I did get a lot of stuff done this week. The Costume Con countdown continues!
Another outfit for Thing 2 is done. This one is for the Future Fashion Folio show. I used quilting cottons for the red and orange, and seersucker for the yellow. I like the effect the patterns give from far away, but up close they sure are busy!
I think my favorite part is the big square buttons. I love them!
I've also been working on my own FFF dress. I chose this beautiful drawing for myself because I loved the headdress and the applique work. Hope my version is half as pretty!
Last time I showed you this I had just laid out the mirrors. I got some beautiful silk buttonhole twist and learned how to couch shisha mirrors from this tutorial. I'm glad I started by gluing the mirrors in place, it made embroidering so much easier. Although the smaller mirrors worked out beautifully I had huge problems with the larger mirrors. The twist liked to shred, and even when I would get it to work the embroidery looked sparse. I went through some tests (fishing line matrix, waxing thread, and embroidery floss) before I finally fixed my problem by using crochet thread. The larger thread made the embroidery look substantial, and the twist had many strands so even if the mirror edge shredded a few there were enough strands to keep the stitching in place. I had to hand-dye the thread because I could only find it in white.
For the dress I started at the bottom. The first layer is a skirt of mirror organa with a muslin lining. It's just stitched into an elastic casing. I used the selvedges for the hems, but the organza is a little long so it might need to be hemmed more.
The second layer is a wrap-around skirt. I used my masking tape double that I made for Maghda's armor and darted the satin, then added a waistband. To make sure that the hem is uneven like the picture I cut it at an angle. I finished by hand-hemming the edges and holding it shut with a hook and two snaps. I think it needs shoulder straps, too, but I have yet to put them on.
The top of this was really difficult to figure out. I started using Butterick pattern 5711:
I only used the front, back, and sleeve pieces, and I changed it from a front opening to a back. I also changed the sleeves to have a little more of a bell shape. I'm still in the mock-up phase of the top.
Meanwhile I did more work on the skirts. I draped a pattern for the long skirt, then dyed this gorgeous mattelaise that I've been saving for almost a decade. It turned out gorgeous! Then I cut "kelp" looking pieces from dark green casa, half-circles from tan and sage casa, and ovals from yellow casa satin. I interfaced the back of them with heavy wonder-under before cutting, then I placed them all on the hem of the skirt and ironed them down. I lined the skirt with some light cotton quilting fabric to give it a more stiff drape, and then cut some wide bias from silver casa satin. I zig-zagged 6" horsehair braid to the silver satin and then put the satin on the hem. The braid keeps it fairly stable and will help it to bell out like in the picture.
For the striped skirt I bought this striped silk taffeta. I cut the pieces from my draped pattern and added a 1" wide silver casa satin bias hem. I'm experimenting with painting plastic easter eggs silver to hang from it.
Just today I cut the short skirt. It is lined with cotton fleece and cotton quilting fabric. The mirrors are just glued on for now, but hopefully tomorrow I'll get some of them couched on!
Instead of easter eggs (they seem the wrong shape) what about mirrored plastic cut in long ovals? Not that I know where to find mirrored plastic in sheets, now I think on it, so perhaps any sheet plastic cut in ovals.
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