Finally, progress on my 1869 day dress!

Dec. 10th, 2009 at 5:47 PM

I am progressing on the soutache around the bottom of my 1869 elliptical skirt. Whee! I wish I had more time to work on it - it's the sewing I really want to be doing right now and I keep chaffing at needing to do other, non-sewing things. I'm nearly half done with the skirt! :-D

Nice, unblurry image of the shape I'm applying

(slightly blurry - sorry!) It's an attempt to show how far i've gotten

in-progress shot, half way though doing one of the designs. The yellow pin at the far right marks my half-way point!!! :-) It's taking just over 2 hours to do one design *sigh* But think how much faster this is then embroidering the same length of fabric!!!

Since I'm nearly half way though the hard part of this project (opps, famous last words, those...) I'm also well into the fantasy phase - remember I mentioned that in middle of projects I had a tendency to want to run off and start other outfits in the same period? Well, I'm happily ensconced in the fantasy of making a whole wardrobe of elliptical outfits and wearing them to a con or something - rather like

bauhausfrau did with her Rococo wardrobe at the San Jose CostumeCon. I've got fabric for an ivory ball gown, and a bright peach taffeta ball gown - which recently got thrown a curve ball in design 'cause I was feeling like my design was too plain for taffeta, AND I found this dress:

http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/the_costume_institute/dress_evening/objectview.aspx?OID=80035698&collID=8&dd1=8

I also want (and have the fabric) to make this dress:

Dinner dress of green-and-white -stripe silk trimmed with green silk. (Godey's Lady's Book, April 1969).
Shown in S. Blum's Fashions & Costumes from Godey's Lady's Book, p. 86)

over an elliptical petticoat... although at the moment I was leaning towards using the elliptical-to-early bustle transition style of a small circular crinoline and a bustle pad. Probably because it's underwear I don't already have. I think my subconscious likes to make my projects harder then I originally plan!