It's like Hoth out there.

So, I've had the intense urge the last couple of weeks to make Leia's vest from Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Don't ask me why... except maybe winter in upstate New York this year has been rather reminiscent of the planet Hoth.

I would've caved and done so earlier, but I was feeling guilty about all of the commissions I have pending for various costume pieces. However, I don't have any materials for these projects (waiting for them to be shipped), so it's not like I could work on them anyway...

But guess what I did have in my stash? An off-white heavy weight poplin, and lots of random pieces of quilt batting. Bingo!

...

A Quick Garment Analysis 

• Large diamond quilting on lower part of vest. On inside, too?
• 2-inch wide? 3 inch wide?
• row of double stitching at waist
• Piping along yoke. (Don't have piping, so french seam? Row of double stitching?)
• No zipper... doesn't meet up in front (Judging by other rebel troops sporting similar uniform, it closes by some furturistic technique unknown to us... probably actually velcro. Leia never wears hers closed so they didn't put and fastener in). Edgestitch/topstitch, I think.
• Pocket flaps. I don't think they're actually quilted, just appear so form being pressed over the quilted fabric...?

  

  Image of a reproduction from here

• Doo-Hickey. While I've always enjoyed Star Wars, I am not fanatical (as with other sci-fi series). Therefore I'm not precisely sure what it's supposed to be/do, besides make a very 70s-looking vest more 'futuristic'.
• Puffy, rounded collar.
• Length: terminates at hip bone.
• Back: smooth upper yoke, quilted lower portion

...

 My Slapdash Reproduction

• The collar is not quite the right shape. I should've tapered the pattern I altered a little more. (And not stuffed it quite so much).
• the gadgetry would really sell it if it was 3-dimensional, but I wasn't in the mood to cobble together something, and just used some acrylic markers on a piece of craft foam. Perhaps I will make it more accurate/3-D at a later date.

 ...

Now I feel like I need the jumpsuit... but since I don't have the space-age fabrics that would make such a lightweight garment somehow suitable to arctic environments, probably going to forgo it. Unless... I wonder if I could use some  thermal/emergency/'space' blankets as interfacing. Oh man, if that worked, I would fricken live in that jump suit for the winter. Okay, okay. I'd make two for the sake of laundry and hygiene. But still, wouldn't it be lovely to not have to wear five layers of clothes to keep the chill out of your bones? And... 'Jumpsuit not warm enough? Try this stylish* vest.'

Also... those boots!

*Stylish ca. a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... but really just the late 1970s