Finished Costumes!

 Here are my finished Costumes! I am very proud of all that I have accomplished in this project. I think I have pushed myself in the role of designer and maker and that the result is the effort of lots of hard work.

Bibliography

Ashelford, J. (1996) The Art of Dress: Clothes and Society 1500-1914. Great Britian: National Trust Enterprise Ltd.

Arnold, J. (1964) Patterns of Fashion I: English Women's Dresses and Their Construction C.

                             1660-1860. Great Britain: MacMillan Publishers Ltd.

Coppola, S. (2006) Marie Antoinette. [Digital Video Disc]. USA: Columbia

                            Pictures Corporation.

Dibb, S. (2008) The Duchess. [Digital Video Disc]. United Kingdom, Paramount Vantage.Kyoto

Costume Institute. (2002) Fashion: A History from the 18th Century to 20^th Century. Hong Kong: Taschen.

Fairclough, O., Leary, E. (1981) Textiles by William Morris and Co. 1861-1940. Great Britian:

Thames and Hudson

Gainsborough, T. Mr. and Mrs. William Hallet ('The Morning Walk'). (1785) [Online

Image] Available from: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/thomas-gainsborough- mr-and mrs-william-hallett-the-morning-walk. [Accessed 27 February 2012].

Gibb, S. and Jones, U. (2009). The Princess Who Had No Kingdom. London: Orchard Books.

Gibbs-Smith, C. (1960) The Fashionable Lady in the 19th Century. London: Butler and

                     Tanner Ltd.

Hayman, F. (1741-42) The Milkmaid's Garland, or Humours of May Day. London, British Galleries, Room 52F.

Hill, M. and Bucknell, P. (1967). The Evolution of Fashion: Pattern and Cut from 1066-1930. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd.

Hunnisett, J. (1988) Period Costumes for hte Stage and Screen: Patterns for Women's Dress 1500-1800. Great Britian: Unwin Hyman Ltd.

Hunnisett, J. (1988) Period Costumes for the Stage and Screen: Patterns for Women's Dress 1800-1909. Great Britain: Unwin Hyman Ltd.
 

Johnston, L. (2005) Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail. London: V&A Publications.

Lambert, M. (1991) Fashion in Photography 1860-1880. London: B.T. Batsford.

Nana 2012. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 07 April, 2012, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/402465/Nana

Salen, J. (2008). Corsets: Historic Patterns and Techniques. London: Batsford Ltd.

Still from The Young Victoria. (2009). [Online Image]. Available from: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2810350336/tt0962736. [Accessed January 18^th 2012].

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Waugh, N. (1954) Corsets and Crinolines. Great Britain: Routledge/ Theatre Art Books.

Finsihing the Sleeves

The sleeves were two of the things I had completed and decorated first. But I also knew that there would need to be more decoration put over top of them, based on the design. When I was fabric shopping I had found a very elaborate piece of lace that came in both pink and black. When I bought it, it was for the soul purpose of using on the sleeves. It was one of the most expensive cuts I bought so I didn't use it anywhere else so that I knew I would have enough. On the black bodice it worked so well, although as lace it had some irregularities that was a little difficult to work around but it turned out really well.

Without Sleeve Decoration

With Additional Sleeve Decoration

However when I went to apply the pink lace I wasn't entirely pleased with how it looked. Unfortunately it was a slightly different shade of pink to the laser cut decoration on the front and it stood out. It didn't look awful but I tried to see if there was another better looking option before I applied the lace. I decided my best course of action might be to use the same pink velvet for the sleeve. But I didn't know what to mount it on. When looking at my bodice I felt like maybe something a little lighter would tie it in with the skirt more, so I used a silk organza, one I had used a lot of in the skirt. Here is the comparison:

To me it is clear that the sleeve on the left is more successful. It has more movement and relates perfectly to the pink in the bodice. I also think the lightness of the organza also ties everything together neatly. Although it is slightly different to how I originally pictured it I think it is a great design decision.

Bodice with Finished Sleeves

Princess Silhouette Extra Fitting

Today when it came to attach with swing catches my finished skirt to my finished bodice I was shocked to find them radically different sizes. I immediately started to panic, wondering what I had done wrong. Luckily my model Camilla was in University and we were able to have a quick extra fitting. When I put the skirt on first over the corset and cage I could immediately see that it was too large. This wasn't a total disaster, what I was more afraid of was that the bodice wouldn't fit. It was tight but with the help of my tutor we were able to do it up the back. But it was a tight squeeze. There are few reasons this could be; like when I finished my facings it took it in more than it should, or that the corset was tighter for the last fitting, or the addition of stayflex made the fabric a little less giving than in the fitting. There was huge sigh of relief that all I had to change was the skirt. However this taught me a very valuable lesson about finishing things:

*When doing facings and such, air on the larger side just to be sure. Because even when you finish the back there are other places it can be more easily adjusted if necessary. And that in a fitting for a garment that will be finished off in this way to give it a little more wiggle room than I did.

