In today’s Retro Review, I take a closer look at the Star Wars x Barbie limited edition dolls. Of course with all the excitement around the release of the new Barbie movie and all things Barbie, now is the perfect time to take a look at the Barbie dolls in my Star Wars collection!

The first Star Wars x Barbie doll collection (released in late 2019) was inspired by three classic Star Wars characters from A New Hope – Princess Leia, R2-D2, and Darth Vader. Released in May/June 2020, the follow-up second collection also included three characters from A New Hope – Stomtrooper, C-3PO, and Chewbacca, as well as Rey from The Force Awakens.

Each doll wears a full head-to-toe ensemble inspired by a Star Wars character. The outfits not only reference the design of the character, but also the feel – it really shows that a lot of thought went into the design process. Princess Leia is elegant, confident, and stylish, R2-D2 is quirky, fun, and friendly, Darth Vader is powerful, imposing, and severe, and Rey is optimistic, graceful, and independent.

The Star Wars x Barbie collaboration is an homage to Star Wars: A New Hope. This eponymous collection, inspired by the film’s original concept art, re-imagines iconic characters through a distinctive Barbie high-fashion filter.

Each doll is wearing a couture outfit, complete with matching hairstyle and accessories, all packaged in a display box. The presentation is just gorgeous, complete with strong plastic display box and artwork on the cardboard surround. The dolls are secure in place, and protected from dust and marks. Each box has a plastic slip band that simply slides off to reveal the side panels that open up to display a backdrop of artwork.

Check out my full video –

So let’s take a closer look at the four Star Wars x Barbie dolls in my collection, starting with Darth Vader.

Darth Vader looks ready to march into a board room and take control. While her black hairstyle and glasses were intended to represent Darth Vader’s helmet, I can’t help but see a reference to Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine for over 30 years and a powerful figure in the fashion world.

This collectible Star Wars x Barbie doll captures Darth Vader’s Sith armor silhouette in a head-to-toe shiny-black ensemble. Metallic details at her collar and waist, dark glasses and an emblematic black cape finish the look.

Princess Leia looks like royalty, in a full length white ball gown with huge draped sleeves and stunning silver accessories. The outfit looks red carpet ready, the perfect fit for the Princess of Alderaan.

This collectible Star Wars x Barbie doll captures Princess Leia’s iconic look in an elegant white gown with dramatic, floor-length sleeves. Details include a silvery peplum belt, cuff jewelry and an up-do inspired by her signature bun hairstyle.

R2-D2 is portrayed as youthful and fun, a fashionable best friend. This is my daughter’s favourite design from the collection – the long blue ponytail gives the look a slightly more younger vibe compared to the other designs.

This collectible Star Wars R2-D2 x Barbie doll captures the lovable droid’s look in a geometric ensemble with a dome skirt, bomber jacket and thigh-high boots over silvery tights. A vibrant blue ponytail and “radar eye” detail complete the look.

Later, Mattel released four more Star Wars x Barbie dolls for ‘Star Wars Day’ May 4th 2020, with dolls inspired by Rey, Stormtrooper, C-3PO, and Chewbacca. There is always a lot of new Star Wars merchandise released on May 4th each year, so I was only able to pick up my favourite design from the second collection – Rey.

Like the Princess Leia doll before her, the Rey doll outfit is in a red carpet style. The outfit design closely references Rey’s Jakku scavenger outfit but in a longer flowy gown. The outfit is a more direct translation of the original costume, especially compared to some of the other dolls in the range (like R2-D2), but it works really well.

This collectible Star Wars x Barbie doll takes design inspiration from Rey’s legendary look to capture her adventurous spirit in a runway-ready silhouette. Star Wars Rey x Barbie doll wears a crystal pleated chiffon gown with a crossover neckline and draped hood, inspired by Rey’s gauzy crosspiece. A slit reveals ombre boot-leggings in gold and copper hues, and accessories with a hammered gold look complete her heroic ensemble.

The Barbie brand is founded on dolls wearing fashion, so this concept was the perfect approach for a Star Wars collaboration. This collection feels thoughtful, evident that the designers really wanted to create outfits that represented the characters and that fans would really appreciate. I absolutely love my Star Wars x Barbie dolls, and someday hope to track down the ones missing from my collection.

May the Force be with you!

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So I finally sat down and recorded my Star Wars shopping haul video from Armageddon Expo Auckland! This year, Armageddon celebrated its 100th event with a special winter edition in my hometown of Auckland. We attended all three days, and even with the occasional rain, we had an awesome time!

We were delighted at the range of booths and Star Wars items to buy this year, and we sure picked up a bit ourselves. I’m always on the look for Star Wars collectibles to pick up at our local conventions, and I found quite a few pieces that I just had to buy.

