Hi, all.
Some of you might remember that a few years ago--2007 (YIKES!!!)--I started working on a reproduction of the dress QEI is wearing in the Ditchley portrait.
I got as far as making a rocking "great farthingale" and "farthingale sleeves", and about a quarter of the way on assembling the flower "poufs" for the dress, and...then....it.....ground......to......a........dead.........stop.
SO, fast-forward to the present. I'm going to be playing QEI in mid January, so I figure I've got a good 5 weeks to GIT 'ER DONE!
Can I do it? I dunno. I figure I've got the underpinnings, and if I focus all my free-time energy into it, I can at least make the basic under- and over-dress out of the fabric I have in my stash. The ivory pintucked fabric will look a bit plain without the poufs, but I can "pouf" separately, and keep embellishing as I go.
So...anyone willing to help me kick myself in the you-know-where?
Move it, move it, MOVE IT! Hut, HUT!!!! ;D
Yes. If Su and I can do 12 complete Cavalier outfits for mid Feb, you can do one court gown for mid Jan! :)
Molly!! You can TOTALLY do this--and you'll give the rest of us who have projects languishing for years (mumblePromenadegownmumble) some hope!
And, ahem, not to put too fine a point on it, but perhaps if you hung out here more you might feel more inspired to work on these things... ;D
LOL! Thanks, LadyFae, KateXXXXXX & Gem!
I think that's going to be my mantra for the next 5 weeks ("hut, HUT!")...OK, so here's what I'll need all together & their current state of construction:
1. Great Farthingale: DONE
2. Farthingale Sleeves: Need to either finish the chemise to which they are currently attached or find another way of attaching them to the underpinnings: maybe to the corset? We'll see...but knowing how much work is already in them and what little I have left, I'll call this 80% done.
3. Effigy-style Corset: DONE
4. Petticoat for wearing over Great Farthingale: NADA done. Will need to start by selecting the fabric from stash--should probably be of a light color to not bleed through the layers above.
5. Chemise or smock (depending on what I end up doing with the farthingale sleeves): NADA, but I know I have some nice linen in my stash that will serve.
6. Under-skirt/forepart, stomacher & hanging sleeve linings with all the flower poufs: Fabric in stash...that's it.
7. Red brocade Over-skirt, bodice & hanging sleeves: Fabric in stash. That's it.
8. THOSE DAMNED POUFS: Maybe a quarter of them done. I won't know how many to do until the gown is at least partly constructed.
9. Jewelry, Hair & Shoes: I can probably make-do with what I already have.
How are you doing the puffs? If you look at a close up:
(http://www.ilovehistory.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/DITCHSMSM.jpg)
You'll see they are just tubes of fabric that are twisted every 4" or so and stitched in place.
There are several sketches and other paintings of this gown. Check out http://www.elizabethan-portraits.com/Elizabeth90.jpg (http://www.elizabethan-portraits.com/Elizabeth90.jpg) or http://www.elizabethan-portraits.com/Elizabeth88.jpg (http://www.elizabethan-portraits.com/Elizabeth88.jpg) where you can see that the "flower" puffs don't even exist - it's large brooch like gems. This might make it a bit easier on you.
To be honest, I wouldn't be making puffs OR tubes... Use a broad organza ribbon, lay it in the diamond pattern on the cloth with a bit of ease between each catch point, and couch it down every 4" or so with a small gathering stitch. The rose bits look like they are probably made like you make stitched bows. Make them up, stitch them on and pin or glue your 'brooches' on top.
You know Kate, I would never have thought of doing it that way. But It will probably work. Makes Mid-January a lot more doable.
Molly, just imagine yourself in the dress...imagine all the compliments that you will receive...and hopefully that will motivate you.
The organza ribbon sounds like it would be less 'bulky' too.
The jeweled decorations for the forepart, you might be able to get away with making from gold metallic point lace, and plastic, sew-on jewels and pearls(1.99 to 2.99 dz at Hobby Lobby).
Once completed, tack each of lace/gemstone 'jewels' onto a 4 sided clover of white organza until you figure you have enough units for the project. Use the biggest plastic pearls you can find to go between the pouf pattern to save weight.
That dress looks like it must have weighed close to a hundred pounds with all the gold and jewels ;D
In progress pictures would be very welcome!
And with Christmas almost over you could get the broach things in the ornament section for a song!
You can do it! ;D
I want a doll for Christmas! OMG. This one costs 8K.
http://www.gogmsite.net/the_late_farthingale_era_fr/minialbum_queen_elizabeth_o/queen-elizabeth-ditchley-po.html
edit for note...
WANT DOLLY! ;)
How about these for the brooches:
(http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Ladies-BUTTON-FLOWER-Diamante-Jewel-Brooch-Broach-Hijab-Pin-Costume-Jewellery-/00/s/MTEzNFgxMTYy/$(KGrHqV,!icE-wDwDNt1BP2ysIZiY!~~60_12.JPG)
(http://i.ebayimg.com/t/6-GORGEOUS-LARGE-PURPLE-DIAMANTE-GEMSTONE-BUTTONS-GOLD-EDGE-21mm-/00/s/MTA5MFgxNTcy/$(KGrHqFHJBkE+NnFop-6BQK8JO1Czw~~60_12.JPG%5Bimg%5D)http://i.ebayimg.com/t/DIAMANTE-BUTTON-25mm-1-WEDDINGS-OCCASIONS-G638-/17/!B8Gk8Q!BWk~$(KGrHqZ,!lMEy+jCyKklBM2FVVNeyg~~_12.JPG[/img]
(http://i.ebayimg.com/t/2-x-25mm-Oval-BUTTON-Vintage-Pearl-Rhinestone-Shank-Crystal-Diamante-Off-White-/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/$(KGrHqN,!n0E9cvcZrbVBPoBiR26dg~~60_12.JPG)
ebay for the win on this sort of thing!
