Home

Intro

        Over the course of the three years, I spent a lot of time hunting for the perfect fabric. I found one which was an ivory/white silk dupion with a matte gold metallic thread stitched in chain stitch all over it in a sort of renaissance "lattice" pattern. It was very pretty but it did not "sing" to me as being correct. However it was within my parents' budget and I felt that I needed to respect that.

        Then in the run up to Kentwell's 1520 (1999), I found I needed a new gown! This was because Patrick decided to go very early and I did not have a gown for that year. There was a problem - I was studying for my finals and couldn't really justify time on a costume! Edmund came to my rescue and decided that as he needed a gentry gown and as he wanted me to be at Kentwell with him, then I would have one too! And we both went to Ninya Mikhaila for it!

        It was when visiting Ninya to discuss fabrics for the 1520 gown, that I found The Fabric for my wedding gown! When I showed a swatch of it to my Mum, she decided that was the fabric I was going to have for my gown! It was not cheap! At £76 (sterling) per metre plus 17.5% VAT on top - 10 metres was going to be approximately £800 worth!!!! But Mum insisted! She also bought me the forepart/undersleeve fabric which was a more reasonable £19.95 per metre - and I only needed 2. I bought my lining and interlining fabrics and Mum and I went halves on the jewels!

~  The fabric is a 100% silk (creamy ivory ground) with gold metal thread woven into the pattern you see here. The pattern repeat is actually quite small.

~  It is very heavy but is surprisingly easy to work with! The full width of the fabric (I forget what it was but I remember it being very wide) was perfect for the Over sleeve pattern pieces!

~  This was an ivory (white!) dupion silk with a gorgeous pattern woven into it! So delicate and gentle. I only needed 2 metres of this for the undersleeves and the forepart.

~  To relieve the stark whiteness of the silk, I purchased a number of "ear-rings" from  Past Times  that were a perpetual cross of amethysts and pearls in a gold setting. I needed nine pairs and had to contact the company when they sold out in the shops! I said I didn't care whether they were clip or pierced as the backs were coming off! I sewed the jewels on the "seam" of the undersleeves and also top and bottom of the puff slits.

~  I still have a small piece left even after using a bit for a standing "Katherine Parr" collar on my 1553 gown!

~  Edmund also bought me one of these neckaces - it was extremely sweet of him and meant I had one extra for the necklace/girdle! He didn't know that I already had six of them!

~  We also bought quite a number of pearl necklaces from the department store Debenhams. Every time Mum came to visit me, we would pop in there and buy the necklaces as they were on a special offer of 2 for £7.00 (instead of £5.00 each!). I still have many of the loose pearls left!

~  I also wore an amethyst pendant that Edmund bought me attached to one of the pearl necklaces.

        I also used a plain ivory silk dupion for my lining to the gown, calico, buckrum and steel boning for the underlayers. Habotai silk was used for the forepart lining and also for the undersleeve "puffs". The french hood did not have a veil as I intended to wear my hair loose.

Back

Forward

Many thanks for the Images to:-