Dress continued

So far I have a basic sack back dress....but of course my design is not a simple sack back dress, so:

I know that my dress will consist of a sheer layer over a base layer, consequently I went and bought some super cheap sheer fabric to see how that would work. I'm likely going to use a lace in the final make up, but I didn't really want to throw money into lace given how much I'm expecting this to cost.

I asked for a couple of other students help on this one, those I know to be good with sheer fabrics and draping and I'm so glad I did , check it out:

 It really looked like the design, which was pretty exciting for me. Although I am not happy with having to probably put a seam in to make the panel full length.

I felt as nice as it looked, it wasn't really representative of the design, so I kept one side like this and made another with the sheer fabric backed onto calico:

which I feel looks much better.

Dress

With my understructure complete and my bodice lining in place, it was time to start the dress.

A Sack back dress is a mid to mid late 18th century item that had 4 large box pleats of fabric on the centre back from the neckline to floor. The idea was to suggest wealth by having this large amount of essentially unneccessary fabric. The panel would preferably be cut in one piece to further imply the wealth of the owner, although these days a seam is often needed as fabric is not always wide enough for our 21st Century heights.

The pattern of a sack back is almost L shaped - there are the back pleats then the seam that joins to the bodice on the side which goes down to the waist, although it is easier to cut this on the stand than to try and estimate it flat. That said I started the pleats on the back flat as I felt this was an easier approach than fighting with fabric on the stand. Although they are described as box pleats, there is actually only one box pleat and a knife pleat either side.

I pinned this to the neckline then smoothed the fabric towards the side and pinned along the seams of the bodice lining below.

I then cut away the excess down to the waist and cut across from there. I made a box pleat where the sack back joined the bodice then made a series of knife pleats all the way round to the front.

So there you have a sack back dress....citing

Cutting on the stand!

With my understructure complete I moved onto the rest of my costume, starting with the petticoat.

I really struggled with the petticoat, I looked at a lot of different resources for advice, but I just couldn't get the fabric to lie flat across the front. I remembered a throwaway remark Flic had made to me about her petticoat last year: putting a huge box pleat on the CF:

Okay so it needs a good press and even-ing out, but it's getting there. I neatened it today and we shall see monday if it is right.

After that I cut my bodice, pretty simple really - 2 piece with stomacher. Once it was cut it was adapted to be laced at the lower CB to pull in the sack back.

Job for Monday - sack back!

Understructures

So for the first week of the project I was working on the understructure for my dress. My tutors said I didn't have to make it but I figure it's a good thing to learn (especially cause I did it a bit wrong...)

The corset from my last post is now essentially finished, need to do the final bit of strap and bind the top edge:

So then I moved onto the panier (pannier? I'm not sure of the spelling on that one). There was a lot of sewing seams, then zigzagging them down then doing that to another seam, and channels and box pleats. Hassle. But lovely in the end. Originally I cut my steels about 5 cm too small (I have literally no idea how, I had overestimated), so I had to take the whole thing apart and reconstruct it a little smaller, but I don't think that's really a problem:

I'm pretty frickin pleased with myself it must be said.

EMP Part two - A beginning

So I'm officially a week into EMP part 2, and I have the understructure almost finished!

Firstly, 2 weeks ago I visited the Bath Museum of Costume/Fashion Museum and had a 2 hour study sessions where I got to have a really good look at some 18th Century Clothing

I've also been making my understructure, the corset is being fitted tomorrow, but until the building is cleared thanks to a fire in the workshop, I'm having to borrow a pannier off another student (the amazing Sarah Pattison)

Finished!

So I know my posts have kind of dropped off the radar here a little, bloody technology!

Here is the finished article:

It's not perfect I'll admit, but I learnt a hell of a lot on this project, and I am so glad it is over!

Catch up

So I'm finally back online, and hopefully have managed to save all my photos

First up, I had my second fitting:

I went into this one much more confident than the first one, and came out with more changes! Instead of it being with my tutor Graham it was with Kat (who is amazing) and she basically just came in hacked it down the front and across the waist and totally redid the darts etc. But it does seem to fit a lot better now.
 
Since then I've just been cracking on, had to put a gusset it my sleeve (which I basically experimented with til it looked right) 

Fighting with the checks and the collar, and now I'm finally on the home stretch. Hopefully finished by thursday and I can post some pictures!