Okay, nothing brilliant today, just wanted to share a finished mini-project with you. Last weekend I made a petticoat to go with The Revolution Dress. I found the same red silk still at the shop, a year later, so nabbed some for a matching petti to the polonaise. I’m pretty bad about making matching ensembles, but they’re growing on me…what do you think? too much red?
This is also the first item I have ever sewn entirely by hand! I’m not sure if I like the profile in front – flat front, pleated back – but I need to put it on with all the proper fluff n’ stuff underneath, before the final verdict.
I’m considering taking the lace 1780s style collar off the polonaise and using what’s left of the red scraps to pleat a neckline decoration. Then it will be, like, the reddest gown ever. What do you think?
20 Comments
Agnes
May 25, 2012 at 9:24 PMYes to the red pleated trim — you can add white kerchief, etc if you want to tone it down with accessories!
MrsC (Maryanne)
May 25, 2012 at 9:39 PMLove the red on red! And I too think it would look amazing with the red pleated neck detail and a white kerchief,and you still have the light engageates to create a contrast 🙂
Becky
May 25, 2012 at 9:40 PMI really like that neat ruffle on the skirt!
And I'm definitely on the pro red neckline side. I agree with Agnes, you can still add a kerchief or an apron, if you think it is too red
altough, imo there is no such thing as 'too red'! 🙂
Rubina Scarletti
May 25, 2012 at 10:03 PMThat is so beautiful! It inspires me.
Beth Klimek
May 25, 2012 at 10:13 PMDefinitely no such thing as too much red! 🙂 I think you've inspired me to make an all red outfit now.
Alexa
May 25, 2012 at 11:58 PMI say yes, get rid of the lace and put in a pleated decoration – you can do that on both the neckline and the cuffs. Then it would look like you based it off of one in the Williamsburg collection: http://emuseum.history.org/code/getimage.asp?filename=1983-233.jpg&type=full&mediatype=Image
Also I agree that there's no such thing as too much red 🙂
Anonymous
May 26, 2012 at 12:01 AMYes to the red neckline, and I like the silhouette. You'll contrast wonderfully with green lawns or white snow, yellow bricks or grey stone.
Alisa
May 26, 2012 at 1:42 AMThere's no such thing as too much red! LOVE the petticoat, and the pleated decoration sounds sublime.
Matthew and Elyse
May 26, 2012 at 2:27 AMWhat about pleated white instead of the lace? Or cream? It would break up the red (if that's what you want to do) but still be a little simpler line than the lace.
Katrina - Edelweiss Patterns
May 26, 2012 at 4:02 AMHow ADORABLE! I absolutely love it! The lace really finished it off.
Happy sewing!
Katrina
Anonymous
May 26, 2012 at 2:22 PMWow! LOVE IT!
Anonymous
May 26, 2012 at 3:29 PMIt's gorgeous, as long as a gown is a good design it can't have too much red.I think the pleated trim would be great as long as there is a fichu to balance the cuffs.
If you wore this with red kensingtons and something red on top of your hedgehog wig, the awesomeness would blind people.
Rowenna
May 28, 2012 at 7:36 PMNo such thing as too much red 🙂 I think pleated trim in the same color would, oddly enough, tone down the redness in some ways–the contrast of the white makes the red even more red. So either way you go, it's great! And putting your fluff underneath will give it the right shape–avoiding the "skinny skirt" phenom.
Anonymous
May 29, 2012 at 7:49 PMYour flat panel in front is way too wide. The petticoat is far too narrow, and there should be far more pleating on the sides of a front flat panel of about 4 inches in width only. The whole shape of this is wrong, and not at all "18thc.", sorry.
Lauren
May 29, 2012 at 8:04 PMThank you for your unhelpful comment. You obviously missed the part where I said I need to put the proper structural pieces underneath this to get the right shape, but that's what happens when you just look at pictures and don't read the text. Sorry.
Jenny
May 29, 2012 at 8:48 PMLovely! I would love to see this on, with all the "FLuff 'n Stuff. I have always loved this gown 🙂
Unknown
May 29, 2012 at 11:07 PMI love it! The van dyke trim looks superb, so hard to get that to sit right, you've done it well. I am in awe of the hand sewing of a full gown. I think pleating at the neck, rather than lace would look great, but then, I adore red. Can't wait to see you modeling it!
E. Waterman
May 30, 2012 at 2:49 AMI am massively in love with this and how did I miss this post at all! NOMS!!! I love the red on red on red, there is NEVER too much red, imho!
Unknown
July 20, 2012 at 10:19 PMthe pleated "scrap" neck line trim would be very pretty. Is there any way to remove the lace and attach it to a ribbon trim and pin it over the pleating? so that the top of the pleats show maybe… that way you dont loose such a lovely lace trim, and when you feel the need to break up the red you have the option to?
Supa
September 23, 2012 at 2:46 AMWhat sort of pleats are they? Box pleats?