Primmy B.'s Examples
- California, USA
Click on pictures for enlargements.
Three Hobbits
This
represents my version of Frodo's "pre-quest" outfit. The green cotton shirt,
the short brown suede-cloth pants, and the button suspenders were all
purchased at various department stores. I had the pants taken in and
shortened, and the belt loops removed by a tailor. I sewed in the buttons
for the suspenders myself. I am wearing the pointy ears and hairy feet I
bought from a maker in Germany. I'm also sporting a wig, and blue contact
lenses. Note: I recommend leaving the legs of short pants baggy for a more "hobbity"
look.
Hobbit with pipe
These are the same suede-cloth pants as before, same pointy ears, hairy
feet, and blue contact lenses. But this time its my hair, mostly. Now I've
added a linen shirt and a suede-cloth vest. I found the cloth for the shirt
on the Internet: two yards of unbleached medium-weight plain linen for the
body, and two yards of matching linen with a gray pin-striped pattern for
the sleeves. The buttons will be covered with the plain linen cloth,
eventually. I found rust-colored suede-cloth fabric & brass buttons at a
local fabric store.
I also found a terrific local seamstress, Lady Jane, who can recreate a
garment just from photo reference. I bought the pipe from a company in
England, from a link posted at "The One Ring.net." A US company called
"Quartermasters" makes single-button "X" back suspenders similar to the
style used in the film, but the plain white canvas straps need to be dyed
brown with a darker-brown diamond-pattern to match Frodo's suspenders
better. Note: do not put leather in boiling dye: it cooks it into brittle
beef-jerkey!
Hobbit drawing sword
This
is as far as I've gotten with re-creating the Fellowship outfit; I'm still
missing the frock coat and the mithril shirt, but our Cat found the frock
coat fabric in the garment/fabric district of downtown Los Angeles. (Thanks,
Cat!) I found a sparkly pearlized fabric that will do fine for the mithril
shirt. (Actual chain mail of the small link size authentic to the film would
cost well over a thousand dollars, I'm told!)
I'd also like to find or make Frodo's back-pack (using the reference on
Cat's site) and the walking stick. I also need a narrow, flexible leather
belt to hang the scabbard on.
In the photo you can see that I've added a gray wool hooded cloak, which
is lined. Lady Jane sewed that for me based on photo reference and cloaks
she's made before.
I've also added some nifty accessories purchased from the New Line Cinema
store: the solid-gold reproduction of the One Ring, Frodo's sword "Sting"
and its scabbard, and the lovely elven leaf brooch for the cloak. I found a
silver chain with (nearly) the right size and shape links in the downtown LA
jewelry district. Note: "Sting" is real cutlery and very, very sharp. Mine
can cut paper floating in the air. So far, thankfully, it has not glowed
blue.
So, slowly, I'm putting together what has turned out to be a very
elaborate costume. I want to add a "summer-weight" unlined cloak (with the
self-lined long hood) made with thin gray wool jersey material, and I'll
probably use the great pattern that Ann recently came up with, which is now
on Cat's site. I want to find some authentic 100% cotton velvet in the right
colors to make the "second generation" of the vest and pants. These pants
will have the film-accurate button front instead of a zipper, and exterior
suspender buttons at the waist.
This outfit has been in the works for the last 10 months, and will
probably continue to evolve as I find more authentic fabrics, add props, and
lose weight. Costuming is a really fun hobby, very pleasurable; you meet
great people.
Time for play acting in the park...
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