Friday, July 08, 2011

1795 Cream Silk Full-Dress Ensemble Grand Try-On

Most of the ball ensemble. The gown fits with the
different stays! The bandeau is not sliding off!

Have just tried on MOST of the ball ensemble. The main thing was to make sure that the gown would fit properly and that the headdress bandeau -- the base for the rest of the headdress, which will be wrapped on before the ball tomorrow -- will hold. Check-ish, and check.

My one concern: the gown is almost too big. I've lost over 20 pounds since it was made and although such dresses are forgiving, being able to be pinned more or less tightly, I see wrinkles near the shoulder line. Ah well. To late for alterations right now!

The missing items:
  • the rest of the headdress, including hairstyle
  • the belt
  • the gloves
  • the ballgown polonaised for dancing
Fitting Notes

No more dress gaposis, courtesy Nicole at Diary of a Mantua Maker. She had described pinning the dress horizontally.

I got the idea to pin in horizontally through the very edge, not from the outside of the exterior fabric at all, through the lining of the front and into the rest of the dress. One inch apart all the up, and easy does it, and voila!

Bandeau: a length of buckram made into circlet and folded in half for strength. Muslin tube gathered onto it. Two long hatpins from my maternal grandmother stuck up through the bottom and inserted into the plumes. Vintage freshwater pearl and cut steel brooch pinned on. I love that brooch.

Belt

The belt buckle chosen.

Well, the originally planned belt buckle just didn't go with the new petticoat, the details of which you cannot see but will later. The other belt ideas were too small. I chose instead an Edwardian-era shaped buckle of Neoclassical design. It's larger and the horizontal motion fits the dress and goes to the edges of the robe skirts. The color (hint) coordinates with the petticoat.

The Cloak, Completed Enough to Wear

Here is the cloak! It still lacks the frill down one long edge, but not all cloaks were fully frilled, and it's just plain fun as it is. Such items were often worn just as below, casually half-knotted in front. It's such a fun accessory that it's going to turn up in my modern wardrobe.

The cloak, as worn.

The little fan still needs a coat of matte medium. It's not the best, but it will do. You should see Jenni's. I only drew/painted part of mine; she did the entire thing.

Signing Off Until Next Week

Am off to the festival as of the morning, and still lots of prep work to do. So off we go!

Happy weekend to every one of you!

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