The idea for a Rumpelstiltskin inspired Regency dress took flight and after four days of sewing, the dress is finished! I am very pleased with how the dress turned out, especially because a majority of it is hand sewn, skills I have been practicing throughout my internship.
The first part I took on was the bodice. I adapted a previous attempt at draping for the pattern and set straight to work assembling a basic square neckline bodice, flat lined with black cotton. I then folded over and whip stitched the back opening and applied hook and eye tape (reused from another costume). On the bottom edge, I added a 1" band to serve as both a decorative band and a way to hide the skirt attachment.
Making the sleeves was a process of trial and error. The long sleeve was simple and straightforward - just a basic straight sleeve shape with plenty of gathering at the shoulder. However, the short, decorative sleeve puff was a nightmare because cheap polyester chiffon is a very, very unfriendly material. Most of it had to be sewn by hand, though I did use the machine to do the gathering (make sure to securely knot the ends!) and hemming (I found that fray check was too messy for this project).
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Side view of gathered sleeve. |
So if you ever find yourself having to work with chiffon, here are my tips & tricks:
- Have plenty of material, extra is even better! It took nearly a yard and a half for those sleeves and several do-overs...
- Cut all pieces single layer, chiffon tends to move as you cut. You'll end up with two different shaped pieces if you try double layers.
- Best trick: iron and spray starch each piece before sewing. The result is amazing! It makes the fabric less slippery and gives it the texture of organza, which is a lot easier to work with.
- Use this method to narrow hem chiffon by machine - it will save you hours of frustration! Tutorial found here: http://thehabygoddess.blogspot.com/2013/02/tutorial-how-to-hem-chiffon-and-other.html
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Inside sleeve detail.
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Trimming also was a process full of many trials and attempts. After trying several different designs, I finally settled on just sewing tabs around the edge, tacking pretty buttons on the centers and binding the edge with black cotton bias tape.
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Original design. |
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Finished design front. |
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Finished design back. |
The second part I tackled was the skirt. Easy peasy compared the the first part - I just ripped two panels for a total 90" circumference, seamed and flat felled them and stitched on a 3" black cotton hem facing. Then, I narrow hemmed an opening, and balanced the skirt with full gathers in the back and tiny pleats in the front.
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Hem facing detail.
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After binding the skirt with 1" bias tape, I securely whip stitched it onto the inside of the bodice. And, ta da, a finished Rumpelstiltskin Regency dress!
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Overlapping closure detail. |
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A view of the "gown guts" |
Finished in time for and first worn during the annual trick or treat in the village event - which, by the way, was a whole candy bucket of fun! The three of us painted children's faces and hands non-stop from noon to four...and, last I heard, the count for the event was 1500+ visitors (and I'm pretty sure we painted each one of their faces)!
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Couldn't resist, Hello Kitty is just so cute! |
Next on the sewing list: accessories to finish my costume...
What a wonderful project, the finished dress is stunning and looks so wearable. Thanks for sharing your construction and tips :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely comments, Kura!! I do hope that the construction & tips were helpful - it was truly a process of trial and error! Anneliese :)
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