Well dressed at War

I've been sewing, I promise! Look, I made another Venetian!

This one was for my Dearest Friend in the Whole World, Natalie. I wanted something with a high Awesomeness Factor to wear at Gulf War. And, as I was making this with Natalie 2,000 miles away with no opportunity for a fitting, I thought the open-laced style of the Venetian would be very forgiving, if I didn't get the size exactly right. But it turned out fabulously, and Natalie looked beautiful in it. It's made from about 6 yards of copper silk shantung Fashion Fabrics Club.

I love working with that fabric. It's light, but not sheer. It has a sheen, but not as much as satin. And it has a few slubs, but not as many as dupioni. My original plan was to purchase some in red, but after placing my order, I was informed that they were out of red. So I got the copper color instead, and I'm glad it worked out that way. I think the copper adds a lot of interest, while not being outside the realm of possibility for colors in 1570s Venice.

The bodice pattern was modified from the pattern I used for Natalie's red 1480s Florentine. I just lengthened the waist and changed the front opening. It has only two cable tie "bones" per side. The skirt is simply a big rectangle, cartridge pleated to the waist.

Of course, the sleeves are the pièce de résistance for this gown. I tried slashing!

I snagged the pattern from The Purple Files. Many of the slashing patterns on the sleeves of the Venetian dresses I saw looked much more complicated. But this one looked doable. Easy to lay out, and not difficult (though still time consuming) to cut.

Here they are in progress. Like Katerina at The Purple Files, I cheated and used an iron-on interfacing to stabilize everything and prevent fraying. I then used a straight-edge to draw out a grid on the back of the sleeve. Then, a diamond shape was cut where the lines intersect, and slashes were cut in between. They're attached to the bodice with buttons and loops.

A chemise and underskirt create the undergarments. She's accessorized with a pearl necklace, earrings, and girdle, a partlet, and a flag fan. I was very pleased with how everything turned out. Here we are as we're preparing to process in with the Caidian royals before Grand Court at Gulf War. I'll post more war pictures later this week. I think this post is already getting photo-heavy.