What LotR Costumes/Clothes Have You Made?

[Encaitare]

Well... it's what the title says! Tell us all what spiffy wearable LotR stuff you have made.

I've made one shirt; it's black with the White Tree on it in fabric paint (my friend actually made a White Tree stencil...what does that tell you about how we spend our spare time? ) and the back says "seven stars and seven stones and one white tree."

I'm also planning another shirt, meaning I've got the pictures all set up, but I need to buy that special paper that lets you iron images onto fabric. So this one will be to honor my favorite icky guy ever *points at avatar* and the front will have the picture taken from the art/costumes book for TTT and it'll say, "I dig pale, skulking, bookish types." The back will have a picture of him looking reaaaal nasty and say "Grima Lives." And when I wear it no one will know who the ugly dude on my shirt is and I'll probably get asked lots of dumb questions but thats ok.

And I wrote some LotR book quotes on my shoelaces

Anyhow, I am sure you guys have better ones than this, so let's hear em!

[ninlaith]

Well I consider myself sort of skillful with the needle but whatever i've tried hasn't worked out one way or another. I tried making a Galadriel costume a few years ago but I found out I didn't have enough fabric. And I imagine it would be easy to make a Hobbit costume but the special fabric is so hard to come bye where I live. Silks, crepes, leathers, and organzas are some of the types of fabrics that are used in most of the costumes in Middle-Earth and you can't exactly come across most of those in Wal-Mart. I wish there was some sort of Middle-Earth tailor nearby.

[Meela]

I'm not the best with a needle, so I tend to cheat and adapt an already suitable outfit. I own a lot of Eowyn-type gowns and Gondorian court dresses. A lot of my Elven outfits are pieces I found in weird shops.
A friend embroidered a white tree onto a black tunic for me, for my Gondorian soldier style outfit.

I did attempt to make an elven dress from scratch, but it's incomplete and not exactly making an effort to hold together.

[Morsul the Dark]

Im not good with thread either

Ent- make the bark out of that foam stuff and wear elbow and knee pads put "bark" on these this eliminates the problem of making the joints moveable while stiffening your motion to more entish movement face paint may be tricky but getting the bark on is the worst do you just strap it on over a brown shirt or do you actually glue it to said shirt and then there's the back How to make one of those branchy things strong enough to hold two dolls(merry and pippin) and yet light enough not to make you uncomfortable

and the feet they need o be big but you also can't be tripping over them as you walk

[Sirithheruwen]

I'm not the best with a needle...

*hides mangled mess of ribbon, thread, and needles that are the point shoes I'm attempting to resew*

...so I tend to cheat and adapt an already suitable outfit.

Same here. For Halloween, I used one of my Mom's old bridesmaids dresses (a long and flowing purple gown...beautiful) and just altered it so it fit me. It wasn't very comfortable, sadly, so I didn't rush to put it back on.

I also tried to make a hobbit costume out of khaki capris and a light blue blouse, but I just looked like a teenage girl with her khaki pant rolled up so that her unusually large feet poked out.

[mark12_30]

Originally Posted by Sirithheruwen

I also tried to make a hobbit costume out of khaki capris and a light blue blouse, but I just looked like a teenage girl with her khaki pant rolled up so that her unusually large feet poked out.

Toss the blue blouse if you're wearing khaki breeches. ( Breeches-- get capris at Elfmart for twelve bucks.) Be careful choosing your earth-tones! Hobbits go with all earth-tones & woodsy colors. Browns, green, cream or khaki seem to send the loudest "hobbit here!" message. ( Bilbo's red vest, Frodo going to the Havens in silver and blue, are major exceptions. Frodo was in silver-and-blue because that's what the elves wear on the way to the havens.)

Be on the lookout for (brown, green, cream or khaki) shirts that lace up at the throat or that have embroidered patterns on the chest, or both. Layer over that: hobbit-colored vest. (Thrift stores.) Over that: hobbit-colored jacket. (Mine are cuorderoy, one green, one brown-- & they look fine.)

Cloak is optional (mine's brown) but it does add a lot.

My other indulgences are:
Same shirt & jacket & vest, but with long brown pants, brown socks, brown sandals-- an added cloak suddenly makes the whole thing elvish. Maybe 'cause I'm tall...? I went to RotK wearing that and got enough compliments to make my head swell.

