Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Day Dress - Dry Run

Ok, ok. The dress looks as if it's done, but there are a few more finishing details that need to be done before I can say it's done. Those things are: hem facing, hemming, collar, and tacking the skirt to the bodice (it prevents the waistband from peaking through where it shouldn't).

Take a look at the gorgeous belgian lace that Anna sent me and tell me - do you think it works for the collar, or is it too nice for this outfit???
Everything is looking pretty good, isn't it?!! I'll be happy to wear this around Gettysburg next time we visit, and I can pick up a matching bonnet. Poor Dave...just what he wants...to load hoops into the trunk of the car, and then upon arrival, walk around with his century-confused wife, while he's in jeans and a t-shirt).

So, here's what I did on Sunday and Monday:
I sewed up the sleeves. The sleeve puffs are gathered pieces of fabric that had to be hand-sewn to the sleeve, and then the sleeve was sewn into the bodice. The sleeve puffs took forever!! I managed to almost finish the skirt (with all those pleats) and pull the bodice together in the time it took me to do those silly sleeves!! They don't look that complicated, do they?
Next up was finishing the boning on the interior of the bodice, using single bias tape to finish the edges (I found some pink colored bias tape, hidden away). Then, I sewed in the hook and eye tape. That process had to be repeated a couple of times before I got the placement just right.

Finally, last night I covered some buttons and sewed them to the bodice. It's almost impossible to see, but here they are:Now where are some kids I can borrow so that me and dress can have an outting together?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

::Dave ponders about the last line of the post.::

Are we having some children that I should know about or are you just planning another kidnapping?

Costume Diva said...

No, I just want to tag along with one of the kids I've made a costume for, and go trick or treating. :)

Costume Diva said...

Oh: and the first vote on the lace collar is in. My mom doesn't think the lace and the dress work together.

Anna said...

Hmmm ... I have no idea what period that lace I bought would really go in ... but would a woman who had that civil war day dress have had lace like that? You know what this means, more costuming research! Wheeee!!!

Kendra said...

Wow, that is BEAUTIFUL.