PArmstr's Imperial Army Engineer WIP

[PArmstr[TX]]

12 hours ago, IcyTrooper said:

Great job on the custom work thus far!

Thank you for the compliment, IcyTrooper.

 

 

I work on the boots yesterday afternoon and this morning. First I cut the soft leather into the shape that I needed. Then I glued the leather t the boots and let the glue dry over night. This morning I first seewed the lower row of stiches and then the top row of the stiches. Next I sewed the leather together where the ends met at the back of the boot. Then I glued a thin layer EVA foam to the inside of the leather because it was not stiff enough. Next I glued the leather strip in the back. Last I glued and folded over the top edge. The claps will stay in place until the glue is dry. The boots will be a little bit shorter than 9 inches.

 

 

The leather is glued in place.

 

First row of stiches.

 

 

 

 

[Blackwatch[CMD-DCA]]

well done as always Patricia. 

your goggles showed up last night, Ill get them out to you ASAP with your husbands ERT pants. 

I thnk you may be the first to make pouches from scratch.  

Would that be something you would consider doing for others, especially in Europe where the shipping from here would be redonkulous?

[PArmstr[TX]]

5 hours ago, Blackwatch said:

well done as always Patricia. 

your goggles showed up last night, Ill get them out to you ASAP with your husbands ERT pants. 

I thnk you may be the first to make pouches from scratch.  

Would that be something you would consider doing for others, especially in Europe where the shipping from here would be redonkulous?

 

Thanks for the compliment and thank you for the welding goggles and ERT pants. 

I think that SpaceWelder pouches are also made from cratch. So he is the first person I am perhaps the second. 

https://imgur.com/a/crpsEX0

I can sew smaller items, such as Imerial Army Engineer pouches, Endor Gunner gaiters or Hoth technician caps if some one needs them but I currently cannot make  items that are more time consuming such ERT soft packs, Hoth Trooper caps or similar items because I am too busy with university to sew such things.

[PArmstr[TX]]

I ordered 5 meters of black cotton-polyester twill fabric for the coverall and finished the first boots. I added stitching to the back and the top edge because I did not want to only rely on glue to keep everything together while trooping. I am happy about how the boots came out. 

 

 

 

 

[PArmstr[TX]]

The 5 meters of black cotton polyester twill fabric arrived. However, I am still waiting for my patches to arrive. The guys from Herotec X were surprised to hear that the patches had not arrived yet. They told me to contact them again after Karneval if they had not come by then. Today is Ash Wednesday, but I am giving the German mail two more days before I reach out to Herotec X again.

 

[Blackwatch[CMD-DCA]]

Agreed, we just had Mardi Gras here and the world basically collapsed around us into a drunken mass. 

[PArmstr[TX]]

14 minutes ago, Blackwatch said:

Agreed, we just had Mardi Gras here and the world basically collapsed around us into a drunken mass. 

There were a lot of drunk people around here too. On Sunday, Ralf and I walked in a small "Fastnachtsparade" with one of our small local Star Wars costume groups (Imperial Navy) in Bexbach. Many adults and teenagers old enough to drink legally were pretty drunk even though it was just afternoon. Some people just walked through the parade to get to the other side of the street. One guy would have walked right into me if my husband had not seen him in time and held me back by the hand.

We also walked in the parade in Ramstein yesterday. Some members of the German Garrison teamed up with another local Star Wars costume group (Imperial Order Saar). We walked behind a band from the US Air Force. That was cool because we had great music to listen to. The parade was about 2.5 kilometers long, with over 80 groups taking part. The atmosphere was excellent. The people were thrilled to have a large parade again after all the covid restrictions.

[PArmstr[TX]]

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to speak to a member who recently had a costume approved and a recruit currently in the approval process of the first costume. But, unfortunately, I did not like what I heard at all. The GMOs of the German Garrison always had the reputation of being strict, but now they seem to take that to an extreme. So I will follow the CRL to the letter and make my coverall a one-piece instead of a two-piece like planned. My boots and pouches might also be of concern, but I will cross that bridge when I get there.

[PArmstr[TX]]

Did some work on the second boot this morning.

 

 

[Blackwatch[CMD-DCA]]

i understand. Yes, some GMLs take their job very, very, VERY seriously.  I like your boots, youve done well on them. 

I know there is a way to cut the panels to fit you, ive seen it done, they are not straight, or rectangular panel but more of an oblong. 

