The NOT ACC dress

Holly was originally going to do this gown for her ACC entry, but she decided to pull out of the competition….but that also means that I got to do it for her instead!
The gown itself isn’t anything new, it’s the same side-back lacing bodice style I’ve been enamored with lately, with the addition of a teeny tiny train.  (This was a last-minute addition, so I didn’t end up doing a gore in the skirt, but it turned out quite nice nonetheless!) 
What I’m totally excited about are the freakin’ cute sleeves.  Holly wanted something ‘different’, so she brainstormed and surfed portraits to show me some of her favorite elements.  This is what we came up with:

The teeny tassels really make the dags *pop*…..I’m really excited about them. 
I didn’t really do any dress diary pics, but rest assured, I futzed and agonized over the best way to go about making the sleeves, and I changed my mind (as is my prerogative, right?) at least a dozen times.  I’m pretty pleased with how they turned out!

The jewelry, of course, is Holly’s own work, and more information on how and what she did can be found on her blog.
We only had a short while to grab pics before she had to leave, so the lighting is atrocious, but you’ll get the idea, right?  I’m hoping to get better pics this weekend at Collegium, with her own partlet and chemise, and hair done properly!

		Holly’s Gold Gown VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Still left to do:

• Second row of stitching on padded hem
• Steam iron the heck out of the hem
• Button/loops for sleeves

Happy Birfday to me + some sewing updates

I woke up this morning to a birthday email from my sis. It really made my whole day! :D My mom and dad gave me a beautiful topaz ring (purple, of course!), and a JoAnns gift card.


My sweet hubby gave me a great camera! I think the quality of my posting pictures is going to improve greatly!


My happy birthday mood was ruined somewhat by the two-and-a-half hour commute in the snow. Grrrr.

But when I got to work, I was greeted by even more birthday wishes, so it all evens out in the end. :D

Last night I was able to finish up the frogs - I just need to make the buttons and attach them.....then the over gown is finished! Yippee!


Also, here are pics of the sleeves that I worked on over the weekend....


And, the infamous shoulder treatments - DONE! (Well, they still need to be attached to the dress) They look kind of dumb lying flat - they're curved to fit the shoulder, so they look super nice when worn - not quite so much like lumpy black slugs! I ended up doing a four-strand braid with a thread button at each cross. I think it ended up quite nice! (even though they are a bit uneven - I should have done them both at the same time! The one on the bottom is pulled tighter than the one on top - it's not terribly noticable, I hope!)

More Gown Photos

Because sometimes, I just can't get enough of myself. (in case you missed it, that statement was *dripping sarcasm*)

The overall look, with hair that is going a bit flat and not-so-fluffy. I was kind of worried that the bodice would look funky without stays, but everything worked out just fine with the kirtle lightly boned, and OMG, this dress was SO comfortable All. Day. Long!


Closeup of the bodice and belt by the ever-fabulous Aine. I'm so happy with the way that the frogs turned out, I'm itching to make more.


Closeup of neckline - necklace and earrings by Aine, of course! (I added the tineh widdle bows, tho!)


Closeups of sleeves and belt. I still am totally in love with the sleeves, and they survived a full day event with no noticable deterioration! Yay for pinking!


The veil I decided needed to be dyed about midnight the night before the event.....heh.


I need to fix my camacia neckline, and change out the sleeve ties, but other than that, I just can't wait to wear it again!

Teehee!

After all the angst, I think this my be my favorite outfit I've made for myself - evar!

Two nights to go, can I make it?!

The kirtle bodice is done, done done! Yaaay! At the last second, I decided to not wear stays under the kirtle, and to bone the bodice, as per descriptions in my new book of goodness and awesomeocity.

I didn't have quite as many bones as I would have liked, so the front is just a smidge bit woobly, but not too bad, I think (especially if it's worn underneath another gown)


I haven't done hand bound eyelets in....years! I usually end up doing hook and eye or rings for just about everything. I'm happy to report, I remember how to do them! :D

p.s. The fabric looks totally polyester and shiny in these pictures, I assure you, it is not IRL.




Kirtle bodice, no stays, with coat - all seems well in the world! (I did try on my camacia, and I think I'm going to need to fix the neckline down the road....just not right now)


w00t! Frogs sewn on! I finished tacking on the last one about 1:30 am last night, so hopefully they end up OK. That top one looks eerily crooked, I hope it's a trick of the camera.....I'll check it when I get home. (Oh, and there's actually 5 of them, not 4)


Still left to do:
-tea dye camacia (it's harshing my ivory mellow)
-pleat and attach kirtle skirt
-find and wire veil
-attach trim to bottom of kirtle OR hem kirtle
-pattern/make partlet
-tack on rings for sleeves
-attach aglets to sleeve ties OR trim to length
-whip out a hood for my poor neglected husband

All this must be done, with a full day and a half of work and only 45 hours left to go. Sheesh. Every time, man!

Dress - second look.

yeeeeah.....my collar is not mimicing the portraits very well at this point. I think it is too high. I shoulda cut the collar down like I was thinking. Poo.

My inspiration portrait looks like there may not be *any* points - rather a sloping curve. This *might* be a perspective thing, see how the black line kind of dissapears into the ruffle on the right? My back-up portrait most definately has points, but they are much lower.

I'm trying so hard not to be bummed out about this dumb collar yet again. I'm having the worst case of I-suck-at-everything-ness.

ZOMG! SLEEVES!

