More Photos!
And so, Spring Awakening has finished! And, once again, I've learned so much! I am quite happy with how everything turned out. Of course I always get a bit frustrated with my sewing, but I know that the more I do this and practice and learn how things come together, the better it will get! For a first Victorian gown, I think it's pretty good!
The main thing I would change in looking back is the center front -- we needed a zipper opening as I wrote before, but it all looks a bit off center. The zipper is centered, but because it is a lapped zipper, the stitch line is off center. Especially with the thick fabric used in the front panels, I think it would have been better to off-set the zipper a bit in order to compensate.
In speaking with one of my professors, I learned that the puckering in the front can be caused a number of things: Seizing up in the because of the cording, a bone that is not quite long enough, problems in the flat-lining. Because this only seems to be happening on one side, we decided that it is most likely the cording...and thinking back, this was the side where I had to re-try putting on the cording a couple times before I got it right....so there ya go!
The rippling in the back is probably caused by the bones being a tad bit too short...I'm not entirely positive, but this seems likely. I learned that you can stitch across the bottom of the bone casing to keep everything secure and in place...seems pretty obvious, but I didn't think of it, so it's good to note for next time!
Though I like the pleating in the back, I liked it better in the muslin...different fabric, different behavior. I think for the silk I should have worked a bit more on the angle of the pleats. As it was, I didn't have enough length to work with it more. Again, live and learn!
Interesting note: I was worried that the sleeves were a little too tight, but we decided it was ok. After the first dress rehearsal the actress was actually a little bruised in the crook of her arms from the sleeves! I felt awful!! But, apparently the combination of the tension there and the type of fabric -- this fabric is thick, strong, and holds a fold-- created enough pressure to bruise. In a different kind of fabric this would have been fine. Crazy! So, I opened up the sleeves a bit to create more room and all was well. Just something interesting and unexpected...and a crazy demonstration of the power of fabric!
The costume looked great on stage -- everything seemed to move nicely. Things to be happy about, things to work on and lots learned! All is good!
The main thing I would change in looking back is the center front -- we needed a zipper opening as I wrote before, but it all looks a bit off center. The zipper is centered, but because it is a lapped zipper, the stitch line is off center. Especially with the thick fabric used in the front panels, I think it would have been better to off-set the zipper a bit in order to compensate.
In speaking with one of my professors, I learned that the puckering in the front can be caused a number of things: Seizing up in the because of the cording, a bone that is not quite long enough, problems in the flat-lining. Because this only seems to be happening on one side, we decided that it is most likely the cording...and thinking back, this was the side where I had to re-try putting on the cording a couple times before I got it right....so there ya go!
The rippling in the back is probably caused by the bones being a tad bit too short...I'm not entirely positive, but this seems likely. I learned that you can stitch across the bottom of the bone casing to keep everything secure and in place...seems pretty obvious, but I didn't think of it, so it's good to note for next time!
Though I like the pleating in the back, I liked it better in the muslin...different fabric, different behavior. I think for the silk I should have worked a bit more on the angle of the pleats. As it was, I didn't have enough length to work with it more. Again, live and learn!
Interesting note: I was worried that the sleeves were a little too tight, but we decided it was ok. After the first dress rehearsal the actress was actually a little bruised in the crook of her arms from the sleeves! I felt awful!! But, apparently the combination of the tension there and the type of fabric -- this fabric is thick, strong, and holds a fold-- created enough pressure to bruise. In a different kind of fabric this would have been fine. Crazy! So, I opened up the sleeves a bit to create more room and all was well. Just something interesting and unexpected...and a crazy demonstration of the power of fabric!
The costume looked great on stage -- everything seemed to move nicely. Things to be happy about, things to work on and lots learned! All is good!
