Earwen
(March 2017)
I found eight yards of color-shifting chiffon at the thrift shop, and immediately knew what I would use it for.
Blue/silver boned damask corset bodice, trimmed in silver lace and embellished with beads and sequins; chiffon shawl held up by a series of handmade pearl and shell shoulder necklaces and kept in place by snaps on the bodice; a steel blue silk charmeuse underskirt; a blue chiffon overskirt.
The final costume ended up changing quite a bit!
I drew this up after I had made the bodice and before I tackled the chiffon. I had been attempting to drape a pattern for a new design (halfway between this and the original sketch) and it wasn't happening. This was a happy medium.
This turned out very well! It's very supportive and doesn't dig in anywhere. My only error was in making the upper back too close together, and the lower back too far. I had to add a modesty panel to compensate.
The pearl harness holds up, and doesn't move around as I shift. Edges not yet hemmed.
More for my own comfort than the look, since the back of the corset top is mostly obscured by the veiling.
That's part of the design too, after all!
Sold September 2020