37 is not 22.
Add fifteen years to both me and my dresses, and they might not fit anymore. Go figure. :-) Most of my Germans, which I wore all weekend (albeit uncomfortably,) need to be salvaged. Two will stay as is: the original russet dress, which will be kept as is for the sake of posterity, and the beaded dress from Cranach's "Judith." But I have three others that might be
1. The spinach-green and gold is the one I;m currently working on. It needs an entirely new bodice, as the old one is 2" too small. I have absolutely none of the fabric left, but there was plenty of skirt to rip off a panel and use it for a new bodice. I took the skirt off Monday and washed it yesterday... and it shrank. The entire skirt is now about 3" too short, and I'm trying to decide if I want to salvage it enough to take the entire thing apart and re-do the guarding instead of just re-pleating. I might be able to let it down an inch from the waistline, but I'm not sure. It's possible I killed it. Ergh.
2. The grey-green with the burgundy will need the bodice re-done and the skirt repleated. I don't have any more of the fabric used, so adding an inch to the bodice is going to have to come from the seam allowance, but I think it can be done.
3. The green velvet (that I have never worn) is a Cranach style. So the bodice is fine as is, it just needs a new, wider brustfleck. The skirt does need to be repleated so it's a little larger, but that's easy. And I never did finish the sleeves, so those need to made up anyway.
I got up at 5:40 this morning - couldn't sleep. So I worked a little, read lj, and did some sewing room odds and ends, including figuring out what went wrong with my original Italian 1540's bodice (yes, Moi, you did tell me not widen the straps, but did I listen?) I think I have a working pattern now, but I'm getting a new drape done tonight just in case. I also started stretching the leather for Vyncent's gloves. And good thing, too, because it stretched a good 30% on the grain. Yowza.
1. The spinach-green and gold is the one I;m currently working on. It needs an entirely new bodice, as the old one is 2" too small. I have absolutely none of the fabric left, but there was plenty of skirt to rip off a panel and use it for a new bodice. I took the skirt off Monday and washed it yesterday... and it shrank. The entire skirt is now about 3" too short, and I'm trying to decide if I want to salvage it enough to take the entire thing apart and re-do the guarding instead of just re-pleating. I might be able to let it down an inch from the waistline, but I'm not sure. It's possible I killed it. Ergh.
2. The grey-green with the burgundy will need the bodice re-done and the skirt repleated. I don't have any more of the fabric used, so adding an inch to the bodice is going to have to come from the seam allowance, but I think it can be done.
3. The green velvet (that I have never worn) is a Cranach style. So the bodice is fine as is, it just needs a new, wider brustfleck. The skirt does need to be repleated so it's a little larger, but that's easy. And I never did finish the sleeves, so those need to made up anyway.
I got up at 5:40 this morning - couldn't sleep. So I worked a little, read lj, and did some sewing room odds and ends, including figuring out what went wrong with my original Italian 1540's bodice (yes, Moi, you did tell me not widen the straps, but did I listen?) I think I have a working pattern now, but I'm getting a new drape done tonight just in case. I also started stretching the leather for Vyncent's gloves. And good thing, too, because it stretched a good 30% on the grain. Yowza.