Grape Soda Dress.....Compete!!! Huzzah!

She's done!!  I am so excited as I can get back to my life!  Seriously!  I don't think I have ever spent this much time on a dress...except for the "Faithfulness" Masquerade dress I made for the SASS Convention waaaaay back in 2005!!  I think I spent more hours on this dress than I did on the Wedding Dress I made in January/February of this year.  I don't want to make another one of these time consuming dresses again for a long time.  That being said, I am super happy, excited, thrilled with the way this beast dress turned out!!!

Sadly, I didn't have enough of the periwinkle silk to make any long tails for the bows on the bustle or the back of the "belt", but that's just fine with me.  I think the addition of a bigger bow or tails would have overwhelmed a balance that was teetering on the knife edge of just right and "HOLY COW, IT'S A BARBIE DOLL CAKE!!!!!"  

These are the Barbie Doll Cakes of which I speak.  Of course if I were a 6 year old little girl, I would totally be all over these, and if I were per chance to be at a 6 year old's Birthday Party, I would so totally partake of said cake.  However, I am a 43 year old woman and do not wish to look like a Barbie Doll Cake.

Edited to say:  I LOVE Barbie Doll Cakes....I just don't want to wear one!!!

Source:  Cake Gallery

Right....Back to the subject at hand....

The way the colors of the silks blend together really makes my heart and eyes happy!!

The trim at the front is a spray of antique lilac flowers.  I LOVE them so much!  I have had them for a very long time and they have been used on a couple of hats and another dress.  I was going to go for a solid periwinkle bow, but decided on the bamboo print silk instead to give a nice contrast.

UGH!!! These sleeves caused me to have quite the anxiety!!  I started out using Truly Victorian's 1873 Polonaise for the sleeve pattern.  I had them all sewn up and pinned into the bodice and they just didn't blow my skirt up.  So I futzed around with them and finally came to what is now sewn onto the bodice!  I added pleats and ruching/shirring and a bow to carry on the theme that the rest of the dress was employing.  If I find some wide, inexpensive antique lace, I may add them to the sleeves.  Purchasing college textbooks and homeschool curriculum has cut into my costuming budget though...which is just fine with me!!!

And that's the end!!!  Hahahahahahaha!!!!

The Hat

For whatever reason, I didn't wish to have a bonnet to go with this dress.  I wanted something nice and simple.  Maybe it was the thought that a little coffee will cut the sweet.  I had the feeling that if I made a bonnet, it would only cause the almost saccharine sweetness of the dress to become overkill and way too much.  So, a simple hat was the solution!

The hat started out as a large sun hat.  I found it at a thrift store and about 5 years ago re-worked it into what I thought could pass for a first bustle era dress.  The crown was super skinny and the brim was....well, different.  I decided that I didn't like the shape and so set about re-shaping it with steam and clothes pins!!  That's how I got the tip of the brim to fold over...clothes pins!  Hahahahaha!!!

Below are some of the inspiration images that helped in the designing of  my hat.

The one on the left...I love that it doesn't have any ribbons trailing down the back.  Again, I ran out of silk for this dress and so didn't have any extra to make ribbons for the back.  It's nice and neat!

Again, the hat on the left. This one has the ribbons though....

An antique buckle, antique fabric flowers, and antique ostrich plumes were used as decorations.

Pardon my bald head...I am still working on a suitable hairstyle to go with this era...ACK!!! I have my own hair and then a nice braid that I am going to use!

The shoes I am thinking of using can be seen here. They are a wee it darker...ok a lot bit darker and pinch my feet.  So, not 100% sure they will be worn.

There you have it!  Huzzah and away!!  All done!! Well, except to sew on the bows at the sleeves and add the buckle to the bustle cage...then.....I will rest!!!

Be Blessed my friends!!!

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