The Ball Gown Epic - A Journey in Pictures

My OCD cutting-out process

A lovely - and surpisingly easy to understand - Kay Fig bodice pattern

Sami helped me fit the lining to my body, then we cut the fabric from there.  I pieced it on the machine that night.

I was amazed at the difference fitting it to one's corseted form makes.

Back seams and boning channels.

Car-sewing the piping on during my Great Midwest Adventure.

And ever-more piping! Took FOREVER.

Didn't use a pattern for the skirt - Sami showed me how to do respectable knife-pleats.  Per period photos I looked at, I pleated toward the middle-front in the front, box-pleats on the side, then towards the middle-back in the back.  I had pleated one whole side before I realized I had pleated in the wrong direction and had to start over . . .

Wish I had a picture of working on the sleeves. . . It took me a couple tries.  Everything is pinned together in this pic but it was starting to come together!

Spent the day of the SDI ball at Sami's house, frantically finishing eyelets & trim, + attaching the darn thing to the skirt.

When sombody at the ball asked where I "ordered" it, I knew I'd done something right.

Wish I'd had time to add some matching pink trim to the skirt - oh well.  There's always other balls ;-D  An Epic Journey, one wherein I continually surprised myself.  Couldn't have done it without Sami, though!