Good Queen #2

Materials:

thread covered millinery wire
thread covered light gage floral wire
millinery wire joiner
silk organza
beaded and sequins lace applique

Overview

This collar is based on an elizabethan wired collar/ruff. The wired structure was called a supportess. Very often supportesses were meant to be reused, with different ruffs. Ruffs were either basted or tied to the supportess, and the supportess was in turn tied or basted to the dresses neckline.





Construction

To make the supportess or wired structure I draped the shape on my form using the dresses neckline as my guide. I started at the front left, worked my way around the back and to the front right. I than bent the wire and started on the wider top edge. I used a separate piece of millinery wire to add the cross supports. I worked from the front to the center, and than measured each support and repeated the supports on the other side so that each side is symmetrical. I used light gage floral wire to hold the supports in place.

I covered the supportess with silk organza cut on the bias. I whip stitched the silk organza down by hand. I than added the lace applique by whip stitching it in place.

The collar ties to the bodice at the neckline.










Materials:

Butterick 4131
poly china silk
stiff weight toile

Overview
The skirt of this dress is held out with side hoops like panniers from the the 1700’s. I decided to add extra lift on the sides of my underskirt to fill in the skirts side hem.

Construction

I used Butterick 4131 as the base for my skirt. I added 2 inches in length and width to the side seam so that the skirts hem would hang evenly over the small panniers. The side seam has an inverted knife pleat at the waist for the pannier.

I altered the pattern at the side back and center back to remove the skirts train.

I put 2 layers of ruffled toile along the bottom edge of the underskirt. I added an extra layer of toile at the sides to fill in the skirts under the pannier.






 



Materials:

Butterick 4131
poly poi de soie
china silk lining
1 1/2” synthetic horse hair braid
metallic net
3 styles of net lace
metallic trim
pearl trim
3 brooches
AB heat affix crystals
plastic gems
AB sequins
flat silver sequins

Overview
The skirt of this dress is based on the 1700’s pannier shape. Although it does have a small train. for the most part this skirt is very 1700’s


Construction
I used Butterick 4131 as the base for my skirt. I altered the pattern not only to fit over the panniers but also to add pleats at the waist line.

The center front was trimmed separately. The metallic net was flatlined to the poi de soie center front. I made a paper guide to apply the net lace symmetrically. I used chalk transfer paper and a transfer wheel to mark the design. I stay stitched the design to keep the net from twisting. The net lace was than gathered and applied to the center front. The skirt was than assembled. Along the side front seam flat net lace was applied. Various gems, crystals and sequins were then sewn to the side front lace.

I made a bag lining from china silk. I assembled the lining and joined it to the fashion layer at the hem I added 1 1/2” synthetic horse hair braid to the hem and top stitched it to the china silk lining. I top stitched the lining to the hem seam allowances to keep the lining from creeping up.

The over skirt was than joined to the under skirt using an under placket at center back and a 1” waistband. The skirt closes with 2 hooks and eyes.