Grey Joy- GoT costume

Nicely underway, Daenerys costume [Grandmother of dragons] using McCall’s 7854 and fabrics from stash for World Book Day on Thursday.

I had ALMOST enough of the vintage grey moire silk faille, at just over 4 yards, but it’s vintage, so rather narrow, and I just couldn’t get the enormous hanging over sleeves out of it, despite much faffing with single layer layout, chalk outlines etc.

A little stash dive [it was RIGHT ON TOP of the black/grey/white crate] reminded me of this lovely chenille upholstery fabric, also gifted from a sewing pal, so I cut the contrast upper front bodice out of it, and the BACK of the two piece hanging sleeves.  It may seem crazy not to cut both parts, but that would have wasted a silly-sized piece of the silk, and I’m worried about the bulk at the armscye with basically sewing in two complete sleeves to one bodice.

 

The chenille is lovely, and is a nod to another wonderful season 7 costume, the grey faux fur coat, with its interesting ‘ribbed’ design.

I want to echo that gorgeous chain too…

I also cut the ‘capelet’, or shoulder piece in the chenille, the ribbed texture gives interest with all the curves and changing directions.  I decided to abandon the idea of a cloak, too much bulk, and it’s just a pleated rectangle attached at the back neck with hooks and eyes…pointless really.

The capelet was fun to make- every piece is interfaced first to keep the strong shape, and the Pfaff coped admirably with the huge number of layers as I attached the flanges and encased them between the two layers….6 or more layers of interfaced upholstery fabric is CHUNKY.

I’m currently playing with embellishment- I’ve pulled out the remaining silver/white beads from my wedding dress, plus some grey ribbons and a tiny bit of iridescent trim from DD’s wedding [7 years ago now, blimey how time flies].  It can be fastened invisibly with a trouser hook and bar, or I may make a feature fastening, let’s see how the muse takes me.

The instructions for the slit openings in the dress front leave something to be desired.  You’re instructed to finish the edges.  Check.  Then sew the seams down to the opening.  Check.  then ‘press open’ but the illustration shows the extensions pressed to one side.  I’ve left it at open, but may fiddle with it once I’ve tried it on.

The bodice front is interfaced, and cut out without the V front opening.  You then bag it out with a lining piece, sewing down the V, then cut into it and turn through.  I may need to turn it back through and add a bit more interfacing just round the V to support it.  The ‘ordinary’ sleeves are assembled and sitting by.

The silk faille frays like HELL and I broke my overlocker on the woolly jumper, so I’m waiting to get a new footplate [I broke one of the pins off it, eek, new plate should arrive from SMD tomorrow].  Seams are therefore having to be zigzagged or pinked, which is fine, it just takes a little longer.

The back zip got inserted by hand, for  a nice neat finish which is almost invisible in the ribs of the faille.

So, I’m ready for inserting sleeves once I’ve tried it on to pin the side seams…but one more decision- should I line those over-sleeves or not?  I have some gorgeous red/grey shot taffeta lining which would add a much needed splash of colour and drama…and it’s very thin so shouldn’t adversely affect the already excessive bulk of sleeves…wait and see.

Anyway, I’ve now pinned the side seams, and to my surprise it’s a pretty good fit, I just need to make the underbust darts a bit bigger to take it in  a couple of inches.  Cool!

PS I finished hand-sewing the capelet at work at lunch, and showed my little posse of 6th formers the work so far…and it is recognisable as GoT yay!