11 days until the wedding. The only thing that remains to sew is a small round pillow to fit in a brass tray for the rings to sit on!! But.....it was easier to do all that sewing than face the other stuff going on with the weddings, including the severely incompetant hotel manager. We have a reception hall.....but cannot use their kitchen, as he originally told us and have no way to keep food hot. grumble grumble. I could go into quite a rant about everything, but I will spare you.
On the brighter side, I have ordered 5 yards, 60 wide, emerald green handkerchief linen for the outside of the green carpi gown, and 75 yards of 4mm copper coloured silk ribbon. I'm hoping 75 yards will be an excessive amount, but its fairly afforadable, so I'm hoping I'll be able to go all out and copy the exact pattern of trim application in the portrait and not have to skimp! I have also purchased a period -ish glove pattern and started making a mockup out of scraps of blue velveteen. So far so good. I'm hoping to find some thin garment leather in about the same colour as the silk ribbon so I can make matching gloves.
I've been thinking about the bodice construction in my spare time. I've done a corded bodice before (thanks to festive attyre! ) and really like the feel and shape. However, I'm very small chested, and all the cording is allot of work to go into for not needing it. I have some teal coloured wool in my stash and I think I will simply interline the bodice with a layer of the wool 'quilted' to a layer of linen and see how it works. I've also decided that I will have side back lacings, as I simply can't justify back-lacing being period for that type of gown. The sleeves and armscye will be completely finished and the top of the sleeve will be whipstitched in arcross the top and side of the sleeve to give that sewn-in look. I've done something similar before with my 'la bella' gown and it works pretty well, just makes it a little snug getting into.
I'm still trying to decide on the camicia, if I want to invest in more linen or go with a lighter more comfortable voile. I want to do whitework along the neckline, and the structure of the linen would greatly aid with supporting the embroidery. However, those beautiful fine little pleats around the cuffs would be much easier if I went with a voile.....hard decision....so I don't know.
Other than that I just need to find suitable lining for the skirt, and something sheer for the partlet and that head-thing and research jewelry-making stuff....
I'm so excited to start a new gown for myself, but with the wedding, moving and settling in, and then Christmas, its looking like I won't be able to start anything until the new year. Theoretically....I'm sure there will be those moments between stuff and evenings were I might be able to sneak in some work...i'm resourceful like that. lol.
