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Gatsby Ribbon Frock

Front view of finished gown before a drycleaning was done to remove sizing in the petersham ribbon.
I finished the skirt hem with white 2 horsehair braid.

Back view of the frock at ADSCs Gatsby Summer Afternoon.

Detail of the bodice and chevron effect in the bias skirt.
I omitted the sleeves from the original pattern and finished the armseyes with silk organza single bias to keep them invisible.

I found this late-1930s evening gown in an antique shop the fall of 2000. It is of ribbon sewn onto cotton bobbinet. It inspired me to create this white version of my own!

Shows the beginning process of stitching petersham onto the silk organza.

Front view of finished gown before a drycleaning was done to remove sizing in the petersham ribbon.

I finished the skirt hem with white 2" horsehair braid.

My focus this year of 2011 has been to tackle projects that I thought about or started sewing YEARS ago.

This project involved the subject of my personal study over the last three years, that of making my own fabric. In this case, I 'made the fabric' for the gown by stitching 7/8" millinery petersham in rows spaced 1/4" apart upon 45" silk organza which I had pre-dyed with 'Sparkling White' Jacquard Lumiere paint diluted with water.

I modified a 1938 McCall frock pattern (link provided) to create the gown so that the skirt was in two pieces each front and back cut on a true bias, thus creating the chevron effect down the centers front and back.

I have dreamt of doing this project for 11 years and finally executed it so I could participate in the 2011 Art Deco Society of California's Gatsby Summer Afternoon. I am so thrilled with the results!

All are welcome to see more detail and construction documentation on my Facebook album:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.102500006490456.4124.100001913708857&l=30a67697ff&type=1

or, from my blog posts:

http://evadress.blogspot.com/2011/04/white-out-beginning-of-my-gatsby-frock.html

http://evadress.blogspot.com/2011/08/another-gatsby-ribbon-frock-update.html

http://evadress.blogspot.com/2011/08/finished.html

Pattern or design used: 1938 McCall Frocks

EvaDress, member
Posted on Aug 26th, 2011 in garment construction, fabric, reader's closet, art-to-wear, bias seams to match lines, double bias binding, single bias facing

Comments (12)

janyce writes: Wow! The work that went into this ... but you made your dream come true! The dress is stunning!!
Posted: 5:15 pm on January 29th

EvaDress writes: moushka,

The original gown was sewn in the same manner-ribbon stitched upon fabric first, then cut out. The difference is that a few strips of ribbon were applied after all construction stitching was complete, such as along the joining of the bodice/skirt and the strips over the shoulders. Thank you for your comments!
Posted: 9:29 pm on November 15th

moushka writes: Can you tell if the black dress fabric came that way or was the ribbon added to the bobbinet in the same way you stitched your fabric? It's a lovely garment. Your patience in creating your dress is admirable. You must have the most exquisite wardrobe. Everything you make is gorgeous.
Posted: 8:53 pm on October 11th

Flatlander49 writes: Stunning! What a beautiful dress so wonderfully executed. You have to be proud! Well done!!
Posted: 8:25 am on October 5th

megamom writes: WOW!! Beautifully sewn, a true work of art.
Posted: 9:41 am on October 1st

Shesews518 writes: Wow! Quite impressive!
Posted: 5:00 pm on September 27th

beatriz_cac writes: oh my lord, it looks fantastic!
could you help me by answering a very quick questionnaire? it's just so i gather some information for my school project, and i would really love to hear the opinions from you experienced artists! you can find it on readers closet, titled "questionnaire".
Thank you so much!
Posted: 9:12 am on September 17th

kwtxn writes: OUTSTANDING !!
karen trott
Posted: 8:28 pm on September 6th

PinkerPaws writes: This is exquisite! What a wonderful concept, beautifully stitched.
Posted: 11:10 pm on August 27th

DustyBunny writes: This is quite lovely. I adore the visual texture that the petersham provides against the silk. Well done!
Posted: 9:27 am on August 27th

EvaDress writes: Thank you for the compliment eMMb, I did not 'clock' the entire project as it were, but I can tell you that placing and sewing each strip of ribbon on the organza took 10 minutes.

I used almost 250 yards of 7/8" rayon/cotton millinery petersham from JudithM.com and 5-1/2 yards of 45" net organza from ThaiSilks.com.
Posted: 10:27 pm on August 26th