The theme for this year's Amanda Young Foundation Ball was "Nautical, but Nice" (If you have time, click on the link and view the information video on meningococcal disease. Having this knowledge could save a life...)
As usual I had about a zillion ideas for a dress. Was so so sorely tempted to make a completely brand new gown. In fact originally I had every intention of making a whole new ballgown for this event. This was a very enticing thought, there's nothing I like more than delving into the glamour of the eveningwear section of the fabric store... but I confess not an very eco friendly option really (sigh) After much enjoyable fantasising about such nautical fabulousness as mermaid-like dresses or dresses looking like a breaking ocean wave (I had visions of a turquoise sheath, with a frothy white lower skirt section to represent the surf), eventually I directed my thoughts to my collection of evening gowns already sitting in my wardrobe, and working with something I already had. Last year's gown had possibilities; this is what it looked like last year...I decided to re-work this gown and be a Red Emperor, as in, the fish...hehe. In the end, of course, the gown was almost completely re-constructed and is pretty much a new dress.
I removed the red velvet bodice and silk midriff section, and made a new red silk skirt to go over the old lining/petticoat with its attached grand silk flounce around the bottom. Then re-attached the midriff and bodice. I thought this would be OK, but unfortunately the red velvet just looked wrong on top of the dress, otherwise composed entirely of red silk. So I unpicked that off of the midriff section and away from the zip, un-picked and kept the red velvet ribbon shoulder straps to re-use, and made a new bodice, out of the pieces of red silk left over from cutting out the new skirt.
All the un-picking and re-sewing together of seams took ages, about five days. All the skirt sections are hand-hemmed, and I estimated there is between five and six metres of hem altogether in this dress. (Later edit; I just measured, 8.5m!) Luckily, I already done the lower skirt and petticoat last year....!
The new parts are: the wrap-over upper skirt and the bodice. The old, re-used parts of the dress are: the lining/petticoat with the lower silk flounce, the midriff section, the velvet ribbon shoulder straps, and the invisible zip. Yes, I re-used the ZIP! I think I'm most proud of that part of the whole she-bang, silly as it sounds.
If you look really closely enough, under a strong light, you can see that the lower flounce and the midriff section are a different shade of red than the upper skirt and the bodice... from floor up the fabrics sections are old, new, old, new but meh. I think they are close enough to be good enough. Also the different shades are divided up over the dress, so it still looks OK.
So when I had finally finished, I had a kinda new red dress that I am completely thrilled with, even more than last year's version I think!
But even though it was "red" and sort of "royal", fitting in with my plan to be a Red Emperor, it didn't scream "nautical" by any stretch of the imagination. So I gathered a few fishy accessories; the fishing net to be my stole, and I also bought a few lures and a bit of fishing cord from the fishing store to make some jewellery.
So sufficiently nautical, yes?
And when I came out to show the children my costume and asked them what they thought I was, Sam immediately said, "the catch of the day?"
And I wondered if that was a better title than my Red Emperor idea...
Details:
Dress; based on Butterick 4657, petticoat and lower skirt of my own design. Originally looked like this, and my other dress using this same pattern here
Gloves; Vogue 7949, red jersey knit, my review of this pattern here
Stole; fishing net
Jewellery; made by me from fishing lures...
Shoes; Raymond Castle. These are my oldest shoes, I've had them since I was about 19...! :D
a side view...
a back view...
