I need a kick in the Ditchley...

[mollymishap]

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?

[LadyFae]

Move it, move it, MOVE IT!  Hut, HUT!!!!   

[Kate XXXXXX]

Yes.  If Su and I can do 12 complete Cavalier outfits for mid Feb, you can do one court gown for mid Jan! 

[gem]

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... 

[mollymishap]

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.

[isabelladangelo]

How are you doing the puffs?  If you look at a close up:


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 or 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. 

[Kate XXXXXX]

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.

[DonaCatalina]

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.

[Rowan MacD]

  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
  In progress pictures would be very welcome!  

[Adriana Rose]

And with Christmas almost over you could get the broach things in the ornament section for a song!


You can do it! 

[Rowan MacD]

  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...

[Kate XXXXXX]

WANT DOLLY!   

How about these for the brooches:



http://i.ebayimg.com/t/DIAMANTE-BUTTON-25mm-1-WEDDINGS-OCCASIONS-G638-/17/!B8Gk8Q!BWk~$(KGrHqZ,!lMEy+jCyKklBM2FVVNeyg~~_12.JPG[/img]



ebay for the win on this sort of thing!

[mollymishap]

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/

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

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..

[gem]

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.... 

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!)