The New Dream, Revisited

“Rapunzel…you were my new dream.”

Holy cow, guys, remember this project? :-P

RapunzelDress, Part One

RapunzelDress, Part Two

I’ve done a lot of soul-searching since the last time I posted on this subject. In that time, I’d pretty much decided to let go of the Rapunzel Costume idea, as I can’t afford proper materials, have no place to wear it (can’t afford tickets to Festivals and such), and my sewing skills just aren’t up to the challenge of corsetry and working with slippery satin and/or taffeta. And I wasn’t sure I’d really be comfortable togged out as a Disney Princess and possibly getting mobbed by squealing munchkins, anyhow. :-P

Anton Argentos:

So ja, yet another dream sacrificed to grim Reality…. *melodramatic tragic pose*

Isabella:

*Pinches nose-bridge*

Bramblerose Cottonwool:

Ooh, I’m gonna cry! *Sob*

~*~The Pixie~*~

There, there, dear. *PatPat*

Gilbert Sherwyn:

We pretty much knew it would happen.

However…!

Sometimes, when I give up on a pet dream, the Lord turns around and gives it back to me. 

With a recent thrifting expedition, new inspiration has come. You might say the project has risen from the ashes, after a fashion.

Jason Windrider:

Did…did you just…?

Ember MacTavish:

Tehehe—*snort*

OK, yeah, bad pun. :-P

One of the local charity shops yielded this lovely poly "taffeta" party-frock, in what looks like the perfect sugarplum-purple for Rapunzel’s skirt and half-off, too!

Mind you, I generally don’t go for these dusty-lavender/mauvey colors (they tend to look drab and muddy, especially next to my other true-lavenders)…but this project is the exception. One of those “X-Y-Z” situations.*

The dress looks like it was originally strapless, and someone added these grape-purple straps later. Probably the color choice was to tie in the sash. Both are for the chop, as the color doesn’t blend with the main dress, IMHO.

Crummy interior shot :-P
Home-machine-stitching visible
at top of front bodice curve

 

My plan (Lord willing) is to take the skirt off the top and adjust the fit from there. Ideally, I’d love to get some self-colored (or slightly deeper) textured or printed fabric for a center panel, and a lighter, matching fabric for the new bodice.

 

And don’t worry; the old bodice won’t go to waste. I intent to try adn get a matching purse out of it!

I actually have my eye on some satin jacquard/brocade on Etsy at the mo’, which comes in both "Plum" and "Lavender" shades.

 

Looks paler than IRL,
but this stuff is hard to photograph
because SHINY

I also picked up "0.625 yard" (so…a little over half a yard? UGH, decimals) of flannel-backed satin in "Orchid" color, courtesy of Jo-Ann’s remnant bins. Haven’t decided whether to line the bodice with it (Lord willing I get the brocade), or make a blouse to go under the same.

As you can see, it’s a bit "bluer" than the dress/skirt, but I think it has enough pink to blend all right.

This pic closest to satin’s actual color

The biggest decision now is how to make the bodice. The movie costume looks like a corset or pair of stays (similar to Redthreaded’s Regency Stays pattern, sorta), worn over a separate blouse. But I may opt for a simplified princess-seam bodice and throw some zip-ties in the seams. In that instance, the blouse would just be a peasant-blouse made from some pink gauze from The Stash, with the purple puff-sleeves being attached to the bodice.

 …which wouldn’t be screen-accurate, but I think it’d be more attainable for my skill level.

 

So that’s the latest on this particular pet project. It’s on the backest of back burners (actually, I’m not sure it’s even on the stove), but at least I have some of the materials, and can work on it as I’m able.

Wish me luck!

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~R~

* “X-Y-Z” situation(s) = An instance when one departs from a preferential norm in favor of something one generally tends to dislike. Based on the statement, “I generally don’t like [X-Y-Z]…except when I do.”

~Tom’s Dictionary of Whacked-out Terms and Old Family Sayings

The New Dream: Take 2

“What if it’s not everything I always dreamed of?”

Y’know that Rapunzel-inspired Party Frock I posted about a while back?

Since then, the more I looked at my fabrics, the more I began to have serious doubts about the whole mixed-prints thing…especially once I realized I couldn’t embroider the skirt (well, I could, but it would have been too busy with the print), and I did so want to embroider it.

