I’m plotting a Labyrinth ball gown costume and took a few screen caps to use as references. Some of the skirts seem to have net petticoats underneath, others none at all. The bodices on the gowns vary from princess seamed to fitted panels with draped layers. Shot silk looked like the main fabric, along with various damasks an in one case some type of vinyl.
Now I just need to sketch some ideas.
Labyrinth Copyright © The Jim Henson Company
I’ve been a bit neglectful of posting since I was down to the wire with the Green Tudor Gown. It is and it had its first outing, but I don’t have pictures yet. I have a list of excuses but first and foremost the temperature has shot up into the mid 80’s. For Florida which is a bit much for this time of year, add to that layers of velvet and silk and I’m looking at one very warm afternoon.
Once I get some time charted out, a good camera and can rope someone into it I will get some pictures taken, hopefully before it hits 90 degrees and I implode.
Now that the Tudor Gown of Doom is out-of-the-way I’ve started fussing with a few more projects. I’m doing more pattern drafting and trying to teach myself grading from a book that gives very little in the way of instructions. If I can get it working to my satisfaction I’ll shoot a video on it, in the hopes it will help someone else.
There is very little grading information on the web that is easy to understand and makes sense. It process isn’t actually hard, move and shift the master pattern around if doing it by hand.
The fuzzy part is the grading rules and where the increases and decreases go. I have a ton of thoughts on this but that will be a post in itself.
In the past 2 weeks I have sew/reconstructed/finished the following:
One cotton/linen shift, machine sewn, seams whip stitched down by hand, hand made eyelets and hand finger looped lacing cords.
Took in my farthingale and reboned it with steel wire.
Made a coif with pleated “crispin”.
Patterned and made the Green Tudor stomacher/plackard.
Patterned GT undersleeves and bound them with satin.
Made all the poofs and hand hemmed the cuffs.
Reattached the GT skirt again…
Bound the GT hem in hunter green satin.
Made the sash for the GT.
Attached the large sleeves of doom to the GT.
My deadline is March 10th so I can wear it to the Ren Faire.
The 4th time is the charm right?
As requested, I finally got done editing and doing the voice over for the tutorial I shot back in September.
I hope everything makes sense and it isn’t too boring!
I posted this the other day on Facebook but figured it was useful enough to cross-post here too.
The Minnesota Historical Society has a great set of videos on storing heirloom textiles and clear explanations on different types of storage, acid free materials which is great if like me, you do not have a degree in textile conservation.
Part 1: Materials
Part 2: How to make padded hangers
Part 3: Storing Textiles in Boxes
Part 4: Storing flat textiles in boxes
Part 5: Storing Quilts and Coverlets
Part 6: Storing Textiles on tubes
I don’t have any antique or vintage clothing yet but I will use the padded hanger idea for my costumes.
