FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Thistle Ballgown
(click images to to enlarge)
Other Credits
Event photos by James Curtis Barger
Outline the story …
I needed a gown for the Outlander Ball Atlanta, and I wanted to do something that really reflected the beauty of Scotland and my Scottish heritage. I took a lot of inspiration from the native plants of Scotland that have become important symbols in the culture, particularly thistles. I based my color scheme around drawing from the purples and greens of thistles (and heather), as well as adding some white roses in honor of the Jacobite history. The purple fabric chosen for my skirts and stomacher features a floral vine design, and the tartan combines colors that remind me of the Scottish highlands. I also took inspiration from the dresses worn by Claire at the Leoch Gathering in the show, and later Brianna's thistle-themed wedding dress. I added thistle accessories, such as the freshwater pearl necklace I made and the plume featuring thistles and roses.
Outline the construction…
The tartan over gown is fully hand sewn, including making my own ribbon trim. This was my first time making a polonaise skirt, so it was a challenge to get the ties placed correctly. It is made of wool tartan and lined in unbleached linen. I wanted to use historically accurate materials and methods where possible, so it is all sewn by hand in cotton thread. The purple fabric is, as far as I can tell, a cotton damask. The petticoat is machine sewn, but hand hemmed. This was also the first time I had to level the waistband of the skirt to be worn over panniers, and used a pattern from Laughing Moon to help with this process. It turned out really well. I also had some challenges getting enough ribbon to make the amount of trim I needed, and ended up having to mix sizes in a few places, but thankfully the rushing technique I used hid the size difference.
What a brilliant creation!! The trim and the accessories work is well with the ensemble