The Last Bows

Sunday will be our last show.. sniff, sniff.  And with that will end my theatrical career here at Mary Washington.  My last few posts have mentioned that I think my dress is beautiful, but am critical of it.  I think I have found out why.  My senior project was supposed to be the culminating point of my time here at Mary Washington.  It was supposed to be the one thing that showed what I have learned, the progression of my skills, and the best that I can do.  But I don’t feel that this dress shows all that I can do.  I had done French Seams and Cartridge pleating before.  The sequins were new, but not challenging, and the fabrics were an experience, but after the knits junior year, I was ready for anything.

I’m critical because I know the faults and what I should have done differently, or done better.  I don’t like the flounce.  I think it looks much better on Cassie’s two dresses, but that is because there is only one layer of fabric there, versus the three here, which then turn into six (since the fabric is folded over on itself)  The sleeves were a last minute addition, and weren’t really planned, and my actress keeps swelling due to mono so that it has become a game to see how tight I have to pull the corset.

Granted, I think the work that I have done is admirable, and shows a lot of what I am able to do, but I have the feeling that it’s not all that I can do.  To what that extent is, I don’t know.  But I’ve yet to be really challenged with something that is beyond what I know and have done before.  Thank you Mom and Grandma for teaching me to sew, thank you Kevin and Marilyn for furthering that skill.  I just don’t know how much further I have to go, although further I do have to go (I’m not yet nearly as proficient or knowledgeable as possible).  I do have to say though, that give me the period, and I can make a corset for that period in no time at all!

Here’s to Romoe & Juliet.  A successful run, not too many injuries , and an experience that will stick with me for a long time to come.  Juliet’s Party Dress was an adventure, and I am proud, and happy, with the results.  And as I’ve been told, it doesn’t look too bad from stage either.  Au revoir.

Showcase

On Monday I was part of the Research and Creativity Day showcase in which I displayed Juliet’s Dress.  I got many compliments and many people were interested in the show and the costumes.  It was nice to receive such compliments, but at the same time feel that I don’t always deserve them.  It’s an odd feeling, but the dress to me seems just a dress, albeit a large and seemingly complicated one.  Maybe because I work with such costumes all the time it doesn’t seem impressive, but it is.

I also showed the dress to my parents and grandparents when they were here, and even my mother and grandmother (who know how to sew) were impressed.  Why am I not? I see these costumes and can revel in their beauty, but I’m not impressed.  I know about flaws that are there, about issues and complications that arose, and for some reason, maybe because I’m working closely with them, they become just clothes.  Nothing more, nothing less.  I’m probably making something out of nothing, but I’m just a little confused at my lack of… appreciation.

Who is that gorgeous lady?

Now that the show has been open for a few days, and we are getting ready for another week’s run, I’ve thought a little bit more on my dress.  I’ve had people tell me that it is absolutely gorgeous, and I thank them for that.  But to me this dress means a little bit more.  It’s that project that shows who I am and what I can do.

However, it’s also that project that makes me wish I could do more.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy with how the dress turned out and how it looks on Bess and onstage, but since it is my dress, I am a little more critical about it than most would be.  I look at it and see things that I could have don’t better if I’d had more experience (cartridge pleats, the flounce, French seams).  I think that there will always be projects that I work on that I am critical about.  I can be critical about them because they are mine.  I just hope that the critique I give allows myself to change, and not be too harsh on myself.

It’s always a great satisfaction to myself to see the dress on Bess.  She’s only in it for 7 minutes, but in those 7 minutes the dress is showcased center stage in her bout with Romeo.  “Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?”  After looking at more pictures of the period it also makes me happy to know that my dress actually resembles those beautiful gowns.  Not as stiff, nor as elongated a bodice, but in shape and essence they are the same.  I even found a picture that shows the flounce as a continuation of the skirt, not as a separate pieced added on top of the skirt.  It’s so exciting to find a picture that gives a better understanding of the construction of the garments.  Kevin had had us flouncing the skirt even before I found this picture (this one was found with some extra research later on), and this one is just proof.  My gown isn’t nearly so tight fitting, and the sleeves aren’t so wide, and there is no whist or supportasse, but I’m not that far off.

The nice thing about the dress is that it steams nicely.  The sheer overlayer gains this glimmer to it when it is freshly steamed that hopefully is apparent on stage.  And I think the sequins are a nice touch.  I didn’t have time to sequin all of the flowers on the skirt, but I think having all of those squins might have been too much.  What I have, although it doesn’t stick out as much as hoped, is small, delicate, and lovely.  Juliet, most certainly, is the Belle of the Ball.

Sleeves, sleeves, and more sleeves

Tonight was opening night… which means that my dress is officially done.  Thank the Lord.  I was finally able to make the sleeves on Tuesday, after fitting the second set of muslin sleeves on Monday.  I had to keep adding fullness to the sleeve cap in order for her to move, and finally ended with a sleek pair of elbow darted one piece sleeves.  With the gusset of course (I almost forgot the gussets altogether).   It took me 5 1/2 hours to make the final pattern, cut the fabric, put them together, and insert them in the bodice, finally finishing the dress.  But I have to say… they look cool.

What I hadn’t realized was that I was going to have to do constant maintenance on this dress.  I need to check the sequins and see which have to be replaced, and will end up doing that either during the run each week, or during the break, depending on how many are missing.   I also have to check the flounce every night to make sure that all of the stitches are still in.  I used a polyester golden thread, which was horrible, and am slowly phasing out that threat with a sturdier thread that doesn’t break as easily.  But today I found a huge section that had come out.   Then, I also need to check her sleeves every night… I already have to fix a small area for tomorrow.  It’s not enough that I made the dress, now as wardrobe supervisor I have to watch over it and fix it too!!

