Fabric: Red Shantung, approx 4m. 2m of (rather expensive Italian) black shirting for the blouse
notions: Hook and eye tape, 2 sets of hooks and bars, horsehair braid for the hem. Around 7m of gold braid
Pattern used: Truly Victorian TVE21 1901 Trumpet Skirt. The blouse was modified from a blouse block I made in a sewing class.
The skirt is shorter than most skirts would have been because I didn’t want to have to keep picking up the hem whenever I walked. I also realised that the pleats are so voluminous because I sewed the lining and the fabric together before pleating instead of after.
I experimented with a few braiding patterns but I decided to just do something simple since it was my first time. I do love the pattern and will be using it for my future projects!
I really wanted a similar pin tucked blouse as the one Mrs Danvers wears in (pretty much every) stage production of the musical Rebecca. It’s a German musical, and I absolutely adore it, just as I love the woman who plays Danvers, but that’s a story for another day. Mine didn’t end quite as nice or quite like it because I added gigot sleeves in the end. The pintucks are also horribly messy because I had no patience to sew slowly.
I redrafted the gigot sleeve and it’s so much better now — not lumpy like clam chowder as the other one turned out. I made some sleeve supports to keep them puffed up. There’s nothing too architectural or fancy; they look more like hockey shoulder pads.
Here’s the process of me making the skirt and the uh…shoulder implants.
Steffi Heloise 