Trim!

Figuring out what trim I could use for the Black Sails dress was frustrating because the color shifts in the light. Here is the front of the gown as I fiddled with it, with extra help from my new dog, Flynn. He came to me as a foster who had just been released from the Parvo ward at the shelter and I fell for him. He is very helpful. The sheer plum ribbon looked good, but wasn’t like the trim on the tv dress, and wouldn’t ever be.

So, black trim, and making trim out of the main fabric were going to be the right way to go here. Unfortunately that meant wainting two weeks for black trim to be ordered and arrive, and a lot of thin strips of bias cut, pinked sheer stretchy fabric.

Yes, using the main fabric for the tiny edge ruffle was going to be tedious but the right way to go.

Black pleated satin ribbon, then the bias ruffle, then the zone front, then the black trim (trying it out here in navy while I waited for black to arrive.

With those decisions made, I could give the bodice a first fitting:

Ok, pretty good, but the fit isn’t quite there yet.

First off- I have a big curvy figure, in direct contrast to the tv actresses tiny curvy figure. I end up with a bust shelf from the side if I want the front to be flat. I am really trying to do 18th Century with this, so there it was.  I like the smoothness of the lines, and that is important. I am such a stickler for fit that I want everything to be smooooooooth.