One thing I know, is that I don't want to make a traditional 20's dress. It just won't be flattering. I've been looking into early 30's and actually settled on a 1911 dress with modifications. 1911 Dress I made a muslin of the top of the pattern modified for size and styling. It fits! I also had Rob help me choose between 3 fabrics I had targeted for this dress. I plan to use the middle picture, shorter, and with the collar and cuffs from the picture on the right. My fabric is lawn, similar in color to the middle dress with ivory trim.
Robin is still immersed in multiple projects. She is plugging away at a renaissance outfit for her bf, and also has a plan for a pirate costume with a very funny alternative vision targeted for the WEHO Halloween street crawl. She posted earlier as Pirettes of the Caribooban.
Robin: OK, I HATE that this photo is snapped with me and my hair in "work mode", but that's the way it is. I modified the pattern to hold giant boobs (it's actually one of those Halloween tie-on butts" but worn upside down on my chest. I added 8 inches to the front of the pattern and, instead of making it elastic, I put in a facing and made it a drawstring close. No idea if it works, as I haven't modified the "butt" yet. Still need to finish the sleeve casings and maybe put a little lace on the sleeves, as I am a girly pirate.
With this accomplished, I actually was able to re-trace the pattern for the pants (which the dog had eaten) and cut out the fabric for both mine and my bf's pirate pants. I'm a fancy, girly pirate and he is a dirty shipwrecked deck hand, so I'll have the fun of distressing his outfit and the fun of decking myself out in "finery".
And now for the doublet progress: The wings are interlined with some REALLY stiff stuff so these suckers WILL stick out like... well, like wings.
Here's the skirt decoration. I later found that it will intersect the body, so I have to hand sew on another line of piping to make it match the body of the doublet.
Here's the sequence of hand sewing on three different sets of trim to make it into one really pretty line of decoration. Velvet is very shifty and it is a tiny bit wonky in spots, but the overall effect looks straight.
After sewing was done, Lisa actually fixed what she thought was a terminal error in a sock she was knitting. You can sort of see what's left of the problem in the light grey lattice near my fingers.
After that, she lay about like the lady of leisure she is soon to be, while her cats convinced her it really was the ONLY option.
