FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Cinderella’s Ball
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
I chose "Cinderella" by C. S. Evans for my entry this year. This was always my favourite fairy tale as a girl. The story begins happily, but after her mother dies and her father marries again, she is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters. When they go to a ball she is left at home. Her fairy godmother appears to transform her so that she can go to the ball too. In this version, the author has 2 balls on 2 consecutive evenings. I have chosen to make the dress from the first ball which was described as white silk with embroidered butterflies and blue flowers. The pictures in my book are all silhouettes – they look like late 18th century dress so with that in mind I decided to scour the Internet for examples of embroidered dresses from this period and looked through an embroidery book I have from the Victoria & Albert Museum for inspiration. I found an embroidered Robe à l’Anglaise on Pinterest that had lovely embroidered flowers - I adapted the design slightly and chose a pattern for the dress from Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion 1 (Snowshill Manor, c. 1775-85)
Outline the construction…
I decided to use taffeta for the sheen and the rustle sound it gives. For the correct silhouette I made a false rump following the instructions in The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking. As this style of gown has an open front I decided to use a different colour for the petticoat. I decided on a dark blue taffeta to coordinate with the embroidered flowers and butterflies that would be on the white. I made a toile of the bodice and sleeves before cutting my fabric. Using the American Duchess book I constructed the gown entirely by hand, using stitches such as back stitch, running stitch, prick stitch, hem stitch and appliqué stitch, but also learnt how to sew the English stitch and the Mantua makers seam. For the embroidery I decided to use stem stitch and satin stitch. This was also my first attempt at box pleating for the skirts and the ruffles at the neckline and sleeves of the gown.
The pattern used concealed hooks and eyes as closure for the bodice at the front and I have found that I have had to alter these a couple of times so that they didn’t show. Attaching the sleeves was a little tricky, but making the toile first really helped as I needed to adjust it quite a lot. I have tried to make the embroidery match on both sides which was really tricky and it’s not 100% accurate. I think this will improve with experience!
I GASPED when I saw your gown!! This is one of my absolute favourite periods of fashion, and personally I think it’s much more romantic than the ballgown silhouette she’s normally depicted with! You did an absolutely smashing job. That deep, rich blue is especially gorgeous. Truly well done. I’m so inspired now.
Awww thank you so much ☺️
The embroidery and the colours are absolutely perfect- I love your rendition of her- marvellously well done
Thank you 😊
That embroidery is stunning! The dress colors work beautifully together- so enchanting.
That’s absolutely stunning! I can’t believe it had so many first in it – it must have taken ages! Well done.
Such elegance and beauty! Love it!
I have a big soft spot for blue flowers and you’ve incorporated them beautifully into your dress. The the deep blue with the white is such a wonderful choice too. Simply stunning!
I love your gown! The colours fit so well together.
Wow, this is so beautiful! That embroidery is wonderful! I am in love with that blue as well. Thank you!
Thank you everyone for your lovely comments 😘
So gorgeous! I love the embroidery!
Thank you 😊
I love the embroidery!
Thank you 😊