OMG, thanks SO much, all, for the encouragement.
As to the poufs, I already have 70+ of them made. It must have been on the old forum when I first tried to figure out how to make them & I ended up creating a jig out of dowels. I cut lengths of organza fabric and just folded them to make a tube of sorts, then wrapped them around the jig and used my quilting "gun" to temporarily tack them in place so I can set the jig up for the next pouf. Once I have a pile of tacked poufs, I start the sewing on of the pearly thing in the middle. I have about 3 gross of those going back easily 8 years. I've been collecting the materials for this dress for a LOOOOONG time.
I had pictures on my old website, but I had to take them down to move to a new server when the one it was on got hacked. I was able to keep all the pictures and text but I've only got a skeleton website up at this point. Maybe I can post the pictures of the jig and poufs somewhere and link to them in the meantime.
As to what I've accomplished today, I've got a plan for my farthingale sleeves that I think will work, and I'm slowly gathering the rest of the materials from random storage places where they've been napping. Tomorrow I'll tackle the garage where the poufs are (I think), since I can't find them in the house.
On another note, I went to the first rehearsal tonight, great farthingale in tow, to make sure the throne they have for me will fit my bum. I was told it has no arms, so I'm hoping that it will be OK.
Thanks again, all, for the encouragement. I have 38 days left.
P.S. I remember now why I went with organza fabric instead of ribbon: cost. I got the organza fabric at the $1 yard bin at WallyWorld & IIRC, I have about 10 (or maybe it was 20--I figured out how much I needed at the time) yards which will more than serve. Ribbon would cost more and not look "pouffy" enough to my eye.
P.P.S. GREAT idea about the after X-Mas sales, ladies! And Kate, thanks for reminding me about eBay!!! Like I said, I've got all the materials pretty much, but some variety in those ooches might be welcome.
P.P.P.S. Rowen, that Lady's work is amazing, isn't it? She has more jaw-dropping dollies at her website: http://www.ladyoffinavon.com/home/
The Dolls are to DIE for indeed!!!! Great refference points.
I am planning to recostume 6 Dolls as the Wives of Henry VIII. Anne Bolyen will be the first. But nowhere near the $4,500.00 price tag to buy. Somewhere in the area of $650 to $1,000 depending on the Doll, the amount of detailing, etc..
Molly, I miss your website! I *still* go looking for your Elizabethan Italian over there, and your effigy corset, and the poufs, and, and, and.... ;D
And, OMG, I hope those poufs have just gone walkabout!! What a horror if they've disappeared. Try standing in the middle of your house and calling to them. Seriously! (It can't hurt, at least!)
Today's update:
Still no flower poufs...BUT I did find the bin with the pintucked underskirt fabric, AND as an added bonus, I found where I had actually started to make larger farthingale sleeves, but ran out of bias tape (and steam), so only one of them is actually boned. I had forgotten that. I also found four packages of the buttons for the pouffs...MIA are still the fabric for the over-skirt, bodice & sleeves...which is weird because I could have sworn I had grouped them all into a bin & called it "Ditchley", but that labelled bin is nowhere to be found, and since I now have about half of the fabrics gathered up, I don't know what to make of that.
I also went ahead and gave the fabrics a quick fresh-me-up wash to get the stale out of them and un-tacked the smaller (and actually completed) farthingale sleeves from the linen chemise so that I can work on making them sturdier. Of course, I had already done this before I found the larger pair, so now I'm not sure which to work on: fixing the smaller pair or finishing the larger pair.
I have the text and a few pictures of this part of the costume up at http://myfairelady.com/sleeve-farthingale if anyone hasn't seen it before.
My goal for tomorrow is to really focus on finding the poufs and the red fabric, then over the weekend finish up the underpinnings. Once those are squared away, I can start work on the underskirt for the gown. And in between all of the above, I can pouf and pouf and more pouf. I found where the wayback machine had archived the text from my old site (no pics unfortunately) regarding the making of the poufs. It can be read here: http://web.archive.org/web/20090228202501/http://www.myfairelady.com/?page_id=40
37 more days to go (counting today).
P.S. Gem, I saw what you did with your own website: nice going! I found once mine had to be taken down that waaaaaay too many of my pictures had been downloaded from my site and uploaded to various and sundry other websites without any reference to my work. Soooo, it's taken me extra-long to get it back up again because I won't put up any pictures that haven't been watermarked. I don't remember now if yours are, but I'd suggest to you and anyone else who has pics up online to do the same. Sad that that's how things have to be, but there you have it.
ETA: I FOUND THE POUFS!!! All 79 of them & about 14 yds of the fabric for them, which makes me nervous...I think now I'm missing some pouf fabric...
Sleeves: Both, and make them detatchable so you can use them with different costumes.
Well done for finding the poufs. And the rest of the fabric WILL turn up... I once mislaid a 10 meter chunk of 90" wide sheeting...
Yes, I think that's the way to go, Kate. I've got a couple of hours where I'll be in a car & can do some hand sewing, so I think I'll work on the smaller of the farthingale sleeves (and more poufs) since the larger sleeves require a machine to stitch down all those boning channels. Once I've made the smaller sleeves nice & rigid (up at the top which is where they're sagging), I can determine if those will do as they are or if I should finish up the larger pair. I agree that eventually it would be best to make two complete sets.
Thanks again, all, for the encouragement. It's really helping me to focus on what I have to do and get my goals down in writing. Y'all are GREAT!!!
Hut, HUT!!!
(More later...)
ETA Update: So I worked on the smaller sleeves and now I remember why I started on a new pair...and why I never finished the second, larger pair...ugh! I handstitched and unstitched and restitched and I still have stitching to do. I think I'm going to modify my plan for this weekend to include finishing both the smaller and larger sleeves because I'm not sure the smaller sleeves are going to give me the right look, but since they're now almost done (for real), I'm going to hold them in reserve in case I can't finish the larger sleeves...so after tonight I've got 35 more days to go.
