Belle Epoque Ensemble, part 2.

 I have been down with the flu for several days now and my frustration levels are going up. The bodice for my Belle Epoque ensemble is nearly done it just needs to be finished. If you follow me on instagram (https://www.instagram.com/medievalwitch74/) you have been able to see the progress I have made but I will share the pictures here as well.

back of the bodice

When you have to piece together a bodice from leftover scraps of velvet the chances of making a mistake with the pile is higher. I have been sewing for years and this still happens! Fortunately there is still enough fabric left.

Front of the bodice

Putting in the boning and playing around with 

decorating ideas.

The boning is in, now I just need to finish the hems and sew in the sleeves. Sewing in the lace was all I could do while having the flu. The rest really will have to wait until I feel well enough. I really love the combination of the green with the white. Still not sure if I am bold enough to decorate the dress. I'm not a frilly kinda girl, bit strange maybe when you are into Victorian costuming, and I love the clean lines of my inspiration pieces.

(l) Posthumous portrait of Empress Elisabeth of Austria

 attribute to Joszi Arpad Koppay ca.1898 

(m)Maria Feodorovna wearing a fur-trimmed red dress

 by François Flameng in 1894. 

(r)Edith Kingdon Gould in her red Worth dress, 

portrait by Théobald Chartran, 1898

I am still thinking of adding satin ribbon flowers or maybe some white fur to the heads of the sleeves though much like the brown fur in the portrait of Maria Feodorovna.