FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Lady Sybil Ramkin
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
”She couldn't stand balls… Mucking out dragons, you knew where you were.”
I would describe Lady Sybil’s style of dress as eclectic at best. Being simultaneously the Duchess of Anhk and a leading breeder of pet swamp dragons (author of the illustrated monograph ”Diseases of the Dragon”) she is often described as wearing frilly pink or sparkly blue garments paired with muddy rubber boots. There is also some ”fearsomely-padded armour” needed to combat dragon fire. In my design the armour serves as a stomacher, or vice versa, for practical (dragon wrestling?) reasons.
Inspiration has come mainly from ”Guards! Guards!” by Terry Pratchett but some details can be found in other Discworld novels as well. These books are set in something like late 18th century England, or an industrial revolution-ish era. The time frame is also eclectic because the Ramkin family never throws anything away.
I am wearing ”a plaid skirt that used to be her mother’s” and a ”mass of chestnut hair” or ”a skewed mass of curls”. The wig is styled in a fantasy-1700’s way.
Dragon breeders are only found within Ankh-Morpork’s aristocracy. I imagine these pink shiny stays having been altered many times. They might once have been laced in the back and had the leather binding put on to withstand heat. Maybe the fabric itself is powdered in asbestos or gypsum?
Outline the construction…
This costume is largely an exercise in stash busting. Everything but the white linen, thick armour leather, the wig and the woven bands are things I already owned when the competition was announced. I believe there is nothing in the construction that cannot be seen in the pictures. The stays are created using the arc method and various FR and Youtube resources. A fraction of my time has been used making the skirts and shift, because almost all time went into the stays (of course) and the busk. The latter shows a content pet dragon, the Ramkin family motto ”Quis Habemus Servamus” (What We Have, We keep) and an ankh symbol. My best guess is that the busk wood is rowan. The design is chip-carved and filed smooth with tiny knives and files. it is treated with regular cooking flaxseed oil. I have happily been using the "secret old makers method"(?) that Luca revealed in a call, the one where thicker silk thread is used in machine stitching to make it look more like hand sewing, or just prettier I guess.
Your corset stands up on it’s own! It’s like a magic trick. I love the whole ensemble, but the corset especially is really lovely. Nice work!
The shoulders and the stomacher, fantastic idea for amour. Love that!
Those stays look so good! And the colors are great❤
Amazing! Delightful! You did a great job of interpreting Lady Sybil.
I don’t know what that cool stick is, but I sure like it! Awesome work!
Oh yes, Lady Sybil is looking like she can handle some mischievous and explodey swamp dragons! I love the carving on the busk, very well done.
This is really well done! Am love everything! Give this to me now! LOL. Thank you!
I love your interpretation of Lady Sybil! The leather armour is definitely appropriate for her, and the carved busk is just so amazing! Damn you’re so talented, well done! Best wishes from Magrat 😉