The making of Khan

Khan's Jacket The Wrath of Khan construction notes

Taken from photos from images of the original Paramount jackets as sold by the propstore.com, Hollywood auctions, and other photos from the film and star trek experience displays.

General observations

The jacket appears to be made form a knitted velour/velvet material  in an orange/mustard yellow. The colour is hard to determine in all of the images it appears to change dependant on lighting etc. As well as the fact it is has a heavily warn look.

Why I think it is a velvet or velveteen and not a suede or moleskin fabric.

I am aware that in some costumes of this polar fleece, moleskin and suede has been used which in my opinion is not as accurate as velvet/velveteen.  Looking at the drape and pile in the photos and closely looking at edges and seams it appears to be a knitted  velvet, like a draylon which was a popular fabric in the 1980's.  (see images below)

Also the label close up shows it is a knitted fabric with a pile (possibly looped)  fitting with a velvet/velveteen fabric. In its favour it is easy to work with and age/weather and is less expensive than leather or moleskin it also has a more modern/futuristic look compared to those fabrics; Velvet was also a sign of wealth and luxury in the past where as leather and suede were seen as more common natural working cloth not tying as well in to a futuristic aesthetic as velvet; Also artificial fibres and newer techniques made velvet cheaper at that time and was prominent in 80's fashion, there were a lot of velour tack/leisure suits around then which were the basis of the jacket design in my opinion.

 

 

 

 

 

For my jacket I was unable to get a knitted velvet that was not a crushed velvet and so for the raw edge hole to prevent fraying I will have to over stitch them.

Front View

It is well warm with heavy staining and wear (oil like on the right arm) general dirt and small burn makes (like tobacco /sparkler burns. It also has a darker thread edging hole in a zigzag stitch to prevent fraying to give it a well warn you cared for look as if it were all you had left after being abandoned/ post crash and had been warn since. Lots of parts are partially attached or look repurposed such as the tie look like salvaged ribbed edging from an original jacket design (see white ring). Note the main collar has stitched ribbing which is stitched before folding giving it a round edge unlike the arm and tie it is also attached only up to the collar bone or slightly past meaning items can be threaded thru back to front like the belt/bag/sash Khan wears. (see pink ring)

There is a strip of Velcro used to hold the arm ribbing on the right and main jacket shut (see yellow rings)

Also the piping is made separately and hand sewn on (see red ring)

There is also a machine straight stitch forming a curve to the front about two to three inches from the edge, the same can be seen around the large holes it is possibly decorative or maybe stay stitching to reinforce the fabric at these places (see green ring)

Large raw edges are zigzag stitched in a darker thread adding to the repaired threadbare look whilst preventing fraying/tearing see( blue ring)

The right arm cuff has a heavily warn frayed look to the  outer edge aging the item with realistic wear and tear see purple ring

The left arm has a different cuff design to the right above the elbow (see side view) and the piping appears to be tied below the elbow in to a circular cuff type design before wire attaches the 'communicator' wrist strap (see orange ring)

Close up of the bottom of the front of the jacket

Here the Velcro placement, hand sewn piping and stay stitching are more visible

Back View

 

Here we can clearly see the  collar is not attached to the main back and is zigzag edged to prevent fraying . The wear and tear is more visible here as the back is one whole piece. there is some fabric bleaching and what looks like rub off of dye or dirt from the belt and just above a belt. The detached piping is clearly seen here and it the fact it is hand stitched is shown from the lack of seam below the piping see yellow ring. This lack of seams also demonstrates the fact it is a one piece back.

The right arm cuff (three to four inches wide) has a Velcro closure (see green ring) and look at stitching there is a stitched oblong again near an obvious opening.

Side View

This shows the difference in cuff design and the piping and how it is tied/stitched. It also give us a good look at the communicator cuff.

We can see the side and front appear to be two pieces formed from the front and back of the arm pit. see yellow ring.  However when looking at all of the pictures closely this anomaly any is seen on this side and appears to be a combination of decorative stitching at the top and a repair near to the piping at the bottom as it does not extend to or thru the rolled lower hem. therefore this is a one piece front making this a three piece make for the main body two for the left and right front sides and one for the back.

Looking at the arm it's hard to see if it is a two piece arm but I have a feeling it is a single piece especially when looking at the right arm and overall design. The drape of the fabric in the arm and overall style fits with the single piece method of construction more so than a two piece method.

The communicator cuff necklace sash and belt buckle images. These are mostly made of old electronics and hardware parts sewn on to fabric or leather or for the belt sheet metal,  apart from the broken Starfleet buckle. the cuff fastens via Velcro the necklace appears to be a  clip an d ring although I have seen replicas using a male to female jack to close the necklace.

 Full Costume  images

 

The approach

Pattern construction

Using  shoulder, chest, waist and hip measurements including the length I created a basic paper pattern.  The pattern for the main body is in three parts two for the front and one for the back. There is a full one piece sleeve, a part sleeve and a cuff.

Starting with a basic straight pattern  I then shaped the sides etc to suit a female form. To help with the shaping and the curved front I will probably use part of a jacket pattern or a blouse to gain an even curve and more feminine shape before cutting.

The quilted collar will be made as a trapezoid shape pattern double width of fabric and wadding to be folded and stitched closed on the outside (wrong sides together) after stitching ribs at 1.5 to 2 inch spacing. The other ribbed bands will be made of double width straight pieces to be folded in half stitched inside out with a single layer of wadding then stitched with one inch ribs vertically or in the left arms pattern.

