Friday, July 3, 2009

Packing

So I am yet again making a trek to the states for wedding stuff. Almost everything is done. YEAH!!!! My mom rocks and she has been a huge help with everything. Just have to finish up a coupe of odds and ends..oh and yep my dress. Got the correct binding last night (this was take 3) so I will have it whipped up in no time. I really don't think the corset with be 100% accurate, but it will fit and stay on. That is what matters. I have also dug out a bunch of fabrics to make banners out of. They are going to look so cool. Most are the 1-2 yard pieces of brocade that I have no clue of what to do with, I just had to own it. So that is enough rambling for now. Another update on thursday of next week.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Grrrrrr

So, I got my reply today. I didn't send my message in soon enough to take part in the Iron dress contest. I can sen them pictures to oooohhhh and ahhhhh over. But I can't take part in the actual contest. So I will make my dress and wow them BIG time.

What has begun already, I picked through my stuff and found my wood blanks for buttons and small beads to top them off with. SO the will be wrapped in steel grey pearl cotton and topped with a small white pearl bead. The trim will be braid, the same grey pearl cotton braided into a cord and whipped stitched down.

I still plan on doing blackworked sleeves, or I should say redworked sleeves. I plan on plotting out the embroidery when I get to my moms house. But I have a picture of the portrait I will try to replicate. This is a portrait of Bess of Hardwick. I will try to copy this dress as far as the general shape and sleeves go. I am not very big on the fur accents. I might end up doing that... someday. But for right now I will trim everything with grey braid.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Costume Plans..I am nuts

So i know I have a wedding to finish, but I am planning on making a new outfit. The 2009 "Iron Dress" Competition for Margo's Patterns is on again. I think with all the crap I have I can pull this off. The rules are simple. As of July 1 you have until September 15 to make a dress using on of Margo's patterns. You have to use fabric in your stash only and have $25.00 to get any extras; trim, a little extra fabric and what not. Also if one of the items is entirely hand made you get the iron needle award. So I think I will go for the whole thing.


Sooooo this is the plan.

Pattern: Margo's Elizabethan loose gown, closed front with short sleeves.

Fabric: stuff left over from the wedding and whatever I can get from my stash. Thinking of Black dress with a white underdress.

Handmade Items: Embroidered sleeves (similar to some portraits seen) in blackwork or red work with cuffs, also I will need buttons for the dress, i think about 40 of them. So that will mean going crazy making those.

Good thing I have plenty of time.I will start on the buttons asap and graph out the sleeve pattern when I get back to the states. The rest is simple sewing. I will have a photo update as soon as I can. Wedding stuff included in that. I have to finish arguing with my camera and convince it to work properly.