in progress: Frodo Baggins
This is a pattern I'm working on for Frodo's traveling outfit from The Lord of the Rings. In order to make this costume as authentic as possible, I've been working in conjunction with other artists at the LOTR Costumes group at Yahoo.
These are photos of the first test of the patterns for the coat and vest. These patterns were created by using slopers. Slopers are very simple patterns that are used to get the basic shape of the garment.
Once the pattern is made, it is built in muslin to test the fit and style of the garment. In this pattern, there are several adjustments to be made to stay true to the original design. These changes will be made to the test garment, or, if necessary, by re-cutting certain pieces of the garment.
Examples of alterations to be made are: 1) the hem and sleeves of the coat need to be shortened, 2) the lapel needs to be higher so the collar lays more on the shoulders rather than the chest.
The photo on the right shows in detail the button tabs on the sleeve and side of the coat, and the location of the pocket as it relates to the side seam.
Here we see the vest by itself. Note the slits in the sides on the seams and the placement of the welt pockets. The pins in the front of the vest (better viewed above) show the placement of the buttons and buttonholes.
This is a layout of the revised pattern for the coat.
The mockup of the coat per the revised pattern layout above. Note the change in the pockets, collar and lapel height, sleeve length and placement of the side belts.
Here you can see the coat during its construction. The image to the left is the inside of the coat showing the muslin interfacing. You can clearly see the construction of the on-seam waist pockets and the roll line of the lapel and collar.
The roll line is the line formed in the front of a coat where the lapel folds over. In tailored jackets this line is made very crisp by hand sewing fabric tape to the interfacing. This coat, however, is "softly" tailored - so the roll line is defined only by a light line of stitching that keeps the interfacing and the coat fabric together.
In the image on the right, you see the coat after the lapels, upper collar
and lining have been added. The lining will be basted (lightly stitched) into the armholes before the sleeves are sewn in. The sleeve lining is then hand sewn into the armhole at the finishing stage. This keeps both the body and sleeve linings smooth so they don't pull the coat out of shape.
As with the coat, I have revised the basic cut of the vest and done a new layout for the pieces.
These images show the vest during construction. It is made of a rust colored cotton velveteen interlined with a light cotton muslin. The interlining is added for support to keep the velveteen from shifting and warping.
The seams and construction of the pockets are also visible in the photo on the right. Of note are the changes to the pockets - the waist pockets are now on the seam and the breast pocket is the only welt. Also, there is an edge piece that extends around the entire vest.
Here you can see the paper patterns for the trousers laid out on my cutting table. The front piece (far left) has a slash in the top to accommodate the fall-front. The facings are the three upper right pieces and the pocket pieces are at lower right.
The finished trousers (except buttons and buttonholes). The yellow pins show the placement of the buttons for the fall-front and suspenders.
This is a basic pattern layout for the body of the shirt.
These photos show the finished shirt with the finished trousers. Of note are the two-part cuffs and the matching buttons. Also note the extended facing as shown in the drawing above. The shirt is made of a medium weight off-white linen.
And here at last is the finished suit. The buttonholes and buttons have been added and the hand finishing has been done on the coat and vest.
The coat is made of rust colored herringbone wool and finished with leather buttons and the velveteen vest is finished with brass buttons.
I hope you've enjoyed the process of creating this unique costume.
If you're interested in learning more about this costume, or any of the
Lord of the Rings costumes, please follow the link at the top of this page or visit the
Alley Cat Scratch site for more information.
Please Note: The Lord of the Rings is copyright 2001 New Line Productions, Inc. and Tolkien Enterprises. This costume is being created for the designer's private collection, and is not for resale. The content herein is for informative purposes only, and no copyright infringement is implied or intended.