Check out my haul video below –

First up, Funko Pop! Vinyls – because what Armageddon would be complete without checking out the range of Funko collectibles? We made use of a multi-buy promotion at the Card Merchant booth to grab General Grievous and Boba Fett to fill some gaps in our collection – and I also found the chase Bo-Katan Kryze figure! I have wanted her for ages, I can’t believe I found her!

One of my first booths to visit at Armageddon Expo was Cobalt Heights – a local stockist of Loungefly. I’ve had my eye on this Loungefly x Star Wars wallet for a while, but I wanted to see the pattern placement in person, to make sure that Princess Leia was on the front. Sure enough, I finally found one I liked, so of course I had to get it! I already have the matching tote bag (a wonderful gift from my family), so now I have the set.

In my follow up visit to the Cobalt Heights booth (you know, to see if I missed any Loungefly Star Wars items on my first stop), I remembered I hadn’t looked through their pin section – and found this! A Loungefly x Star Wars 4-piece enamel pin set featuring Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca, as seen in A New Hope. I had seen this pin set online a while ago, but it had sold out before I could grab it, so I made sure to get it this time. Aren’t they so cute?

Alongside the Loungefly pin set, I spotted this fan-made Rebel/Imperial logo pin, made by Frantasy Island. It has a wonderful dark grey glittery swirl, and I just love the angled split design.

Next up, Oasis Scents. I’ve been a fan of their geek inspired candles and soaps for ages (I already own several items from their awesome range) so I always make sure to check out their booth early. For this event they had an Ahsoka Tano inspired candle! It smells divine, with a beautiful combination of fig and melon – so of course I had to grab one.

I spotted these beautiful embroidered keyrings in the Artist Alley, from ZubKitty Creates. I saw the Princess Leia design straight away, and then noticed the Ahsoka Tano keychain beside it, so I grabbed both. I think I’ll use these as bag charms – they’re too pretty to use as keychains!

Browsing the wide array of fandom inspired jewelry at the Lola & Alice booth, I found this Princess Leia earring set. I’ve always loved this classic promotional image of Princess Leia onboard her ship the Tantive IV from A New Hope, so it really caught my eye. Princess Leia and jewelry is a combination I can never resist!

The Lola & Alice booth also had a section next to it with a huge array of pins – my family and I spent ages going through all the geek themed sections and picked out a few of our favourite designs. These are the three pins I choose – May The Force Be With You, Millennium Falcon, and Princess Leia Rebel. Perfect to add to a jacket for a little touch of Star Wars flair.

So this next was a completely random find – a licensed Star Wars sewing measuring tape! I spotted this cute little find at a booth that sold geek fabric cushion covers etc, and just loved it. I’ve never seen it before – and it even features Han Solo and Princess Leia! I’m going to keep it as a collectible to display in my little sewing area where I work on my Star Wars costumes.

Check out this cute little gift from my daughter – Star Wars ‘Clan Of Two’ inspired washi tape! She spotted this in the Artist Alley, and saw it featured Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan, so she knew I would love it. She also bought me two Star Wars stickers from a nearby artist booth – Princess Leia and BB-8, lovely little gifts. The perfect final addition to my Princess Leia themed haul this year.

So there you have it, my Star Wars shopping haul from Armageddon Expo Auckland June 2022. I was really delighted at the great range of booths this year, with some really fun finds – I picked up seven Princess Leia items, I think that’s my new record for Armageddon! From Loungefly, to pins, earrings, a candle and more, I had so much fun shopping at this convention, and I can’t wait for the next event.

May the Force be with you!

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We are saddened to hear of the passing of author Dave Wolverton. While we never had the opportunity to meet him, it is always sad when someone who contributed to the Star Wars galaxy passes away.

Dave Wolverton wrote five stories for the Star Wars expanded universe, but he is best remembered as the author of The Courtship Of Princess Leia, which was first published in 1994. It was in this book that the planet Dathomir was first introduced, along with the witches (now also known as Nightsisters), a popular location and culture that are still used in Star Wars storytelling to this day.

The Courtship Of Princess Leia is one of the few Star Wars novels that we own three copies of. To be fair, each one feels like quite a different collectible –

• hardback version with white dress artwork (US, 1994)
• paperback version with white dress artwork (UK, 1995)
• paperback version with Return Of The Jedi artwork (US, 1995)

Drew Struzan did the cover artwork for both versions as seen here – I always wished there was a full-length version of the original hardback artwork, so I could see Princess Leia’s wedding dress. I wonder what the inspiration for the dress design was?

In my early Star Wars collecting days, I went through a phase of trying to track down a copy of every Star Wars novel. A mission I have yet to complete, but The Courtship of Princess Leia was one of my earliest acquisitions, and one of the first Star Wars novels I read. As a big Princess Leia fan, I was eager to know how her story unfolded after Return Of The Jedi. It has been many years since I last read the book, but it is one I remember fondly from those early Star Wars stories.

