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Velven — Plum Gown: Front
Published: 2006-11-10 03:18:43 +0000 UTC; Views: 3958; Favourites: 39; Downloads: 121
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Well I finally have some photos of the Elizabeth Swann dress. This is a costume I made this summer to wear at my 18th Birthday party. I loved this dress the moment I saw Pirates of the Caribbean, and after deciding to have a costume party for my birthday I began my plans for making it (by decide, I mean I liked the idea and proceeded to threten, blackmail and cajole everyone I knew into 'liking' it too, lol).Much cursing, crying and general grumpiness later I finally had it finished.
The over dress (that is the purple part) is one garment, made from lovely shot taffeta that has purple and gold threads in. There is about 8 metres of various types of gold braid on the bodice and sleeves, hand-couched frogging details on the shoulders and cuffs with silk self-covered buttons and gold metal buttons. The hem is trimmed with about 6 metres of gold organza ribbon.
The split petticoat and stays (worn under the bodice) are all made of charcoal shot taffeta. The petticoat fastens with a drawstring to save on pleating and bulk. the stays are bound with black silk bias, are boned with a mixture of flat and spring steels and lace up the front.
Finally, under that is a shift I recycled out of an old nightdress I picked up somewhere and the white flounced petticoat my Mum made to wear under her wedding dress.
It took me about two months on and off, I lost count of hours, but it was quite a lot. It's not 100% an exact copy, but I love it very much.
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Comments: 38
Oh my goodness. Sewing skills *and* art skills? This is much too unfair.
Though I suppose that you've had more time to practice--you've got several years on me.
Beautiful dress. I hope that one day I will be able to create something as nice.
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Ah, you flatter me! 
I remember when I decided I wanted to do costume at uni, my drawing was much worse and I could barely sew! Haha. But I wanted to go so much I just practised like crazy (this dress was part of that). It is surprising how much you can pick up if you just start some stupidly ambitious project that you really love! Haha.
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it looks almost perfectly like the real one
almost
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It was never going to look exactly like the one in the film, I'm certainly not as skinny as Keira for one, and it was done before I had any proper teaching in costume and on a low-ish budget.
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ah
I see but I think you should have used red insted of purple
it would look more like the real one
It still looks awsome though
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I agree, the fabric colour is the main regret I have about this. If I find some better fabric at a decent price I will probably remake the main part of the gown at some point, and line it more sturdily as well, I've learnt a lot since I made this and I could make a much better dress now so I really want to improve this. But I know that I'll learn a lot more next year and the year after, and if I'll end up making the same gown every year but better each time! Lol.
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LoL^^
well it's very good
I don't think I could ever make somthing like that
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it looks almost perfectly like the real one
almost
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Gorgeous! 
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Thankyou, and losing my patience was probably the reason this dress took me so long! Lol.
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Oh, believe me, I would take even longer 
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That would be the best prison ever, "I now sentence you to three years making beautiful costumes!" Yay!
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wow!!! i've probably put a comment on already, but im making that dress for my sister for a play that we are doing. I was wondering how you did the puffy sleeves because i can never seem to do them. if you could tell me that would be great!
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I started off with a commercial pattern for this whole dress as I had never drafted my own pattern before and I copied it out onto greaseproof paper and made my changes to it then. Specifically for the sleeves I used the pattern given in the pack (a tight fitting elbow length sleeve that was a bit more historically accurate!) and cut this straight up the middle of the arm scye (the curve which fits into the armhole). I spread these out and joined up the edges so I got what was basically a much wider version of the original sleeve. I then sewed it up along the seam, gathered the top to fit the armhole and the bottom to fit the cuff and they were done!
Hope that helps, if you want any more info I'm happy to chat over MSN or note on here.
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great thanks a lot! i will post pictures of the dress when i am finished!
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Oh yes, please do! I'll friend you so I don't miss them.
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No problem, us costumers have to stick together so we can take over the world! XD
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this is frickin' awesome amazing!!
That is a really great way to spend the summer - you have something to show for it. yay! man...can't get over how fantastic this is!
again, soooo-perb.
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Thanks! *beams* I must say, it was very satisfying when I finished it, and took it off after a whole night wearing it and it was still all in one piece. XD
I actually kind of miss it, because it was on the mannequin in the corner of my room for about three months while I worked on it. So i got used to waking up and seeing it (creeped me out like hell though at first!). Don't have room for the mannequin here at uni (though the dress bundled up in my wardrobe, lol).
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aaaawww...well, next summer, you can set it up and wake up to this brilliant purple masterpiece every morning!
XD
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rachel, i hate you.
lol
argh i'm a second year and my work is looking like poo next to this, goddamnit! lol.
on that note i should really get back to making this stupid capsule collection
it's pissing me right off now
ps i dnt really hate u i'm just in a mood as things keep going wrong
ah drama
cassy x
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Lol, don't worry. I've been receiving a lot of hate for this costume. *g* Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours pretty dress. (Or rather if, like me, thou did indeed covet Elizabeth's dress, thou shalt make it thyself).
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OMFG +____*! Wow, now THIS is what I call w00t-to-the-max!
This is SO beautiful, girl. How long did it take you to do this?
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On and off (probably averaging out to 12 or so hours a week, though nowhere near that regular) for most of two months. Naturally, as I am wont to do with big, important projects, I left bits till the last minute, meaning I was still sewing hooks and eyes on things about an hour before people started arriving for my party. >_
I'm glad you like it though. *warm glowy feeling*
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Hopefully, I get to swe as good as you can ^^,. Right now, sewing classes are so straining x_X. But my big dream is to tailor an original Rokoko dress. I'm a sucker for these kinds of wide, accessoire-ed dresses from the 18th to 19th century.
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I'm pretty much a sucker for everything between about 1550-1910! With the exception of empire line dresses, becuase much as they're pretty, they'd be horribly unflattering for me. *eyerolls*
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Hehe, can understand you soooo well 
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Oh, me too. One day hopefully I will have!
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This is gorgeous! The tailored lines on it alone are amazing!
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Thankyou. The bodice is actually completely smooth when worn (the dress stand this is on is about 2 inches smaller than me) and it's over fully boned stays.
I used a commercial pattern (Butterick 3640) to have an idea of the shapes I needed for the bodice, then I just did a few mock ups to get the shape I wanted with the revers type bits at the front etc. And the skirt is just a huge rectangle and a heck of a lot of pleating. XD
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