*Also that it is important to look ahead to how the garment will sit on the body. I took my measurement for the skirt waistband by measuring the bottom of the bodice, but I can see now that I should have taken it from the hoop-skirt waist band instead. The bottom of the bodice is curved and therefore my measurement was bigger than it needed to be, but I was worried about swing-catching it and that it might not fit. But if I had made it the same size as the hoop-skirt waistband than it would have sat in the right place and I could have adjusted the swing-catches to fit a bit better rather than adjusting the whole skirt waistband.

Detail of Skirt being a little too large

Side View

Front View

Back View

Back View Detail

Luckily this isn't a huge set back, just a matter of sewing on a few more fastenings. I used the same process to make Princess Colour's skirt so I have a feeling I will have to make the same adjustment.

Finsih the Bodice Decoration

After the bodice was piped and neatly finished at it's hem I started to put the final decoration on the front. This, for both, was putting on some laser cutting. For Princess Colour it was pink velvet and for Princess Silhouette it was black velvet. I went around and did small tacks around each laser cut piece just to make sure it was secure. The neck-line decoration was different for each.

Princess Colour:

I think this pink velvet is really appropriate for the design. It really pops against the grey and adds a little texture too. I used a sheer fabric to create the ruffle at the neck, I used my pinking shears again on the edges to make them neat. I think this works because it really rounds the neck out more to the design. I also added a small strand of little cream pearls to tie in a little more lightness because that ruffle by itself looked a little too dark. And then the black trim. I was really unsure about this how I was going to make this look like the design. However I was really lucky to find this piece of lace. To make it better stand on it's own it is backed in a silk organza and tacked around. I also put a little piece of transfer adhesive at it's base to make it stronger. I also wanted to make a not of how I applied this trim because it was a new process for me and not how I was expecting to do it. I thought perhaps I would just hand sew it on to the facing. However instead, after talking to my tutor, I used a piece of bias binding to finish off the edge, which was cut and slightly rounded. Then I slip-stitched that to the facing and then did small tacks to hold it to the facing closer to the finished edge. I feel pleased with how the bodice came together. I had to make a lot of design decisions but I think by looking at the design constantly I was able to stay true to it.

Princess Silhouette:

Finishing Princess Silhouette's bodice was a somewhat similar process. The black velvet laser cutting looks great on the bodice. Again it adds another dimension and some texture but stays completely true to the all black that is in the design. I also put more of it on than I did on the colour. I thought it would be more dramatic and more character appropriate. For the neck decoration I went down a slightly different path. Instead of using multiply decorations I used just one wide piece of lace. I liked this lace because it was bit thicker than normal lace and had a slight sheen to it in some places. I also thought this would be good because the her neck-line in the fitting was a little low and this could compensate for that. In the centre of the lace I added a really thin piece of lace that I threaded ribbon through to tie in a bow at the centre front. I had intentions to possibly add more decoration at the neck but I felt like that would be over-kill. Between the velvet and the lace there was enough going on. I think this is a huge successful from both a making and designing perspective. It is well made which is always good. And it is a successful interpretation to the design which is drawn in solid black. I am pleased that I could keep it that kind of solid colour but still make it distinct while relating it to the other more colourful bodice.

Budget

Fabric Price List:

