Moving right along

[mala_14]

My ballgown bodice is actually progressing, slowly but surely, with few hitches (so far *fingers crossed*). After dealing with the mock-up and it's misfortunes, I was able to get the silk taffeta layer and muslin lining cut out Saturday night. Sunday morning I sewed the pieces together and, heading off to a living history sewing day gathering, overcast the seam allowances. Today, I attached facings to the fronts, sewed the inner sleeve together (again taffeta lined with muslin, the outer sleeve will be gathered net), and cut out and attached the bias facings by machine. Tomorrow (or possibly tonight if I get lots of reading done in the evening), my plan is to cut out and assemble the net sleeve, gather it and attach it to the taffeta sleeve, machine sew the binding on the bottom edge, and attach the sleeve to the bodice. Tomorrow evening I'm heading over to a friend's to watch some episodes of a TV show (The Expanse season 2, if you're curious) and I can get the hand-sewing done on the, front facings, the bias facings, and the sleeve binding. After that, all that's left of bodice is the trim, the closures, and the tucker. I'm still waffling on what I want to do with the trim. I am considering box-pleated net with a bias band of taffeta in the centre on the sleeve bands and something like this (from the Museo del Traje) on the neckline, with the pleated net and some sort of flounce:


But I'm trying to decide if I want a little flounce with a bias strip, or to trim the flounce with lace, or to do a ruching, or what. I'm also thinking shoulder bows. I still have a few days before I need to decide, though.