Green Eowyn Sleeves

I stumbled upon this fabric:

 (available here, $10/yd)
... that would be perfect for Eowyn's green dress from LotR!

 (or at least the same idea, and fairly affordable).

--Celine

Planning...

Mom bought me six yards of this silver taffeta last night! It's absolutely gorgeous. It'll be a 18th c. inspired ball gown, with pewter and white/silvery beads on the stomacher and sleeves. I'll have a black tulle mask and also have tulle and a black rose is my hair.
Thank you, Mum!!!! :)

This is some olive green cotton broadcloth-type fabric. I'm making a medieval gown (that I've dubbed the "Autumn" dress), and embroidering the sleeves, neckline and possibly the hem with the thread colors shown.

These are the materials for Arwens Mourning dress (check out my previous post).

A close up on the buttons. I took these pics myself.... I didn't want to bother Amelia..... however, my close ups are really bad! She's so much better at this than I am!

The Marian costume; cloak; mourning dress

I named it the Marian dress... but for a time I was tossing around ideas of adding some Narnian features.... well, I think I'll stick with the original plans....

Construction is going well. Expect in a week or two.

********
Our Joann Fabrics is having a pattern sale, and a sale on cotton broadcloth.

I'm sort of thinking of making a cheaper version of this dress in cotton broadcloth from LotR.... for plays and such it's very helpful to have a black mourning dress on hand, no?

I'm also sort of thinking of a cloak. Who knows. Like one of these, maybe?

the Ladye of Shallot

I love the "music video" for the movie, "The Lady of Shallot". I haven't actually seen it, but here's some pics I found.

Anyways, here 'tis. (p.s. you'll get bored if you watch this as a video. If you listen to it while looking on another tab, you can appreciate it more. :)

Medieval inspiration....

Lately, I've been in a Medieval mood. I think that's because of the new Narnia movie coming out. (trailer coming in about three weeks!!! YAY!)
Remember the inexpensive fantasy dress? Well, I finished drafting the pattern.Yay! When I find the fabric, I'm totally going to sew this dress:

I also want to sew a LotR inspired dress using Simplicity 4940. Love the sleeves.

.....and I love Ophelia's gown..... but it's a painting, and I don't know how to make that gold trim in real life.

It reminds me an awful lot of the blue dress that Lucy wears in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe...

well, those are just thoughts. Right now I'm working on my fichu and some sort of Regency/Chemise a la Reine dress.

Have a lovely day:)

The "inexpensive fantasy dress"

 NOTE: I wrote this article a week ago, before I had drafted the pattern or basted the mock-up. Updates coming soon.


This dress, so far, is merely a dream in my head.... I have yet to draft the pattern, or even buy the fabric! However, I've drawn sketches, calculated costs, and thought up how the pattern should be, and what the measurements should be. I've also finished my other projects.... almost! Just some hemming to be done.....
Anyways, here's the inspiration:

The blue dress that (I think) actress Cate Blanchett is wearing in the new "Robin Hood" (the movie doesn't look very interesting, I must say.... and very gory, too.) However, this picture got the wheels in my mind turning. 

I saw some fabric at Walmart last time I went (and the time before that too) that looked pretty close to this fabric...... and, it was $1.50 a yard. At any rate, at that price, who cares whether or not it's the right shade of blue!!!

Here's my best sketch so far:

(forgive the red pen outlining it. I just grabbed the closest drawing utensil around, and it happened to be a red calligraphy pen.)

By the way, I'm going to sew a longer, sleeveless version of my Regency dress bodice to wear underneath.... but I'm sure you knew I wouldn't wear anything THAT low!

I'm also going to wear a belt I have over it. I don't think I'll do that interesting draping at the sleeves, though.... I don't know how to do it, and I don't like it very much. 

As for the hem line, I think it will be mid calf or so... I can't picture any heroine who must climb trees and possibly go to battle wearing a full length skirt. Not only that, but if it's a shorter length, it will show off my favorite pair of boots! :) 

I haven't gone into detail about the measurements of the pattern, but don't worry, I am thinking about the technical side of this. I think I'll just make a pattern for the six-panel skirt based on the bodice of New Look 6824, a pattern I already own, then attach the two (but not before adding a few inches to make sure it's not too small.) I'll do a test-run with this fabric. It's a set of sheets and pillow cases my grandma gave me (she knows that I love getting any type of fabric... even if it's an old, 40-year-old set of sheets :)

Love this pattern.....

Butterick pattern  B4827.....  If I ever replicate Susan's dress from the Chronicles of Narnia, it'll be with this pattern.

look!

aren't these costumes gorgeous?

a lovely dress from the Chronicles of Narnia. It has been duplicated sooo many times.... I want to replicate it someday.

from The Duchess.(it's too bad the movie has objectionable content... the costumes are amazing!)

A lovely dress from the Princess Bride.

My fave gown from Pride and Prejudice, 2005.

 a dress from the Phantom of the Opera. (I like the dress, but not the movie, even though I haven't seen it.)

a gown from Cold Mountain. (that movie has major flaws in it too!)

Looking at costumes makes me wish that Hollywood had much higher standards of morality.... fortunately, there are costume studies. All of these pics are from http://www.costumersguide.com.

Celine

castles...

Spis Castle, Slovakia

The Lady of Shalott

On either side the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And thro' the field the road runs by
To many-tower'd Camelot;
And up and down the people go,
Gazing where the lilies blow
Round an island there below,
The island of Shalott.

Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Through the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot. Four grey walls, and four grey towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott. "

Just a snippet of "the Lady of Shallot" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. You can read the rest here.

The castle ruins are Tintagel Castle's ruins, by the way. Quite a few folks believe the real King Arthur lived in Tintagel.

The painting is of the Lady of Shallot, the subject of the poem. This painting inspired the costume and row boat in the movie version of "The Lady of Shallot'. The website for the movie is here.