Where/When	When	Content/Description	Amount	Price
Laura Ashley	25/01/12	Tatton Champagne Printed Fabric	2.9 m.	26.1
John Lewis	25/01/12	White Cotton Voile	5 m.	25
Fabric Land	03/03/12	Pink Organdie	2 m.	3.98
Fabric Land	03/03/12	Grapefruit Organdie	2m.	3.98
Fabric Land	03/03/12	Silver Organdie	4m.	10
Fabric Land	03/03/12	Black Organdie	2m.	3.98
Fabric Land	03/03/12	Grey Spotted Netting	1m.	2.99
John Lewis	03/03/12	White Net with Black Polka Dots	1m 10cm	3.08
Fabric House Ltd	24/02/12	Black and White Spotty Silk	2m	13
Fabric House Ltd	24/02/12	Black Netting	3m	7.5
Fabric House Ltd	24/02/12	Black Hounds-tooth	2m	11
A to Z Fabrics	24/02/12	Silvery Grey Silk	4m	6
A to Z Fabrics	24/02/12	Black and Silver Sequinned Fabric	.5m	7.5
Classic Textiles	24/02/12	Light Brown w/Gold Dots (sheer)	1m	3.5
Unique Fabrics	24/02/12	Polyester Silk Beige	3m	7.5
Unique Fabrics	24/02/12	Polyester Silk Black	2m	5
Unique Fabrics	24/02/12	Polyester Silk Grapefruit	2m	5
Unique Fabrics	24/02/12	100% Silk- Brown to Cream	1m	6.5
Fancy Fabrics	24/02/12	Black Flocked Velvet	1m	10
Fabric World	24/02/12	100% Silk Light Pink	1m	10
Fabric World	24/02/12	Dove Grey	1m	5.5
Classic Textiles	24/02/12	Grey Netting	2m	6
Classic Textiles	24/02/12	Cream Netting	2m	6
Classic Textiles	24/02/12	Dusty Pink Net and Embroidery	.5m	9
Classic Textiles	24/02/12	Black Net and Embroidery	.5m	9
UK Textiles	24/02/12	Dark Grey and Silver Print	1m	10
UK Textiles	24/02/12	Black and Tan Print	.5m	6
---------------------	-----------	-------------------------------------------	---------	223.11
AUCB	27/01/12	Black Cotton Drill	4.5m	18
AUCB	06/02/12	Silk Organza	3m	18.6
AUCB	07/03/12	Silk Organza	2m	12.4
AUCB	07/03/12	Light-weight Calico	3m	7.5
AUCB	07/03/12	Cotton Organdie	1m	3.5
AUCB	11/04/12	Devore Velvet	1.5m	18
AUCB	11/04/12	Cotton Organdie	4m	14
AUCB	11/04/12	Light-weight Calico	2m	5
---------------------	-----------	-------------------------------------------	---------	97
Fabric Land	25/04/12	Black Satin	5m	19.95
Fabric Land	25/04/12	Black Velvet	1.5m	10.5
Fabric Land	25/04/12	Transfer Adhesive	2.5m	7.47
AUCB	27/04/12	Transfer Adhesive	5m	12.25
---------------------	-----------	-------------------------------------------	---------	49.72

Grand Total: 369.83

Haberdashery Price List:

Where	When	Content/Description	Amount	Price
John Lewis	03/03/12	Black Crochet Wool	1 Spool	2.5
Barnett Lawson	24/02/12	Silver Bells	5	1
Barnett Lawson	24/02/12	Silver Bells	5	1.1
Barnett Lawson	24/02/12	Black Satin Ribbon	25m (spool)	5.5
Barnett Lawson	24/02/12	4mm Pearl Insertion	10m	5.5
New Trimmings Ltd	20/01/12	Cream Crochet Lace	2m	14
New Trimmings Ltd	20/01/12	Cream Net and Crochet Lace	2m	14
Wilkinson	03/02/12	Grey, Pink, Brown Dye	3 packets	8.97
-------------------------	---------------	--------------------------------	---------------	52.57
Vena Cava	29/02/12	Flexible Steel Busk	1	9.82
Vena Cava	29/02/12	Bones	26	11.9
Vena Cava	29/02/12	Bias Binding	5m	2.5
Vena Cava	29/02/12	Spiral Wire Caps	50	1.55
Vena Cava	29/02/12	Spiral Wire	12.5 m	10.5
Vena Cava	29/02/12	Plastic Boning	6 m	6.72
Vena Cava	29/02/12	Victorian Trim	1.5m	2.34
Vena Cava	29/02/12	Steel Hooping	6m	5.1
Vena Cava	29/02/12	Steel Hooping joints	6	2.1
AUCB	16/03/12	Bones	13	9.1
-------------------------	---------------	--------------------------------	---------------	61.63
Ebay (A D Peng)	13/02/12	Black Trim	18 yards	3
Ebay (A D Peng)	13/02/12	Black Trim	15 yards	3.1
Ebay (YU FAAT)	14/02/12	Black Lace	10 yards	2.2
Ebay (Gibson)	26/02/12	Cream Lace	15m	1.99
Gypsy Lace	11/03/12	Black Lace	2m	1.1
Gypsy Lace	11/03/12	Black Lace	1m	0.95
Gypsy Lace	11/03/12	Black Trimming	2m	3
-------------------------	---------------	--------------------------------	--------------	15.34