I did some more thinking and rather confused praying about it, afterwards getting a second opinion from Mom. The resolution I came to as a result is this: I’ve had this dream for nearly six years; it’s something close to my heart—something very special to me—I don’t want to botch it up. Mom encouraged me to get solid-colored fabrics for the skirt and sleeves because that’s what I really wanted, and we both knew I just wouldn’t be happy with the mixed prints. I’ve done this to myself so many times in the past—wanting to recreate a favorite movie costume (or a more modest version thereof *cough*), visualizing it in my mind, having a goal for how to make it…and then either cheated myself with incorrect fabrics and/or messed up the project out of impatience, or just given up entirely.

I don’t want to settle for “close enough” or “sorta inspired by” just because that’s what I could afford/find locally, when just a little more effort (and admittedly, a little more $$$) can bring me closer to my goal.

No, I am NOT going to spend upwards of $20 a yard for the “authentic” design printed on silk. That were obsession. I have, however, taken Mom’s advice and purchased three yards of solid orchid-purple cotton, and half a yard of lighter purple, from a couple of Etsy stores. And here they are:

L-R: Kona Cotton "Wisteria" (upper sleeves),
Printed Bodice Fabric,
Kona Cotton "Crocus" (skirt)

 (Pardon the wrinkles; I haven’t had time to iron them yet.)

So now I can embroider the skirt like I wanted, PTL! And I’ve decided to use the embroidery patternfrom the movie costume. I mean, come on, if I’m going to make a Rapunzel dress, I should go ahead and make a Rapunzel dress, wot? Plus it’s so cute and fun and, well, Rapunzel-y! This graphic (thumbs-up to whoever made it) gives a pretty good idea of how the embroidery is laid out, so hopefully I can correlate it with the actual patterns.

I’d still really like to have the front panel be printed, but this print doesn’t come in a deeper orchid-purple. Not sure I could successfully over-dye it, either, so I’ll probably just make the whole skirt out of the “Crocus” fabric.

Also kinda waffling on whether to go with the “all purple” color scheme like I originally planned, or to take that extra step and make pink lower sleeves, get pink piping and lacing, and add pink and blue to the embroidery. It looks great on Rapunzel, of course, and on little girls…but on me? Feels like it’d be a bit young, and I don’t want to look like a refugee from Disneyland (or and Easter egg, LOL).

Cue more thinking and praying….

And don’t worry about the swirly print; I love it too much in its own right to toss it. In fact, by God’s grace I discovered I can get a whole dress out of my 3 ½+ yards, with a little careful pattern placement. So hurrah! I get a purple Summer frock, too. :-D

I’ll admit, I was ready to give up on this project for a time, but God has brought me this far with it—providing for the materials—and confirmed it through Mom’s encouragement. I can only trust that He’ll guide me through to the end.

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~R~

The New Dream

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“I’ve got a dream!”

(She’s got a dream!)

“I’ve got a dream!”

(She’s got a dream!)

Even before my family saw Disney’s Rapunzel, I’ve been fascinated with her pretty pinky-purple dress because, not only is Rapunzel the first Disney Princess to wear purple (my favorite color), but while watching the movie, I found myself thinking the style is something I’d design myself:

 

·        Small puff-sleeves (not poofy), with fitted lower sleeves—one of my favorite sleeve styles!

·        Sleeves are ¾-length—warmer than short sleeves, yet keep out of the way for hands-on tasks

·        Sweetheart neckline (so feminine! ’Though I’d have made it higher or filled in)

·        A-line skirt (fitted at the waist—no bulk!—flared at hem)

·        Mid-calf-length—long enough to be modest and elegant, short enough to keep out of the mud :-P

·        Subtle lace trim

·        EMBROIDERY!

I tried to make my own version of this frock a few years back…let’s just say I didn’t know what I was doing, and it didn’t turn out well. But the desire for a Rapunzel-inspired dress never really left, and this year it’s come back in full force. By God’s grace, I was able to buy the materials needed for this project this past month (what weren’t already in the Stash, that is). PTL! See, Grandma sent me some Green $tuff for my birthday this year, plus some extra to buy my “Snow Queen” jewelry set, so this was kind of a birthday present from her. :-)

I’ve decided, however, not to try and make a 110% screen-accurate reproduction. :-P Not only is that stressful and obsessive, but it can also be very expensive (and if you don’t believe me, just check out the prices of various fabric options for the fan-made “authentic” print on Spoonflower). So I’m aiming for an “inspired-by” version—made from fabrics that will still evoke the look of the movie costume, but be easier to care for than silks or satin [read: machine washable and –dryable].

Here are the materials for my frock:

Clockwise from top: Bodice fabric, piping, lower sleeve fabric (with embroidery floss, sewing thread, and zipper), skirt pattern, skirt/upper sleeve fabric

The color-scheme is admittedly a bit more purply than Rapunzel’s dress, and you’ll notice I got purple piping instead of opting for pink embroidery or binding. That’s because it looked better to my eye. A bit classier and less blatantly Disney Princess (which is why I’ll also be using lavender for the lower sleeves instead of pink). 

