Blue dress update

I wore the mostly-finished blue drill dress to an event last night. It was 'one of those nights' where everything went wrong while I was getting ready, so I didn't have time for anything more than a quick mobile phone snap before I ran out the door. I will get some nice, good quality shots soon, but this one at least gives you an idea of how it looks.

It was a warm and muggy night, so I didn't need the undersleeves after all.

Blue Drill Dress Update

Yesterday, my friend Heather (Queen of Luceters) presented me with the cords to tie on to the sleeve puffs of the blue drill dress. Thank you Heather!

The dress looked so nice with the ties on the sleeves that I was inspired to hand sew the trim onto the hem of the dress. I think it looks very nice, and the trim really stiffens the hem.

Blue Drill Dress Update - Sleeves

Here are a couple of pictures that I took (before the hem was done) to try out sleeve colours. I just used lace-on sleeves (that I already had) to see how they would look. I think I am heading towards white for the final sleeve colour....

Blue Drill Dress Update

I am still working on the blue drill dress. I put the hooks and eyes on and hemmed the skirt yesterday, and there was enough fabric left to turn the hem under, even after my terrible back-to-front skirt panel disaster. What a relief! The dress is now at a wearable stage. Not 100% complete, but wearable. Ideally, I would like to add trim around the hem, and make some sleeves to go with it. I also need to add the cord ties to go on the puffs, and I would like to put a band of trim around the bottom of the sleeve caps.

Hand sewing the sleeves in place. I thought they looked a bit bare, so I decided to add some trim tabs around the stop of the sleeve head. I think it looks much more 'complete' with them.

I have joined the third Italian Renaissance Costuming Challenge, so I need to get this dress finished soon.

Sleeve ideas for Blue Drill Dress

I am still playing with the sleeve heads for the blue drill dress.

Originally, I planned to have false puffs peeking out from anchored strapwork:

But in the end, I decided that rows of false puffs would be better:

The hand sewing is quite time consuming because I have to angle the needle quite heavily to hide the stitches. It will be worth it though, because I have a tendency to catch real slashes on every door handle I walk past, and always end up ripping them!

One sleeve has all the straps and puffs sewn on, so I am halfway there!

Blue dress update

Here is a photo of the blue dress 'in progress'. The front has yet to be hand stitched together. When I placed the trim, I didn't consider that it would have to match up with the trim on the bodice and I put the trim too far from the edge. Because the skirt seam edge is doubled over, the edge is quite thick. This is causing a bit of a problem with placing the hooks and eyes. I am focussing on the sleeves at the moment, and will come back to the skirt later. Hopefully inspiration will strike in the meantime!

Daily Inspiration - Anonymous/Tintoretto

Portrait of a Lady

Anonymous Venetian (possibly Tintoretto)

c.1560 - Location Unknown

from: http://starlightmasquerade.com/PortraitGallery/Ladder-Laced-Venetian/inspiration-pages/openbodice7.htm

Daily Inspiration - Veronese

I'm sure everyone has noticed a bit of a 'theme' with my Daily Inspiration portraits lately; Yes, I have a weakness for embroidered partlets!

Today's is by Veronese: Portrait of a Woman Holding Gloves

c. 1560

from: http://starlightmasquerade.com/PortraitGallery/Ladder-Laced-Venetian/inspiration-pages/Venetian1.htm

Daily Inspiration - Micheli

Parrasio Micheli 

Portrait of a Lady
The Barnes Foundation, Merion, Pennsylvania, USA

ca. 1550

from: http://starlightmasquerade.com/PortraitGallery/Ladder-Laced-Venetian/inspiration-pages/openbodice34.htm

Daily Inspiration - Tintoretto

Tintoretto's Portrait of a Lady c. 1575

from: http://starlightmasquerade.com/PortraitGallery/Ladder-Laced-Venetian/inspiration-pages/openbodice121.htm

Daily Inspiration

Here is a beautiful Venetian closed-front dress that I love. I particularly love the embroidered partlet, and plan to make one of these one day.

Licinio's 'Portrait of a Lady' c. 1540

from: http://starlightmasquerade.com/PortraitGallery/Closed-Bodice-Venetian/inspiration-pages/closedbodice27.htm