FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Catherine, The Spanish Princess
(click images to to enlarge)
https://www.tiktok.com/@ourshieldmaiden/video/6924787994394234118?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6924788160041305605&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0
Outline the story …
My inspiration for my entry is the book The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory: Catherine of Aragon. I have always been extremely interested in Tudor era history and I decided to challenge myself with the Foundations Revealed 2021 competition by making an outfit that consists of nine separate pieces. I love the character of Catherine of Aragon because she is a strong and vibrant queen and I wanted to bring that to life with a bold and beautiful costume that would reflect her strength. Her style is influenced both by the traditional English clothing and her upbringing in Spain where mainland fashions influenced her dress I was able to incorporate aspects of both of these into my original design. My original design borrows aspects of historical costuming from the 1500s while tying in the whimsy and strength I associate with the character from reading the book.
Outline the construction…
This project was started with a budget of $100 (which ultimately came to $157 with the purchase of the crown) and was entirely made from reused/recycled materials. The main fabric (cream) was originally a tablecloth found at a thrift shop with other fabrics including thrifted remnants, curtains, and previously purchased materials (such as muslin). Originally I had planned on only making the skirt and vest but as I did more research into the layers required for a lady at the time I decided to push things farther by including stays and a shift.
The part of this build that I am the proudest of are the stays. I have never made anything like them before and have always felt intimidated by the thought of making corseted undergarments. I used zip ties as the boning to keep costs down and made my own binding which was hand sewn to the garment. This piece took much longer than I thought it would take but I'm so proud that I made it into one of the most beautiful parts of my ensemble.
This looks amazing! Bravo!
Love love love that you did this on such a tight budget using repurposed materials.
I was drawn to this velvety green fabric of the skirt: such beautiful colour and structure. You should be proud, that’s four sure, for being brave, going all the way to make all 9 pieces, replacing materials you didn’t have and learning along the way. It’s inspiring and make me think about becoming more adventorous with my projects 🙂 Congratulations!
I can’t get over that bodice … and those SLEEVES! This outfit is so elegant but really strong at the same time. Super inspiring!
Every time I see this gown I’m in awe of it. Cheers to you reminding us all the we can all be Queens and make it work with our budget!
As usual Emilee creates and shares her knowledge of how costumes,whether historical or cosplay, that can be a reality for beginners and experienced alike. I love her Catherine dress!!!
that bodice! those sleeves! that gorgeous color palette! well done. good luck from icarus!
The colors are so regal and elegant. Great work.
Oh she came out so marvelous! I followed as you shared the making on Instagram and she was already fantastic there, but I think she gets more beautiful every time I see her.
I am absolutely obsessed! The details, the fabrics. It’s so elegant and luscious!! Incredible. Incredible. Incredible.
This is so beautiful! I love the sleeves and the green velvet skirt! I’m impressed that you made it all with recycled materials too! Well done for all your hard work, it really paid off!
Also, not relevant to the sewing, but your black and white hair in the video is really cool! Love it!
Great job on your outfit and well done staying so close to your budget!
I love this!
I love how you’ve used cost-effective and thrifted materials! The stays are absolutely wonderful, well done <3 And the bodice is so dreamy and like from a fairytale!