Tabitha's Dinner Dress Diary: part 1

I'm sure you all remember the post a while back about Tabitha's Dinner Dress project; it took a little while to get going, and weathered several car issues and empty savings accounts, but it's finally on the way to being finished in time for the party on the 21st! Yay!

If you remember, the basis for the inspiration is this original 1870's wedding dress with beautiful beadwork and double apron. I adapted that to something appropriate for a dinner party in a color that looks smashing on my sister:

For the patterns, I once again used Truly Victorian's TV 422 for the bodice and TV 225 for the underskirt; they both have good bases to alter and trim. For the overskirt, I used TV 326, the Hermione, based on a pattern found in Demorest Monthly. It was fussy and you had to follow their pleating instructions to the letter, but it went together beautifully, as always.

The bodice got a lovely panel of pleated reembroidered cream lace that I got in a grab-bag from a high end fabric store and was dying to use on something;) I'm awaiting the jet beads I ordered last week, but here it is so far:

Naturally, it's missing sleeves at this point. I always seem to wait to do sleeves until the end, as I kinda hate doing them with the passion of a thousand suns, but oh well.

Still on the list:

-sleeves, with a double ruffle and a beaded cuff

-retacking some of the lace panel on the bodice

-beading the crap out of the bodice

-putting a placket in the back of the bodice

-regrommeting and couching the grommets up the back

-putting a bow on the back of the overskirt

Stay tuned! Almost finished . . . .