Phoenix Dress

The dress is coming along nicely.   The bodice is complete, with the exception that I am tacking the pearl girdle to the bodice since there are not tabs or skirting to keep it in place.

I am not quite nearly as done on the skirts as I would like to be.  The underdress is ready to be hemmed and the overskirts are almost ready to be cartridge pleated.  I have to have the overskirt pleated by tonight so that I can do the final fitting tonight and hem tomorrow. 

Stages of Dressmaking...in my head

When I go to make a dress I think of my progress occurring in stages.

Stage 1
Designing the dress.
This can take days or just a few hours, it really depends on the materials and the client. If the client has a really clear cut picture of what they want (or if I know I want to re-create the look of a certain portrait) then it is easy. If I just want to try to make the yardage that I have of a certain fabric work in a dress, then it is not so easy.

Stage 2
Assembling and Buying the Materials
I really like to make my materials list to see what I have on hand, and what I need to go to the store and pick up. There is nothing that I hate more than to "think" I have hooks and eyes, and then find out when I am ready to put them on, that I have to run to town to get them. So, through trial and error I have learned, make the list, down to the last hook and eye, and spend one afternoon in town picking up what I need.

Stage 3
Cutting out the Muslin and Sewing it up
Always, always make a muslin first. The ONLY times that I might skip this step is if the measurements have NOT changed on the dress recipient at all (even then, if it has been over a couple of months, I still make a new one anyway) or if I am making a Viking or some such garment that is NOT fitted.

Stage 4
Muslin Fitting
Is always the longest fitting. I take the muslin, put it on the model or me, and then mark it up with a sharpie.

Stage 5
Cutting out the Fabric
This is where I spend however long it takes to cut out all of the parts. If it is an Elizabethan, then that means the whole thing, underpinnings, if needed, the gown, the accessories, the whole thing.

Stage 6
Beading and Embellishment
I like to do my beading and embellishing at the beginning. For one, I don't like for it to show on my lining and two well, see number one.

Stage 7
Assembling the Pieces
This is the sewing it together phase. Typically I do this on the sewing machine, although I have been known to hand sew entire garments. I usually leave off certain "fitting" seams until after the next stage.

Stage 8
Another Fitting
Although I may have other fittings in between this is the big one. The client really gets to see how their garment is coming together, and I get to see if I have the bodice edge where I want it to be before I sew it down and put in any lacing holes.

Stage 9
The last of the Sewing
Finish those "fitting seams", complete any handwork not already done and check for strings I might have missed the first time. I really like to do my handwork as I go. That is what TV is for.

Stage 10
The final Fit
One last time I try everything on the client or me, to see if everything checks out right. Does it all fit like it is supposed to? Did I forget any handwork? Did I clip all of the strings? The garments come back off, and stay with me to be pressed, hung and bagged or stored appropriately.

Rush jobs throw all of that into a muddle as I am often at varying stages on different pieces, just as it is with the Phoenix Dress. Although really I am stuck at stages 6 and 7, which often times are the two that get muddled together during rush jobs.

Elizabethan Phoenix Progress

I worked on the beading of the left front skirt panel yesterday. I didn't get as much done as I would have like to have completed, but I should be able to make considerable headway this afternoon.

I am pleased with how the sleeves for the smock turned out. I need to get the neckline and body fitted tomorrow and the sleeves attached. I did the smock in cotton, yes, yes, I know it should be linen, it breathes better, etc., etc., I know. But I did it in cotton because I found this really amazing cotton black on white print, that so amazingly looks like blackwork. At least from the 10 ft distance it does. And it does look incredible.

The piping has been mostly applied to the bodice. I thought I had 3 packages of the stuff and instead I only had two so I have to go back to the store to get more this morning. Once I have the armscye's complete, then the work on the top half of the dress (which is most of it) will be closing in on the finish line.

The Phoenix Gown

Here is a close up of the fabric for the Phoenix Portrait Gown. Since taking the picture, I decided to bead a faceted black bead in the center of all of the gold crosses as well.

La Sarta

Introduction to La Sarta

My name is Cathy, otherwise known as Allegranza Marcovaldi in the Society for Creative Anachronism. I have two passions in life: sewing historical clothing and quilting. I have spent lots of time researching both of these passions, which have resulted in my love of quilting for pleasure and costuming for both pleasure and business.

My business, La Sarta, specializes in historical clothing, but maintains products in fiber created game board reproductions, handmade art and household accessories.

Feel free to visit at www.lasarta.net