I got bored while I waited for my no-show piano lessons to show, so I started mocking up Elizabeth's robe using Simplicity 5840, my old stand-by robe pattern, since it has a back yoke.
A little nip here, a tuck there and it doesn't look like the same pattern. The fabric I chose for the robe is 40" wide and I have 6 yards, 2 in one piece and 4 in another. I also have lining fabric and a trim to use in place of the picot trim. From pictures, it looks like they must have had a big lot of that picot trim and used it on everything. I have a few little cream colored rosette things from when I was into making ornaments and I think my mom has more somewhere.
I'm opting not to do the back like in the movie, just with a few tucks to give the 'look'. Besides, I don't have that much fabric and my inner Tim Gunn is saying to 'make it work'.
Actually, I didn't have to modify the robe pattern too much, which frankly surprised me. I did take in the armholes and sides some, and I didn’t make it as wide across the back as the pattern actually is.
I jumped right and cut out the fabric. It was a good thing I'd gotten more, as I wouldn't have had enough for both sleeves if I hadn't. Cut out the lining. I bought a trim for the neckline and front edge that I planned to dye green to match the green on my fabric. Ultimately, I decided not to use it and to couch cording on instead. You can see the original trim I’d planned in the updated pictures. I also bought a big bag of 80 cream colored ribbon roses to dot along the neckline and front edge -- 2" apart I think. I'll play with that before I start adding them, but 2" seems right.
In the pictures, I've got the picot-like trim sewn to the neckline and front edges, but not the sleeves. I've pinned the sleeves (unhemmed so far) and darned if it isn't going to line right up with the flowers on the fabric!
I carefully sewed the lining on through the trim and it's looking pretty good I think.
In the pictures the robe is not hemmed. Nor are the sleeves done. I'm currently working on the neckline/front.
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