A sampler!

[mlsdesigns]

Work this week is going to be a big fat pain! I'm in tomorrow and Wednesday, like I thought. My boss is panicking and 'needs me' there. But this does mean I get a 4 day weekend :D
Any way, after I got home, and after supper and faffing around watching the TV ;) I cut out the bodice fronts and have started sewing the canvas in to support the lacing holes, and I'm hopefully going to get the edge stitching done tonight. What I have managed to do so far is a

The one on the left is just the yellow, middle one has cream behind and the one on the right has white. The cream is a heavier taffeta than the yellow, and the white is lighter, but only a very little bit in each case. I didn't think to try it with organza behind, mostly because I don't think I have any :) I like the texture of the ruching of the yellow on its own much better than with the white or cream behind. The white I think looks a bit stark in real life, the cream is a better colour, but like I said, I like the texture of the yellow on its own. what to do!! The rest of the trim will be like the one on page 34 of the Kyoto book, like flounces, on the skirt, and they won't be 2 layers, however I do the ruching. I thought this would help me decide! Any preferences?!

So, still waiting on the boning, and going so slowly with what I CAN do that it'll be here before I finish :D

Comments

[laracorsets.livejournal.com]

Goodness, they are all lovely! I love the colors you have chosen especially. This gown is going to be so beautiful!

The center one catches my eye the most and the one on the left is my second choice.

[mlsdesigns.livejournal.com]

I hope it will turn out Beautiful!! I think the colours will go well with my red hair and silly pale skin!

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

I like the first best; it looks complete by itself, and the eye is drawn to the trim. With the other two, the second color distracts. But that's a close up view. Do you have a distance view? The second color may be needed to fit the scale.

[mlsdesigns.livejournal.com]

It's not much bigger, but it is kind of the same size as the stomacher:
(http://s43.photobucket.com/albums/e373/mlsdesigns/18th%20century/sunflowe%20sacque%20back/?action=view&current=DSCF1424.jpg)
I was hoping people would say the second colour is a distraction :)

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

Aha, good! Definitely go with the single color. The second color is distracting up close, and hardly visible at a distance, so why bother? :D

[mlsdesigns.livejournal.com]

I think I'd agree with you there! Thank you :)

[chloeandrudy.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, those are all very pretty! I like the one on the left the most, w/o the second color.

[mlsdesigns.livejournal.com]

Thank you for saying so! I think I may be warming more to just the yellow, but that could of course be because I don't want to have to do all that cutting out!!

[koshka-the-cat.livejournal.com]

Very pretty! My favorite is the all yellow. I think it somehow seems more correct too...

[mlsdesigns.livejournal.com]

I think you're right, I've looked some more and not found an original with 2 colours of fabric. I know lots of people have done it with 2 colours, and it looks very pretty, but I think I want it to be right as well as pretty :)
Oh, and since so much of it will have to be hand sewn, I thought I may as well hand sew all of it :) Only trouble is, I'm now thinking of going the whole hog and hand sewing the entire outfit - my stays are had sewn, and the dress will be, so why not make a new shift and underpetticoat too :)Hell, why not make the panniers by hand?! Oh wait, because I don't have all year to get it done!!!

[my-stitching.livejournal.com]

I like the plain yellow and the one with the cream. I have to admit that my eye is drawn immediately to the cream, but that is also double the work. I don't think it looks twice as good as the plain yellow, so might not be worth it. Whatever you choose, they are all pretty. :)

[mlsdesigns.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think you're right, plus, it's hard to tell in the photo, but in real life the ruching looks so much prettier with just one layer, so if the plain looks almost as good as the layered, but is less work, I think I'll go with the plain :)

[myladyswardrobe.livejournal.com]

I have to say the middle one "popped" more for me perhaps because the yellow on its own disappears into the background.

Therefore, I would say it depends on what you personally prefer and how authentic you want it to be.

I love the trim - where did you get that from? I'd love to find something in rose pink/sage green for my coming 18th century gown. Need to make the corset first!

[mlsdesigns.livejournal.com]

I think I've probably decided to go with the yellow on its own, I do want to be authentic, but I think mostly I want to have less work, especially as I like the look of both!
I'm sorry to say that I got the trim from a shop in New York a few of years ago :(

[girliegirl32786.livejournal.com]

I vote all yellow!

[mlsdesigns.livejournal.com]

Yay!! Thank you for your vote, I think you're right, I'm going to go with all yellow after all :)