madamemodiste

As previously mentioned, instead of a proper coat, I want this as a "jacket bodice", so I cut it out from the TV tea gown pattern, cutting it off at the hem where it said "lengthen or shorten here" since I want the underskirt to be seen.



Anyway, when LL came over on Sunday, we held up the trim to the partially made garment and realized it needed something. It was too plain. We looked at the fashion plate and saw that there was a silver-grey trim underneath the braid, so off to Jomar we went! I got 8 yards of this really lovely medium weight satin for $1/yd

( see the photo here if you want to )

I popped a full netted skirt over the steel panniers to soften the lines. Then when I put the petticoat and overskirt on over that, it looks more elegant and less like I draped fabric over two boxes! If you want to see, it's HERE and here's a side view for the hell of it.

The ball is tonight and I can't find my box of feathers since we moved. Not sure where I stashed it, but I think there's a big red ostrich plume in there. Will continue the search.

A few years ago I received 3 yards of a lovely black on black brocade from bauhausfrau. It has finally spoken to me after seeing an extant bodice purchased by cfilson.



The front of the extant bodice is a high collar, double breasted front - otherwise plain. Mine, as a ball gown bodice, will be low necked, off the shoulder with a single button front, and I have no idea how to do the pretty back kick pleat, so it's just a slit. I cut the hem higher than the original to save fabric, and I think it'll be ok with out the "skirt". It's really those pleaty things I'm hot for.

I'm thinking of doing an overskirt of black satin taffeta with an asymmetrical swag of the brocade and black lace since I have little left and can't get a whole overskirt out of it. Sort of like the middle dress in this fashion plate. Again, not quite sure how to accomplish that, but I figure I'll fuss and drape until I'm happy.

So far the bodice is together and hemmed, and the boning is cut and sewn into boning channels. Next I must sew the channels to the seam allowances, do buttons and button holes. So buttons...black satin or the usual "jet" buttons from Joann's I usually do?

I hit a snag with the Regency dress. I have no idea what I'm doing and it's frustrating. Victorian dresses are easy because I've done them 70 times already. I understand how they work. No idea with this dress. I've already written to the pattern maker twice for help, and I'm loathe to bother her again. Plus, I'm a visual learner, and I tend to go, "Huh?" when people try to explain how something works verbally. Oh well. At least I don't need the Regency for anything soon!

In other sewing news, I've become totally disenchanted with the grey silk NF dress I'm making. It doesn't excite me at all. I guess that's what happens when you don't plan a dress out fully before you start sewing. This just isn't what I want to spend my Winter Break making. I think I'm going to put it away.

Problem is, I know what I want to make, and I don't have the fabric for it, nor the money to get it at the moment. I have all this other fabric instead, and none of it is speaking to me. How sad is that? I was inspired for a few days to make a francaise out of this gorgeous black cotton/poly damask, but now I'm afraid to cut into the dear fabric for fear that the minute I do, I realize that the fabric is really perfect for something else. I'm so crazy!!

At least I was productive yesterday. I put on the 2nd coat of sealer/primer in the bedroom and spot cleaned the downstairs carpeting.

As a treat to myself and a way to avoid homework, I made a Natural Form era underskirt. The inspiration was a 2 yard remnant panel of a fancy fabric I found for $8 at Jomar this year. The fabric: it has horizontal rows of looped tassel fringe about 2.5 inches long headed with black sequins on a black lace base. After seeing the popularity of horizontal trimmings on natural form era gowns, I thought, "Oh, the work is already done for me! All I have to do is baste it on the skirt fabric!" and off to work I went.

So now it's put together, but now I'm afraid it's awful. I'm having one of those Project Runway moments when you look at your garment and realize it might be terrible. Does it look like I ripped a tacky curtain down from the dressing room in a Victorian burlesque hall and made a skirt?? Tim Gunn's voice popped into my head, "This worries me. You have a lot to think about." Is it too textured? Does the fringe make it look furry? I don't want a skirt that looks like it was made for Sasquatch at the Oscars.



So now I think I need to use trim to "cut" the heaviness of the fringe panel. Perhaps a pleated sash of grey silk from the upper hip, across the front, to the lower calf of the opposite side? (See this fashion plate for the general idea. It seems all sorts of drapery and sashes were combined at once! http://www.bustledress.com/cgi-bin/z.pl/reset/article.lisa.20090326-05.html)

Hee hee...there's nothing like knocking over your box of pins all over the floor for the first time in your new sewing room in your first house. The room has been initiated!!

So you'd think that a person in the middle of Fall semester, who is moving in less than 3 weeks should NOT be taking on a new project. I took a week off of sewing and I was just itching to make something, and of course it's better to use some Stash before I move, right??

So I looked through the Stash and saw I still had a bunch of that black velvet flocked rose print taffeta, and a bit of black/red shot taffeta. Then I pulled this out of my "do to one day" files:



From Harper's Bazar in 1884, it is listed as a "toilette for dinners, receptions, weddings, or any full-dress occasion where a high-necked dress may be worn". I plan to make it with 3/4 sleeves, which I have discovered was commonly done for evening dress with a high neck.

The bit of red taffeta will be the skirt center front panel, sleeve cuffs, and ? I haven't decided which TV bodice pattern I'm using yet.

Started cutting last night, but didn't get far before the season premier of Heroes came on, and sewing had to stop (Jason sometimes complains if I sew through our tv shows :)

I made one mistake already...I forgot to cut the front panel longer so it could drape like in the fashion plate, so it will have to do. I'm thinking of doing some bows up the skirt front anyway.

It needs a waist closure and a back hem, but it's done. Unless I decide to add lace trim to the pannier hem.

The underskirt used here is the same one that goes with the Lady Dragon gown (TV 221).



( See More Here )

What I really like about this overskirt is it can be worn with either proper Victorian underskirts, or to jazz up any long skirt.

This is the bustle I worked on Fri/Sat and wore last night. I'm really happy with it, but next time I'll cut the bustle stay pieces narrower.

Well, here it is!! I can't believe I did it!!



( more photos under the cut )