I used some old red lining I had laying around for the basque. The directions didn't say to line it but I decided to anyhow. Those ruffles took forever! I started pressing them to hem, then decided it would be really nice to use my scalloped scissors to mirror all the other scallops on the gown. But I remembered that taffeta will fray like crazy, so got out the gum arabic I bought and mixed some up and painted it on the strips before cutting them. And it worked! The edges seem nice and crisp and so far no fraying. I tried not to handle them much when running them through the machine. It came out a tad too small, I forgot this was a 28" finished waist gown and this is the last layer, so I need to do something. I might add a strip and put buttons on each side, or just make buttonholes and button it onto the skirt waistband. And there's a small chance it will just fit after I'm dressed and corseted.
I was hoping to find something in stash to flatline the skirt, but didn't have enough of anything, so I ordered some silk organza. I had trouble with the skirt directions - there were supposed to be pockets between the front and side front seams, but that is impossible given that the front edge is scalloped. I think that there were originally two views for the pattern, one without scallops. I decided just to leave off the pockets. I could put them in the side seams but haven't decided yet if I want to undo the seams. I also found the back to side front seam didn't line up right, although it looks okay on the pattern, so maybe the fabric stretched a bit when I serged the flatlining on. I just trimmed it to fit. It took me 4 hours per side to bias bind the scallops on the front by hand. I figured I would have better control getting around all those curved and pointed edges.
I had some helpers making sure my skirt pieces didn't blow away.
Pinned onto the dress form - the scallops weren't pressed yet and look terrible here!
It looks MUCH better with the scallops pressed! I got all the buttons on the left side and 8 on the right side before my hands gave out. The skirt pieces are only attached via the buttons. I also got the ruffle on the skirt, using the same method of gum arabic treatment and scalloped scissor edges. It looks so much better in person, for some reason it's hard to photograph. I had some cat "assistance" pinning on the ruffle, Fiona and Bobo both insisted on being under Petunia while I was doing it, and Fiona kept attacking my hands each time I tried to place a pin!
So all that is left is the remaining 18 buttons on the right front, and a waistband. I may just bias bind the upper edge since the basque will be over it, but haven't decided yet.
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