Six Napoleon, the work begins…

Because I’ve been thinking [and even dreaming] about this while everyone else has cracked on with it.   Ruth’s finished hers, and it’s gorgeous.  Marijana has completed the bodice but isn’t happy with the skirt [yet] and Kate promises to reveal hers very soon.  There are more, but I haven’t tracked all of them down yet, there are links in Marijana’s post.

We’re already more than a  week past the original deadline, which was extended to the end of this month, so I’d better get a move on!

So, the inspiration

My fabrics

 

6Napoleon challenge fabric

And my steampunk twist inspiration images

Everyone else seems to have gone to HUGE lengths to drape or draft patterns for the complicated looking skirt.  All I’ve done is make a slit and a few fold in a piece of kitchen roll.  Not really QUITE scientific enough to risk hacking up my silk, but here’s the plan, in what I hope is the final form:

• Skirt and bodice will be separate pieces, this way I can can theoretically get plenty of wear out of the skirt at least.
• The yoke of the skirt will be in grey stretch jersey, using my favourite StyleArc ‘Ursula’ skirt pattern, angled off.  I’ve just this morning got the missus to wear one of my ‘Ursulas’ so that I could rough out style lines with masking tape.
• The skirt will have three layers:  an underskirt in the fine silk georgette, and two layers of the check silk.  The check layers will have deep silk organza hem facings.  I did the maths for that at about 6am today before going back to bed for a nap:  they’ll be about 18cm deep.  
• The bodice will be made from Truly Victorian 460, which I used for my lilac evening gown.  The fit is already good, and it should be straightforward to make the appropriate changes to the hemline.  I want the neckline to follow the hemline too, more flattering for me than a high round neck.
• I woke up this morning to the brainwave of retaining the stretch in the bodice back and side panels, and only making the front non-stretch.  I’ve dug out a couple of remnants of stretch woven fabrics which should stabilise the extremely stretchy wet-look fabric [£1/m from Barry’s if you recall] while keeping some of the properties.  One is a bit of greenish denim, one some green stretch broadcloth which has been around for about 20 years.  Everything has its place in time!
• Fastening- could be buttons, hooks or even a zip, I’ll see what I think at the final stages.  I may make little sleeve swags to distract from my aged upper arms.  That will also be a final stage choice.

Right, see you later!