OK! I'm posting early so I can set my goals down & commit to them. IF I can get it all done, I'm going to be VERY pleased.
FIRST, I have to clean my house (I know, TMI, but really, it's pulling my focus, so that has to happen first.)
SECOND, I have to tackle organizing my sewing room because now I can't find my quilting gun that I need to have in order to work on the poufs. I used it recently, so I think it's just misplaced or accidentally buried between layers of the remnant bin from one of my last two projects so that's where I'll look first.
THIRD, I need to finish both pairs of farthingale sleeves.
Also, since my last update, I've found the red overskirt fabric, but I think I'm missing some pintucked ivory for the underskirt and some pouf fabric though the last I'm not too sure exists...I may just have bought less than I thought I did in which case I have a backup plan: use the existing fabric for the poufs and buy some more fabric for the strips between. Thankfully, I was able to spot some that will serve at a local fabric shop while on my lunch break yesterday.
So today starts the 34th day before the gig. Wish me luck!
End-of-weekend update:
I'm reasonably pleased with where I'm at even though I did not even get to work on the second, larger pair of farthingale sleeves. I am actually sticking with the original pair. After I tweaked them, and then tweaked some more, I think they're going to work just fine.
If you scroll all the way down the page, you can see a picture of me wearing the whole kit-and-caboodle at my website here: http://myfairelady.com/sleeve-farthingale
32 days to go (it's already Monday where I'm at). Good nite, all!
Looking good! :)
Thanks, Kate.
I wish I could say today was as productive as the weekend. I'm stuck & in a bit of a slump. Now that the underpinnings are done, I'm having a hard time getting motivated to start on the *real* dress. I've got a plan, but I keep finding myself draping and pinning and etc. when what I really need to be doing is making a toile of the skirt so that I can get the underskirt cut out so that I can cut the under- and over-sleeves so that I will know how many poufs I'll need so that I can get to work on poufing. Waaaah. I hate this part of a project when it's not much fun creative stuff and only drudgery. Ugh. I think I'm gonna call it a night.
31 more days to go.
Not much accomplished today, but for other reasons than yesterday.
I literally just got home from rehearsal (it's about 11:15 PM my time) after a whole day of work, so no time to do much except that I took the pouf fabric with me to rehearsal & I was able to rip some 48 strips of organza which should yield close to 200 more poufs. I'm hoping that by the time this week is over I've at least drafted a toile of the skirt so that I can count how many more poufs I'm going to need all told.
Anyone wanna come over for a poufing party?
30 days to go.
I would TOTALLY come and pouf with you!! Where are you? Oh, guess New Hampshire is kind of a jaunt from Kansas City... drat.
LOL! It's the thought that counts, Gem!
So tonight I inventoried my store of ooches and--once again--my memory isn't representative of reality (hate it when that happens).
I have 226 large buttons and 393 small ones. The large ones are 1" across and look like this with the pouf:
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/poufs310.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=15&u=17811367)
I don't have a picture of the small ones, but they're basically the same minus 1/8" in diameter smaller.
In my memory, I had more larger ones than smaller ones, but it appears quite the reverse by almost 2:1. I may have misplaced a bag of the larger ones but that's unlikely at this point being as I've scoured the whole house & garage looking for various & sundry things and I probably would have seen said missing bag by now.
SO, plan B with the poufs is to make all that I have in the larger ones, work on the toile to figure out just how many I'm going to need, and then come up with a way to artfully mix the sizes up so that it's not so obvious.
Tomorrow I get to sit in a car for about 5 hours so I'm trying to get set up tonight so that I can pouf and pouf and pouf...I hope it's a productive trip in that regard.
29 (gasp!) days to go.
Put the smaller ones on the sleeves and bodice and the larger ones on the skirt. You can space the larger ones out a bit more... Make the pattern a bit bigger on the skirt.
OK! I've been up since 4:45 AM today so I'm going to keep this update brief cuz I'm POOPED!
I was able to prep/tack all but 60 or so of the larger poufs and I completed another 11 bringing the grand-total of completed poufs to 90.
Prepping the poufs is easy & fairly quick, but stitching them down with the buttons is another matter. I got my speed up to about 6 minutes a piece, but if I want my hands to last, I'm going to have to sacrifice a pair of leather work gloves by cutting off the thumb & first two fingers so that pulling on the upholstery thread I'm using to secure the poufs doesn't cut into my skin so much.
Oh, and Kate: that's a good idea about using the smaller poufs for the sleeves. Hopefully, I can get to the toile this weekend so I'll know what I'm up against because I'm not sure that I'll have enough large ones even to cover the skirt. We'll see.
Good nite, all!
(28 days to go.)
Current completed pouf count: 106.
Plan for the weekend: at minimum, have a complete toile for the underskirt & overskirt (I already have a pattern for the sleeves) and figure out just how many poufs I'm going to need.
At best, make a petticoat from said toile out of a holiday tablecloth I bought this week. The fabric is glitzy enough to wear by itself as a backup in case I am unable to finish poufing or decorating the "for real" underskirt. And if I do finish the "real" underskirt, I can just wear the petticoat as a--well--petticoat.
27 days to go.
OK, so here's my end of weekend update: still no completed toile. BOO!
I've been working on the thing since 3 this afternoon and I must admit that this has been the most difficult fit I think I've ever worked on. I've made skirts before where the hem is on the grain and the waist is where the adjustments are made (my old Elizabethan Venetian for one) but because in this case, the hoop is an ellipse AND the center is off-center AND it has that point in the front, it's been just plain hell to get the drape right. I've got the waistband and skirt cut out and I'm at a point where tomorrow I'm hoping that I'll be able to baste them together to make sure the fit is right before I make pattern pieces out of them. I'm thinking that I'll need to put in some kind of stay-strip to tame the pleats at the edge of the wheel or they just want to fall towards the CF which is most unflattering.