[PArmstr[TX]]

I am still waiting to receive my patches from Herotec X that I ordered on February 7th. I contacted them on February 23rd. They were surprised they had not arrived yet and told me they would send out a second set of patches. A week later, still waiting for patches. I contacted them again on March 3rd. They told me they would check what was happening, but I am still waiting to hear back from them. I ordered stuff from them several times and never had any issues. I hope that the patches just got delayed in the mail.

I finished my second boots this morning. I am really happy how they fit and look like.

 

[PArmstr[TX]]

My patches arrived. It took a month but they are finally here. Now it is time to start making my coverall.

[IcyTrooper[CMD-DL]]

Even though I don't have an IA costume (yet  ) I still love those patches!

[PArmstr[TX]]

I did some pattern drawing this morning. I drew the front and back pieces for the one-piece coverall. I made the pocket and collar design a couple of days ago. For the pants part of the overall, I am using my altered version of the Burda 6952A, which I use for all my costume pants. I drew the sleeve a couple of months ago when I started to learn to make patterns for my rebel flight suit projects. Ignore the extra lines on the design above and through the pocket placement drawing on the front piece. I am using this pattern to figure out the size of the parts for the rebel flight suits. I might also make a black imperial flight suit because the one I got from Cosplaysky in 2017 is a little tight on the upper arms.

 

 

 

[PArmstr[TX]]

I worked on the belt and back pouch yesterday evening and this morning. I first added loops to the back pouch. Then I swapped out the cheap, quick closure for one from Nexus. Last, I added 4 inches of belt length, hidden under the back pouch, because the belt was a little tight. I was worried that I would not be able to close it when I wore the coverall and all the pouches. I still need to fill the back pouch and add the two snaps.

 

 

 

 

[PArmstr[TX]]

I finished the back pouch and made the first pouch of the four that go onto the front of the belt. I like working with this canvas but I wished it would not loose its color so easily. The bag that I used for the back pouch was only washed once.

[PArmstr[TX]]

My husband added the holes and snaps to the pouch.  I do not do it myself anymore because the last time I did it the platic holder for the snap pieces sliped and I hit my thumb instead of the smap. The snap is functional on the small pouch but not on the large back pouch. It is closed by Velcro.

 

 

 

 

[PArmstr[TX]]

I started making the other pouches today. I had to cut fabric for a fifth pouch because I forgot to add the tab thingy under the flap's snap. I also ordered black dye to dye the pouches because the black color is so washed out.

 

 

 

 

[PArmstr[TX]]

I worked on the pouches more. I finished the first one with the tap thingy on the flap. I am probably going to be able to complete the other three tomorrow. I hope to start with the coverall on Tuesday.

 

 

I think the new pouch is close to the smaller one in the references. I made the two loops on the back of the pouch a little bit looser than on the prototype because it was challenging to get the prototype on the belt because of the size of the plastic quick closure.

 

 

[PArmstr[TX]]

I finished the pouches. The belt is almost finished. I only have to dye the pouches and bag black and add the harness.

[PArmstr[TX]]

I cut the fabric of the pants-parts of the coverall and the chest pockets. I sewed one leg so far that I can add the leg pocket next.

[PArmstr[TX]]

I just realized that I forgot to post photos of the leg pockets I prepared. After seeing pictures of the olive green Imperial Army coveralls, Herotec X is selling; I decided to go with patch pockets instead of gusset pockets or box pockets. There is a good chance that a couple of the nine coveralls I saw are going to members of my Garrison. I think we should look similar, so I am copying their pocket design. I will pull the orange stitching after I sew the leg pockets in place. I use extra colored stitching to keep the pocket in shape. It means that I need fewer pins, which means fewer things can hurt my fingers.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=Herotecxgermany&set=a.673876171409406

 

 

 

[PArmstr[TX]]

The black fabric dye for the back bag and pouches arrived. My husband will dye the back bag and pouches for me in a bucket. He does not want me to do it because I have asthma and allergies. He cannot dye the back bag and pouches in the washing machine because the canvas is 100 percent cotton and could shrink.

 

[PArmstr[TX]]

I added the leg pockets and closure flaps to the pants and sewed the legs closed this morning.

 

[Blackwatch[CMD-DCA]]

Patricia I have not had much success with dying canvas, but I know people do it all the time.  we use RIT dye here, and in powder form it can be pretty crunchy for the nostrils. 

I sent your package last friday, it will be there in a few days and has your goggles in it along with your husbands ERT pants.