STAR WARS EPISODE II
PADME'S
BROOCH
WORN WITH PURPLE SENATE DRESS COSTUME
Above photo taken by Diane at Celebration II. For more photos visit The Padawan's Guide
My version of the beaded brooch
Back of Brooch
PATTERN
Printable 5.3" Pattern | Printable 4.5" Pattern
MATERIALS USED
DESIGN NOTES: I believe that the brooch worn on the back of Padme's Purple Senate Costume is between 4 and 5 inches in diameter. My attempt to scale the pattern based on the use of 3 rows worth of 6mm bugle beads resulted in a pattern just over 5 inches in diameter and I now believe this is too large (but it will have to do). It's possible that the real brooch uses 4mm bugle beads instead of 6mm bugle beads. If I were to make this brooch again I'd use a 4.5" pattern instead.
The Pattern was created in Adobe Illustrator, then printed and traced on to purple silk. Seed Beads were embroidered on to the silk using a couching stitch. Sequins are held in place with 15/0-82 metallic navy seed beads. I printed the pattern two more times and placed it on top of polystyrene sheets with double stick tape to cut out a flower shaped mounting as well as a backing sheet. (Polystyrene can be filed after it's cut to give you smooth edges and it's very strong and rigid). A bit of poly fiber fill was placed in the center of the mounting to give the brooch more of a 3-D effect. The finished embroidery was then glued on the flower shaped polystyrene mounting with Fabri-Tac clear adhesive (be careful not to use too much or it will seep on to your sequins through the fabric). Finally, the flower shaped polystyrene backing was painted with purple acrylic paint and glued on the back with hobby cement to hide the raw edges of the silk that were folded over the mounting.
Once my coat is made, I will glue several 1.5" brass Pin Backs to the back of the brooch. (I want to wait and check what the best placement will be to hold the brooch in position).
Warning About Styrene/Polystyrene: Be careful if you decide to use Styrene (polystyrene). Only use glues that are safe for polystyrene. When using cement made for polystyrene, use it sparingly. Some super glues and CA adhesives will actually dissolve polystyrene or warp it. Also be sure to use acrylic paint because some other paints might cause the polystyrene to warp or bubble. For more information about Styrene see this article at trains.com.
COSTUME
FABRICS |TABARD EMBROIDERY | HEAD
DRESS | NECKLACE | BROOCH
CORDING DYE NOTES | VELVET
DYE NOTES | PURPLE CORSET | FARTHINGALE
| SKIRT | SKIRT
MOCKUP | BODICE
| VELVET
COAT
