Help me find a pattern? pleeeeease!

[ArielCallista]

ok so i just came across this picture in the "ladies of RenFaire" thread



Does anyone know who she is? what pattern she used(if she did)? or have any suggestions as to how I can find this pattern? It would be absolutely perfect for my next big project!

[gem]

It looks more like a wedding gown pattern to me than any of the Renfair or period patterns I'm familiar with.  You might try starting there.

With a little ingenuity, you probably would be able to put something like that together by combining different patterns. Skirts are just skirts (either flat panels or gored panels pleated to a waistband), and if you pick out what you think the critical elements of the bodice and sleeves are, you could start examining patterns for those elements.  What I'm seeing in the bodice: princess seams, off the shoulder (assuming that's intentional and not just poor fit), I think possibly some kind of puff below the shoulder (? Hard to see; the picture really isn't great for detail), fitted sleeves with flared/bell cuffs, tabs/skirting at the waist.

Better yet: what do YOU see as the critical elements of this ensemble that so appeal to you?  Start there, and make a line drawing that shows the details/shapes/seams a little more clearly, and start comparing your sketch to extant patterns.

Good luck!

[Kate XXXXXX]

Maybe this Butterick one would help? 

[Lady L]

I just bought that Butterick pattern.

Ariel, what is it about that dress that catches your eye? The color/texture? The way the top is made?

[Betty Munro]

Wow, that looks pretty close to me, but the "lady of ren faire" is much prettier.

[ArielCallista]

Well my project is recreating the disney Snow White dress...ya know navy blue top yellow skirt and the red and blue puffs on the sleeves basically. I want to rework that into a ren faire royal garbish look for myself. I originally was going to use Simplicity 8881, but its out of print so I bought Simplicity 3782 (view A) for a dollar at Joanns, but the sleeves arent quite right on it. I stumbled across several pictures of the girl i posted about. I love the top half of the dress. the sleeves have the right kind of poof. I know its less screen accurate but I know that the cut of that top will look really good on me, plus itll be sexier which would be cool. I know the skirt is gonna be the easy part, but I've got a couple commissions going on that need to be done around when i want to finish this (by april 25-26 for Rendevous) so i don't really want to have to make my own pattern. I've got no problem piecing a few patterns together. i was really hoping she was a member of the forums and would easily be able to hop on here and say i used pattern such and such, but no such luck. I do know I DON'T want princess seams, but i can take them out I've done it before. I definitely want the bodice to "function" properly, ya know. I may also get that butterick pattern that Kate posted cuz it has the perfect sleeve poofs and use the sleeves from that with the pattern I already have. I think i could possibly rework what i have into the off the shoulder situation she has...

Any other ideas?

Also if anyone does come across this pattern (if it is one) I'd still like to know. I probably wont be able to get started for like 3 weeks.

[gem]

Gosh, something about a Renfair Snow White sounds *really* familiar.  I think I remember stumbling across somebody's dress diary about such a project, but I couldn't tell you where.  I wonder what Googling might turn up...

[ArielCallista]

I originally was going to do a steampunk snow white. I posted on here about it. That idea got pushed aside when I came up with some other ideas. Also, after making one cage crinoline I didnt want to make another for that costume so i just scrapped the idea...decided to go ren with it instead, since I love Snow White so much I couldn't completely blow it off

[Anna Iram]

Here's another pattern that might work. It's OOP, but you can find it on EBAY.

http://www.farthingales.on.ca/elizabethan.php

I've used this one. It was an odd cut for the skirt, using lot's of fabric and the bodice ran a bit large, but you might be able to tweek the basic pattern easily enough for what you want.

Here's Margot Anderson's review. It looks like she never finished the review, but some helpful insights.

http://www.directcon.net/wander/simp.htm

Scroll down to her Aug 26th log. The picture she shows of an Italian gown looks *alot* like Snow White. Even including the fan shaped collar. Made me smile. 
http://www.directcon.net/wander/sil.htm

[operafantomet]

Scroll down to her Aug 26th log. The picture she shows of an Italian gown looks *alot* like Snow White. Even including the fan shaped collar. Made me smile.  
http://www.directcon.net/wander/sil.htm

I see she describe it as an underskirt and bodice matching. It's correct per se, but to me it looks a lot like a full gown with a gauze or different-patterned overskirt underneath. It's rare, but seen in Italian fashion from the mid and late 1500's:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/venezia2/paolo.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze3/zucchari1579flor.jpg

Not that THAT is related to the original question.... Just had to say it.  

