Hi, Ashley!
Okay, so first are the inspiration pictures that I found that mainly illustrate the method of contruction. It's pretty difficult to accurately do a quick sketch all those circles and make it look like the real thing, so I think this illustrates the "sculpting" idea better. My goal is to make a dress that appears to be made of 100% Jack heads and components of Jack heads that are not necessarily intact, but is made from the material nonetheless.
As shown in especially the top two pictures, I love this idea of making a scupture and applying it to a hard, boned bodice. These are made from moulding and I wouldn't be surprised if some parts are foam that was casted to look like moulding. They were then sprayed with spray paint so even if there were parts of the fabric bodice underneath still visible, it looks like it's all sculpture.
I would want to do something similar, but would not spray paint it. I would get a fabric the same color as the plastic of the heads and probably do a clear spray at the end to give the whole piece a uniform finish.
I know that one of the things that is a concern s that the bodice will look bulky. I'm sure that's why you brought up that you were interested in a very large skirt, which would make the top look smaller. I also want to bring up the idea of a large peplum or sculpted piece that adds immediate fullness at the end of the bodice. See especially the top rght picture. The sculptural element starts right away and even partially covers the bottom of the corset bodice.
I think ths can be a very good thing to do with the heads because it would mean it would mean they could remain intact.
More instances of a sculptural element appled to am underbodice.
Okay, so this is more than just an excuse to add a Hunger Games picture. I think this has a couple of important elements.
Frst and most obvious is the swirly upward artwork of the bodice, but what I wanted to point out was the skirt. One thing that concerns me with a floor length skirt for yout dress is that the heads shouldn't touch or knock on the ground. Not only would it sound bad, but it would potentially be dangerous. If the front of the skirt would hit the ground while you're walking, it could cause you to trip or make the skirt jab you in the abdomen.
If the skirt was made of more than one piece, the part near the wast could be fabric and therefore would allow for more movement.
I know these are too short for your taste, but I added these to show how nice and with the Nightmare theme these hemlines look all intentionally haphazard. And what's more, to do something like this would not only be easer, but it would also mean the skirt could be made with intact heads NOT appliead to a fabric backing.
Just a couple of examples of fullness on top to balance extreme fullness on the bottom.
THIS IS A MORE IMPORTANT ONE: So I know that you showed interest in a full length belle ball gown, but there are a few things I wanted to bring up about that shape. I mentioned in one of the above photos the dangers of the hem touching the floor, but I also fear that it may look lke the lady on the left!
This picture is from a gown that's made of flowers shaped like balls and I think she looks like one of those dome-shaped Mexican birthday cakes with the legless fake barbie on top!
The picture on the right is Dita Von Teese (who is just 1" taller than you) wearing a tea-length dress made from plastic bubbles. I think the dress still looks fashionable but less cartoony because you can see her legs. So I think that this length may be a really nice option!
METHOD TO THE MADNESS
So here is what I was thinking could be done to the heads to prep them. Of course the design we choose will affect which method is used and how many need to be processed and who wll do it, so we will decide on that when the time comes.
At the top we see what you mentioned before: cutting the head in half. I see this can be done and then the back part sliced like an onion to create small strips with which the scuptural elements can be created. What's very nice is that they don't all have to be uniform. In facr, if thet are all uneven and slightly different sizes, all the better.
I am thinking of using an epoxy adhesive to apply the onion pieces together and onto the base garment, after which I can take a dremmel to smooth out any visible rough edges, whch would be faster and more efficient than re-sanding each and every piece.
For the designs that involve keeping the heads intact, I would want to drill hols at the top and sides ('m assuming that there is already a hole at the bottom since most Pop heads are attached to bodies) and again, the more uneven the better.
I would then use wire or cording to attach the heads to each other to make the garment element.
FINALLY THE SKETCHES!
A more simple tea length dress. Onion pieces to create large swirl and partal bodice. Half heads for rest of bodice and skirt. Supported by hoopskirt under.
Large sculpural peplum and shoulder piece made from swirls and intact heads. Skirt is two layers and a separate piece, also made of intact heads. Supported by small hoopskirt at bottom.
Similar to "Between Worlds" except bodice is supported by both shoulders. Skirt is one layer and attached to bodce, not supported by hoopskirt under/
Tea length dress. Bodice has swirl pattern made from onion pieces with shoulder detal made from intact heads. Skirt is two layers and made from intact heads with NO fabric backing. Upper skirt is attached to bodice and lower is separate piece.
Bodice made with small pieces swirled into a half starburst pattern, shoulder piece and skirt are a combination of cut and intact heads, applied to a fabric backing. Small hoop support at bottom, but overskirt s slightly fuller to give appearance of a light wave/ruffle.
Meant to mimic Jack's 6-point collar. Cut heads applied to wired fabric backing and overlapped on dress. Fitted parts of dress covered in small pieces. Hoopskirt support on bottom.
This is probably too short fro your taste but could be made longer. Shoulder covers and skirt made from intact heads, wired and sculpted to be haphazard and uneven. Bodice covered in onion pieces. Hidden shoulder straps.
Forced-perspective ballgown. Small pieces for partal bodice, very small 1/4 head parts on top, 1/2 heads in middle, 3/4 heads on bottom, all applied to fabric base. Large Hoopskirt support under. Probably would make senter front hemline slightly higher for safety.
I don't particularly like this one as a whole, but I do like the large sculptural emelemt going all around the top of the bodice and front as well as the large waistline ornamentation and swirls throughout.
I don't really see the option of having a full fabric skirt, but I wanted to show the option of a symmetrical bodice with two shoulder covers for support and a rounded peplum.
And some other that I don't really like but I figured I would should them anyway and maybe you might see some elements that you would like to have incorporated.
A QUESTION OF A STRONG BASE!!!
So this next subject is touchy but I think it's worth asking. Would you be up for me getting you a waist cincher? I have a client who is a performer that always wears them, and I think for this project, there would be benefits to having one.
First, the most obvious reason would be that it would give more shape to the garment, so that's a given. But what I'm also thinking that this dress s going to be HEAVY, and a lot of the better designs are one shouldered or strapless and a sturdy "support belt" around the waist would really offer a much more stable base than nothing at all. It would be lke a "shelf" upon which to rest the whole dress.
I was thinking of a product like this:
A mesh corset would be nice because it's not thick at all. I don't want to do a lycra corset (or spanx) because those are too stretchy and slippery, so they wouldn't actually provide support to hold up a heavy dress. There are others made from cotton and other non stretch that last longer, but if we only have to use it from one occasion, I think a thinner one would be a good option.
SO WHICH ONES DO YOU LIKE, ANDREW?
For different reasons that we can discuss later, I lean towards in no particular order:
What I do know s that I would like to make all of them a lace back clousre just like last year so it