The skirt was relatively easy (though time-consuming for the waistband and pleating). I decided to cut the skirt (110 inches hem) as one long piece, so I would only have to do one side hem as a rolled seam. The fold I edge I cheated a bit and just pinned it and sewed to make it look like a seam. I used the selvege edge of the fabric (since it was nice and clean) as the hem of the skirt, and then measured the length from there and cut off what I didn't need from the other selvege edge (to become the top of the skirt under a waistband and therefore not seen). I used most of that strip that was cut off as the sleeve flounces (see the next post) with the selvege edge again as the 'hem'.
At the top, I used even (equidistant) knife pleats for both the front and back, facing away from the center; the front center had a flat space where the point of the bodice will go.
Skirt pictures...
The skirt top front (pinned):
The skirt top back (pinned):
The skirt (full, front):
The bodice was rather tricky, and I played around with a few different measurements and pin "maps" on the fabric before I was satisfied with the back of it. I used the front of my Elizabethan-ish stays (yes, pre-dating this historical gown by 100 years, but then again the front of those stays wasn't actually as period as I know now) as the model, since I'd be wearing the stays under the bodice anyway to get the period correct shape.
The bodice pieces, cut out on the fold (center back - folded; side back - two pieces; front - two pieces):
The bodice and stays comparison (pre-revision of the stays):
...as I said in another post, I turn under all of my seams so they don't fray. It takes longer, but wears (and washes!) better. It also means I need to be that much more careful about leaving 3/4" seam allowance (minimum, depending on weight of fabric) and re-re-re-measuring and draping before I cut; once it's sewn, it's sewn - it's a pain to re-do so I am careful to get it right the first time.
The bodice (inside/seam view, pinned):
But even with all that... I messed up and made the back just barely too narrow so there was a (thankfully uniform) 1" gap across the front (see picture below). *sigh* Will need to fix that. The back looks great, though, and the side seam is in the right spot, so... this'll take some thinking.
I also didn't fully pin the strap pieces until after I had sewn and fitted the rest of the bodice, just to make sure that the fit was correct, which is why they're unattached in the photo above, and are very wide (and lightly pinned) in the photos below.
Wearing the bodice, pinned, front view (pre-revision of the stays):
Wearing the bodice, pinned, back view:
Gap aside, it's coming along nicely. I'm surprised at how well the back actually fits, even though the back lower bodice "point" isn't quite as pointy as a typical anglaise... These two pictures aren't hemmed, either, and the hemming will make that back point a little more pronounced.
No comments:
Post a Comment