I really liked the overall effect, silly as it was, and when a 54"x24" piece of blue glitter banquette vinyl came my way, I decided to build Liberacicus mk II.
After about 6 hours work(!) I've got the main pieces for the kilt all cut and ready to assemble:
| First, a review of the original... | |
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Liberacicus mk I: "Trojan Kilt" for the Volcano Day Party It's made of a slightly stretchy snakeskin-textured lightweight vinyl; waistband was half assembled (there is curtain tape inside it to stabilize the vinyl), the pendant pieces were then riveted in place to get the placement exactly right, then the waistband was stitched closed. This puts the back of the rivets *inside* the waistband, so they won't rub on whatever is (or isn't) worn under the kilt. |
Now, the new, SHINIER version |
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Freshly cut pieces for Liberacicus mk II The pieces from a different angle. The scraps in the back are going to be put to use on bracers (gauntlets) |
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The pieces ready to be assembled All the tabs have now had a black cotton lining panel attached, first by tacking it in place with "Bonding Agent 007" and then by very careful topstitching. The vinyl clearcoat is gummy enough that the topstitching had to be done through tissue paper, then the paper torn away. |
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Shiny! Thats the waistband underneath; it has some interfacing bonded to it to provide extra support during the riveting process. |
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Closeup of the lined and stopstitched tabs Needle thread is metallic silver (twisted Sulky), bobbin thread basic black polyester |
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Closup of the back of one of the lined tabs |
Tonight I'll punch and rivet the pieces together, then topstitch a lining inside the waistband and through all the layers (the rivets give me precise alignment, the stitching is more dependable for long-time durability since the vinyl *will* stretch off of the rivets).
Then I just add the buckles. I've already got the metallic blue shorts to go under it.
The wrist bracers (or gauntlets, if you prefer) will be black leather with bits of the dagged vinyl leftovers as trim; I may make some leather greaves similarly. Then for the sash, I was given some Fortuni pleated blue tissue lame (with a backing to stabilize it). I may make a stupid hat out of some of that, too.
The nice thing about this: all the pieces open up flat for packing (even the stupid hat I have in mind). I can put a cellphone pocket at the bottom point of the sash, and ID/money pockets in the bracers.
If I had any blue liquid metal on hand, I'd be tempted to add a short superhero cape and make a mask out of the pleated lame, too. He'd have to be called Stingray, because the banana saddle on the Stingray bike I had as a kid was covered with this same blue glitter vinyl!