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Eighteenth century inspired metallic brocade dress. Revers decorated with flowers and ruched lace, embellished stomacher, and lace engageantes.  Fan, pearl bracelet and pearl choker each custom made and sized for a 6-year old child.  Underpinnings include a full panier with flounce and trim.

Side view showing Watteau pleat at back.

Eighteenth century inspired metallic brocade dress. Revers decorated with flowers and ruched lace, embellished stomacher, and lace engageantes.  Fan, pearl bracelet and pearl choker each custom made and sized for a 6-year old child.  Underpinnings include a full panier with flounce and trim.

This is a Halloween costume I designed and constructed for my then 6-year old niece.  It is based on an 18th century court dress and incorporates the familiar Watteau pleat at the back. I used a combination of flat patterning and draping to build a muslin prior to cutting the brocade. The most time consuming part of the construction process was the pleat arrangement on the overdress and the underskirt. Scale was a also huge factor also so as the wearer didn't appear to be engulfed by this large dress. Many of the fabrics are flatlined to provide more body. The bodice is flatlined with coutil and lightly boned and lined with poly lining for comfort. The panier structure is a full skirt with steel three steel hoops. The oval shape is achieved with two panels - one on either side of the wearer's legs that stretch from front to back. The panier also includes a small bustle pad to prevent the panier from collapsing on the backs of the legs under the weight of the underskirt and overdress. I continue to make all manner of clothing for her ranging from special event apparel to Halloween costumes to coats and hats.  She stands very still for the preliminary measurements and the sometimes lengthy fittings.  Her two younger brothers often beg me to take their measurements so I can make them something.  It is rewarding and makes me feel like a million bucks when one of them introduces me to their friends as their uncle who sews their clothes!

bobbyb626, member
Posted on Dec 2nd, 2009 in design, garment construction, embellishments, fitting, reader's closet

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Comments (5)

pfaffmobile writes: Absolutely beautiful! How very wonderful for you to have that special relationship in your family....... More than 5 stars!
Posted: 11:33 pm on August 2nd

schmatta writes: Wow! After this, I fear it may be all downhill. (Just kidding, of course. I'm sure she will find couturiers aplenty.) Congratulations on an incredible creation.
Posted: 6:15 pm on December 28th

Clarasita writes: How wonderful to have such a doting and talented uncle who puts such work into making clothes for you. I was especially impressed with your attention to scale and proportion as well as historical accuracy. At that time in history, children's clothes were truly miniature versions of adult fashions, and you have achieved that in spades with this creation.
Posted: 12:35 am on December 17th

adyt writes: So Sorry, UNCLE! I was so impressed that uncle made it and yet I wrote auntie. Many apologies!
Posted: 1:52 pm on December 2nd

adyt writes: What a lucky girl! Should she get married...well, what fantasy one-of-a-kind gown will her auntie make for her? Fabulous costume.
Posted: 1:49 pm on December 2nd

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