tilly's dress

[mlsdesigns]

this is the dres i have been working on today, i am a silly sausage and didn't take before pics :( but here is the 'during'!

here we have the side view

you can see where i'm aiming, back

the sleeve is only pinned onto the dress form, but it gives you an idea. the neck will be finished with a frill like the sleeve cuff.
i deliberately didn't look in any books, just going on what i remembered for this style/era. i've found doing this is a v good idea for school plays, it tells the plebs what period you're play is set in, without them thinking their DD looks silly/old-fashioned/fat/frumpy etc!
now, my question is, what colour shall i make the belt/sash? i'm going to make a shaped belt, wider in the centre front, tapering up over the hips, with an added hanging bow-tails thingy in back. she's the heroine in a melodrama, lots of swooning and sighing, and she pick pretty flowers and gets kidnapped, and like i said, gets tied to the railway track! so, i thought keep it all white (she has glorious red, red hair) and have a white satin belt, but mummy said she would use black velvet, and give her a black velvet ribbon round her neck. what do you think? i need some kind of contrast, coz it's up on stage, and satin would shimmer and shine to provide contrast, but would black be more striking?
help?!!

in other news, clare is coming home (she's been away for the weekend, since thursday!!) and i missed her, i did buy her a pressie though!

Comments

[girliegirl32786.livejournal.com]

The dress looks really great! I do think I agree with your Mom though. I think the black would really set things off!

[mlsdesigns.livejournal.com]

oh, i wanted to do white :( hmmm, how about i go for sepia tones instead of monochrome, then i could have gold?

[princess-philo.livejournal.com]

Looks terrific! What specific play is this?

As to the belt question, I would decide that based on the character. Is she dramatic and bold, or more shrinking and feminine? If the former, black velvet would be completely appropriate. If the latter, how about a seafoam-colored dupioni? It would read well from stage, be period- and character-appropriate, and come closer to the monochromatic. Plus, seafoam would be absolutely stunning with red hair! Other color options could be oyster blue or lavender . . .

[mlsdesigns.livejournal.com]

yeah, i thikn you're right, she is a 'wilting little flower' that needs rescuing, so a paler colour will be better, character wise, i hadn't thought of that! i think i'll go for gold or oyster satin, something like that, thanks!
the play is called 'the black hearted villain', the kids, i think, are doing an abridged version, from a big selection drawn up by the examining board, so i don't know who it's by, but it's very funny!

[lacomtesse.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's just LOVELY! And I'm in favor of the black contrast. Very striking!

[mlsdesigns.livejournal.com]

thank you! i went shopping yesterday and went for a pale gold satin, i'll see if it works out, if not i think i'll go for white, nice and 'virginal'!

[jennil.livejournal.com]

This dress is so lovely! I'm not help on the color though, because you know what I'd respond to "what color?" no matter what we're talking about. . . Pink! ;)

[mlsdesigns.livejournal.com]

you have pink on the brain!!