Thank you for your contribution to the Star Wars galaxy, Dave Wolverton – May the Force be with you.

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We just recently were lucky to get this POTF2 nostalgia version of the Black Series 6″ Yavin Celebration Ceremony Princess Leia – a celebratory figure to celebrate the new year!

The packaging is a recreation of the POTF2 “green beam” packaging that was used for 3.75″ figures in the late 1990s. Back then, in that smaller scale, the Ceremonial Dress Princess Leia was released on a card with the FlashBack photo (the small plastic-framed image that would change from Leia to Padme Amidala with the pull of a tab), and also with a soft-goods cape partnered with Luke Skywalker in his Yavin 4 celebration garb (part of the Princess Leia Collection of 4 different 2-packs). This modern 6″ Black Series version of the figure has a foil finish to the cardback and bears the Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary logo in the top right corner.

Leia comes with fabric components to her outfit, and a Yavin Ceremony Medal. The collectible was a Hasbro Pulse exclusive, originally scheduled to ship in February of 2022, but bought forward by nearly a couple of months in the end. This version of the Princess Leia figure will also ship in standard/current Black Series packaging in Feb/March 2022. We may hunt down a version in the standard packaging too, in order to open and display this great rendition of Princess Leia as seen in A New Hope, because we’ll definitely be keeping this POTF2 iteration on the exclusive cardback.

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Today’s Star Wars collectible is the Hasbro The Force Awakens Princess Leia Organa action figure from ‘The Black Series’ 3.75″ line. This particular line was never stocked locally, and was later abandoned in favour of the more popular ‘The Vintage Collection’ carded series. So, I had to source this figure from ebay to add her to my Leia collection.

It is interesting that Hasbro labeled this figure as “Princess Leia Organa” rather than General Leia Organa as she is referred to in the sequel trilogy. She is also a fairly unique Star Wars action figure in that she comes with zero accessories. Years ago, Kenner/Hasbro would give just about every figure something to hold for kids to play with, but The Black Series line is designed for collectors, who don’t need random accessories that don’t match up to on-screen scenes.

To be honest, the sculpt on this figure doesn’t really stand up well next to the other General Leia figure I have. I appreciate Hasbro creating a Leia figure that was only in a brief non-action scene (there are still heaps of Padme’ Amidala figures I wish they would make to represent all her outfits…) but it’s not their best work. I do like the soft goods fabric dress, but her articulated legs underneath fight against the back of the plastic overcoat and make her hard to pose well. She stands a little better with a stand, but not as well as the other General Leia figure seen here.

The post Black Series TFA Princess Leia 3.75″ Action Figure appeared first on Villa Varykino.

After reorganising my Star Wars studio room, I had the opportunity to display some of my favourite collectibles that needed a safe and protected space. To celebrate my favourite Star Wars characters, I put together a Women Of The Star Wars Saga display area, to showcase some of my most treasured collectibles in a spot where I can see them everyday.

Checkout this video of my new Star Wars display –

This is of course not all of my Rey, Amidala, and Leia collectibles, but this display includes some of the largest/heaviest pieces, and ones that really need a secure display space away from sunlight and excess dust. The sturdy drawers provided a great platform for heavy pieces like premium format statues, and they are all now in a room that has blocked out windows to protect from sun damage – a concern of mine, especially with pieces with fabric details.

Rey collectibles –

• Sideshow Collectibles Rey premium format statue
• Gentle Giant Rey Milestones Statue
• Gentle Giant Rey Dreamer Statue
• Kotobukiya Rey Descendent Of Light Artist Series Figure
• Hot Toys Deluxe Rey and BB-8 12″ Figure Set

Queen Amidala collectibles –

• Robert Tonner Queen Amidala Celebration Gown Doll
• Robert Tonner Queen Amidala Trunk Set Doll
• Gentle Giant Queen Amidala (Throne Room Gown) Mini Bust
• Limoges Queen Amidala Porcelain Trinket Box

Princess Leia collectibles –

• Sideshow Collectibles Princess Leia Premium Format Statue
• Lladró Princess Leia Porcelain Statue
• Royal Selangor Princess Leia Pewter Figure
• Gentle Giant Princess Leia (Bespin Gown) Mini Bust
• The Bradford Exchange Princess Leia Treasured Reflections Statue

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This Star Wars inspiration board DIY is a project I have wanted to make for a while, and January felt like the perfect time. The new year always brings about thoughts of resolutions, inspiring us to make change or reflect on our personal journey – and pin boards are a great way to remind us daily of our goals.

I’ve always loved pin boards, and use them often – I love being able to collect images and quotes that inspire me, and assemble them into visual representations of my goals. This year, I really wanted to create a Star Wars-themed pin board, inspired by my favourite women of Star Wars, and the pretty inspiration/mood/vision board projects from Pinterest.

