Past Projects · Titanic Evening Gown

With the anniversary of the Titanic last year, our dear friends the Yens hosted a ball as an excuse to make 1912 evening gowns.  So we obliged. :-)  My inspiration came from "Costume in Detail", one of my very favoritest books!!  I have always loved the 1911 evening gown, and this seemed like the ideal time to make it.  I was slightly limited, design-wise due to my desire to utilize my extensive stash collection.  I was rather pleased with the outcome, though- due to stocking up on fabrics during super-clearances and then putting them in the stash, I was able to make this dress for less than $25- all supplies included!  It's projects like this that make me feel like my attempts at using up the stash are futile- there are just so many benefits to having it!  The dress has a fitted, boned lining and the top fabric is draped in place over it (thanks to my wonderful mother!).  The sleeves and neckline are trimmed with a row of tiny beads.  The necklace was made with various jewelry findings from Hobby Lobby and JoAnns.

The back train buttons up for ease in dancing.  A close-up of the back skirt pleats.

I'll let you in on a secret about my fabric stash.  I have so many great stories about how "I had just the fabric I needed!" or "This project was so inexpensive!", but in reality, dark secrets lurk inside those Rubbermaid tubs in the closet....  This fabric would be one of those.  Yes, I love the fabric, yes, it was a GREAT price, but the plain truth is that when you're confronted with silk at $2-6/yd, you rarely know exactly how much to buy.  Case in point- I have 5 1/8 yds of this fabric left, and I have NO clue what I'll ever use it for.  It's just not terribly versatile for multiple eras.  But, it shall lurk on.... hoping to one day be the answer to another of my pressing "needs". ;-)

Photos by Kathryn and Laura