"Aren't you a little short to be a Stormtrooper?"

It's funny how things can happen when you don't expect it. 

My brother and I have been life-long Star wars fans. I was eight, he was six, when we saw the original Star Wars in the theater. For nearly 40 years, every birthday and Christmas we would give each other Star Wars inspired gifts. It was the thing that tied us together

At one point, my brother had an opportunity to buy a complete set of armor for a reasonable price. As a firefighter/paramedic he had always wanted to do something for the community and share his love of Star Wars. The 501st was a far away dream and then - it wasn't! He couldn't pass it up. After 3 months, the kit was assembled and looked amazing! I've always been a "builder" - model kits, projects, wood working, electronics... Dave showed little to no interest or aptitude in that, until the armor showed up. He researched, made mistakes, corrected them, and ultimately ended up with a great kit.

In the middle of the build process, Anovos ran a pre-order Black Friday sale on ANH Stunt armor. At $350, he couldn't pass it up. He was well on his way through this second build when, lo and behold, his midriff and the armor were at odds. 


So, he's got two sets of armor now. One doesn't fit. 
Well, I'm a bit slimmer... Just sayin'


I managed to avoid the whole painful process of assembly as he'd already done it for me! A bit of sizing and tailoring the armor to fit more comfortably, and I was well on my way to my own TK number as a full member of the 501st Legion, New England Garrison!

There is no way to describe the feeling of wearing the armor, seeing yourself in the mirror and realizing, "Holy crap!!! I'm a Stormtrooper!" 

Well, that's all cool and fun if you're obsessed with Star wars selfies, but the joy of being a member of the 501st is TROOPING. 

Springfield VT Cinemas was showing The Force Awakens right up until the week of the DVD release. For the final showing, the owner invited members of local 501st garrisons to participate in a fan-centered sendoff. In addition to a fantastic personal collection of Star Wars memorabilia, he was hoping a few authentic Imperial troops would be a great treat for movie goers. For me, it was the first time I'd appear in armor, in public, with my brother. 

My daughter Sydney, wrangler extraordinaire enjoying the festivities.

Troops ready for inspection! 

On alert for Rebel scum...

Looks like we are dealing with a Dark Side Bean Burrito incident...

Burlington, VT ComiCon!

Well, this weekend I finally get to meet members of the 501st New England Garrison! Being from rural New England, most events are a haul for even the most dedicated members. Its 3 hours north, but the Significant Other is from the "Big City" to the north, and since she reminded me that we have never taken a trip... ANYWHERE... so, this technically counts as a date weekend.

Way to set your standards, Love.

Your boyfriend is a Stormtrooper this weekend. I'm trying to figure out how to drink a beer with the helmet on. Hitting the clubs might be fun, but they better have that Mos Eisley feel, or I'm going to a galaxy too far away. For once, my tattoos and slightly quirky look takes a back seat to the uniform of uniforms. The armor is ready to go, straps and electronics are charged and stowed, and I even managed to fashion a reasonable D ring for my Hyperfirm.

While I had every intention of sporting my newly designed and sewn neck seal, the bib portion ended up kicking my ass. A free standing seal just doesn't cut it, so I'll have a few examples on hand at the next event. My Mandalorian outfit is still about 6-9 months away from being completed, and that's only if we find a place to live fairly soon. (Black Mold overtook the house we were renting. It's even unsafe to pack our stuff without protective gear! We are essentially homeless...) My TK will do just fine until then. Next week's update will feature a ton of pics from the event! If you're in the North Country, please stop on by and say hi!

New updates soon - I'm working on putting my experiences with a sewing machine together to share the joys and pains of learning new skills. Once the swearing and frustration subsides, it really is fun!

Thanks for reading, Tutorials, pics and adventure notes are coming soon!