As I planned out my project, the inspiration board idea evolved into a matching set of three boards, each one inspired by my favourite Star Wars characters – Princess Leia, Padme’ Amidala, and Rey. I created a themed printable sheet for each character, with quotes, inspiring words, and symbols to add to each pin board.

Free Printables to download (select the version for your desired paper size, right-click to download, and print at 300dpi) –

• Rebel and Naboo Symbol stencil cut-outs – A4 version – US Letter version
• Princess Leia – A4 version – US Letter version
• Padme’ Amidala – A4 version – US Letter version
• Rey – A4 version – US Letter version

A quick trip to the craft store and I found all the supplies I needed – minus some I already had, like paint brushes, scissors and ruler. All up, the supplies cost just under NZ$24 – but the most expensive item was actually the hologram alphabet stickers! There were cheaper options, but I just loved the sparkle effect (and I needed two packs just to get the E’s I needed…).

Craft Supplies –

• Small cork board x3 (I used 9″ x 12″ boards)
• Artist/acrylic paint
• Paint brush
• Push pins
• Scissors
• Alphabet stickers
• Printed photos of Leia/Padme’/Rey
• Optional – ruler, pencil, spare paper

The first step was painting the wooden frames of each cork board. I chose silver paint, as a colour that coordinated well with each character, and just looks pretty – with some glitter on top of course! I found two styles of glitter paint that I loved – silver glitter to add on the frame, and ‘crystal’ glitter as a subtle accent for the painted symbols.

I used some spare scrap paper to mask the cork surface to avoid getting paint on the cork while I handpainted the wooden frame. It took a few coats of the silver paint to get the finish I was looking for, as I wanted to completely cover the wood grain. Once the silver paint had dried well, I painted a few coats of the glitter paint – the paint I used has a clear base for the glitter, so the silver paint still shows up nicely under the glitter coats.

I used small scissors to carefully cut out the Rebel symbol and Naboo symbol stencils – I printed this page twice, so I had a bit of extra room in case I made a mistake. I took my time here, as the accuracy of the stencil really helps to get a tidy paint design later.

I used a ruler to find the center of the pinboard, then pinned the stencils onto the cork to secure in place. Using a small paint brush, I used the silver paint and carefully hand painted the outline of the symbols.

Once I was happy I had the outline painted, I removed the stencil and filled in the rest of the symbol. I used about two or three coats of the silver paint to get a nice even coverage on the textured cork surface, then finished it off with a few coats of the crystal glitter and silver glitter paints. So sparkly!

Once the painted symbols were fully dry, I got my hologram alphabet stickers to spell out the character names for Padme’, Leia, and Rey. I used a ruler to line up all the letters evenly, and to help get the names as centered as I could. I was able to gently place the stickers on the pinboard and carefully adjust them into place, before pressing them down firmly to stick securely.

I wanted to place the letters on top of the largest sections of paint – I found that I liked the placement of the ‘Padme’ lettering slightly higher on the Naboo symbol, compared to ‘Leia’ and ‘Rey’ lettering placement on the Rebel symbol.

As I was really excited by how the painted symbols came out, I was a little unsure if I wanted to put stickers over top – but I’m so glad I went with my original idea! I like the mixed media effect, which really suits the ‘gathered materials’ style of inspiration boards. Plus the hologram finish is so pretty against the silver glitter symbols!

Next up – the print outs. I really enjoyed creating the printed elements for my inspiration boards. I had a general idea of the layout I wanted, which included the same number of elements for each each character board –

• Three quotes on square designs
• One printed character photo (square)
• Three associated words
• Two small circular symbols

I spent quite a while really thinking about what inspires me most about each character. The idea behind these inspiration boards is that they will be hung on the wall where I will see them everyday, to remind me of what I love about each character, so I felt it was important to find words, symbols, and quotes that personally mean a lot to me.

Defining words –

• Rey – Jedi, Strong, Resist
• Padme’ – Queen, Love, Defend
• Leia – Princess, Hope, Rebel

Symbols –

• Rey – Jedi Order symbol, Force ‘Light Side’ symbol
• Padme’ – Naboo royal emblem, Republic Senate symbol
• Leia – Organa crest symbol, Jedi Order symbol

Taking my small scissors, I cut out each of the quote squares and round symbols, as well as a photo of each character I printed separately (I just found promo photos I liked online and printed them out in the same sized square as my quote designs).

For the single word prints, I originally cut them out in rectangles, but after seeing them all cut out together, I decided I wanted a ‘closer’ cut-out style for the words. It adds a scrapbook effect to the text, as if I cut them out from a magazine, which was my reason for using different fonts anyway.

The final step! Laying all the paper elements out on each board and playing around with different layout designs. I knew I wanted a square print in each corner, with the single words and round symbols scattered around. It was fun to see the final designs come together!

