For my maquette, I chose to do a slice. I am currently testing to see if the optic fibers will work to create a the skirt part of my dress. I am attempting to us an EL wire to light the optic fibers so that I can wrap that around the waist of the dress. I like how the optic fibers look and since I am planning on using a black leotard as a base, I think that the black electrical tape will blend in well. I am on the fence about if I want to have the skirt be entirely optic fibers or if I want to do clumps of optic fiber intertwined between black tassels.
Shopping List:
– Optic Fibers (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SK6ZRTB?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title)
– EL Wire (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B56CZ8B7?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title)
– Black Leotard (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD3C2VKZ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title)
– Sewing Thread
– E6000 or other glue that works well on fabric
– black electrical tape or other type of black tape
Timeline:
– Sept 18: Order all necessary Supplies
– Sept 23: Have optic fibers attached to lighting source and ready to attach to leotard
– Sept 30: Have EL wire mapped out, figure out how I’m going to attach it and have the skirt secured
– Oct 7: Have all pieces attached to the leotard and only need to do final securing
– Oct 11: Have project done and paper finished
The movement of the fibers is so interesting and I think after they are layered you will get a great texture on the skirt. I am curious if you are going to layer the fiber material and any other types of tassles or other types of light up aspects. As for a recommendation, I recommend connecting the fibers to a brighter LED and then trying the hot glue trick or something with more adhesive like duct tape. I do really like the design of the electrical tape at the moment though.
I love the look of the fiber optics and think that it will create a great effect once finished. I do agree with Emily though, that a brighter light may be necessary for them to really pop in the outfit. Also, I think that intertwining the optics with the fabric will look better, but that also depends on how bright they shine when scored.
I really like the way it turned out! I do wonder how the movement of the fibers will be once they are attached to the outfit. Tassels are very flow-y, so if the fibers are too stiff they may stick out too much.