The BIG Reveal

Ok I know you all have waited so long but there is only so much hand stitching a mom of 4 can do in a day. found this wonderful pattern at Past Patterns and although it is not missing its mistakes they did a marvelous jog translating the pattern and bringing history alive the pattern has a little history behind the dress included and I absolutely loved reading about it. I was a little limited by color because of the role I am playing in the Nutcracker  Ballet but it was ok because I had way too many ideas and it helped to not be able to do some of them. the skirt was easy I used my coat pattern to make gores and then just sewed them together, bound the top, and added elastic in the binding so that there was some extra for movement and give for all the underthings I will be wearing.

  The bodice was a little more difficult to do I had to have help as I couldn't fit to myself  and wasn't sure about some of the techniques that in the end I skipped and did it the way we would do things now. I was originally going to be putting lace across the top and around the bottom edge of the sleeves but in the end it just looked too busy and I opted to just do the roses but that looked too plain so I did a little hand embroidery and wow it is perfect.

So what do you think it took me about 3 weeks start to finish getting the fabric and waiting for the pattern I have a few last little things to do like connect the bodice to the skirt so when I am dancing it doesn't pull up too much and figuring out how to make the pettiskirt a tad shorter without altering it since I am borrowing it. I need to add a little bow on each sleeve with a rose in the middle to bring the ribbon from the lace up back into the rest of the outfit. Might add a few tiny matching bows to the bottom of the skirt where I put roses at each scallop gather.

I meant to get a picture when I was wearing it at rehearsal last night but totally forgot in all the excitement. Everyone LOVED the gown and I was even told three times I was not allowed to wear it because I would upstage Clara and her "mom" lol and the studio owner said she was going to rip it off of me because she adored that color and wanted it for herself (although I'm pretty sure i would never fit her she is so petite). I will get a picture of me in it after the last alterations are made