The novelty is that the fabric is synthetic fibre (baaaaaad!) which I usually avoid, but colour and design looked so nice that I decided to make an exception and give it a try. Big plus is that I would be able to machine-wash the dress and wouldn't have to bother with cleaning the hem and train by hand after every play. Weeeell, that was the plan until I opted for metal trim, which - of course - is not machine washable.
The pattern is that of a 1660-gown, styled very much like Elizabeth's burgundy dress in PotC - which is, actually, a baroque pattern, except for the neckline. Kinda crossover of that PotC-dress and the dresses in "Stage Beauty". Of course it's trained, the bodice lined with raspberry-red fabric, and decorated with golden trim.
Beneath it goes a chemise of cream-white soft-weave cotton with wide, elbow-length sleeves. The extra-wide neckline as well as the sleeves are lined with broad tulle lace and gathered with a narrow satin drawstring that's simply stitched through the fabric right above the lace. I bet it's not period bit the fabric is strong enough and it perfectly does the job.
The dress itself can be worn without stays, as it is fully boned with soft plastic boning zig-zagged between two layers of cotton. (Not period at all, but it saved me the additional labour of making period stays...) This, in turn, is sandwiched between the top-layer of brocade and the lining, each of the four layers cut and sewn together so you get four separate bodices that are then put together. I cut the brocade and the lining a tad too small, so I finished the neckline, front opening and stomacher with bias tape cut from the same fabric. It's invisible anyway, as it's hidden under the gold trimming. The front closes with hooks and eyes, which this time I bought as ribbon by the metre. I was on a tight schedule yet again... Worked quite well, after a bit of fussing with symmetry. Mind to sew in the hooks and eyes, THEN finish the top layer, or wou'll see the stitches, and finish with the trim. The lower part of the bodice is finished with tight zig-zag-stitch on the parts that remain hidden under the skirt. The skirt itself is sewn to the bodice with a short slit at the front where the bodice opens. This part is strengthened with a piece of ribbon on each side and closes with hook and eye, the bodice then closes over this part and hides it.
I wear the dress over a small hoopskirt and my four-layered tulle petticoat - which is not period, but it'll have to do until I've made a decent hoopskirt. I still had fabric left and made an underskirt the same colour as the lining. It hardly ever peeps out, but anyway, I know that it's there :D
What's still waiting to be finished is a hat of the same fabric, broad-brimmed like a musketeer's hat with lots of plumes and trimming and baroque frippery. In the picture I'm wearing a tricorn, which looks quite nice but not nice enough yet ;)
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