I need a kick in the Ditchley...

[mollymishap]

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:



And here's a pic of half of the petticoat pinned on to the "stay":



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:



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!

[gem]

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!!

[Kate XXXXXX]

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!

[mollymishap]

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. 

[mollymishap]

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):



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!

[Kate XXXXXX]

Excellent progress!  yaya!

[mollymishap]

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.

[Kate XXXXXX]

Yesterday I ended up cleaning the Kenwood INSIDE the casings and making bread rather than sewing!  Today I NEED to sew!

[mollymishap]

I'll send some encouragement your way, Kate:

SEW, girl, SEW!!! 

Hut, HUT!!!

[Kate XXXXXX]

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! 

[mollymishap]

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!

[Baron Frederick]

Does anyone know whats going with Lady Kathleen,I called this afternoon and got a message about a family crisis?

[Kate XXXXXX]

No.  Fingers crossed they are OK.

[DonaCatalina]

haven't heard a peep. Hope eveything is ok.

[Baron Frederick]

Got a phone call this afternoon from her , seems her Mother is in intensive care. So keep her Mom in your thoughts..