A couple days ago I got a phone call from one of my friends, asking if I would sew a gown for the Queen in her dance studio's production of sleeping beauty. Sure, I said. The catch? Dress rehearsal is in less than 2 weeks! But I love a challenge. I will chronicle my adventures for the next two weeks here.
The plan:
I just happen to have about 7 yards of very nice dark blue cotton velvet laying around collecting dust (this is why it is not crazy to buy 7 yards of velvet with no immediate useage in mind!) which will be perfect for this dress. The lady I'm making it for wants gold sleeves and forpart and lots of trim and beads. And shoulder rolls. And a small ruff. In 2 weeks. I can do this!
SO, the dress will be a French cut bodice, back lacing with placket so if anyone else uses this dress for Sleeping Beauty in the future, it will hopefully fit to some degree. It will possibly have tabs at the waist. Big gold sleeves, possibly brocade with rinestones to set off the pattern (this will be on stage...needs lots of sparkle!). Same thing for the forepart. I'm thinking some of that metallic trim at Joanns, with lots of pearls and rinestones, to simulate the trim in the picture to the right. Okay...a very simple simulation of that trim. Ilike the trim placement, with the band of trim angling to the waist from the edge of the neckline.
Now all I need are the lady's measurements and I can get started.
Got measurements. Made skirt. It went together without a hitch, and is 3 widths of 50" velvet, cut into trapezoids so there was less fabric to pleat at the waist. Then I cartridge pleated all of that while watching Star Wars and Frasier :)
May 27
Made the bodice pattern and boned the lining so its like a built-in corset. I ended up using the Simplicity Shakespeare in Love pattern to make sure I had all the proportions right, and then just sort of flattened it. Now there are 2 seams (plus back opening) instead of around 8.
The lady came and tried it on...it fit almost perfectly, just needs to be taken in a half inch in the back.
Went fabric and trim shopping today. For once Joann's had EXACTLY what I was looking for, in the right quantities. Of course, this meant that I spent a fortune, something like $60 worth of gold metallic trim, thread, bias tape and lace for the ruff. About the ruff, I've decided to forgo a real ruff and just make a sort of ruffle with lace on the edge. I don't think anyone will care. And it means a lot less work for me. Not to mention less annoying stuff around the neck of the lady wearing it. I will do the same thing for the wrists--attach a ruffle to a band which will snap into the sleeves. This saves me from having to make a separate smock which would be just one more layer under the stage lights and one more thing to lose in the chaos backstage.
I also got some lovely gold brocade for the forpart and sleeves. And some very pretty embroidered chiffon for the puffs on the shoulder treatments and partlet. You can see the fabrics, trim and skirt in the picture above.
So now I have to go sew 11 yards of trim to velvet in the very hot sewing room, also known as "the cave" (thats because up until a month ago it had no windows and was rather cave-like. Now it has a small skylight that opens).
Managed to get the trim on the front edges of the skirt. Two rows for each of the edges, its looks awesome! I also got the trim on the bodice and the bottom edge and armholes finished. Now I just have to finish the neckline with bias tape.
bodice and sleeves:
Over the last couple of days I finished the bodice except for eyelets(the dritz kind, not hand sewn). I ended up having JUST enough trim...1 inch shorter and there would have been too little! I also put the sleeves and shoulder puff/loop things together. Its tough t otell in the picture, but on the shoulder there are 4 velvet loops trimmed with narrow metallic braid, and wipstitched onto the finished armhole. The puffs are the emboidered white sheer backed with muslin. There is no smock in this costume, for costume purposes. Instead I'm making a high-necked partlet and I attached false ruffles to the ends of the sleeves. The pattern for the sleeves is from Jean Hunnisett, just narrowed substantially. I found some cheap, sparkly beads at Michaels that look sort of like diamonds. I have decided to sew these to the brocade to accent the pattern and add much-needed glitz. Of course, I decided this after I had sewn th sleeves together, which makes it quite a bit more difficult. I got one sleeve beaded today. I will definately bead the forpart before sewing it together!I also started working on the partlet, using the pattern from Jean Hunnisett again. I'm off to buy pearls today. I think the trim needs pearls on it.
