Lavender and Green Elizabethan-esque Frock

Well this challenge started out in an extremely random way.  My pal Lynn sent me a link to an old book of costume/clothing illustrations, many of which I loved.  We decided, with the help of an on-line random number generator to chose one to make.  Well, this is what I got.

Gorgeous isn't it!  Well, after much looking and asking fellow costumers, I decided to make a white under dress with red trim, and the lavender and green jacket/over dress out of some silk duponi that I have in my stash.

Funny thing with me and my fabric stash, I always stock up on clearance fabrics, that is why I have so much gorgeous silks and wools.  I struggle with cutting up these fabrics, preferring to buy cottons at full price then cut up the cheaper silks!  So for this gown I have promised to use the $5/m clearance duponi. 

For the under dress I'm using a really soft white pin wale corduroy that I got for $3/m.  I'm using a bodice pattern that is a Frankenstein of a commercial and a self-drafted pattern.  I'm going to make it front lacing and also side back lacing to allow me to lose some weight, which is a goal for this year.

I'm also going to completely hand sew this garment, so it might take a while.

 

 

So here is the progress so far.  This is an outer layer of the corduroy, 2 layers of cream denim and 2 layers of white drill.  It will be boned with cable ties (love cable tie boning..cheap, easy and very comfy) and edged with red corduroy bias strips.  I used my very cool rotary cutter and bias maker machine things...wow they are awesome!  I also felt it needed a renaissance-style swirly type of embroidery.  I downloaded the pattern from Urban Threads  http://www.urbanthreads.com/ seriously, this site is awesome!  Go there, and buy some patterns.  Love love love!  I think the swirly hidden skull is very 'me' and suits the style of the bodice.  At the moment I am planning on making the skirt separate and perhaps hooking it onto the bodice.  This is my first attempt at tabs, apparently they make a boned bodice more comfy.  I will see.  I'm using gutterman silk thread for the hand stitching.  I realised that I made a big boo-boo once I started stitching, I had cut the corduroy the wrong way so the nap goes up rather than down.  Figured as it is the back it won't be a big deal, will remember to cut the front properly.