I wasn’t sure what colour pins I wanted to use, but in the end I went with white pins, with a few black pins for the quote squares with darker backgrounds. I felt black and white pins coordinated well with my printed text and silver painted elements. Once I had decided on my final layout, I secured the cut-outs in place with pins.

I am so very happy with how this DIY project came out – they look exactly as I hoped they would! Translating my scribbled sketches on scrap paper to final finished boards I can hang on my wall. From the first steps of choosing quotes, words, and symbols to represent each character, to creating printables, and painting symbols – it’s been a fun and thoughtful DIY project.

Every morning, I get up and see these Star Wars inspiration boards and smile. A reminder of the characters I love so much, and why they continue to inspire me every day. I really enjoyed the creative process of designing and making these inspiration boards, and celebrating these amazing women of Star Wars.

You can check out this DIY project on YouTube too (and subscribe to our channel for more Star Wars DIY projects as well as other ways to incorporate more Star Wars into your life).

If you’d like to create a Star Wars inspiration board for yourself, feel free to download and print out these character quote designs – these are also included in the free printable sheets which you can download via links at the top of this post.

The post Star Wars Inspiration Board DIY appeared first on Villa Varykino.

I enjoy monthly social media challenges, so when the annual ‘Fall For Costume’ Instagram event rolled around in October this year, it was a great opportunity to dig through older photos and share some of our favorite costume memories.

Hosted by redthreaded, the challenge lasts for the month of October – which is often associated with costumes as Halloween season. There is a different word prompt for each day, which you can interpret anyway you like, to fit your costume range. For us, our costumes are predominately from Star Wars, comics, and science fiction – check out our daily posts below –

#FallForCostume 2019 Instagram challenge hosted by @redthreaded

• Day 1 ‘Intro’ – Padme Amidala and Republic Commando

Hello ? We’re Kristy and Matt Glasgow – married Star Wars fans and costumers. Star Wars is how we met, and is a huge part of our lives. ⠀
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Our costumes include some of our favourite Star Wars characters, like Padme’ Amidala and Republic Commando Boss. ⠀
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We love to travel, and attend international costume events/conventions like DragonCon and Star Wars Celebration

• Day 2 ‘Red’ – Legend Of The Seeker Sister of The Dark

The tv series Legend Of The Seeker was filmed in NZ – Matt was an extra for several episodes, so we’re quite fond of the show. ⠀
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They auctioned off most of the costumes and props after the series ended, and we managed to get this hero Sister Marissa costume. ⠀
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Matt made my dacra weapon, which survived the international trip to DragonCon and back!

• Day 3 ‘Soft’ – Clone Wars Micro Series Padme’ Amidala

It’s simple, but my Snowbunny cape is one of my favourite things I’ve ever made. ⠀
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I love the soft white fleece and blue marabou trim, it’s so cuddly and warm

• Day 4 ‘Structured’ – Captain America Dancing Girl

My Captain America dancing girl outfit is my most structured costume, in both construction process and technique. ⠀
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As well as following the detailed sewing instructions to match the group, it was also my first attempt at hat-making. ⠀
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It was a last-minute costume that stressed me out to finish on time, but I had such an awesome time with my fellow dancers at DragonCon

• Day 5 ‘Inside’ – Tonner Dolls Deliciously Deco Renee’ Devereaux

I’m not confident in my sewing abilities to be brave enough to show the inside of anything I’ve made, but this dress at least has an interesting story. ⠀
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For some reason I was hell-bent on making this costume with less than two weeks until DragonCon! Unable to find proper fringe anywhere locally, I bought a huge amount of black cord…. ⠀
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Of course having all the cord ends along the seams makes this dress very scratchy on the inside! Lesson learnt – don’t do last minute projects unless I have the proper materials ?

• Day 6 ‘Outside’ – Republic Commando Boss RC-1138

The weathering on my Republic Commando took a lot of paint layers to achieve. ⠀
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The metallic silver weathering isn’t painted on, it’s an entire paint layer under the white topcoat, and worn down in selected areas. ⠀
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A time consuming process, but now any addition wear from scratches and scuffs will only add to the effect

• Day 7 ‘Machinery’ – Vac-form table (Padme’ Amidala Holster)

For my Clone Wars ‘Snowbunny’ Padme’ Amidala costume, we wanted to replicate the animated style – which meant custom accessories.⠀
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We made our own vac-form machine, and used it to make a custom blaster holster, belt pouch, and the blaster. ⠀
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I really love the cute cartoon look, and creating props via vac-forming was a neat process to learn

• Day 8 ‘Black’ – Star Wars Imperial Officer

In 2005 I joined the 501st Legion with a classic Imperial Officer costume. Matt has been a member since 2001 with his Stormtrooper armour, and I decided to join him on the Dark Side. ⠀
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A novice seamstress back then (and still), I bought all the fabric components, while Matt made my belt buckle and rank badge. ⠀
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ID-947 and TK-944 – Troopers In Love ?

