (Friday of OAP clinics).

Sunday we had first fittings and I took some bad photos.  But I made notes for things that needed to be fixed or finished, like my vest.  Less than two weeks to go. I start draping my vest tomorrow morning.

Got my vest draped on Monday morning.  I also washed the fabric. Tuesday morning I got it cut out and serged and then at lunch I sewed the darts in and put it together. It seems to me that there's an extra something going on at the armhole.  I'll have to investigate that.

Got the whole thing hemmed on Friday while waiting for the next OAP show.  So that's done.  Now I have to hem Luke's kimono. Hem got finished Friday morning, as well as the snaps to keep it shut and finding a large enough leather belt.  I also managed to get Sarah's staff rigged to a belt with leather thongs so she can sling it around her back.  Everything is finished, we just need tomorrow to get here so we can get dressed up and go!  Hopefully there will be a professional photographer booth there so we can get our portrait made.