Tuesday, September 22, 2009

...but it's period


My first true Burgundian gown has quickly become a disaster. It pains me just looking at the poor thing draped over 'Sally,' my trusty sewing mannequin. It began as such a lovely dress.....

I bought Kass' pattern for the V-necked gown, what most SCAers have come to know and love as the Burgundian gown. Granted, Burgundians werent the only ones wearing it, but hey. So I got the pattern, and omg it's just confusing as all get out. The way its laid out is the totally correct period way, but consider this......the period way is using thick wools or velvets for the outside of the thing, and the lining is fur. Ok heavy wool or velvet lined in fur + Texas = death. So I decide to toss that idea and instead make the gown out of the prettiest cross-dyed gold and purple linen youve ever seen. From far away, it looks like a classic antique gold....just loverly. I also manage to snag a near 4 yard bolt of the softest black faux fur ever invented. Golden Burgundian gown with black fur collar, cuffs, and hemline.....I am thinking of wafting about a court event or even around a list field looking and feeling like a million bucks.

So I get into the pattern, and drape my sloper. All looks good, except the pattern is waaaaaay too short (see the pic....way too thick fur hem for my tastes.) I want it longer without such a thick bottom hem of fur, so I elongate everything, trim the fur hem to a much more palatable look, and start cutting linen.

All is going well. The dress is coming out beautifully and every seam is straight and ironed flat. It's laying so prettily on Sally and Im doing the inner-hollaback girl dance congratulating myself for such a big project coming along without a hitch. And then......the hitch.

I elongated all my pattern pieces.....except the side gores.

Shit.

The hollaback girl dance is gone, replaced by that visual back in the 70's of the Agony of Defeat guy from Wide World of Sports. I have tumbled down the snow slopes of costuming with my proverbial skis flying off my feet as I slam head first into a brick wall.

All is not lost, of course. Piecing is period. And I have lots of scraps. And its on the side in the massive folds of the gores. No one is really going to be able to tell unless I get gown-checked. And someone will gown-check me. Just like Im sure Im going to get veil-checked. I cant help but hang my head at how much promise this dress had, and how upset with myself I am over such a dumb mistake. Sure, it happens to the best of us, and no doubt even the finest costuming Laurel has had these snafus. But man.....to just once make it through an entire dress without having one of these moments.

"The Thrill of Victory.....and the agony of defeat."