https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/sword-lady-dress-indian-basjet-trick-gone-wrong • Posted by HotPinkCrayola
A costume for a show we did at uni, based on magic through the ages. This character was the lady from the trick where you put her in a basket or box and stick swords through her. She's meant to come out unharmed, but in our show, things went wrong and she ended up living with the swords. It was a very funny skit and the actor pictured is incredibly talented. Anyway, I jumped at the chance to make this costume, and here's how.
A costume for a show we did at uni, based on magic through the ages. This character was the lady from the trick where you put her in a basket or box and stick swords through her. She's meant to come out unharmed, but in our show, things went wrong and she ended up living with the swords. It was a very funny skit and the actor pictured is incredibly talented. Anyway, I jumped at the chance to make this costume, and here's how.
First, cut an oval out of the wood and cut a slit in it large enough to stick the sword in. (Tip - drill a line of holes rather than try to saw it).
Cut the handles off the swords (I forgot to photograph this). Keep both parts.
Fill the slit you cut with hot glue.
Quickly stick the sword blade in the slit. Glue around the cracks and over the bottom of the slit to make extra sure it'll stay rigid.
Put a strip of duct tape over the back so that the wearer doesn't get scratched, as this part will rest against the skin.
Repeat for all your blades (I think I had six in total).
Cut a slit in your dress and stick the blade through. Glue the wooden circle to the fabric for extra support. Only put them on the torso, as on the skirt of the dress they would flap about and ruin the illusion.
For the handles, do exactly the same, but cut the slit in the dress and poke them through BEFORE you glue the wooden base to the plastic. Do the construction first, and you won't be able to poke it through the dress without a lot of sewing huge slits closed! (I didn't photo this bit either - I did a portfolio at the time and must not have deemed it important!)
Try to make your handles and blades meet up front to back (although the shape of the wearer will distort this) and make sure you've a mix of handles and blades on either side. The dress will be horrible to hang, so be careful with it.
Here's how it looks on. If the dress is tight like this one was then they stick out nicely and hold rigid really well. Apparently it was comfortable to wear as well which was an added bonus. It looked great and got loads of comments and helped me towards a really good grade.