18th Century Court Ensemble Project

I've been debating for a while whether or not to jump in on this project. I've lost my umph for sewing lately, which is why I haven't updated that much recently. But, with the long time span allowed for this project, I though I might as well jump in, claim a dress, and work on it a little bit at a time. :)

So, what is the project all about? Kendra over at Demode Couture decided she was going to make an 18th century court ensemble for next year's Costume College Gala, and invited all of us to costume along, making our own court ensembles. Read more about the project here - http://demodecouture.com/18th-century-court/

Several gowns I really love were snatched up quickly by other costumers, but there are so many amazing court gown examples in museums and paintings out there, that it wasn't long before I found one that I wanted to recreate.

The gown is a wonderful deep blue, with silver/white embroidery and spangles all over it. With it being a painting, no section of embroidery is exactly the same, so I'm going to sketch out my best extrapolation and set to work as soon as I can. I'm thinking that I'm going to go with a deep blue velvet, since the fabric almost seems to have a pile to it. I know, I know, impossible to tell from a painting, but doesn't it look like velvet to you? I also love that the pockets actually have embroidery around them, making them a feature of the gown instead of having them hidden within the folds of the skirt. How fabulous is that?

I have several things on my plate at the moment, but work will commence once things settle down and my budget isn't being devoted to a dozen other things. I am excited to add another robe à l'allemande to my costume closet!