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Ivy’s Spirit
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Outline the story …
I first imagined this costume inspired by two outfits of Karigan G'ladheon, heroine of the Green Rider saga by Kristen Britain. In the text it was described that the main dress was decorated with leaves. I love observing nature, especially foliage and flowers. I really liked the description of this outfit.
I immediately wanted to highlight the leaves and I wanted a waterfall effect. I really like the shape of the ivy leaves, so the choice was perfect.
For the bodice, I quickly thought of an asymmetrical opening. This opening served as the basis for drawing my foliage pattern which begins at the neckline of the bodice and ends in a cascade at the bottom of the skirt.
For the leaf pattern, I picked ivy leaves of different sizes and shapes to make templates. I then cut leaves in fabrics in four shades of green, as well as a few in gold lamé.
I wanted to combine green with gold so that the colors enhance each other.
To accompany the leaves, I wanted to add embroidered branches and beadwork evoking clusters of flowers. I was inspired by muscaris flowers and the embroidery is also reminiscent of ivy flowers.
Outline the construction…
For this costume, I was inspired by outfits from the 18th century for the general silhouette, but also from the Renaissance for the sleeves and the 19th century for certain finishes.
I wear 18th century underwear underneath: a shift, a late 18th Century rump pad and my pair of stays corresponding to the period 1735-1750.
The costume is in green polyester velvet, golden lamé, buckram and cotton.
For the bodice, I based myself on explanations from Creating Historical Clothes by Elizabeth Friendship and Pattern of Fashion by Janet Arnold, but I had to redo the pattern four times to correct and improve it and to make three fittings.
For the first time, I made Cartridge pleats (and on velvet!) and seventeen meters of piping in golden lamé. The slashed sleeves are in two parts: a puff in golden lamé with golden piped green velvet bands on top. The bodice closes in several steps: lacing, hooks and small snap fasteners. I used plastic boning for the back and the lace-up closure of the bodice.
I made 123 fabric ivy leaves in different shades of green and some gold that I applied to the bodice and skirt. I also embroidered for the first time on velvet and with metallic thread: leaves on the buttons of the sleeves and branches. I chose two shades of gold that I mixed. I also embroidered about 3130 gold glass beads in two different sizes to give the impression of clusters of flowers.
Love the sleeves and the embroidery! That must have taken so much time – the dress looks so regal yet light and flowy!!