UGH. What have I gotten myself into? I'm starting to fear I may not make my deadline.
25 days to go.
Making a stay for those pleats would probably be a good idea. Cut a piece of your toile fabric the same size and shape as the top of the farthingale, and pop it on that. Then when you drape the pleats you can pin them to it and tack them down with thread when you are happy. You may well need to stand to do it on the dress stand, but it will be worth it.
Want more progress pix... :D
Feeling more productive today; after reading Kate's post I bit the bullet and went ahead and did as she suggested (THANKS!!!) and made a "stay" for the petticoat/toile. Here's a picture of the "stay" attached to the waistband:
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/front_10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=16&u=17811367)
And here's a pic of half of the petticoat pinned on to the "stay":
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/drapin10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=17&u=17811367)
At this point, I went ahead and un-pinned the petticoat and used it to cut out the fashion fabric that will receive those blessed poufs...and now I know how many I will need just for the forepart: 168.
By then, I needed a break from skirts of any kind, so I went and dug out some of my old patterns as well as the bodice from my old "Elizabethan Venetian" gown and used them to create a new toile for the bodice and also one for the undersleeves. Here's a picture of those:
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/bodice12.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=20&u=17811367)
So that's where I'm at. I'm feeling alot more optimistic today. It feels like I was able to get so much more done after putting the skirt behind me. Tomorrow, if I can, I'm going to finish tweaking the undersleeves, figure out how many poufs I'll need for those and also come up with a toile for the oversleeves and overskirt which will be cartridge-pleated onto the bodice. Oh, yea. I'll also need to make a toile for the stomacher I suppose. Still a lot to do, but getting there.
24 days to go. Merry Christmas, all!
Holy cow, girl, you are SMOKING!!!
It is looking amazing, and this will further solidify your reputation as one of the top Elizabethan costumers!
ONWARD!!
Glad my idea worked for you. It's looking really good. Well done!
And Merry Christmas!
Somehow I always think of that dress as a Christmas Cracker!
Mini-update: ACK!!! I think I have to re-do the bodice toile. Doesn't it look like the revers ends at the sides where the overskirt ends? It's the stomacher alone that goes into that severe point. I found a good close-up here:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Gheeraerts_Elizabeth_I_The_Ditchley_Portrait_c1592.jpg
80% of me wants to re-do the toile but the 20% that's left is wondering if it's not just that the jewels are hiding the severe point of the revers.
Do y'all agree/disagree/have any input/ideas/suggestions? I'm working on the hanging sleeves right now to get some perspective on the bodice (literally & figuratively), and then I'll work on the stomacher which is the shape it is regardless of where the revers ends and then I'll have to make a decision on the bodice if I want to stay on track.
ETA: Oooh! I just thought of something: what if the girdle isn't a separate item but a JEWELED point to the revers? But then--that creates other engineering problems...OK...gonna walk away from the bodice now.
End-of-long-weekend update:
After my mini-crisis this morning I decided to bite the bullet and re-do the bodice toile so that the revers end at the side not in a point at CF. It was rather fiddly but I think the new placement looks muuuuch better.
I also completed the toiles for the hanging sleeves and stomacher.
If it wasn't for the fact that I'm exhausted (and I know better than to try to cut fashion fabric when I'm this tired) I would have cut out the actual pattern pieces by now.
So, instead I had fun pinning and draping on my mannequin. Here's where I'm at (ignore the length on the blue hanging sleeve toile--it will be floor-length in the "for real" version):
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/comple10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=21&u=17811367)
Oh, and thanks for the encouragement, Kate & Gem. It's been indescribably helpful to be able to be accountable as it were. By posting my updates as I've been doing, it helps me to summarize the day's work and plan ahead, because now I only have...
23 days to go!
Excellent progress! yaya!
Quote from: Kate XXXXXX on December 26, 2012, 05:58:49 AM
Excellent progress! yaya!
I wish I could say the same about today. Today I did nothing...nothing unless you count buying 8 dozen more buttons off eBay for some variety...does that count for something?
22 more days. Ugh.
Yesterday I ended up cleaning the Kenwood INSIDE the casings and making bread rather than sewing! Today I NEED to sew!
I'll send some encouragement your way, Kate:
SEW, girl, SEW!!!
Hut, HUT!!!
I have. 4 tabs made, and the rest of the bodice in one piece! About to turn it right way out and press it.
Me tabs is impressive! ;D
Good job, Kate! Show us a pic when you can!
As to my project: still where it was two days ago except that I did map out how many additional poufs I'll need: 70 for the undersleeves & another 50 for the oversleeves, which added to the previous 168 for the forepart comes out to 288 poufs total.
I say "map out" because while I didn't cut out the actual fashion fabric, I did lay my toile over the pintucked fabric & used my chalk to mark where the poufs will go, which is how I figured out how many I will need.
The buttons I ordered yesterday are already en-route but the ones I bought today won't be mailed out until the 31st. I decided to go ahead and add some variety in the buttons in order to be as faithful to the original portrait as possible.
My current plan is to work on having all the actual pattern pieces cut out and tack down the organza lattice on all ivory bits by the end of the 1st. If I can, I'm also going to finish ripping the organza for the additional 100 or so poufs I'll need to have ready for when the new buttons arrive.
21 more days--3 weeks exactly--left to go!
Does anyone know whats going with Lady Kathleen,I called this afternoon and got a message about a family crisis?
No. Fingers crossed they are OK.
haven't heard a peep. Hope eveything is ok.
Got a phone call this afternoon from her , seems her Mother is in intensive care. So keep her Mom in your thoughts..
Will do! Thanks.
Thanks for the update, Baron Fredrick. I'm sending good thoughts their way.
