New project - Aphrodite Gown

I am embarking on another full length chiffon gown, this time inspired by the greek goddess Aphrodite.  It's going to have a red satin underdress with white chiffon draped over it, plus hand made fabric roses arranged around the empire line.
 















Bodice front.

So far I have got the bodice sewn and fitted.  The chiffon will be applied over the top and I will be going for a nice drapey, cowl effect across the front and back neckline.

The bodice back.

I will be draping the skirts separately from the bodice and bring the two together once all the chiffon is nicely sewn in place.

Fairytale chiffon dress - bodice toile.

I spent today sewing the toile of the bodice - a good thing too because I'm not at all happy with it. It's just a bit........................clunky!



It came together nicely - all the bits and pieces fit where they should but it doesn't match the image I had in my head. Back to the drawing board!



I have drafted a entirely different pattern from scratch. This isn't something I would usually do or recommend in pattern cutting but in this case it felt like I needed a clean slate. I used my dress block as a starting point rather than the bodice block this time. I've altered the shape of the straps over the shoulder and the curve of the neckline. There are more panels - so more versatility for fitting and hopefully a more streamlined finish.

18th Century petticoat update and the beginning of a new dress

I started this petticoat a while ago but then things got too busy to do any further work on it. I've finally dug the poor thing out of the bag it was languishing in and given it some much needed attention. This is what the petticoat looks like so far - unfortunately it's rather large and difficult to get a photo of it all in one shot.



This is the back - you can see where it fastens at the waist with ribbons.



The front view - which is should hopefully hang smoothly when I'm finished with it. The outward length over the panniers is adustable by pull cords so it could in theory fit over a set of smaller panniers. All that remains is to sew in the pleated side panels and finish the hem.

I have also started cutting a pattern for a new dress, which I have for now nicknamed the "fairytale chiffon dress". This is the final draft of the bodice - it's princess seamed and will be constructed from several layers.