Sunday, 22 June 2014

V&A Couture-Inspired Dress and Hanabi Petticoat/Skirt

I am working on the Regency day dress right now, but I finished another project recently: the Victoria and Albert Museum couture-inspired dress (if you're interested, but can't find the free pattern online, I'm ready to share; just drop me a line).
I valiantly fought with the hem, and then I realized that the dress badly needs a petticoat, and so I decided to make a petticoat that could work as a skirt, too.
Step one ended up with this: 

Then (and that took me hours!), I added beads:

- this is the front:


- this is the back:


And this is me in it (not the best quality, but my camera was not fully cooperating):






From now on, it shall be known as my 花火 (hanabi - ie: fireworks) skirt (花火のスカート).

And then, I give you the couture dress:

Front:



Back:




I'll log off the 1950s, and I'll head back to the the 1810s... See you soon!

6 comments:

Ruan Peat said...

oh pretty I like the print, where did you get the fabric? or is it precious (and there for too expensive for me to buy heaps of to play with) lovely fireworks skirt :-) and yes do send me a link to the pattern if possible!

Lanor said...

It was my mother who bought that fabric at her town market (from a kind of haberdashery-in-a-lorry). That won't help you in locating more of it. Soooory!
The price was reasonable. I think it was some kind of "Liberty"/patchwork material (This is rather similar to it: http://www.textimania.fr/tissu-coton-imprime-rameaux-7285307.htm - but that one is expensive).

I'm glad you like the fireworks skirt! ^_^

I'll be in your inbox with the pattern files in a minute...

Ruan Peat said...

Thank you for the pattern, I love it sadly they do 10 to 14 sizes! humm now how to put this gently, the last time I was size 14 I was in first year of high school! :-) 30 plus years ago, so I will have to shuggle and make a pattern that is more my size, Mind you most uk and eu patterns are the same. Now a visit to the us made me feel thin and I could buy clothes off the peg! OMG mind you the space to park your mobility scooter was very odd! ;-)

Lanor said...

You're welcome. ^_^
Don't trust their sizes too much; the skirt was waaay too long, and I had to do a thing or two to the top part...
The other side of the pond can be interesting and entertaining (it's the West coast walk-anywhere-and-have-a-police-car-stop-by-to-ask-you-if-you-need-help - *because* you're walking, and that's not normal - approach to "life" that puzzles me more). ô.O

Raina said...

Hello, I just stumble uppon your V&A couture dress, nice interpretation, I just finished mine http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/102003

Lanor said...

Thanks for the link, Moirain!
What lovely material you used! I'm almost tempted to try a variation of this dress now... ^_^