fabric finding help?

[jaina]

Hey, my costuming peeps. I'm helping a friend of mine make an Evil Queen from Snow White costume, and I'm having a hell of a time finding suitable fabric for the main dress. Being as it's an animated costume, there's no one right choice, and even the "official" Disney meetable character versions have many, many variations.

I bought some plain poly satin with a low sheen as an if-all-else-fails backup, but I'd really like to find something...fancier, for lack of a better word. Large expanses of plain fabric are not my favorite thing in the world. Ideas I had (but haven't actually been able to find in a suitably dark purple):
- jacquard/brocade in a non-obviously-floral pattern
- matelasse, ditto
- crushed velvet (actual crushed velvet, not panne)
- regular velvet

Here's a bunch of reference pictures of different Disney park versions, for comparison (click on any pic to make it bigger):

I like this circular/square pattern:
.

A diamond-patterned brocade:
.

Sparkle velvet (?), aka the Fantasmic version:


Non-sparkle velvet:
..

Plain satin (much more like the fabric I have, and my least favorite):


Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions, or online sources I might try? I came up empty on FFC/Denver Fabrics, fabric.com, and syfabrics. I'm not picky on fiber content. I would be most grateful for any assistance!

Comments

[jedihealer.livejournal.com]

I do love the look of a dark purple brocade. I will keep my eyes out for something. How much do you think you will need?

[brightcupenny.livejournal.com]

8-10 yards, depending on width.

[aviendiora.livejournal.com]

There is a dark purple stretch velvet at the garment district - same place that we found Amy's - and I thought it was $5/yd and 60" wide. I have scraps of it if you want to see the color but there's not nearly enough to do a dress. I am needing to head up there again so I could pick it up if you couldn't go. Haven't seen anything on my recent online wanderings but I'll keep my eyes open.

[brightcupenny.livejournal.com]

That's my Other Emergency Backup Plan, to get the $5/yd velvet from the garment district. If you are going up and I still need the velvet I would be most grateful if you could get some (and probably some black too, assuming the quality is decent enough). And seeing scraps would be good! Especially how they look under camera flash.

[aviendiora.livejournal.com]

It's a very dark purple after looking back at it... http://aviendiora.livejournal.com/tag/costumes+-+elven All of these pics were taken with a flash but I did have the pile going up so it looked the deeper richer color so it might look more purple going the other way. Can't find my camera at the moment so if Bryan has the time maybe he can take a pic of it the other way.

[zaphod-groupie.livejournal.com]

I love this one

http://www.denverfabrics.com/catalog_itemdetail.aspx?ItmID=WW379

but I suppose it's just not right for your use.

http://www.denverfabrics.com/catalog_itemdetail.aspx?ItmID=HH752

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fabric-Brocade-Satin-Stripe-Dark-Plum-301T_W0QQitemZ270368191249QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Fabric?hash=item3ef3333311&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Can you tell I love stripes?

[annyong.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of the velvet, but whatever you decide, Corli and I could always look out our local shiny fabric store to see if they have anything on the cheap.

[koshka-the-cat.livejournal.com]

I love looking for fabric :)

Here's leafy black and purple brocade on eBay. Sort of floral, but I like the texture:

http://cgi.ebay.com/PURPLE-BLACK-BROCADE-FABRIC-60-3-Y_W0QQitemZ300207696331QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Fabric?hash=item45e5c5e9cb&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

No place else seems to be turning up purple brocades. Which is my favorite look of the above :)

[vetgirlbeth.livejournal.com]

All about the brocades. I find wide swaths of velvet as boring as wide swaths of solid colored satin. And not that Snow White is particularly historically accurate, but the brocade has more of an authetic feel to it. Velvets are certainly historically accurate as well they just don't have the same feel to them. I know, I'm so specific and helpful. My slightly corroded 2c.

[brightcupenny.livejournal.com]

I hear you. I would strongly prefer a brocade too...it's the finding one that's proving difficult.