~~~~
As to my update, I went to bed early last night & forgot to post, not that I did much sewing, just more planning. I've figured out that I'll need close to 100 of each type. I've got these ones coming in the mail any day now:
http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/dehartsales/buttonsmay12-014.jpg
And these ones will hopefully come in before my deadline:
http://img.iwascoding.com/1/paid/2012/09/06/63/DCC705CBB7CF43CD8F89A1479936BB47.jpg
SO, my plan for this weekend is finish making strips for the poufs, get the lattice work laid down on the ivory fabric and stitch up those parts. Wish me luck!
OK, so here's my end of long weekend update (not that it was a long weekend off work entirely as I needed to help with DH's end-of-year inventory which took a good chunk of time):
Have now cut out of fashion fabric about 90% of all the pieces to the overgown (bodice, oversleeves & overskirt). The remaining 10% is deciding on a length for the hanging sleeves, so I'll probably do those last since I'll need to have a hemmed gown in order to match the hem of the sleeves so they're all even.
I've also cut out & have started assembly of my "plan B" underskirt, undersleeves, stomacher & revers in case I can't finish poufing in time.
Have not been able to attach any of the lattice to the "for real" under-pieces, though. I found that I can't rip strips at home. The cats like the sound too much--it's like they know a treat is coming--so I'm going to rip at rehearsals.
Speaking of which, I ripped an additional 150 strips for the poufs at rehearsals tonight. Also, I received one of the two new buttons I ordered, so I'll start making those poufs soon.
So that's where I'm at. I'll post pics as I can.
15 days left (I think--I'm starting to lose track in my panic.)
Molly, how's it coming?!
Thanks for asking, Gem. It's been a loooong week, but here's a summary of my last 3 days of progress:
Weds: Assembled most of the "plan B" undersleeves, but was unable to rip any more strips for the lattice at rehearsals. Still need to attach the undersleeves to...something...in order to make them wearable.
Thurs: Figured out that I could re-purpose a linen summer dress I picked up at a yard sale sometime to use as the body for the undersleeves. Unstitched what I needed to, cut and finished a square neckline to said yard-sale find and attached one undersleeve.
Today: Finished attaching the other undersleeve to the smock. Started pinning the "Plan B" underskirt to the waistband & took pictures for you all. Here they are:
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/img_1010.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=22&u=17811367)
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/img_1011.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=23&u=17811367)
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/img_1012.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=24&u=17811367)
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/img_1013.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=25&u=17811367)
ACK! I forgot to re-orient the pics again. I'll have to do that over the weekend sometime.
But anyway, my plan for what's left of tonight is to finish pinning the plan B underskirt. Then, this weekend I can stitch it up and hem it so that I can start basting the over skirt and bodice together. I don't have the whole weekend to work on it, but I'm going to give it my best effort. I'm running out of time, FAST. What worries me is that I know the bodice is going to be fiddly what with the stomacher & revers to contend with, so that may take up most of my time.
Speaking of time, I have...what? 12 days to go? Eeeeek!!!
Mid-weekend mini-update:
YAY!!! I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere. I have *mostly* completed the underskirt and undersleeves!!! I need to tame the pleats here and there by tacking them to the stay fabric underneath, add some bling to them and finish some minor handsewing but other than that, DONE!!!
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/img_1014.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=26&u=17811367)
Now, on to the over-gown...
11 more days to go!
Yay and woot! Looks excellent.
Thanks, Kate!
SO...for my end-of-weekend update I only have this to say:
I am in trouble.
Had to work today (for a lot longer than I'd hoped) and then I had to go out and get some stiff canvas to interline the bodice with (and then wash & shrink it before cutting it out) so I was only able to work on the dress for a few hours...and none of it was sewing. It was all spent on cutting out the canvas interlining and planning & trying to figure out how I'm going to rig the revers & stomacher but I think I have it figured out.
With some luck, tomorrow I can dedicate the whole day to assembly of the bodice, stomacher, overskirt & oversleeves. Will need to do a quick run for some thin boning in the AM because I didn't realize I don't have enough of the particular type I need and then it will be sew like a fiend because now I only have...
10 days left! :o
(And I'm still trying to learn my lines to boot...)
Don't feel frustrated: 75% of the time for any garment project is spent getting it ready to go under the needle. The actual sewing time is always a lot less than you think it will be. This is something we have to teach customers. Any such project involves:
The initial design sketches and concept drawings
'Flat's' showing style lines and seam placement
Fabric research and sourcing
Embellishment research and sourcing
Pattern drafting
Making a toile
Fitting and altering the toile
Redrafting the pattern
Fabric preparation
Cutting and assembling sections for sewing, including embellishment of elements that need it before assembly
Sewing
Pressing. LOTS of pressing!
Fitting
Alterations (usually a lot of what we do here us frog-stitching!)
Embellishing: some may be hand work, but some may be by machine, some by glue gun or hotfix wand!)
Reassembly
More pressing
Finishing (Hems, hooks and eyes, buttons, etc. A lot of this may be hand work)
Final pressing...
Unless you are hand embroidering bits, applying trim wholly by hand, or making up trim elements by hand, MOST of your time making anything will NOT be spent sewing! And even on a 'machine made' garment, there will be a lot of time sent away from the machine.
Thanks, Kate; it's good to be reminded of that fact...at the same time it always feels like it's more 90% prep work and 10% assembly for me. I spend a lot of time in my head designing, re-designing, trying to project how a particular seam placement or embellishment or whatever will look, deciding it won't work, chucking the whole lot in the brain's trash bin & starting over.
To the casual observer it looks like I'm just standing there, staring at a pile of cloth, with a somewhat absent look on my face (& possibly some drool peeking out of the corner of my mouth), but that's just the way it works for me.
Having a deadline helps, in an odd sort of way, to focus my energies; but it can also be a drag & turn a project that's supposed to be fun into work.