Overall, I am incredibly proud of my dress.  I hadn’t really looked at it before, and it’s not the same on the dress form, but on stage, on Bess, it is beautiful.  I count it a job well done, even with the fifty or so hours that it took me to complete it.  Opening night went well, 10 more performances to go, and dozens of sequins to eventually replace!

Yay sequins!

A few days ago I got an additional assignment for this dress.  I now had to bead it… and by bead it I mean add iridescent sequins to it.  That way the dress would absolutely shine under the lights on stage.  I have to admit that I agreed, but wasn’t at all excited about more work… sleep and homework have ceased to be important, although I don’t have that much homework, and techs start tomorrow, so sleep would have been nice.

Anyhow, I started beading, and it wasn’t all that bad.  Sure it took a long time.  I did it in three sessions, the first was three and a half hours long (11:30pm to 3am), the second was two and a half hours long (11pm to 12am, and 1am to 2:30am), and the third was about an hour (11pm to 12am).  That third session followed the application of the closures to the bodice.  I ended up beading every dark brown flower (that was visible of course), and that way it looks like the beading belongs, and follows the pattern of the skirt, and bodice.

The dress is now complete except for one thing – SLEEVES!  Sleeves aren’t necessary, right?  Why did women have to cover their arms?  I think the dress would look absolutely lovely without sleeves, maybe.  I just got the sleeve pattern today, and didn’t have time at work since we were working to get the clothes wearable by sunday.  So at our first dress tech Juliet will just have to be without sleeves, and she won’t be the only one.  It’s slightly bewildering to my mindset that I need to make two sleeves that have the gold and sheer fabric on them.  I dream that I’ll open the box, and poof, the fabric will already be one and the same, and I can just make two simple sleeves.  I said it was a dream.

But sleeves aside, as I look at the dress, I feel proud.  If I must say so myself, it is gorgeous.  Beautiful and shiny.  And the sequins to help a lot as an eye catcher.  Tomorrow I get to see the dress on Bess.  Hopefully everything goes well and I don’t have to make many changes (except of course adding sleeves!).

Cartridge pleats say what?

So I learned today that when you put in cartridge pleats you do not remove the stitches that form the body of the pleat.  I did not know that.  Confused?  Yeah, so was I.  I figured that you would not want to show the stitches (I always have to take out gathering stitches) and so didn’t really think that if I took out the gathering stitches the pleats would just fall apart.  Well, not apart, but they wouldn’t sit correctly.  I guess looking at pictures it doesn’t seem like they still have the stitches in, because the skirts look differently with pleats in and pleats out.  I’m still trying to grasp the concept.

So I looked up cartridge pleats (just quickly on google, and looked at pictures and sewing sites that involve cartridge pleating).  Failure.  Any pictures declined to show stitches (they were either tightly together, or devoid of stitches), and no site mentioned keeping the stitches in.  I’ll keep them in, as that is what I was just taught to do, but I’m not quite sure I fully understand.

Hems and seams

So the plan is to hem the skirt before I cartridge pleat it and we’ll create the puff from the extra.  I hate hems.  They are so tedious… especially when I have to do them by hand.  Of all things that I hate about sewing, it is hems.  I can deal with the pinning and cutting, but there’s just something about hems.  Of course hooks and eyes drive me crazy too, but hems top them all.  Lucky for me, out of the three layers of the skirt, only two have to be hemmed, and only one of them by hand… yay.

Okay, so them hem being done I moved onto the sheer overskirt.  I ended up having to use French seams to piece together the panels – they were the best choice based on the material and what they skirt needs to look like/function.  These were the first French seams that I had done in three years.  And three years ago was my first and only experience prior with French seams.  Needless to say, I had improved sufficiently enough in those three years that these French seams proved no problem, and I could get them done without trouble.

I have about a week to complete this dress.  By sunday I should have the cartridge pleating done (yay cartridge pleating).  I’m not worried about getting it done in time – I’ve made projects in as little as a day, more complicated ones in a week.  I know that it’ll be gorgeous, it already looks amazing and it’s still in pieces.  Of course I still need a sleeve pattern, but I should be getting that soon.  Hopefully by monday it will be ready to fit.

Beginning Thoughts

This blog here is for me to write down my thoughs and views on my senior project as a theatre major at the University of Mary Washington.  As the department prepares for it’s largest show to date, Romeo & Juliet, I’ve been faced with some of the most gorgeous fabrics I’ve seen in my life, with some of the hardest stitching I will probably ever have to do. 

My senior project is in creating Juliet’s Party Dress – a gorgeous gold and lace, french farthingale styled, contraption.  Since I’m not allowed to work on it during my work hours, I have to find time outside to put it together.  I’ve so far cut out most of the pieces, and today I put the skirt fashion fabric and lining together and worked on the bodice flatlining with the bones.

Some of the challenges I’ve noticed is having to remember to do certain things that wouldn’t necessarily be part of any garment I’ve made before:  there are cartridge pleats that have to go into a curved waistband, a transparent overlayer that has to be pieced using french seams, layers of the bodice that require boning, and the formation of the skirt over the french farthingale (which I made last semester) and bum roll.  The corset too has already been made.  So I have 1 month to create this amazing dress.  Can I do it?  I think so.