HSF/M 2015: Challenge #12: Re-Do Early Bustle Era Dress

The Challenge:  December – Re-Do:  It’s the last challenge of the year, so let’s keep things simple by re-doing any of the previous 11 challenges.

Fabric:  Silk taffeta, silk dupioni, cotton, netting

Pattern:   My own!

Year:   1869

Notions:  The turquoise trim, thread, hooks and eyes

How historically accurate is it?  Well, if it weren't for the crazy lining, it would be okay.  

Hours to complete:  Too many :-)

First worn:  Jan 2nd 2016  for the Christmas Tea

Total cost:  I have no idea.  I know the Valentine's day lining fabric was $2.50 a yard and I have a lot of it left over.  I think the silk taffeta was the $4.99 stuff I got from Golden silks this fall.  The dupioni was $3.84 a yard and I maybe used 4 yards of it?   The turquoise fringe trim was stash and I have no idea where I got it or how much it was.  Knowing me, it was probably ebay and therefore under$20 for the entire thing.  The Santa fabric was stash.  It was left over from my sister in law's quilt that I probably should finish posting....

My inspiration came mostly from a fashion plate at the Bartos Collection and a dress from the Met.   Loren of The costumer's closet gave me great advice on lining the skirts so they don't look de-puffed.  Thanks, Loren!

Somehow, my dress grew a tail while I was working on it.  I'm not sure how that happened.  You might be able to make out a black and white blurry shape in the upper left - that's Abigail.  She was excited that there was something hidden beneath the skirt!

The bodice lining.  I didn't have any cheap fabric or any scraps big enough on hand to line the dress with so....quilting cotton it was.  Santa was one hand but I only had enough for the bodice.  The sleeve and the underskirt are both lined in the Valentine's day print.  

Front of the dress.  The shoulders are a bit funky on me as well as the dress dummy but it's not super horrible.  Although, everyone was trying to look at my shoulders to figure out what the heck I had lined the bodice in .  I do need to add trim, buttons, and rework the bodice slightly.  

Close up of the apron skirt and the hemline of the underskirt.  I want to add puffs out of the blue/gold fabric.  The fabric is WAY prettier in person than in pictures.  It's a cross of aqua blue and an almost coppery goldish color.  The gold fabric is really a cross of gold and true royal purple (think a deep wine color).   

Back of the dress.  Obligatory butt bow is obligatory. 

Side view to show it really is a bustle dress.  :-)

So this qualifies for four of the 2015 challenges - blue, sewing secrets, stash busting, and out of your comfort zone.

• Blue - The crossway of the silk is blue and I added a gold trim with turquoise stones to the hem.
• Sewing Secrets- I doubt having a cat beneath your bustle counts but Santa and Valentine's day fabric probably does.   
• Stash busting - everything is stuff I've had for at least a few months.  The trim is something I've had for years.
• Out of your comfort zone - as some of you know, bustle scares me like nothing else in Historical costuming.  Give me 1890's sleeves, Elizabethan, or even something to completely hand sew that isn't a bustle and I'm fine.  Tell me I have to make a bustle and I immediately freak out.  I love the look.  It's a gorgeous period.  However, this is my fourth dress and this is the only one, in my opinion, that looks remotely like something they would have actually worn.   

I plan on adding a few bits to it before the next wearing.  I'm glad I finally made a bustle dress that looks halfway decent and not like a frumpy hot mess.   At least the skirt on this one came out okay without tears.   Although, there almost were tears when having to pleat the bottom hem - it took almost the entire movie of Castaway to get it right!