I logged on this morning to help myself focus and after reading your post, I think I'm going to do something a bit different for today's update. I think I'm going to make lots of mini-posts to this same reply during the day to log just how long it actually takes to get things assembled. Keep in mind that I'm working out of my house and there are many interruptions, but beyond that, I'm just plain POKEY sometimes...actually, most of the time. Let's see how this works out.
It's 8 AM and I'm ready to get started!
ETA: So between 8 and noon (roughly) I got myself organized and ran a few errands in town, including purchasing some boning I needed. I've been going pretty much straight since then. It's now almost 6 PM and I thought I'd take a break to post. Here's what my "sewing" day has looked like 'till now:
12:10 to 1:04 - Laid out and punched holes in some plastic strapping I've been saving to use as "lacing bones". Tried out various combinations of grommets vs. eyelets, etc. Decided on some brass eyelets.
1:05 to 2:51 - Laid out (already cut) white linen bodice lining and figured out exactly where I want the "lacing bones" to go; pinned & ironed the channels down.
2:52 to 3:08 - Sewed said channels down & inserted the lacing bones.
3:09 to 3:44 - Pinned linen bodice lining, canvas interlining and fashion fabric of stomacher to mannequin so that I could figure out where the stomacher will attach, etc.
3:45 to 4:19 - Grabbed a bite to eat.
.
4:20 to 5:24 - Cut out two layers of canvas interlining for the stomacher & figured out bone placement. Cut out middle bone made from leftover plastic strapping.
5:25 to 5:30 - Sewed middle bone channel down & inserted bone. Decided it wasn't stiff enough, so...
5:31 to 5:44 - Grabbed some cable ties, cut them to the right length and then...
5:45 to 5:49 - Sewed two more channels down & inserted bones. I think it's stiff enough now, so decided to take a break.
5:50 to ? Taking a break to post and gather my thoughts. So far, only about 30 minutes of my more than 5 hours of work have been spent in front of the sewing machine.
We'll see how the rest of the night goes.
Dont forget to sand down the ends that you cut on the cableties! You are doing amazing keep it up~
Thanks for the reminder, Adriana! Never a good thing to have boning poking into one's ribs!!!
SO, for the remainder of the evening, I worked, worked & WORKED some more. I'm too pooped to re-type my blow-by-blow but suffice it to say that roughly the same pattern/ratio of planning to sewing time held true.
I now have about 90% of the bodice complete; what's left to do is to punch holes & set some eyelets tomorrow, then get myself into the corset & pin the shoulders to compensate for uneven shoulder slope (one arm slightly lower than the other--thanks a lot, heavy purse), then sew the shoulders to each of the lining and the fashion fabric, then add the decorative cording around the edges on the fashion fabric, and then, FINALLY, sew the fashion fabric to it's lining.
Sounds like alot, but compared to the fact that it's taken me about 10 & a half hours today to get the bodice to where it's at, the above feels like a breeze.
Here a couple of pictures of where I'm at:
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/img_1110.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=27&u=17811367)
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/img_1111.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=28&u=17811367)
It doesn't look much different from the outside, but it's the inside that counts & which is unseen, unfortunately.
So...how many days do I have left now? 9? Ugh. I'm going to bed & dream that it's done.
'Nite, all.
I just got home from rehearsal & was only able to get a couple of hours of work on the bodice this morning before work. Here's is where I'm at:
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/img_1112.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=29&u=17811367)
I've finished the bodice except for adding cording to the edges and then attaching the fashion fabric to the lining. What you see in the pic is the lacing showing the stomacher on the *inside* so that I could mark with chalk where I need to make size adjustments so that it will slip between the lacing and the canvas interlining. Hopefully, I can get that done in the AM tomorrow before work.
8 days to go...
Oooh, it's looking great!! And nice to see a closeup of the fabric; I didn't know it had so much sparkle. :D
I'm rootin' for you!!
Thanks for the encouragement, Gem. I'm starting to get really crispy on this project. I promised myself I'd be in bed before midnight tonight, so I'll keep this update brief and post the pics I took (including a real close-up of the fabric) tomorrow.
Today I was able to get the lining and fashion fabrics attached to each other, which was a BEAR in itself since one shoulder absolutely refused to behave & I argued with it for HOURS until I got it to do what I wanted, albeit grudgingly at that.
I only have the bottom seam to hand-stitch, which I'll do in the AM tomorrow.
(If I wasn't so darned exhausted I'd be feeling pretty excited about how it's looking.)
Currently, I'm debating whether to set-in the hanging sleeves or make them detachable. I've been looking at late-period portraits to look for clues, but no luck so far. I think I'm going to make--something--to hide a lacing strip so that I can make them detachable. Maybe it won't be 100% faithful to the portrait, but it will make it more functional for me.
SO, the plan for tomorrow is to finish the bottom seam to the bodice, make the final adjustments to the stomacher, make the sleeve-somethings, set them in, and start on the overskirt.
I hope that's not too ambitious a list. My one from last weekend certainly was.
7 days to go.
You're doing great! Keep up the good work! You'll get it done! You have this, you own this, this project is your B****!
;D
Thanks for the encouragement, LadyFae!
I wish I could say today lived up to my hopes, but unfortunately, it didn't. I *thought* I'd have about 8 hours to work on the gown and one thing after another (including a 3 hour unplanned stint at the office) prevented me from getting more than 2 hours of work in on this project.
SO...since I had so little time, I thought I'd work on something "quick", like the stomacher. I figured all I had to do was re-do a few seams & I could scratch it off the list.
WELL, it started with my bobbin thread pulling up a really nasty blob of oil-soaked lint which stained the stomacher fabric (which then required a detour to the sink and an un-planned but absolutely critical de-linting/cleaning of the sewing machine), then I realized I'm going to have to make some modifications to the bodice because it's not going to work the way I've rigged it; I'm going to have to unstitch some of the lining so that I can sandwich the stomacher in better. THEN I noticed that my stomacher is somewhat narrower than the corresponding piece on the underskirt (which means it shows & it's not supposed to) so I'm probably going to have to re-do it after I spent today...re-doing it.
