Of Ballgowns, Renn Faire, and Silver Shoes

Hello!!! Today's post is the long promised look at both the ballgown and the wardrobe I created for the premiere of my first feature film, 'The Return'! I filmed this movie on location in Wisconsin in October and January... brrrrrr!!!! This Southern girl had never seen snow, so it was quite an experience! 
First thing's first is the costume. It is a gown for a Lady of yesteryear. I didn't refashion this, I had to make it from scratch, so I used a pattern for the first time. (First time meaning, I made myself do it, figured out all the hard parts, and completed it.) I hope to never apply those little clasp/ring thingamabobs ever again, that was probably the most frustrating part of the process.

No process pics. I'm not sure if I took them and lost them, or just never took them.

Somehow I didn't get a good, full length picture of it, but there's the general idea! It's actually slightly too big for me, but I don't think it really matters that much for this type of costume.

After the film wrapped, I visited the Goodwill that was within walking distance from the hotel the day before I went home. And there I found this:

I knew when I tried it on that it was special, I just wasn't sure exactly how yet. It was about $7, and in really good condition. For reals I bought so much stuff at that Goodwill I almost couldn't pack it. My refashion senses were going haywire. I got home and started playing with it, and slowly an idea grew. A couple months later, I found this, for about $8 at the most run down thrift shop I'd ever visited.

Way too big. But are you feeling it yet? Wait for it...

I decided the China red, while lovely, wasn't what I wanted. It's just not my color. So I gave it a dye bath with blue dye. I experimented with the fabric from those horrid shoulder pads to be sure I got the shade I wanted, good thing too, if I'd followed directions, it'd have been much darker than I wanted.

So, cut away the neckline, (which almost made it too low for my preference), and salvaged the lovely lace applique around said neckline, which I took a black sharpie to.  I removed the buttons and sewed the front down to about my stomach, after confirming that I could indeed pull this gown over my head. Then I painstakingly sewed the now black lace applique down the front to hide the button holes, with slightly questionable results. Removed the sleeves and hemmed everything up. (The whole process took a long time, with alot of frustrations, refittings, tweakings, etc, but it was worth it!) I removed the corset stays from the black dress, and took it in to fit, then put the first gown over it. There was lots of room in the skirt, so I made poufs? on the red dress similar to what the black gown had, instead of letting it lay straight. Gave the whole thing a more elegant look. And here is the final result!

I absolutely love it!!! So pleased with how it turned out! I've already been asked to turn it into a costume for another project I'll be filming later this year, which makes me very happy I didn't throw away the sleeves, I'll just reattach them and make them poofy for a Victorian look. 

And isn't my hub hott?