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        My biggest problem with making this gown was that I was not at all well. In the November of 1995 I had a nervous breakdown which completely messed up my first year at University. I was ordered on medical grounds to withdraw from my course but was permitted to carry on at the college from March 1996 as an IT Helpdesk Analyst. I still had to be very careful of stressful situations - and costume making is certainly stressful especially when there is a deadline!

        The fabric was bought from an Indian fabric supplier in Cardiff, South Wales. It was specially ordered directly from India - and dyed to my specific colour preference from very comprehensive swatch book. Taking into account this fact, it was remarkably cheap! It is a dupion silk but without any slub at all - more of a "matte" taffeta!

        The decoration was hand embroidered black velvet ribbon. I stitched a line of fairly large back stitches down, I think, 8 yards of black velvet ribbon! If I had been a bit more "with it", I would have done a double running stitch AND popped it onto a frame of some kind.

       But no, because of that breakdown, I totally lost my marbles and common sense, and instead held the ribbon in my left hand whilst I stitched. That is actually very uncomfortable and I had permanent cramp in that hand! I then added insult to injury and did it all over again because I then looped through each stitch - this combination is called "Pekinese Stitch". However, it was rather lovely in the end!

        The other bit of decoration was a black and gold hand twisted cord that edge the neckline and front edge of the gown. White habotai silk puffs decorate the shoulder rolls.

Copyright Photo by John Topman ©1996.

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