Oy.
BUT, in the meantime, here is the close-up of the fabric I promised:
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/img_1113.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=30&u=17811367)
And a question for you-all: do you think this style of shoulder treatment will work? It's not going to show much except if I wear the gown without the over-sleeves, but I need a way to hide the lacing strip for said over-sleeves. It's just a piece of canvas right now, but will be made in the red fabric with the cording as trim:
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/img_1114.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=31&u=17811367)
The picture also shows where I was at (and still am at) as of last night/tonight.
6 days to go.
Molly that is looking fantastic!!! I have no doubt you'll get this done and steal the show!
Those pleats are looking good.
Thanks for the compliments, Cecils (Hi!!!) & Kate.
I'm beyond crispy at this point so I think I'm going to take tonight off even though that means more work for tomorrow. I'm hoping that if I give myself a break I'll be able to start fresh-er tomorrow & really crank 'er out because I've *got* to have the gown in some semblance of wearableness by the end of Monday or I'm going to have to concede defeat and wear one of my "old" gowns.
SO, that means the plan for this weekend is:
1. Finish the bodice, which includes adding a lacing strip for the over-sleeves, making & attaching the shoulder treatment, tidying up the raw edges of the armseye by hand and fixing the issue with the lining I mentioned yesterday. I have no idea how long that will take. Maybe 6 hours?
2. Once the bodice is done, make any final adjustments to the stomacher so that it can attach securely to the bodice and hopefully be wide enough to cover the underskirt's waistband. Last time I thought it would only take a few hours, so I'll be optimistic and say the same thing: couple of hours should do it.
3. Add a 4-6" strip to the bottom of the underskirt because after pinning the pleats I realized that it needs to be longer. I'll figure out the length after I finish pinning and tacking the pleats in place. I'm guesstimating some 3 hours for this part.
4. Once the length of the underskirt is decided upon, I can start working on the overskirt. I *think* I've cut it out already, but I might not have. I can't actually remember--but anyway, I *know* I haven't cut out the lining, so that will be next, then attach the lining to the fashion fabric, hem the thing, then cartridge pleat it and attach it to the bodice. That should only take all day.
5. THEN, once the overskirt is finished, I can decide on a length for the oversleeves. Again, I *think* I've cut them out already, but I *know* I haven't sewn anything together, so once the fashion fabric & lining are attached (with the cording in between), I can cartridge pleat them and stitch on the laces. I'm probably going to have to add some stiffening to the front edge--maybe a cable tie or some of my plastic box strapping so that they will pouf out over the undersleeves without squishing them. Making the oversleeves should only take about half a day.
6. Add bling and more bling with whatever time I have left.
SO...I'm looking at about 25 hours of work. I have: all of Saturday, half of Sunday, 3/4 of Monday, nothing to speak of for Tues and Weds, all of Thurs and I'm taking Friday off just in case. We open on Friday.
OMG!!! That reminds me! I realized this today: we open on Friday, not Thursday as I had originally thought, which means I have one more day than I counted on!!!
I get to say it again but with less dread than yesterday: 6 days to go!
End-of-weekend update:
I'm sick...as in "ACHOO!" sick.
I've been telling myself I am NOT sick because we open on Friday. I've been loading up on every kind of zinc, Vitamin C, Echinacea, salt water gargle & honey tea I can get my hands on. I think I'm winning at this point: my throat is much less sore than yesterday, but I can still feel "it" in my bones. I may have been coming down with this for a few days which explains why I've been so tired.
After this weekend here is where I'm at:
Underskirt: complete. If I have time I'll add some poufs to it.
Undersleeves: complete except for adding a few more poufs here & there.
Bodice: still needs handsewing & fiddling with.
Stomacher: ditto.
Overskirt: didn't get to it.
SO my *amended* plan is as follows:
Ditch the oversleeves.
Finish the overskirt/bodice/stomacher TODAY because those are critical.
Rest & heal so that I can be well for the performance. That is, after all, what is primary.
Be happy with that.
(4 days left counting today...)
Good plan, Molly. Rest up and be well! I know how hard it is to have to pull back from what you originally aimed for but pushing yourself too hard and spreading yourself too thin over too many things in too few days makes for a miserable you. And we know cutting corners is not an option (unless you know, you're clipping a corner before you turn it. but that's not what I meant) so do what you can and do it right and both you and your gown will shine for the performance!!
Thanks for the encouragement, CT. I did just that today: took it easy.
As such, I didn't even get to everything on my amended list, but here's where I'm at:
I cut the lining for the overskirt, added cording and attached both layers together, hemmed them, and basted the top edges together to make it easier to manage pleating them to the bodice. That took most of the day.
At rehearsals tonight, I was able to finish attaching poufs to the undersleeves and I also safety-pinned the farthingale sleeves into the undersleeves. I wore them tonight to get a feel for them & make sure they wouldn't be in the way for some tricky blocking involving the Earl of Essex (use your imagination ;) ) & they seemed to do just fine (except that I feel like a female Michellin Man).
Tomorrow in the AM before work I'm planning on attaching the overskirt to the bodice. Final dress is on Weds, so I'll need to have a functional gown by then, so sometime between now & then I need to finish the issues with the stomacher.
But now to bed.
3 days left after tonight.
Night-before-final-dress-rehearsal update:
I worked on the bodice today, prepping the bottom hem to take the cartridge-pleated overskirt. I decided to create a "base" of sorts by encasing the seam allowance in a bit of bias tape instead of turning it inwards. I'll attach the overskirt to this "base". A picture is work 1,000 words, right, so this is what I mean:
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/img_1115.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=32&u=17811367)
Since I took the above pic, I handstitched where you see pins so that's all nice & tidy. I'm going to work on the armscye tonight and get that done.
