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Frequently Asked QuestionsWe would love your contribution to our knowledge base. Come talk to us over at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LOTR_Costume or just come to lurk! Character details in the Character section. Don't forget to check out all our links and resources for even more information and pictures. Buying and Selling Answers(Listing this first since these are our main questions we handle at rings@alleycatscratch.com ) Can I buy a costume on your site? Sorry, no we neither into buying or selling. We are here for costume research. Hopefully this site will help you make your own outfit. We have details of the costumes in the character sections and whole section in Making 'em, to help you with your own outfit. Also feel free to ask question over in our yahoo group: LOTR_Costume We have a nice archive over there. Also, you can search our site. In our Buy It section, we have links for officially licensed merchandise. We do have some link's for the officially authorized Halloween costumes but these are not exact nor made for long term wear. This section also has suggestions fabrics, accessories and wig, etc. Do you have patterns? Sorry, we don't have exact patterns. Check out the Character section for details on the costumes, check out our pattern section for suggestions on patterns you can modify to give you your you outfit of your dreams. We're also got a few fabric suggestions. As the site grows, we will be getting more rough examples of patterns up. It's up to you to enlarge them and fit them to yourself. they are just up there to get you started. NO guarentees. Can I sell LOTR costumes I make on your site? Sorry, no we neither into buying or selling. This doesn't mean you can't hang around and study with the rest of us... just no selling in LOTR_Costume. Exception: we do allow one post for if you're selling at action and what to say... "look what I made". (If you share lots of details about how you made the outfit, you'll keep the thread running longer.) You may submit an outfit for the Scrapbook.... submit some photos of the outfit and details on how it was made. Submission details are over in the scrapbook section How can I get my site listed? I sell fabric/jewelry/xxxx that can be used for LOTR. We don't do any special listings. However, if you have something that will help folks make their outfit, we list it in Buy It just like our other sources. However, if something is an exact copy of a finished product, we only list Authorized sources.
A few general Questions and (we hope) AnswersWhy don't we have many pictures? We're staying on the conservative side of copyright. However, if you click on the external links we've listed, you'll see pictures we have found out on the web that help show the costume details. These allow you to look closer. See if you agree with our description. If you have exhibit photos you took yourself or have sketches to share, we'd love 'um so we have illustrations on our pages. Note: (2006) we are loosing up on our picture policy since all the books and DVDs have been out for a while now. Where are you getting your information? Research, much. From the published movie books about Lord of the Rings, from magazine articles, from press releases, from exhibition photos, from web sites and studying anything else we can get out hands on. Find out more about our sources from our links. How accurate is your information? As accurate as we can make it based on what we have seen. There is no inside information -- we wait for it to come out into the "wilds of cyberspace or we see it on screen or in books. Some of us have been researching and creating recreation costumes for quite a while; others are just starting. We have people at all skill levels from beginners to folks that have created costumes in far too much detail before. We guarantee nothing... except that we're trying. We'll label our biggest guesses. If you are trying to recreate a costumes, nothing beats your own research, these are our educated guesses. If we have seen something in person, we will note it. Patterns recommended are just approximations. What if I find something I don't see here, or disagree? Hey, this is all research and speculation. We'd love to include it. Join the discussion over at www.yahoogroups.com/LOTR_Costume and share. Site your source or reasons. Write us, at rings@AlleyCatScratch.com if you're not sure about all our guide lines. If I hear someone else on these boards discussing making a character's costume. Can I still make it too? Of course. While people in our group cover multiple continents and are many still levels, every one adds their own interpretation, even when recreating... so just go for it. I want to show off my costume to the group. How do I? After you've created your outfit, we'd love it if you would write back and show us pictures and share info on how you created it. See our Scrapbook section for submission details and some of our folk's work. I'm just a beginner, I see you talking about doing hand embroidery, etching a sword, making a pattern from scratch.... am I suppose to do that??? Only if you really want to. We're discussing all the details. You need decide how much time, money and sewing skill you have. Create an outfit as simple or complex as you want. Check out our Resource section. Also, we're got some pattern guesses over in our Making 'em section. If I don't want to make a costume but just do research, am I welcome??? Yes, some of us are just doing this for the research. Then again others have grand designs to dress as the folk of Middle-earth. Either way, please contribute to our character information. I don't know how to even research a costume. Am I still welcome??? Of course. We're all levels here. Anyway, everyone has their specialties. We also are researching outfits at different levels... including step-by-step... so check out our Chalk Board and our Resource section for guide lines. General comment about sewing at different levels here ... and why it doesn't matter here.
As more folk start to make costumes from the movie and people chat about their work, you are going to find out that your skills are not exactly like anyone else if your sewing skills. Some know more, some know less. It's all OK. Remember you are working at your level and hopefully pushing yourself just a little. People in this group are from all over the world and all levels of expertise and have different levels of resources.
On one hand... there are going to be folks that will be working in pure silks (maybe importing from the same companies as LOTR film companies used.) While others will skimp to buy a silky polyester on sale. That's OK too... and BTW, expensive fabrics DO NOT make the outfit. It's the time and skill you put in with the fabric you have that makes the outfit. (Trust me on that, I've seen enough stuff when I'm judging.) Don't let what anyone else is working on, or has done intimidate you from
doing the best you can at your own project. Each time, just push for more
than the time before. You'll love what ya make. ... and hanging around the
board... we'll all learn more from
Tech QuestionsHow can I get the long picture links to work? Sometimes yahoo breaks up long links and they will not work when they page wrap...
This page was last updated 04/22/08 |