Scalloped Lace

Hours: 6
Tasks: finished sewing bodice lace seams together; began reworking scalloped lace edging for bodice trim
Entertainment: Law & Order: Criminal Intent; Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen

Today is the day I started adjusting the scalloped lace edging for the bodice of the dress. The lace fabric came with some beautiful scallops around the edge which will be perfect for the hem of the skirt, but were a bit big for the bodice. The woman at the shop where we bought the lace showed how we could make the scallops smaller by basically resewing the lace a bit closer together, so that's what I'm doing now. Here's a picture of it in progress:

(At right: in its original state; in the middle: pinned to its new shape; at left: sewn.)

There are two seams in this picture. Can you find them? I hope not!



Today was also the day I finished sewing the seams of the lace bodice together. Because the seams at the bust are curved, they needed to be pinned and sewn while the lace was on the mannequin. So I brought the dressform in to the living room (duly dressed in both bra and corset), threw on a biography of Elizabeth I, and finished seaming the lace for the bodice. (Sometimes watching a movie full of amazing costumes helps me feel empathy with the seamstresses of old, realizing just how much work goes in to a beautiful dress - and they had to do it ALL by hand!)

It's looking lovely, if I do say so myself. I'm very pleased, and so excited to be heading towards a completed dress!