FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Annabel Lee’s Chemise from the Sea
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
This dress is inspired by the poem (and for) "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allen Poe. This dress for her is a departure from a Chemise a la Reine with Regency inspired sleeves. When I was designing it I had a progression of images in my head. First, of Annabel Lee standing on black craggy rocks in a damp white dress sheer from the spray, then looking out into the surf, then, up to her ankles in the water with the hem floating around her feet, then completely submerged with the dress floating out behind her almost as if she had wings, and finally, she is in the air dripping having just emerged from the water, her skin the same colour as the white of her dress. It’s as if the angel had come to lure her into the water, and then lifted her up into the air, and a breeze came from their wings “chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.”
Outline the construction…
I used a sleeve Pattern from Jennie Chancey of Sense and Sensibility. I measured the screen and calculated (multiplying by 1.466) that the sleeve was 22 inches across and 8 ¼ inches tall. I multiplied all the other measurements by the same number to be able to put points on the paper in order to sketch everything out on plain tissue paper.
Regency Gown Pattern Instructions ©Sense and Sensibility Clothing, 1998 (Revised 2003)
I had inspiration from Courtney Ripple of Fresh Frippery and Bernadette Banner. The links to both are below. I used some measurements from Fresh Frippery and the idea of channeling and placement from Bernadette Banner, and made up some other details with the bodice, such as sleeve placement and straps, and the armholes.
Modern Marie Antoinette: Adapting a Late 18th Century Chemise à la Reine
Easy Chemise Dress (with Instructions)
I LOVE THE SLEEVES SO MUCH OMG
Your work is so stunning! I love your combination of the Chemise a la Reine with the puffy Regency sleeves, so cute and floaty.
This is so dainty and delicate… absolutely beautiful!!
Absolutely beautiful! It also reminds me of Liesel’s dress in The Sound of Music and the dress worn in the ballet Romeo and Juliet! Very romantic!!
Love how the straight cuffs contrast and compliment the draping!
Thanks for describing the scenes in your head, it really brings it to life! It’s come together really well and captures the mood/etherealness of the poem.
So delicate and pretty! Nicely done!
Absolutely perfect! Very well done
This is just gorgeous. I’m so impressed with your gathering skills! 😀
The gathers look so perfect!! It is really pretty!!
This is really pretty, and it looks so good on you! Very ethereal!
Beautiful work. I’m very much like the drape of the skirts. Entirely impractical, which is absolutely perfect!
So delicate and beautiful!
Oh, I love this romantic hybrid! It fits her so perfectly.
this is absolutely gorgeous! The inspiration for the dress is so evocative, I love it!
This is so gorgeous! Pretty and delicate, and the sleves are lovely 🙂
What a lovely frock! Love the images that you created in my head too.
the sleeves look wonderful
Such a lovely combination! Well done!
Oh wow, this is stunning. See you in the Advanced column next year! I love this…sooooo much!
What an amazing combination of styles. The sleeves are amazing. Bravo!
Wonderful realization of your vision and you made us see it too. Agree with the comments about choice and execution of the sleeves.
I love this! Do you know Edgar Allan Poe’s Murder Mystery Dinner Party? It’s a comedy series on YouTube, and Annabel Lee is a character in it.
This is so lovely.