eally didn't cause much extra pain at all. I did the hem on my overlocker too, with a roll-hem stitch which left a very neat and pleasing finish.
At first I didn't think I'd have anything to wear, but then I recalled my old Victorian pieces I made for Halloween a couple of years ago. Combined with an underbust corset from one of my burlesque outfits that's made from burgundy taffeta with black beading on the upper trim and my red satin bolero style jacket I really started to look the part.
The underskirt is a wine coloured satin with corded gathering behind the knee and a small train, and the overskirt is made from brocade with a layer of dance net at the back to form a bustle effect with the ties inside giving it shape.
I also had a black furry shrug that I'd lined with red satin and had a red satin tie for when it got colder and a matching burgundy facinator made by a friend of mine (Chapeau Carmine on Etsy). The whole look was finished with a necklace made of keys and a brown leather satchel.
The drafting process wasn't too hard, though it took a while to get the sections to be gathered just right, I was really pleased with the fit of the final piece.
The sweetheart neckline was created with a centre front gathering, and the whole of the upper front panel was faced with the same fabric. The back was faced with an interfaced crescent. I decided to insert a side zip rather than a centre back one in order to keep smooth lines.
Once all the festivities of Yuletide had calmed down I sat down to some long evenings of drafting. There's a few things on the pad at the moment, including my everlasting pursuit of the 'perfect' french knicker pattern. I'm getting close, but lots of Christmas cheer has made for a bit of a fluctuating waistline which is slowing things down a bit!
I'm also working on yet another 50's style dress, this one with small cap sleeves and a gathered sweetheart neckline. I've got some fabric in mind for this which is a bit on the pink side and might turn into a bit of a pattern-matching nightmare, but will look super cut if it all goes well.
with bishops sleeves with a capped top which I can't wait to see. I was so annoyed with myself when I found out I'd drafted it to the waist and not the hip, but it's (hopefully!) easily fixed and I won't make that mistake again!
Happy belated New Year! xxx
It's a smart fitted number, with a lovely flattering bias cut waist-band. Working with Buckram was not exactly a bag of laughs and my flat is now covered in wisps of the stuff which no hoover can conquer. Naturally it needed to be entirely lined with a thick black cotton to save me from itching my way through the party, it also meant that neckline and armholes were faced. Happy days. (If I were to make it again though I'd give it sleeves as my underarms were a little raw at the end of the night - ow!)
The final costume had 4 parts to it, including a top with 2 sets of sleeves to give a layered effect as despite buying a whopping 12 meters of fabric there wasn't enough to make a second top. Choosing the fabric was a bit of a challenge. We needed something with a really obvious sack-cloth type weave, but also close weave as we didn't want it see-through! A lot of the fabric we looked at was far to new looking, but finally we found some heavyweight upholstery fabric that fitted the bill.
The cloak that goes over the top isn't actually attached to the hood, which is placed over the shoulders and has long flared parts that are almost knee length and adds even more to the layered look. The cloak itself has a small folded back capelet attached at the neckline and split at the shoulders, as well as having split sides from the shoulders downwards which I am reliably informed is to enable the Wraiths to draw and wield their swords! Both the skirt part and the cloak needed to be long enough to drag on the floor to give a 'floating' look when worn. I think it all came together pretty well!
