19 June 2011

Summer Gown part two

My pink summer gown and petticoat are nearly complete. Here are some pictures and critique of my process...

The gown: I didn't have any pale pink ribbon handy so I used cotton tape for the polonaise.
Side view: unfortunately Prudence (my dress form) and I are not the same size so the gown doesn't have the right shape here.
Front view with the new petticoat, which needs a ruffle.
The back - the fabric doesn't lay perfectly flat in spots. Next time I have to sit at a table and can't pleat / sew while watching The Tudors on the couch. Also the pleats should have a little more fabric on the fold to create more of a flap. 
The blue arrows show where I should have tucked more fabric under the pleats which would create more fullness at the skirt. As you can see, it kind of goes flat.

The sleeve is top stitched to the shoulder strap.
A peek at the inside...the lining fabric isn't historically accurate. I used some remnant fabric (a linen blend) that was leftover from a lightweight under petticoat.
Other lining errors: 1) I cut the shoulder strap lining too short and had to piece it together which you can see where the bodice meets the shoulder strap and 2) I cut the bodice lining a little too short and need another lining piece to finish the raw edges at the top.

Accessories Survey

Which shoes work best with the pink fabric?

The red?
Or the black?
I'm concerned that the pink / black combo is not an 18th century color combination but rather reminiscent of Sex and the City. Yet I'm not sure that the red / pink work together either.

I'm also on the fence about trim. I intend for this gown to be late 1780s. It seems incomplete and I'm wondering it would work better if it was trimmed with a box pleat around the neckline and sleeves, and possibly a cuff.

Thoughts?


3 comments:

  1. I like the red too. Don't know about accuracy, but it looks cute!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I vote red, too. And I love the idea of the pinked box-pleated trim. And maybe a belt with a rhinestone buckle, since you're going for 1780s?

    ReplyDelete

Your feedback is appreciated. :)