Grand Total: £129.54

Evaluation:
Dealing with a budget is something I haven't done for quite a few projects. I've mostly worked on projects that had supervisors that did all the budgeting so in some ways this felt like a new process. I think there are some things I did very well concerning the budget and some things I could have done better. I'm pleased to say that I stayed within my budget which was a huge success. My goal for the whole project was £500 and I spent a close total of £499.37! When broken down further I had a goal of £300 for the dresses and £200 for the undergarments. The undergarments went a little over that budget but I made up for it in the dresses. I also think I did a good job sourcing my materials. I used more on-line resources than I had ever before and found a few places I will remember for the future. And even though not everything I ordered online was how I thought it would be I adapted it to fit or if I had left-over I would try and use it some-place else. Not only did this help my project I think it helped me stretch my budget to get even more out of it. My biggest problem was that I over-bought; especially in London. I was really happy I went and I think it was worth the trip but I wish I would have waited until I got closer to actually making the dresses. If I had developed my ideas and made a really solid list of what I needed I could have been a little more frugal and careful in my purchases. Having said that I don't think I spent an exorbitant amount in London but I know there are some fabrics I bought there I didn't use. Creating and sticking to my own budget was a huge aspect of this project and I think it was success despite some ups and downs! 

Finshing The Bodice Inside

There have been some changes and developments on how to finish the inside of the bodices. I had originally thought to line them after all the decoration was applied. I thought this would cover any stitching and make it look clean inside. I could also have made it long enough to fold up and slip-stitched over the seam allowance of the skirt and bodice where they attach. But when I mentioned this to my tutor at my fittings she said it wasn't usually how costumes were finished, that lining is something done more in fashion. This is because a working costume needs to be easily adaptable for a show, so having a cumbersome lining only makes it more difficult. This made sense but I also wanted to use the seam allowance as casing for the bones and I didn't want to put too many stitch lines through the front. So to make it look neat and tidy I folded over all the seam allowance and slip-stitched it down. This way there were slots for the bones where needed but they all looked uniform and neat. And if every they needed to altered or let out, they could be easily opened and adjusted. To finish the neck-line (before the decoration was applied) I added a small facing. I originally had made it a little wider but it conflicted more with width of the shoulder so I had to trim it down. I feel like this has made the inside of the costume very neat without too much hassle or bulky extra fabric. I will probably finish the hem with piping and a facing as well. I also think that the stitching lines that are holding down the surface decoration look neat and tidy as well.

Creating Princess Silhouette's Bodice

Creating Princess Silhouette's bodice was relatively straight forward after creating Princess Colour's. I used the same technique of 2inch strips cut with pinking sheers and placed at a diagonal. However for this one I have them going the opposite way so they created a true V, meeting at the bottom rather than at the neck-line. Also because the base fabric is so shiny I haven't left any of it exposed but placed a light black netting in the opening to tone down the shine. Unfortunately I only have a photograph of the back.

Although this isn't a great photograph I think it shows the general idea. I used three different types of black fabric and incorporated one piece of wide lace on either side of the centre back. I'm very pleased with how this bodice turned out an am excited to see how it looks with the rest of the decoration.

Princess Silhouette Skirt Development

After making the skirt for Princess Colour I thought making the skirt for Princess Silhouette would be a bit more straight forward. In some ways it was. I knew my panel patterns worked well and kind of the process of creating the sheer panels and the solid ones. But this process was a bit different because it was about creating depth and texture and not at all about mixing together colour.

Gibb, S. and Jones, U. (2009). The Princess Who Had No Kingdom. London: Orchard Books.

Original design

To start creating this skirt I started with the solid bottom panels and then I created the laser cut ones. This way I could put together the bottom two layers on together rather than just one at a time. I really enjoyed experimenting with black on black fabrics, putting in as much contrast and texture as I could.

I think these bottom two layers really came together well. I felt like it was a bit of a risk using the grey sheer fabric but it does add a new dimensionality to the skirt. And since more black layers will be going over top it shouldn't be too noticeable. I then had to start creating the middle layers. I quickly realized that I did a much better job fabric shopping for this costume than for the other. I had more textural fabric with pieces like a black flocked fabric and a subtle hounds-tooth print. And because of this I could create tabs of just the fabric without any decoration and therefore made more tabs more quickly. This was particularly helpful in adding depth and texture; the more tabs the better!

The skirt above came together a lot faster than the colour one and I feel like it is just as successful. One of the challenges in creating the this skirt has been to incorporate the lighter colours that you can see in the design (where the patterns are really shown off). At first I thought that maybe I could use some of the lighter fabric from the other dress but I wasn't sure how to use it in a subtle way. I discovered that I could use the big sheet of fabric that all the laser cut shapes came from mounted on silk organza to create lighter pattern. This worked well because there was more black than cream but still defined shapes and because the organza is sheer it isn't a startling light colour. Having mostly completed the skirt it is interesting to see that it is a slightly different shape than the colour skirt. This must have to do with the fact that has a different understructure. But since the rings are the same size I didn't think it would make as much of a difference. However the open cage which I think is a bit shorter than the hoop, has more of dramatic rounded shape, where as the colour is just a bit more gradual.

