Female Armor

[gypsylakat]

Ok, remember that soda tab chainmail thread back in the old forum? Ok well I'm planning on making some. I need patterns/ideas because I haven't seen a whole lot of female armor that didn't basically boil down to kinky lingerie..

I'm not set on having it entirely chain, Like one idea I've had is to take a tunic and stitch chain cap/mid-bicep sleeves... and then have like a v-neck with chain connecting the v sides...

What else is there out there?

[LadyOren]

Try here, Andy makes real armor for Women, not kinky stuff for play time wear.
www.pitbullarmory.com   I have one of his Breastplates and it's top quality work.

[isabelladangelo]

If you are going for HA armor, I'd go with a chainmaile tunic and maybe a breastplate over that.  Chainmaile is comfortable and will allow you to breathe in the hot summer sun.  A metal breastplate is really only a good idea in the late fall through the early spring (instant oven!).   

Another option is a leather suit of armor.  Leather has been used for hundreds of years as armor.  It won't be nearly as bad in the summer sun as metal will be and you can easily get a neat look of armor still.

Try looking for any SCA female fighter webpages/sites to see what they wear. 

[gypsylakat]

Sorry for not being clear...

Basically I'm looking to add chain mail made out of soda tabs to either make a chain mail shirt or to add chain mail accents to another shirt/tunic...

Fantasy or J/F not H/A lol just  not kinky sex goddess wear.

[Magister]

Gypsy:

  Not sure if this will be helpful, but Wired did a write up on this some time back with an "Instructible" type how-to.  You can find the info here: http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Make_a_Suit_of_Chainmail_Armor_From_Soda_Can_Tabs

  Also there is instructions at the M.A.I.L. site located at: http://www.mailleartisans.org/articles/articledisplay.cgi?key=515

   Both of the above could be made in to "cloth" then either made in to a full shirt / halberk or the chain "cloth" sewn on to a tunic, bodice, or whatever.

  Also an interesting, "For Cost" book may be "Keeping Tabs".  I am not affiliated with the author... I knew a friend who got it once as a misguided attempt to recycle all the soda tabs from what she and the rest of us drank at work. 

You can find the book here: http://www.aluminouspublishing.com/Keeping_Tabs.html

  ** I'll edit the post if I run across anything else

[DT_Masters]

This is a 2007 pic of a TxRF personality, a warrior I've watched over many years, who is often in association with a knight who carries a version of a Klingon batliff. I am afraid her name currently escapes me ("Kyva"?) but I believe her to be a familar enough face that others might know her name. As the photo shows, she knows how to be the warrior without being overtly sexy.

[mieljolie]

How is this project coming along?  I just found this thread.  I'd love to hear more about it.  I have created many projects from tabs including bodices and hats.  I'd be happy to share/discuss ideas/suggestions with you.  Good luck with it!



Ironically, I just posted some can tab project pics in the craft section here:

[serenamoonsilver]

If you're looking fantasy, but not of the chainmail bikini variety, you might want to look at Susan's armor in the latest Prince Caspian movie.  She wears a chainmail haubrek with a leather curiass on top.  Her's is worn over a dress, but I think you could adapt a simliar look with a tunic and trousers.

This page goes into more detail

[mieljolie]

To recreate something like Susan from Narnia, I would think you would have to fake the whole shirt of tabs by only creating the parts of it that show for 2 reasons.  One, it may be difficult to find that many tabs.  Two, the tabs being so large may be rather bulky under something and wouldn't be the most comfortable.  To avoid these problems, you could just attach the chainmaille to the bodice part instead of overlapping them.  What would really be nice might be to create a can tab corset using stretchy fabric/ribbon.  Then attach some tab chailmaille with jumprings around the arms, neck, back and on the bottom of the corset.  The jumprings would help the tabs flow more like chainmaille. And, the fabric weaved ones in a corset-armor-type-thing would give you comfort and shape that would flatter a female figure better than say a loose fitting tunic.

[gypsylakat]

i have lots of tabs already lol, one friend hosts DnD at her house so she had a coffee can full, and then my bf's mom collects them and she has a bag full... lol I do like susans outfit.... I agree though I would probably just attatch the chain about an inch below the edges...

[mieljolie]

Don't be surprised if you use every single one of them plus some!    The overlap makes it look deceivingly less.  The corset I made for my mother took easily over 1500 tabs.  My daughters outfit took even more.  It took us awhile to collect all of them because there are several different shaped tabs (mainly 3 types), and I wanted consistency.

I have few small containers of colored tabs, if anyone is interested in them.  Mostly lime-ish green and blue.

[gypsylakat]

Ok. How did you make the corset ones Newbie (I rather like the short one you made for yourself -and yes I believe you about how many they take lol- ) Did you just link them normally and then weave the fabric through?

[mieljolie]

I actually just cut fabric strips or use cord and weave them thru the tabs linking them together in a staggered pattern.  I haven't seen any examples online using this pattern except in maille with rings, but I like it with the fabric.  Makes it more comfortable, I think.  If stretchy fabric is used, it will have a slight give depending on the width of the strips.  Thinner will be stretchier.  Up close they look like scales.  Forgive the pics, but maybe a closer look will help.


Here is the back of mine while I was fitting it:

It laces on the sides under the arm thru the existing can tab holes on the trim.  The fabric I used is a dark blue velvety knit velour from a hooded jogging jacket I had.

Here is mom's, which is made with strips of dark green fleece:

I had to add paint stick boning on her sides to straighten out the line of the front.  I will probably put another set of sticks in front to stiffen it up.  Just wasn't sure she'd like it that stiff.

And, one of mom's during a fitting:



I'm surprised at the strength of the fabric once weaved thru.  It is very sturdy.  I'm slowly discovering how to add and subtracts tabs from rows to give the shape curves for my victorian-style one I'm currectly working on. 

[gypsylakat]

Ok so if i'm visualizing this correctly (yes i know there are pictures lol) you wove like 6 different panels for each and wove in straight horizontal rows, and then moved down successively (or up w/e) then their joined by the vertical strips of tabs?

How wide are the strips of fabric and do you serge them or anything to finish the rows to prevent ravelling or just use a no ravel fabric?

[mieljolie]

On mom's, yes, I made six panels and then used the trim to join them.  If you'll notice, the paint stick located at the side front seam stretches spreading the tabs apart so it wraps around her chest area.  I probably made it slightly too big in front for her.  I didn't consider the stretch at the time.  Alas, the women in our family are not blessed in this area.

On mine, I created just 2 panels (front/back) and joined at the top shoulders so all the "scales" point down.

I used about 1-1.5" strips of knit fabric.  It has a natural curl that rolls the ends in when cut the right way.  I just gave it a good pull to make it curl before I weaved it.  That way I didn't need to finish edges.  I'm lazy that way.  You can see a strip of velour sticking out on the back of my neck.  I had to sew new strips on as I ran out.  Although, I think fabric glue would work just as well.  I just took it to the the machine and sewed a zig-zag stitch at an angle to reduce bulky seams.  The fleece doesn't unravel much regardless, but it mats up a little while you're working.   

I used a combination of braided yarn and nylon string on mom's trim/straps.  The nylon string makes it stronger while the yarn makes it softer on her shoulder.  Amazing, she wore this all day and said she was quite comfortable.  Pretty good for a first attempt. 

Later, I'm going to experiment with some 1/2" leather strips I have.  I did a test and it is very stiff since there is little stretch.  Shows more of the tab, too, making it more silver.  Might look more suitable for an armor look.  The thinner the strips the more metal shows, obviously.