…but then again, the movie dress is computer-generated silk brocade and –taffeta, so it shifts hues with the lighting. Sometimes it looks really pink…

[source]

…other times it’s more orchid/lilac…

“Eew, there’s a lizard on my lap!”
[source]

…and by moonlight, it’s almost a true lavender...

So I guess we could dub this dress “Rapunzel by Moonlight,” LOL
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(and then there’s this odd little GIF, where her dress is almost periwinkle…???)

I’m going with this color scheme because it’s what I could find. Plus I look awful in really pinky-lavenders. :-P

~The Bodice~

I saw a print like this on Etsy and immediately thought of Rapunzel. Thankfully, the local fabric store had it in stock, so I didn’t have to pay shipping. Yayness! I’ll be using my drafted princess-seamed pattern, which is based—I think—on McCall’s 4107 (and heavily modified to fit my shape). This is probably one of the biggest differences between the movie costume and my dress. Rapunzel’s bodice is constructed more like a corset, with multiple seamlines and boning channels and stuff. There’s also an odd little buttoned bit in the back (someone suggested she wears a blouse under a corset). My bodice will have a high neckline in back with an invisible zipper, and I plan to dress it up with piping in the princess seams and decorative lacing. I’ll probably cut the sweetheart neckline in front about the same as the movie costume’s and wear a higher-necked sleeveless layering tee underneath it for modesty. (The reason: I like sweetheart necks, but they look awkward when cut up high enough to be modest. Laying Tees to the rescue!)

~The Skirt~

Originally, I was going to get a darker version of the bodice print for the center-front skirt panel, then use solid orchid-purple for the rest of the skirt. However, I couldn’t find the darker print locally and didn’t want to order online (color matching should be done in person as much as possible), so I decided to get two solids…unfortunately, the only matches I found for my bodice fabric were on a swatch card at Jo-Ann, and both colors had been discontinued. :-( Then the nice girl who waited on me mentioned a new fabric store in town, so Mom and I dropped by…and I found this:

The color was a perfect match, and just a little deeper than the bodice fabric. The print goes surprisingly well with it, too, even though they’re not a bit similar. It adds a bit of Gunne Sax pattern-mixing to the project, which is cool. :-D

The plan is to use Butterick B6179, View C, for the skirt, as it’s fairly close to the movie skirt. My only modification at this point (other than eliminating the waistband, of course) will be to cut the center-front panel on the fold instead of having that seam up the front.

~The Sleeves~

Ideally, I’d like to make the upper sleeves in the deeper print, using my drafted puff-sleeve pattern based (loosely) on another one, the number of which I don’t have right now….

And while I like the look of the ribbons on Rapunzel’s sleeves, mine has to double as a Real World party-frock, and nothing says “costume” more plainly than stripey sleeves for some reason.

~Trims and Embroidery~

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Obviously, I’m not going to find the *exact* trims used in the movie costume. That’s OK, ’cos I’m not going for exact here. ^.^ I do, however, hope to add some subtle lace trim to the sleeve-edges and neckline, and possibly the hem of a new petticoat I have in the works. So a look through our Stash of vintage laces (some of which belonged to my grandmother and great-grandmother) is on order soon….

I’m omitting the lace on the bottom edge of the bodice because, unlike Rapunzel’s, my bodice will be sewn to the skirt instead of separate pieces. Plus it feels a bit excessive.

The embroidery on Rapunzel’s skirt is cute and fun, but I can’t figure out the pattern, and I’m not going to try, especially since this isn’t an exact replica. I’m thinking of this design, which I used for my cousin’s Russian(esque) peasant costume:

I’d work it in the variegated orchid-purple floss in the first materials picture, rather than in pinks and blues like in the movie. Seems like any embroidery on my frock needs to be a bit more subtle because the whole skirt will be printed, rather than just the front panel. I mayn’t even need embroidery on the skirt, so I may just do something on the sleeves. We’ll see when I get to that point.

I’m so happy to be one step closer to realizing a pet dream I’ve had for several years! It’s still a wee bit unreal that God has actually made it possible…proof—once again—that my little projects matter to Him, too. :-D Sole Deo Gloria!

It’ll probably be a while, realistically, before I do anything more with this project, as there are several other Real Life projects on a higher priority. But they’re none of them very difficult, so Lord willing, I may get to this dress sooner than I think. :-)

Until next time, Gentle Readers,

God bless,

~R~