gwendolyngrey | (no subject)

I have decided that I will have to go to Costume College next year. It'll really be the last chance I have to do something like that before I have to concentrate on either building a career as a freelance illustrator, or go to grad school and THEN build up my career. Either way, after I'm done here at Grand Valley, real life is going to completely take over, and I have a sneaking suspision that I'll have to seriously cut back on the costuming front for the first year or two of trying to establish myself as a professional artist. SO, the point is, next summer will be my last "pre-graduating" summer, and really will be the only opportunity, of my forseeable future, to do something like Costume College. Besides, I've never been to California.

Anyway, that's over a year away, but I've been thinking a lot about it (especially with CC 07 coming up so quickly) and I know excactly what I want to make for the gala... I was very inspired by a dress I saw at Killerton House in Devon, but I don't think I want to talk about it (the dress) too much... I don't want to jinx it.

The Sleepy Hollow Stripey is coming along quite well! I haven't made the underskirt, but the top part looks like a dress! Okay, so it's an unlined, sleeveless dress without much of a front, but hey, it's more than flat pieces of fabric on the floor, so I"m happy... not to mention the en fourreau pleating is over and done with. It wasn't as difficult as I had inticipated, but I have a gut feeling it would have been a LOT easier with a dressform. Flat drafting involves far too much careful calculating for my true enjoyment.

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Can't wait to see how your dress comes! I'm going to start mine in July -I have the fabric. Not sure how I'm going to pattern that zone front.

Are you doing a stomacher that you pin or snap on, or doing a whole underbodice?

I'm definately doing a stomacher! I don't have a lot of the striped fabric (five and a half yards, I think) and I doubt I have extra to spare on a whole underbodice. I'm planning on attatching the stomacher with hooks and eyes though, I don't have the patience for pins and snaps aren't particularly period. ;-)

Oh, and do you know yet what you're doing for the leafy black lace around the neck? I have some cotton eyelet in roughly the right shape that I was going to dye black, but it's not really ideal...

What fabric are you using? I found some striped silk taffeta and I love it to death! I'm so happy to find something I like for this project!

I'm not sure what I'm using to attach the stomacher yet - I don't mind using non-period cheats for movie costumes!

For the leafy trim, I'm being crazy and I'm going to embroider it. That hi-res black and white pic shows that the trim is white netting with black leaves embroidered on it. I traced out the pattern onto some white cotton netting, and while I'm on vacation I'm going to work on it! We'll see how fast it goes! I can email you the pattern tonight if you'd like it. I don't think it will be overly time consuming since it's just the outline of leaves and the veins.

I bought my fabric well over a year ago, it's a cotton blend decorator fabric that was hugely on sale. The stripes are a little too starkly black and white to my eye, but the width of the stripes is perfect! I do envy you having silk for this dress though...

I'd really appreciate the pattern for the embroidery! I don't know if I'll have the time to do it all, but if it's simple enough I would love to give it a go.

I'm sure your fabric will be great! :-)

Just send me an email at padawansguide at gmail.com and I'll reply tonight with the pattern!

I think it's like a big leaf, a tiny leaf, and a slightly less big leaf, and then it's kind of gathered at the neck so that the leaves are overlapping and not pulled straight. If that makes sense. Just check out that B&W picture - it gives you a really good view!