Tomorrow night is final dress and my dress won't be finalized, but my hope is to be able to at least have a bodice to wear over my under sleeves & underskirt. They're saying we'll have Thurs off from rehearsal so I'm hoping to get the overskirt attached to the bodice then.
Damnable cold. I'm still fighting it off.
Two days to go after tonight.
Just got back from "Final Dress" rehearsal.
I was able to wear everything except the overskirt and the oversleeves (which I decided to omit for this gig anyway).
New insights: farthingale sleeves are scratchy and I really do have to attach the back of my great farthingale to my corset or the weight of just the underskirt was enough to make it droop painfully into the small of my back. Not fun.
SO, tomorrow we have "off" and we open on Friday.
For my last available day to work on this gown (tomorrow), I *must* attach the overskirt to the bodice, rig a way to attach the great farthingale to my corset, address the scratchy sleeves, hem the top of the stomacher, and pouf, pouf, pouf!
Oh, and take pictures to show you-all.
Except for no oversleeves, the basic shape & "vibe" is faithful to the portrait. I had to go with the "plan B" underthings, but I am still planning on making the "plan A" underskirt & things (Plan A is the one with the trellis and all those poufs like you see in the Ditchley portrait), I'll just be able to make those at my leisure.
But now to bed. My cold & I are still battling it out, but taking it "easy" seems to have at least helped me stay just ahead enough to not have succumbed completely. I just wish this sore throat would go away.
1 more day to go.
I'm DONE. Well--mostly. Can we call it "done" if I only have some handsewing to do, as in stitch down some hooks & eyes and tack some trim down?
I took pics but am waaaay tooooo tired to post them. It's 1:15 my time & I need to get to bed. My sore throat is mostly gone, but still lurking enough to remind me to rest.
I don't have much time pre-show tomorrow but if I can, I'll upload the pics so you can see what I ended up with. I'm not calling it a reproduction of the Ditchley dress at this time but it's close to it in spirit.
G'nite all.
can't wait to see photos. :)
Le sigh! So it's Sunday nite & we're DONE with the show. I still have just a trace of a sore throat but that might just be dry winter air & some vocal strain. Otherwise, my health held up, thank Goodness!
We have a professional photographer on cast who took some great pics, so when I have those available I'll post them, but in the meantime, here is a pic of what I ended up with (except that I decided not to add the strip of gold lace down the center & the stomacher only has poufs across the top).
(http://i17.servimg.com/u/f17/17/81/13/67/img_1210.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=33&u=17811367)
And here's a hearty THANKS! to all who encouraged me & nudged me throughout this process...but now to BED!!!
It's beautiful. :)
Your dress looks very beautiful.
Great job!! It looks fantastic! Very inspiring.
Thanks, Ladies!
All in all, I'm happy with how it turned out considering the time constraints. I have a few adjustments to make so that it's more practical to wear. As it is, it's literally *impossible* for me to dress myself and I can't always count on having a lady-in-waiting, so I need to make the undersleeves detachable & I need to fiddle more with how the stomacher attaches. I also need to make a new supportasse & chemise specifically for this gown. I made-do with my old ones, but as it is, there's just too many layers to contend with and, as I mentioned earlier, I'd really like to be able to dress myself.
The show appears to have been a great success so it may be that I'll be invited back again next year. Either way, I'm still going to work on the "for-real" Ditchley underskirt with all the poufs. The last set of buttons is in the PO waiting for me to sign for them, so I'll have three types, as in the portrait. I figure even if I only make 10 new poufs a week (while watching Project Runway, what else?) I'll be more than ready for next year.
Also, I realized that the over-fabric in the Ditchley is not red & gold but red & SILVER. It may take me some time to find some red & silver brocade-like fabric, but if I can do that, I'll be in really good shape for a "real" reproduction attempt.
I'm so excited! I just got an email with this link from the director of the show:
http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/the-bridge-weekly/allpagestbws01.24.13/2013012301/?key=6f2fa7eac4935cbfcb790e5c99dbc078#12 (http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/the-bridge-weekly/allpagestbws01.24.13/2013012301/?key=6f2fa7eac4935cbfcb790e5c99dbc078#12)
You can see me in the dress in the middle of page 13.
That just takes my breath away! Lovely! Can't wait to see a close up...
Oh how lovely!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome!!!!
No matter how good something looks on a manniquin it just looks SOOOOO much better on a real person! I love it! Well done! HUZZAH!!!!
Spec. Freakin'. Tacular. WELL DONE, YOU!!!
Wow, that's a real show stopper, can't wait to see more pics! Great job!
;D Thanks, All! I've been really busy trying to get back on track after having to mono-focus on this project, so I haven't been in touch with the photographer yet, but that's on my to-do list for next week, so hopefully I'll have some more pics to share soon.
Late with the comment here, but
WOOT WOOT! THAT blew them out of the water! Well done!
Yay! The photographer got the pics up on his website. There's a bunch of them & I haven't yet figured out what copies I want to order from him, so for now, if any of you want to see close-ups, you can see them at his website here: http://www.photostockplus.com/home.php?s=1&user_id=16650&tmpl=52&event=1245027&action=viewalbum&album_id=1245027 (http://www.photostockplus.com/home.php?s=1&user_id=16650&tmpl=52&event=1245027&action=viewalbum&album_id=1245027).
It will be some time before I can get my in-progress pics up on my own website, but when I do, I'll let y'all know.
Oh my gosh, that is truly STUNNING!!! You have FAR more patience than I!!!
For what its worth, I think #13 is my favorite picture. :)
Holy cow Molly! The last time I checked this thread the dress was still a glimmer in your eye!! It's *gorgeous!!* Huzzah!