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If you've checked back on my work-in-progress posts regarding Star Sapphire, you'll note that the fabric I ordered online is dreadful. I mean, truly horrible. There are a vast amount of words I could use to describe the radioactive neon bubblegum that is this color but I'll just leave it at horrible. This is a problem when shopping for fabrics online. I prefer to touch them and see them up which is why I enjoyed my shopping spree in NY's garment that one time I got to go. Luckily, spandexhouse.com will mail swatches; I still have problems with how their "processes." For example, the swatches I got are numbered but the numbers do not coincide with the actual item number on their website. So while I thought I ordered, let's just say #22-fuscia, what the sheet says is #109. I emailed them and they said that they keep a copy of the swatch card so they know what they sent to the customer. Ok, but still, don't they need to know what the real number is to go fetch in the aisles and floors of the warehouse? I don't know. I also can't believe that they still do not have an online secure shopping cart. Get paypal already! But to clarify, the spandex in this suit did not come from spandexhouse. I got it somewhere else online; a place with better shopping and better identifying of swatches. I made the mistake of ordering before getting swatches. After the barbie nightmare arrived, then I ordered swatches of other colors to see if any of them would work for Star Sapphire and that shop didn't have anything suitable, in my opinion. So if/when I remake the suit, I'll be using the swatches from spandexhouse to choose a better color.
While I'd love to follow Margie Cox's example of what Carol Ferris should look like (see, that's Margie in all her supreme goddessness in the modern Star Sapphire suit), I have unhappy with my weight going up again and I felt the suit was just too challenging while I'm so stressed out. I still want to make that suit but it had been months since being at my sewing machine. I needed to do something new but easier.
You'll also notice the "fubar" of the neckline. Originally I thought that I could slip into the suit like a bathing suit and not need a zipper. I kept making the neckline bigger and bigger until it could fit over my hips and damned if it just wouldn't work. So I was left with a ridiculously low neckline and a zipper in the back.
The collar is also pissing me off because the interfacing had been nicely stable or so I thought. But after putting it on a couple of times it just looks "limp." I should have used foam inside it but I thought the interfacing looked fine before I attached it. Live and learn.
The tiara - well that had its own problems. The glue wouldn't hold so I had to resort to Instant Vinyl. Then there were spots where the glue showed through the spandex like wet marks; and the foam layer had marker lines that were visible through this rather see-through fabric. (Another reason that I will stick with the milliskin from spandexhouse from now on). In order to cover the marks, I added GLITTER! Yes, GLITTER, because I had lost that much of my mind from staring at this blinding brainwashing fabric for so long. I do think there are military applications possible to torture prisoners of war with it. Seriously. Make them wear zentai suits of this fabric and they'll crack like a bad back.
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The best part of the suit is the mask which was made by the leather artisan "columbina" of Ravenwood Masks on etsy.com. You can find the link in my past Star Sapphire posts. She also made my Firestar mask if you're curious.The purple gloves came from a thrift store. Whenever you see something that you think might have a purpose somewhere down the line, just get it! The ring was made by a friend from thesuperherocostumingforum.com one of my favorite go-to places for costuming. You can get the rings really easy now that DC released them as novelty items. Just ask your local comic shop.
My plan was to debut the Star Sapphire at the CGS Supershow. I definitely don't feel its worthy of NYCC.