I spent most of this evening in a most unglamorous activity: I made myself a crinoline. 9 yards of netting gathered and attached to 3 yards of netting gathered and attached to an organza underskirt. I loathe gathering, I don’t like working with netting, and I really didn’t want to make a crinoline, but it had to be done…so I did it.
Anyway, to floof or not to floof, that is the question. With apologies for the terrible photos (it’s hard to look your best when standing around in cobbled-together pillowcases), here is the coat with the crinoline:
And here is the coat without crinoline:
I am not gung-ho excited about either of them, but I think I like the floofy one better. I think if I toned down the fluffiness (aackpfft! Am I going to have to make ANOTHER crinoline??) a little it would look better, but I like the way the lines flow. It would also look better with dress pattern #1 from a few posts ago. I managed to find a copy of that pattern in my dress size, so I’m going to try sewing a muslin and trying it on, with the coat, to see.
Finally, despite the tremendous effort going into weaving the “plain” fabric, I’m starting to dream of lace. Not very much lace, but there is some in dress pattern #1, so I’ve been considering adding some Alençon lace in white and gold to the bodice and the overskirt edge, should I decide to use that pattern:
But first things first: before you get to the yummy laces you have to sew your muslins.
Tomorrow, pattern #1! I can’t wait to see how the off-the-shoulder dress muslin develops.
Daryl Lancaster says
The crinoline gives you more waist definition, but the non crinoline makes you look taller. 50/50
Benita says
I have to admit I like it better without the crinoline – I love the way the folds of the coat skirt lie as they flow down from the waist. It does make you look taller, but it also slims you because the lines of the folds in the skirt makes the eye travel up and down. Personally, I’d opt out on the crinoline and go with something soft and flowing versus fitted and stiff.
Peg in South Carolina says
I would suggest making the dress and then trying on the coat muslin. If there is no fluffiness in the dress, why don’t you try making a coat mockup that is straight with only a hint of shaping at the waist as well as this coat mockup?
Sandra Rude says
I think the non-crinoline version is more flattering. I like the long, flowing line. The floofy version doesn’t suit you as well. The lace is pretty, but might break up the line of the dress too much.
kathy looper says
Tien, have you thought of putting a hem binding of horse hair rather than crinoline? It would give the hem some fullness without the puffiness. I think the weight of the fabric drags down the coat and some horsehair in the hem would give it just the right fullness.
Pat Ho says
Tien, want to borrow a size 12 /14 wedding dress petticoat? I’m local to Sunnyvale.
e-mail me.
bibliotecaria says
Now, that’s weird — I think I’m the only one who likes the with crinoline version better. Although I guess I’d have to say 50/50 like Daryl, since I think it looks good without the crinoline too. But I like the way the lines flow better with it, even if it is a rather cobbled together crinoline.
Have you ever played with MS OneNote? I’ve been trying it out tonight as a way to organize craft projects/idea notes. I was just thinking of all the different ideas you’ve got playing around in your head. How do you keep them all organized?