TA: Motion passes - White sleeves it is! (I know, I know, I'm skipping the next Roberts step, but who wants to vote, anyways?!)

Ok, back in the day when I was first wiffling about this project, I was kind of smitten by the white sleeves a la:


I was originally forcing myself to use *only* what is in my stash, but it just so happens that last week I added to my stash a whole lotta white silk taffeta ($3/yd!!!). I had forgotten about the original idea of white sleeves since I changed focus to my specific inspiration portrait:



So, here's the question.....is my friend Sofonisba wearing white sleeves? *Could* she be wearing white sleeves? If I do sleeves of white silk, I'll probably do tiny slashes and decorative braid.....if I do sleeves of black velvet, I'll probably do paned sleeves, even though I'm not seeing a whole lot of examples. How much am I allowed creative licence??

Shoulder Treatments?

After hours of messing around with strips of velvet, I *may* have come up with a plan. These pictures are terrible, and don't really show the detail, but *meh*.

(One day I'll get a new point-n-shoot!!!)
On Bertha


Laid out flat


Yeah, that doesn't tell you much about it......black lumpy snake! Maybe some MS Paint, perhaps?


I'm pretty sure I like this weaving pattern, but now I'm stuck with what else to do with it! The corners of the open squares need to be tacked, whether decoratively or otherwise for everything to keep its shape.

Option 1 - tack braided trim along edge/parallel to edge, put buttons at each tacked corner of open square


Option 2 - tack corners of open square, attach buttons in the middle of the strap. May or may not add trim....


*Ponder*

Sewing Progress

Hollyness came down to spend the weekend, and much fun was had. I feel really bad that we never got around to her project - I had thought I would be a lot further along on my stuff. But I think I have her convinced to make the trek next weekend as well, so it works out good 'fer me! (Sry, Hollyness!)

The Strid has been working on a venetian gown for *mumblety* months, and it's finally coming together! All she has left is sleeves and the guards on the skirt! She looks so cute in it, too!

dragonfly_sidhe is working on a new gold venetian gown, and boy howdy -- she is lookin' HAWT! Srsly. I am so excited to see her all done up, she's going to look so stunning. She's 90% done with the bodice, and then she has the skirt and sleeves to go, both of which will go super duper fast.

I finally got the bodice lined and I've worked out my issues with the collar. (yay!)


Most of yesterday was full of cutting and ironing (and ironing and ironing and ironing) then pinning (and pinning and pinning.....) then finally pleating and attaching to the bodice. My poor fingertips are throbbing today! (Terrible, terrible pictures, but you kinda get the idea?

The skirt is three layers; outer velvet fashion fabric, flannel interlining that goes to just below my knees, and silk lining to keep everything from sticking. It's all sandwiched together, sewn, then flipped over, pressed, and then cartrige pleated. Doesn't make sense? Um, picture time!



1. Cut silk and velvet in panels, sew together to create skirt. Sew vertical seam between lining and velvet. (I would do this differently next time - I had the seam right on the edge, I would move the velvet in to make a velvet placket if I ever did this again - read, cut the velvet about 6" longer and leave the silk the same width) I also hemmed the silk prior to sewing the vertical seam.
2. Line up the flannel and pin the holy crap out of the top. (It's kind of sad that almost four hours of my life can be summed up in one sentance...) Draw with chalk the cut line for the bodice point.
3. CAREFULLY unfold and re-pin. Sew along the cut line and trim.
4. Flip right-side out, and press, press, press! mark cartridge pleating lines and run gathering threads
5. Gather and tack to bodice
6. Put fingertips on ice.



I'm trying to decide what to do for the underdress, opinions?



Left to do on the dress:
-shoulder treatments
-sleeves
-trimming
-buttons/frogs/???

I also have to:
-figure out what *type* of kirtle to wear underneath
-make said kirtle
-figure out the standing collar partlet
-make said partlet
-buttons for camacia cuffs
-figure out wiring the veil
-get Holly's partlet done

This is the one I'm thinking of doing....

(I think) I have yellow silk I can use for the veil -



There isn't a whole lotta detail, but I really do love the simplicity. I'm having a hard time finding others that are in the same vein.

Hmmm...

Solstice Progress

I have the camacia 99.9% done! All I need to to is find some buttons that don't make my eyes bleed and sew 'em on! I still may fix the neckline sometime down the road, but I'm not going to worry about it until everything else is completely finished.

The cuff, prior to attaching to the sleeve


Ta-daa!


The body is patterned out and sewn together. The front and back pieces are 3 layers - velvet fashion fabric, organdy and flannel as interlining. The side front and side back pieces are velvet and flannel only. The layers make it a bit bulky, but I'm hoping it'll keep me warm!


I am seriously considering chopping down the collar just a smidge. Right now they're a bit extreme! (cut off at the red line??)


I'm not completely in love with the way the collar ended up in the back. But I also don't hate it, either! As a first draft for this style, I think I did OK,


I'm torn with what to do for the trimming - do I do completely plain, or go all out on some gold braid/rope/something? Hm.....

My magical flashdrive of picture goodness is at home, so I don't have a picture to show right now, but I'm kind of thinking of leaning in the super-plain direction. There is this wonderful miniature of a woman wearing a more or less completely plain black gown with a high collar, and a gorgeous (wired?) yellow veil. teehee!

Holly - I have pearls GALORE, but I may need to purchase some gold findings from ya when you come down, iff'n that's ok!