Decorating Princess Colour's Bodice

When it came time to decorate the bodice I can admit I was lost. I really felt like this is where I want a designer to help me decide what to do. The illustration is both clear and un-clear on how the bodice should look. It is very clear that it has pink decoration on the front and a rounded neckline with some kind of black decoration. It also vaguely shows that it is layered with multiple colours evoking more of the grey and brownish tones of the skirt.

Gibb, S. and Jones, U. (2009). The Princess Who Had No Kingdom. London: Orchard Books.

I thought that mixing the fabrics for the bodice would help the layered look come together, but once I started draping I can see that it might make it more difficult. This was my first attempt at just doing some basic draping:

 It is clear that the rouched fabric doesn't really work. It is too dense and not light enough. I also don't think it evokes enough colour and texture. In talks with my tutor she also agreed it wasn't really working and suggested that I focus on the skirt a little more and then let that inform my bodice decoration.

After I've been working and developing the skirt I was ready to give it another go. I thought that it would be clever to use scraps from all the fabrics on the skirt and piece together a bodice covering from those scraps. I thought that this would really bring everything together. I did stitch together a little sample but it looked awful, it was clear that not all the fabrics looked right over the fabrics of the bodice and that they didn't go well enough together. And the machine stitching was too heavy and visible. I scrapped that idea without a second thought. Instead I began to piece on scraps with the bodice on the stand, being a little more careful about what fabrics I used and where the went. I thought that maybe I could just hand-sew them on which would eliminate the heavy machine stitching. I was undecided about this technique and decided I needed to try something else to compare it to. I've realised throughout this project that I like uniform things, I like having a pattern to follow or at least a system. So instead of piecing things on randomly I decided to play to my strengths and creating a pattern type system. I chose three fabrics that I really felt looked good over the bodice base and cut them into 2 inch strips using my pinking shears and then layered them on in a diagonal across the bodice. Here are the two techniques side by side:

I think it is extremely clear which one is better. The strips on the right are more uniform and more purposeful. They show off the under fabric a lot better than just the random pieces. I shouldn't have worried about using every single fabric that was on the skirt; there is going to be plenty of other decoration on the bodice that will certainly help tie everything together. By having just the three essential fabrics it tones it down without looking too busy. I also think this will be easier to attach. I can do straight lines of prick-stitches instead of having to go around different size pieces.

Princess Colour Skirt Development

 Developing the skirt for Princess Colour has been both exciting and stressful. I was really unsure how to even start this process but I thought I should make patterns for the tabs rather than just experimentally cut all the pieces. I think this fits the design more because it does have a certain uniformity. I knew that from making the calico pieces that it can also waste fabric by just experimenting. By just having a couple of different tab patterns in different length I can focus more on the decoration and texture rather than the size. What I've found a bit difficult about creating the skirt is knowing what colours to use and how many is too many or too few. I want it to look effortless like the design. What I started with was what I knew I needed and had a clearer vision of from the design: the laser cut patterns. I've really enjoyed seeing my laser cutting come to life appliquéd onto the tabs. It is an easy and rewarding process and I think the result is perfect for my design.

Gibb, S. and Jones, U. (2009). The Princess Who Had No Kingdom. London: Orchard Books.

The Original Design

My first attempt

 I am really really pleased with how the skirt looks with the laser cutting. When I was applying all the different shapes I really tried to look at my illustration for reference so that I could try to emulate her patterns with my different shapes. However this was just all of those panels and I will need to fill in with other panels. The question I wasn't really sure how to answer was: should they be solid fabric or sheer, should they be decorated or plain, how many, what length.  When looking at all my fabrics on the table I realized that I had bought some that no longer really worked colour wise, so I eliminated using those and instead focused on the ones that looked most like the design. My tutor also suggested using the fabrics from the bodice. I was sceptical at first about this but after making a few they really fit in well.

  These are the two bottom layers after some new tabs and a bit of reconfiguration. I think they look a lot more like the illustration. It still retains it's lightness which is really important to me but the solid layers underneath add so much more depth  as well. I've some more middle and top layers to create but with this start I really feel I can move forward more successfully. Creating even just this much of skirt has really tested my ability to make design decisions. I've learned just to be bold and use a lot of pins!