Elvish dresses. Shop judiciously. Most of mine were under thirty dollars, some under twenty. Jewellry-- same thing. Look for celtic knotwork (I avoid the satanic ones!) but even better: look for leaves and flowers. Brooches, earrrings, rings.

After that, it's all in your head. I come to work dressed as either an elf or a hobbit three out of five days. It's just the way I dress. If I wore the cloak, it would be obvious; but if I leave the cloak at home, not many people figure it out.

ps-- I daydream about a "real Mirkwood Tunic". I may have to break down and make one.
I also daydream about making elvish clothes of green and brown and grey so heavily decorated with (very pretty) leaves and trees that they are essentially camo.
But for now, I'll make do with ranger-ish greens and browns.

[Lyta_Underhill]

I'm working on what I call the "Thrift Store Frodo" outfit, except I haven't paid that much attention to actual fabric type. I never have any time or money, so I don't know if I'll have the time and stuff to finish it up. Scrounging is a talent, though, and I did manage to convert a bright orange satiny brocade 1970's long wrap jacket into a sort of dyed orange-brown frock coat, but it still looks a little silly! Also picked out some velvety fabric from a yard sale bin, but I don't know if there will be enough to cover pants and a vest. It will be verrrry tricksey!

Morsul, the Ent costume sounds really cool! Is anyone making costumes for events? My Frodo outfit, if I can get it done, will "premiere" at DragonCon in Atlanta, Georgia this year.

Cheers!
Lyta

[Encaitare]

If I had the cash I'd buy all the pretty dresses, and a sword, and both wizards' staffs (staves?), and everything else... but for now I have to content myself with a spiffy black dress I got for $5.43. V. happy-making.

But if I can make something or find something remotely LotR-ish, I'll wear it to see the LotR exhibit at the Boston Museum of Science... this will kick so much arse, though. I cannot wait to go... if you're interested in tickets check out www.mos.org

[Isowen]

My mother made me a dress which Galadriel wears (in the film obviously), the pretty white one when she shows frodo her mirror.......
My brother has a t-shirt which has written on it "Aragon = White tree, how appropriate"
I used to have a brace (the kind which goes on the top of your mouth), a retainer to all those from the USA. When I didn't need it anymore, i wrote on it "Teeth, but we only has six!"- a gollum quote. Now everyone thinks I'm messed up but I thought it was a fun idea at the time!

[Morsul the Dark]

Originally Posted by Lyta_Underhill

I'm working on what I call the "Thrift Store Frodo" outfit, except I haven't paid that much attention to actual fabric type. I never have any time or money, so I don't know if I'll have the time and stuff to finish it up. Scrounging is a talent, though, and I did manage to convert a bright orange satiny brocade 1970's long wrap jacket into a sort of dyed orange-brown frock coat, but it still looks a little silly! Also picked out some velvety fabric from a yard sale bin, but I don't know if there will be enough to cover pants and a vest. It will be verrrry tricksey!

Morsul, the Ent costume sounds really cool! Is anyone making costumes for events? My Frodo outfit, if I can get it done, will "premiere" at DragonCon in Atlanta, Georgia this year.

Cheers!
Lyta

I was thrift store frodo over halloween if i can get a scanner i will shopw you all the picture

[mark12_30]

C'mon, Morsul, where's the pic? I wanna see.

I just found dark-brown linen Frodo-breeches at wElf-mart. I thought they were all burnt out on LOTR... guess they saved the best for last.

[Morsul the Dark]

I'm attempting to make an ent costume...But the bark thing is giving me trouble but I think I can make it work I do however need to stop being lazy and get on that I also carved my own staff Although I forgot about it and it was out in the rain for a bit soo...now its all icky and soft and such...

I think I'll make a Sam costume that should be fairly simple

[Encaitare]

Ooh, an Ent costume? That sounds hard, man. Go for it though!

For all the gals, here's a dress I found online that looks somewhat Eowyn-ish: http://www.thedarkangel.co.uk/cogent/387.html

[Laitoste]

Originally Posted by Encaitare

I've made one shirt; it's black with the White Tree on it in fabric paint (my friend actually made a White Tree stencil...what does that tell you about how we spend our spare time? ) and the back says "seven stars and seven stones and one white tree."

I love this idea! It's awesome!

I also made a shirt. I wrote my name in Quenya Tengwar on the back and drew a really cool-looking fish. Why? Because I'm weird.

