LACMA Sacque – The Home Stretch (Maybe?)

I have been working on this gown on-and-off for, gosh, a year?  I’m ready for it to be done, but not willing to put in the effort to get it there, lol. Do you ever feel that way?

Basically, it’s the dress upon which I did everything wrong.

Everything.

Frankly I’m amazed that it even fits at all, or looks halfway decent. Let’s just ignore all those little sins. When the whole crazy everything is on – gown, flounces, hair, jewelry, shoes – it might just look pretty good.

So here’s where I am so far. I need to finish up the trimmings by next week, for a photo shoot. It’s a lot of handwork, but I am undaunted (even though I would much rather be working on the waistcoat, or, gosh, anything else)

Sleeve flounces – I just sewed the trim onto the pinked edges, which would have worked better if the fabric had been taffeta and not brocade, which is shreddy as all else. Fray-check to the rescue!

It really doesn’t look that bad…does it? I have two tiers of vintage lace for the mega-flounces at the elbows, and a goodly bit of lace around the neckline, over a proper chemise (and not a tank top), will fill in the neckline.  I’m not decided on the petticoat trims yet – the silver flounce proved difficult to find, and more expensive than I was comfortable with – so I’m thinking something more like this, though remaining fabric is precious:

from Costume Closeup – I also use this example, and the pattern, to “fix” the petticoat over the panniers.

I’ll reserve final judgement for when it’s all fully complete, but I’ll just whisper here and now, “gosh there are a hundred things I’ll do differently next time!”