• Day 9 ‘White’ – Gentle Giant Animated Maquette Princess Leia

I love the Star Wars animation style statues by @gentlegiantltd – the Princess Leia & R2-D2 statue is one of my favourites in my collection. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
So when I was invited to join a group of GG Leia’s for a local convention, I jumped at the awesome opportunity. We had so much fun together! ⠀
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I’m still not great at patten drafting, sewing, or working with wigs, but I love my GG Leia

• Day 10 ‘Past’ – Austin Powers Dancer Girl

Throwing it back to the 60’s for this one – my Austin Powers dancer girl. ⠀
I joined a group of friends for the 2011 DragonCon Masquerade, picking this bright orange and pink outfit from the opening sequence of the first film. ⠀
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Custom printed fabric, custom earrings, a very hastily made hat, purple stockings, and bright orange go-go boots. ⠀
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A little bit rushed, as my DragonCon costumes tend to be – but I had so much fun dancing on stage with my friends ?

• Day 11 ‘Present’ – Heroes Claire Bennet

I loved the early seasons of Heroes. I put together this quick Claire Bennet costume when Zachary Quinto was announced for a local convention. ⠀
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Unfortunately he cancelled, but I’m still glad I made the costume. ⠀
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I took it along to DragonCon 2011 as a comfy change between costumes

• Day 12 ‘Future’ – Anovos Star Wars Original Series Costumes

Kind of a sad story for this one – years ago we bought these @anovos premier Star Trek costumes, for a future DragonCon trip. ⠀
The trip didn’t happen because of life’s hurdles, and we had to sell the costumes too. ⠀
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We still love Star Trek, and still plan to costume together from the original series… just not with these costumes. ⠀
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Life has certainly thrown some ‘adventures’ our way these past few years, but we’re looking toward the future with hope and optimism

• Day 13 ‘Space’ – Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter Pilot

We have quite a few costumes that fit the ‘space’ theme, but a space pilot seemed to fit the best. ⠀
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When we met, we had one costume each, on opposite sides – Matt had his Stormtrooper armour, I had my Jedi robes. ⠀
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Since then, we’ve both crossed to ‘each other’s side’, and now we both have costumes for the Light Side and the Dark Side. From a Stormtrooper to a Rebel Pilot. ⠀
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Someday I’ll finish my X-Wing pilot costume so we can match ?

• Day 14 ‘Stitching’ – DC Comics Harley Quinn and The Joker

I made our Harley Quinn and Joker costumes for @armageddonexponz Auckland 2007, as HQ co-creator Bruce Timm was a guest. ⠀
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We also entered into the Cosplay Competition – and won Best In Show! The one and only time I’ve had the confidence to perform a skit, complete with animated-style Harley Quinn voice. Matt even grew his hair long for me so I could paint it green. ⠀
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Despite being quite basic by modern cosplay standards (this was *12* years ago!), I am still proud of them. The most hand-stitching I’ve ever done – I got so obsessed with making the Joker costume and accessories that I nearly didn’t get HQ finished in time!

• Day 15 ‘Blue’ – Star Wars Battlefront II Darktrooper

For Armageddon Expo Auckland 2017, Matt debuted his Darktrooper armour, from the original Battlefront II video game. ⠀
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The trooper armour is a unique shade of blue, which really stands out alongside classic white stormtrooper armour. ⠀
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Made by Oota Goota workshop, the armour is made from vac-formed plastic, and custom fit for Matt. We are big fans of the original Battlefront games, so it was a great experience to get to debut a new costume build of a unique armour design from the game

• Day 16 ‘First’ – Star Wars Jedi Knight

One of the few photos of my first costume, completed in April 2004. It started by finding a custom wool robe online, and was soon followed by custom leather boots, FX lightsaber, and figuring out how to sew. ⠀
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Halloween wasn’t even a thing here in NZ when I was a child, so Star Wars was my first introduction to costuming. ⠀
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I learnt so much making that first costume, I remade the tunics pretty soon after (and a few more time after that). ⠀
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My sewing skills still have a long way to go, but I’m so happy for all the amazing friends I’ve made through costuming and cosplay ?

• Day 17 ‘Last’ – Star Wars Twi’lek Jedi Historian

The last costume I made for myself, the latest in a series of 5 different Jedi costume variations I’ve made since 2004 – Jedi Historian. ⠀
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This is my original concept, based on Jocasta Nu from AOTC, and Atris from KOTOR2 – I finished and debuted the costume in 2011.⠀
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The tabbard designs are all hand drawn in fabric marker on both sides, based on a template Matt drew for me (a mix of patterns from both Jocasta and Atris). ⠀
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Comfortable, fun to wear, and I can wear it with or without the lekku headpiece – made by the wonderful @twilek_pam 

• Day 18′ Historical’ – 300 Spartan Warrior

Matt and I joined the @300dcspartans forums in January 2008, and debuted our Spartan and Queen Gorgo costumes at a local convention that year. ⠀
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In 2009 we made the journey to DragonCon to meet up with our Spartan friends, and had so much fun, we returned in 2011 and 2012. ⠀
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Someday we’ll make it back again!