There are several bits of piping which I will make in long strips of fabric 2 -3 inches wide turned inside out to form long tubes I may stitch several lengths together to attain the lengths required to go from front to back and for the left arm.

After cutting the main pieces they will be sewn in the order of shoulder to shoulder, arms to shoulder then sides together and right arm cuff then the collar will be part attached. this is when the weather the main body and roughing up of the edges needs to be done, replicating the holes over stitching, straight stitching and zigzagging where needed. also this is when I will

 Next is hand stitching on the piping as per images before adding the ribbed parts

Visions of control part 2

 

They say to protect us they must control us

Freedom is just a state of mind

They say the best form of defence is offence

War is our only sacrifice.

 

They say to help us they’ll control all our lives

Inflexible they bend it till it suits them

Rising like a phoenix consuming all in their path

Climbing on the backs of others we feel their wrath

 

And we live our lives just like our fathers

Working for something we cannot attain.

And we live our lives like our mothers

sacrificing all in vain.

 

They say that thought is dangerous

The only way is to comply,

Our lives are expendable,

There is no choice.

 

They say our freedom comes with a price,

That we must forsake our liberty.

To keep us safe they must see everything we do or think.

Difference is to be feared

 

And we live our lives just like our fathers

Working for someone else’s gain,

And we live our lives just like our mothers

Forgiving and forgetting our own pain.

 

They say that ignorance is bliss,

But it’s no excuse not to change.

They can’t see there’s another way,

Blinded by their arrogance.

 

They say we can choose the life we lead,

As long as they provide the catalogue.

They say they are here to save us from ourselves,

Whilst sacrificing us to their false idols.

Visions of control part 1

Sometimes it feels like I have a thousand voices in my head each one demanding it own space its own time.

Sometimes the people around me are merely mirrors echoing myself, distorted but reflecting.
My life feels like a dream sometimes I wish it were sometimes I fear it is.

 

Life is an illusion

Where fear is a weapon,
Knowledge is a key
And death is a release.

My Day Out

I was surrounded, trapped in a forest of legs. All day I have felt them shoving, pulling and pushing past me.  See that’s the problem with being small, no one ever notices you. Adults are always too busy, always rushing, they miss so much. They squashed me between their bags just like in a game of sardines before I fell over.

We had stopped at the corner near the blue paper sellers hut. Do you know he’s so noisy you can hear him all the way back in the shopping centre? It’s true.

‘City final, City final.’ He cried waving his papers around.

            It was wet and noisy there were people everywhere. Some were running down the street trying to keep dry, some had lots of bags.  You could hear the cars splashing down the street honking at each other.  The ppsssst sound of a bus stopping made me jump and made me turn around.  I looked towards the road but it was like looking though trees there were so many people. I saw a shiny red car in between the moving legs; red is my favourite colour; it matches my wellingtons and raincoat.  I tried to tell Dad about the car but he wasn’t listening. He was busy, he’s always busy. Today was supposed to be our day but we haven’t done anything I want to do, like feed the ducks. So I moved forward in to the crowd to see the car better, it was really pretty and had shiny silver bumpers.

            My hands stung when I hit the floor, I wasn’t wearing my gloves. I felt alone as I looked up. All I could see was a blur of feet and legs splashing past me. No one stopped to help. I sat up and looked at my hands they were dirty and grazed. I could feel them ache all the way up my arms, it was really sore. All I wanted was my Dad but I couldn’t see him. My hands were bleeding and I couldn’t see my Dad. I was all alone sat on the wet pavement and no one noticed me. Everyone was too busy. I felt the tears come running down my cheeks like rivers. All I could think of what was I going to do without him? How would I get home? Would Mum and Dad miss me? I hadn’t noticed the crowd moving away from me or the desperate cry of my father as he came towards me. I only felt his arms pick me up and hold me tight as he spoke softly to me.

‘Danny, oh Danny!  It’s ok sweetheart! Thank God are you ok. Where did you go? Don’t ever do that again!..You must stay close to me... I thought I’d lost you... You really scared me; I don’t know what I’d do without you! Come on lets go home son.’

Empty hope and empty promises, nothing changes and nothing will. Retail lies seen with real eyes. empty inside, dead and long gone, lost to an imaginary world they won't come back from. Bitter like coffee grid in the base of a cup an opinion forms. shapeless at first  it gathers form and pace, then like an avalanche the truth hits and it hurts.

beginings

The street was awash as the rain fell, cars appeared to sail like ships past the restaurant window where Cadence sat. Surrounded by friends she was alone, still isolated. Today was her birthday hence her current situation. Her wide eyed smile disguised the inner turmoil.

The Bottle - a short ditty

The answer to Jacks problems lay at the bottom of the bottle, or so he thought. The amber warmth of its contents fill him and wash them all away. It helps him forget, lets him see things more clearly. as he drinks the bitter aloes fill up his soul and consume him from within.

Wolves

There are wolves at the end of my street, they pray for the old and they prey on the weak.

They say they are helping, that they aid those in need,

Yet they benefit from every good deed.

If they are good it's not for goodness sake,

It's for a place beyond their heaven's gate.

People are  preached to and taught  so called truths, 

Stories told by those with over enthusiastic views.

When people go in they are never the same,

You're helped into the pack or left out in the rain.

They treat us with contempt and with suspicion

Because we don't believe in their superstitions.

Their minds are closed to reason and  fact,

For with imagined Gods they've made their pact.

There are wolves at the end of my street, they prey on the old and pray for the weak.