A few years ago, I went as an elf for Halloween. I bought the dress at Kmart, but it was too short and I didn't like the way it fit. I'm going to try to lengthen it and make the skirt fuller and mess with the sleeves so it'll be a Goldberry dress (at least, what I think would be a Goldberry dress...). Or maybe I'll make it into Eowyn's green dress. Oh, and I found a pattern at Hobby Lobby that is exactly like Eowyn's green dress, although it doesn't say it on the package. It's part of some fantasy thing. They also had Pirates of the Carribean. I think it was from Simplicity, but I'm not sure. I don't really sew, though. I made a duvet cover for my bed last year. I couldn't even sew a straight line!

[Encaitare]

Laitoste-- Thanks! Heh heh, I write my name in Quenya Tengwar *everywhere.* My hand, my bag, my notes, my school desk... destruction of public property? No, I prefer to call it "beautification."

::claws desperately at screen:: No, Morsul! No wings! NOOOOO!

But they sure look cool in the movie

[Elennar Starfire]

Ye have to decide if ye want to put up with having two large things sticking off your back...and figure out how to keep them in the right place...a mouse tail that doesn't just hang down in back is enough of a pain...wires and such...

[Morsul the Dark]

Originally Posted by Encaitare

Laitoste-- Thanks! Heh heh, I write my name in Quenya Tengwar *everywhere.* My hand, my bag, my notes, my school desk... destruction of public property? No, I prefer to call it "beautification."

::claws desperately at screen:: No, Morsul! No wings! NOOOOO!

But they sure look cool in the movie

Alright for you Ill refrain from using wings they would be hard any way

[yavanna II]

HEHE... my mom made a pattern for the White Tree using graphing paper... I did that, it was about 144ft^2.... then i displayed that...

If you're not good with needles, I highly recomend cross-stich... the needle isn't that sharp... and you've got a pattern.
To all embroiders out there.... SALUDO AKO SA INYO! I easily get annoyed with that stuff....

[Elennar Starfire]

I discovered a book of Celtic cross stitch patterns at the library...muchly pretty...I'm going to put them on my plain shirts!

[Isowen]

destruction of public property? No, I prefer to call it "beautification."

I like the word there, Encaitare. Very nice

[Lyta_Underhill]

Alright for you Ill refrain from using wings they would be hard any way

Morsul, maybe you should try making them from "shadow and flame" in only a rough shape suggestive of wings! That way you could satisfy both the "has" and "has not" contingent of Balrog theorists!
I have realized just how difficult making hobbit pants is, but that is probably because I am out of practice with sewing. I went in vain search for rust colored velvet fabric (this is unfindable here!) and settled on red with some brown dye. Hope it works! While I was waiting for the person in front of me to have 6 bolts of fabric cut out in tiny strips for quiltmaking, I saw this year's run of Simplicity costume patterns, including the Jack Sparrow and an obvious Arwen riding dress. My husband is going to be Jack Sparrow for Dragoncon in September, but we've managed to put his costume together out of virtually nothing! An old shirt, black pants, a ripped up long vest from Goodwill, some colorful fabrics from various yard sales, and a really bizarre looking handbag (it has FRINGE!). I hope to have pictures, but, more importantly, I hope to be able to finish my costumes in time! If anyone is interested in the mad confluence of costumed freaks in Atlanta, Georgia, here is the site: http://www.dragoncon.org and the more relevant Tolkien Track at the One Ring: http://www.theonering.net/events/dragoncon/
I hope to see some other Barrowdowners there in really cool costumes!
Cheers!
Lyta

P.S. I'll be on the lookout for those White Tree T-shirts! I'm almost positive I'll see some there!

[Lalwendë]

Well, I had a mad whim and I've set out to see if I can make my own cloak, just for the challenge. I'm beginning with some cheap black fabric, and if it works I might go on to make a woollen one, although I don't use the sewing machine as trying to thread it makes me swear. In John Lewis (UK) you can buy some crazy patterns; I selected one for cloaks and robes (it also includes one for a Gandalf hat) from the Simplicity range, but you can also get a wide variety of medieval style dress patterns which look quite simple, and Butterick also do a lot of good ones - it's worth a look. I also went into a sari shop and saw some beautiful fabrics, which might make stunning dresses.

I did also see some sewing patterns for dragon costumes for dogs?!