• Day 19 ‘Fantasy’ – Disney Tinkerbell Wings

A work in (very slow) progress – Tinker Bell ? I got these gorgeous wings from @fancyfairyangela many years ago, and have stored them safely away ever since. ⠀
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I grew up with Disney, and have loved Peter Pan ever since I was little. ⠀
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As a little girl I dreamed of flying like Peter and Tink, and while that particular fantasy can’t come true, the sight of these beautiful wings gives me so many happy thoughts

• Day 20 ‘Big’ – The Chronicles Of Riddick (Screen Used)

Our biggest costume purchase – this screen-used Vin Diesel costume from The Chronicles Of Riddick. ⠀
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The screen used costume includes the top, pants, boots, belt, arm guards, backpack, and breather prop – we sourced and/or made the knives, backpack straps, and goggles. ⠀
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Funny story – I was halfway through making a Riddick costume for Matt when we bought this real one! I never did finish making my version….

• Day 21 ‘Small’ – Twilight New Moon Bella Swan

My ‘smallest’ costuming project was my Bella Swan cosplay for DragonCon 2011. ⠀
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The costume and jewelry are licensed replicas, the Vans shoes and headband are screen accurate. ⠀
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The only bit of sewing I did was to crop a cheap black cardigan a little shorter to match. ⠀
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Easy to make, easy to wear

• Day 22 ‘Green’ – DC Comics Poison Ivy

A popular costume idea, but I had a spare corset I didn’t need for my wedding dress, so of course I was going to use for a quick and easy costume. ⠀
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Cheap red wig, green stockings, green heels, lots of fake leaves, and boom – Poison Ivy costume. ⠀
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I’ve worn it a few times, and made some upgrades for DragonCon 2011. Still need to upgrade the wig (and drastically improve my makeup skills) but I love this comfy costume ?

• Day 23 ‘Steam’ – 300 Queen Gorgo (Secret Meeting)

The problem with long haul flights for overseas conventions – my costumes get so creased in my suitcase! ⠀
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My little handheld steamer doesn’t work on US voltage, so I leave it at home. Really wish I’d been able to steam my costumes at DragonCon, especially my Queen Gorgo – but I really didn’t trust the hotel room iron that year. ⠀
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In the future, I’d like to find a cheaper steamer in the US, so I have that option for conventions

• Day 24 ‘Tools’ – Star Wars Femtrooper

The costume we used the most tools to create – my Star Wars femtrooper armour. ⠀
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Debuted in 2008, the armour is vac-formed, with a custom fibreglass chest piece sculpted over my chest cast. ⠀
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The ‘fem’ style armour isn’t common any more, but I still love this costume

• Day 25 ‘Warm’ – Star Wars Barriss Offee

I have a few costumes with cloaks, but the warmest is my Barriss Offee costume. ⠀
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Full length dress with turtleneck collar, long sleeves and hood, with two layers of velvet over the top. ⠀
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Somehow I always end up wearing this costume in warm places – Anaheim, Atlanta, Orlando…. ⠀
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I need to wear it to a convention somewhere cold so I can get decent photos where I’m not sweating off the intricate diamond pattern makeup!

• Day 26 ‘Cold’ – 300 Queen Gorgo (Farewell)

Perhaps not the coldest to wear, but the first costume I think of – my Queen Gorgo ‘farewell’ dress. ⠀
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I made this for DragonCon 2011 – August is the middle of winter here, and this dress is all about draped fabric…. ⠀
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Which meant spending many hours pretty much naked in my sewing room, while I draped fabric around myself, sewing it in place, trying it on again… ⠀
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I had the curtains and doors closed, the heater blasting on high, and it was still really cold! Worth it though – that dress fit like a glove

• Day 27 ‘Purple’ – DC Comics The Joker

I made our Harley Quinn and Joker costumes for @armageddonexponz Auckland 2007, as HQ co-creator Bruce Timm was a guest. ⠀
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A good friend wore his Batman costume that year as well, so we got some fun group photos. ⠀
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Matt’s costume was inspired by the animated series, with the Joker voiced by Mark Hamill – this was a year before ‘The Dark Knight’ film was released, so Joker costumes weren’t as common back then ?

• Day 28 ‘Romantic’ – Star Wars Padme’ Amidala

In 2006 Matt and I traveled across the world to visit the Star Wars AOTC filming location in Italy. ⠀
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Two weeks before the trip I had the crazy idea to make Padme’s lake dress, with my very basic sewing skills. ⠀
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No pattern, drafted the dress with bedsheets wrapped around me, and used fabric paint… but I think it worked out okay. ⠀
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The best part – Matt surprised me by proposing in the spot Anakin and Padme’ were married ?

