Ball gown of cherry-red silk damask

What a surprise - this time it was going to be a 21st century gown to enhance my wardrobe. The fabric being showy enough, the cut, on the contrary, is very simple.



The floor-length skirt is a three-quarters-circle with hand-sewn hem and was the product of a relaxed evening, partly in front of the tv. It is worn over an underskirt of 20 metres of white tulle worked in four layers and finished off at the hem with red bias tape. The main idea was that the skirt must get enough volume to look pretty without restricting me when dancing, like a hoopskirt probably would.

The bodice had to be fitted, strapless, give a nice shape and let me breathe - kind of a jack-of-all-trades device. The result turned out very nice - I used the pattern of a well-fitting corset to be worn over a strapless bra. The mock-up was made of rather stiff cotton and, as it fitted perfectly, was used as the middle layer of the actual bodice. It's boned at the seams and sandwiched between the outer layer of red silk and an inner layer of pale red taffeta.

Both parts are sewn together invisibly and close at the back with a zip fastener.