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Friday, May 20, 2011

First fitting for 1885 outfit

Here's a sneak peek at the 1885 costume I am creating for Watson's Mill in Manotick. Kris came in for a fitting and was very happy in her corset, bustle and outfit. It's so nice when clients agree to wear the whole kit and caboodle!
The sleeves are still in muslin. I had to decide which fabric they would be cut in. Originally I was going to cut them in the skirt fabric, but it looked a little heavy on the cotton bodice.
 The skirt is pleased on an underskirt cut from ticking. It really holds its' shape well because of the ticking.

Since then, I have found a lovely braid with all the colors in it, which now decorates the fronts. Still deciding if the skirt needs trim or is it over the top to do that? What say you?

3 comments:

Meghann said...

WOW! It looks so beautiful! I know corsets were pretty torturous in days of old, but I still think that we did something terrible in allowing ourselves to be clad in nothing but denim day in and day out. I'd LOVE to wear something like this once in a while, it is impossible not to feel feminine in a beautiful dress like this :)
As for the trim, go big or go home I say. If they did it back then, go for it :)
I suppose if it doesn't look right, you could always remove it, correct?

Shepherdess said...

Wow I wish I had one. Well when I win the lottery I will have you make me a nice dress me. A corset gives you such good posture and gets dig of all the lumps and bumps.

Edwina Sutherland said...

Thanks for the compliments. I'd love to make you a corset, Shepherdess! The do wonders for the period silhouette.