[ArielCallista]

Anna Iram, Thats the pattern I originally wanted to use! I've seen that first site before. I couldn't find the pattern on ebay, I thought maybe they typed the number wrong cuz other things come up for simplicity 8881. If I could find it thats the one I really want to use. The main issue I have with that pattern is the farthingale. There's nothing wrong with it, I just don't wanna fight with it. I've already had issues with similar things before. *grumble grumble* stupid cage crinoline grrr...

[ArielCallista]

GOOD NEWS!

I've been put in contact with the lady in the photo, thanks to the wonderful photographer! I hope to hear from her soon about her dress!

[Anna Iram]

  Hope you get all the information you are looking for.

[ArielCallista]

NOOOOOOO!

Ok so shes wonderfully nice and I got the fastest reply ever, but the festival costumers at TRF made it, now does anyone know how i could get ahold of them? I'm wandering the TRF website and so far no luck...*sigh*

[bellalye]

Contact Captain Fletcher here on the boards, I believe he is related to some of the costumers.

toodles!

[Lady L]

Here you go!

http://momspatterns.com/inc/sdetail/1414

[Kate XXXXXX]

Ah THAT pattern...  Let me tell you about it...  Well, I more or less gave up!  The gown is still unfinished.  The methods are more theatrical than historical, and the pattern itself just about as historically accurate as Disney, so from that point it may well work for you.  On the other hand, bits of it are not well drafted, and -

Oh, look, just read through this: http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk/KatePages/Costuming/Creating-a-Court-Gown/creating_a_court_gown.htm

[Anna Iram]

Now that you post your diary Kate, I recall now having read that! I felt so much better having read it as I had the same problem with the top of the bodice poking out a bit and seeming too high. I figured it was just me and my mediocre sewing skills. I never could figure how to make it exactly right. I think if I were to make it today I'd definitly use a size smaller and I'd cut the top a bit lower.

As for the farthingale...that thing seriously scarred me. It was the first (and only!) time I attempted to make one. I should have done the same as you and left the back seam unsewn untill all the channels were formed!

[gem]

Ok so shes wonderfully nice and I got the fastest reply ever, but the festival costumers at TRF made it, now does anyone know how i could get ahold of them? I'm wandering the TRF website and so far no luck...*sigh*

Um, shouldn't *she* know how to get ahold of them, since she works with them?

[ArielCallista]

ya know I thought she would, but she said she didn't have any of their information.

Thanks to everyone for all your help. It seems as though I will end up using Simplicity 8881 if I can get a hold of it. I'll definitely have to reread all those tutorial, reviews etc. before i get started.

[Lady L]

You can just order it from the link I posted above.

[ArielCallista]

PinnMcrack is sending me hers since she doesn't think she'll use it again! YAY saving money!

[Cilean]

ok so i just came across this picture in the "ladies of RenFaire" thread
Does anyone know who she is? what pattern she used(if she did)? or have any suggestions as to how I can find this pattern? It would be absolutely perfect for my next big project!

If you're looking for a fantasy look (and please? Make sure your shoulders fit the lady while pretty would look much better if her gown's shoulders fitted her.

Check out this one:
http://www.simplicity.com/p-1753-costumes.aspx


Or this one:
http://www.simplicity.com/p-1753-costumes.aspx


You could also try this one:


Here: http://www.mediaevalmisc.com/pp56-58.htm


I hope this helps!

Cilean

[ArielCallista]

I really want the off the shoulder look. Now before anyone gets up in arms, I know it will be historically accurate, but so will the fabrics and the layout of the colors within the dress design, and many many other things. I'm not looking for historical accuracy on this one...