• Day 29 ‘Spooky’ – The Chronicles of Riddick (Screen Used)

The ‘spookiest’ costumes we own – screen used Necromonger captain and convert costumes from The Chronicles Of Riddick. ⠀
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We bought these from @prop_store back in 2005, our first ‘couple cosplay’ – it was so exciting to own costumes from the first film we ever saw together. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
I’ve worn my Necromonger convert costume several times, at different conventions around the world – but Matt’s captain costume won’t fit in a suitcase, so we wear them together at local conventions ?

• Day 30 ‘Beginings’ – Star Wars Stormtrooper

The beginning of our love of costumes – Matt’s first costume, Star Wars stormtrooper armour. ⠀
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He bought it from the US in 2001, and joined the @official501st that same year. ⠀
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A few years later, I made my first costume, a Jedi Knight. We soon found each other through our shared love of Star Wars, collecting, and costuming. ⠀
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Passions we still share to this day, after 12 years of marriage and still going strong

• Day 31 ‘Endings’ – The Chronicles Of Riddick (Self Made)

As I’m sure most costumers can relate, I have a few costume projects that have been put aside for one reason or another, waiting to be finished someday. ⠀
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This Riddick costume is an odd one out from my stash, in that I’m pretty certain I’ll never finish it. ⠀
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I got this far before I ran out of time for DragonCon 2009 – made the shirt, arm guards and shoulder harness, and finished it off with store-bought boots, pants and belt. ⠀
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The reason this will never get finished? We now own a real Vin Diesel screen used Riddick costume! Doesn’t seem much point to keep sewing the rest of this version, when it could never compare to the real one we have

We really enjoyed the nostalgic look back at our costuming highlights, and look forward to participating in the Fall For Costume challenge again next year!

The post Fall For Costume 2019 appeared first on Villa Varykino.

I’m not a Funko completionist, but I like to collection Star Wars Pop! Vinyl figures when I can – especially of Princess Leia. While browsing the dealer tables at Armageddon Expo Auckland last year, I came across this Leia and R2-D2 set for a great price and grabbed it. Carrie Fisher’s birthday coincided with the convention that weekend, so I was especially happy to find a new Princess Leia collectible for my collection.

This particular set is marked as a Funko 2017 Summer Convention exclusive.

This Funko Pop! Vinyl 2-pack features Princess Leia and R2-D2 figures. Each figure is separate with their own stand, not a joining display base. The set is inspired by the scene from A New Hope where R2-D2 plays Princess Leia’s hologram message for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker.

The Leia figure is sculpted with her hands clasped together and her dress hood up, as she does in the hologram message. She is cast in a pale blue plastic, with blue paint accents for her hair and face. The R2-D2 figure is a classic astromech design, with R2’s distinctive white, silver and blue paint job.

The sculpt for this hologram version is also used for other variants, like the gold chrome version that came out this year. I hope Funko release this style of Leia Pop! Vinyl in a standard painted version, like the original – it would make a great set with these other variations.

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Today is October 21st here in NZ – Carrie Fisher’s birthday. Instead of dwelling on the fact she is no longer with us, I want to celebrate her legacy and the lasting impact Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia has had on my life.

As well as meeting Carrie in person at conventions and collecting Princess Leia merchandise, I also enjoy reading about Carrie – as written by others, and in her own words. I recently read Todd Fisher’s autobiography My Girls, where he shares many memories of his sister Carrie, including her struggles.

I’ve only read one of Carrie’s own books in recent years – The Princess Diarist, which was released just before she died. It was hard to read her words after she passed away. I admit I held off for a while, I finally read it a year later – and it’s the only book of hers that I’ve read since her passing. But of course it was good to hear more of her own stories, particularly of her time filming Star Wars.

So, to celebrate her birthday this year, I decided it was time to continue reading Carrie’s books. Thankfully, she wrote quite a few – both fiction and non-fiction. I’ve read her older autobiographies in the past, but I haven’t read her highly acclaimed novels like Postcards From The Edge.

A trip to the local library, and I came home with an armful of Carrie Fisher’s books. I’ve already started reading Postcards From The Edge, a fictional novel but it’s inspired by people and events in her life (I’m keen to watch the film adaptation soon too).

I’ll be spending as much of my free time in the next few weeks and months catching up on reading her stories. I enjoy Carrie’s writing style, and if the first few chapters are anything to go by, I’ll be curling up on the sofa for hours, unable to put her books down. Of course we all wish Carrie was still here, but her legacy lives on – I know she will be an inspiration to me for the rest of my life.

#CarrieOnForever #ForeverOurPrincess

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