1. have a sufficient amount (=about 7-8 yards, because of the large sleeves) of garnet ret velvet, likely to the one I used for the Pelican gown and
2. feel the urgent need of owning yet another red gown, which, often mentioned, is so not my color and
3. have about 150-200 yards of golden cord and
4. have about 3-4 months of time at hand and
5. should go absolutely crazy and
6. would not loose my mind while stitching down those 150-200 yards of golden cord to the fabric,

*THEN*, and only then, will I make this gown...
But as it's not very much likely (or rather: highly unlikely...) that all six of the aforementioned "IF"s should ever happen, I will probably simply keep that gown on my wish list

This gown, appearing in various paintings of Lucas Cranach, is obviously always the same - and so is the portrayed person.
There are also some portraits by Cranach that show much likely dresses; the following ones as examples - see more here:

And, no - I see absolutely no reason why many, many women of a certain period should wear - over the timespan of several years - all red velvet gowns with golden brocade / damask inserts. Due to the sheer amount of pictorial evidence for this particular gown I practically see myself forced to make one ;-)

I could use some red, high piled rayon velvet which I still have; and for the 'golden' parts of the gown, I could use some of the fabric for my Elizabeth Coronation gown:

which, in my opinion, would work quite well.

However- if I should have the choice (meaning if I should accidentally stumble over something like this...), then I would rather like to make the gown with a dark blue velvet and a silver/grey patterned brocade or damask - just like the very right one of the 'likely' dresses (which is black, I know). I could also do some pearl embroidery as seen on that particular gown... hmmm... let's see.

Time will tell what I will make of this idea ;-)

I must admit that I never found that particular gown too appealing, resulting in the fact that I never had any movie pictures of it on my hard disk. Too much black, and then this yellowish-peachy backing under the 'forepart'... Honestly, I found the gown somewhat boring...
Well - that was until I saw the recent Fashion show pictures....
...this was when I realized that the gown would be an interesting task to make, considering the fact that it has those nice 'nubbings' all over the black part - that's a Japanese technique of 'mis'treating fabric called Shibori which I'm quite familiar with. It's vaguely a crossover between permanently crushing and tie-dying fabric, leaving the material with those nice nubs.

If you should have the book: Fashion - The collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute shows on page 689 a shirt by Maurizio Gallante, which is made of fabric that was treated with the Shibori technique. The nubs are much smaller there, but it has to be taken into consideration that this fabric is much finer and thinner than the velvet used for the "Black Invasion" gown. Thicker fabric results in larger nubs. Shibori is originally used to dye fabrics, but can also be mis-used to texture them.

I was always fascinated by that technique and have made two velvet shawls using it, just never had any chance to try it on a complete gown.

Here's an edited close-up of those nubs:

Though those are quite a *lot* nubs... I would need at least 500 rubber rings to make them... not to speak of the amount of fabric that's needed to make this - at least three times as much as one would need if making this garment without the nubs...
And *then*, my dears, I practically stumbled over the perfect lace for that, well, can I call it 'forepart'? Oh, and the sleeves, too - and the bodice insert...
The lace I found is beaded, though - with black sequins, while the original doesn't seem to be beaded. Though I don't think that I wouldn't like the beading... I somehow remember the gown glittering in some places - though the fashion show pictures, which I actually *have* on my hard disk, don't confirm that; there's just this 'beaded bustle tail' on the backside:

which seems to be glittering with beading (picture edited to bring out details).
The lace is $60/meter (a little more than a yard), though, and I would need two meters (at least!) for that 'forepart', bodice insert and sleeves - this is why I haven't bought it yet.
But I'd like to, I would really like to...
Ooh, and isn't that headdress with those 'headphone' things just incredible...?
And I have *sooo* many other projects that I would still like to finish, *sigh*...

Update:
I know now why I remembered the gown 'glittering'.
I simply & accidentally mixed two gowns in my head; the one shown above and this one:

...and *this* one *is* glittering ;-)
You may, of course, ask how I could get confused with these gowns, which, even on hasty observation, don't look the same.

That's because this last gown (respectively the face & neckline of it) was the avatar of one of my message board users. And now take a look at this & compare these two gowns:

I think it's easy to confuse - on not-so-close inspection - those two necklines, the left one looking almost like the right, just that there seems to be a coat going with it...
Nevertheless, back to the project...
I'm still planning - *if* I should make this gown - to use the beaded lace for it - just because I like it.

There is one thing that these two pictures have in common (apart from two English Queens): The brooch!
See my study for that pendant/brooch here.
I like the jewel much, the two gowns are not too demanding - so - I want them both, together with this one jewel
For Mary's sleeves and underskirt - which to my utter amazement has a seam painted, so it's really a skirt and not a forepart (see lower right corner of the skirt in the picture) - I could dye a bit of this fabric:

a tad darker - this fabric is, by the way, used for my Elizabeth coronation gown, but I have enough of it to make at least another forepart / sleeves from.
Edit Oct. 05:
See my "Mary Tudor" costume page for information how an old, abandoned sofa which stood by the street changed my initial planning for the "Mary" gown practically from one day to the other ;-)
I'll leave both costumes on this planning page, though, as I have not really started on both gowns yet...

Inspired by the 'Peacock' gown Queen Elizabeth (Judi Dench) wears in the movie "Shakespeare in Love".
I won't exactly make it like *that* gown - I personally think it's, well... a *bit* overdone - but I will let myself be inspired by this true artwork of costuming.
It's so beautiful I could (and do!) cry each time I see it in the movie.
I'm thinking of using perhaps some blue-green changeant and golden silk taffeta, in combination with blue/green changeant silk velvet, some golden fabric printing and stones, lots of beautiful sparkling Swarovski rhinestones in sapphire, emerald and topaz. Oh - and peacock feathers of course... many of them; especially on the 'stomacher' part of the bodice and on the forepart.
My gown will be more blue than green, however...
Update October 05:
Found a nice blue/green taffeta fabric which I could use for this gown. Have not bought that particular fabric yet, though.
I would like to make this gown as a doll costume before I start making an actual, human sized gown - this will help me a *lot* in this case to exactly determine how much material I will need for the decorations, which will be the most expensive thing on this gown.

I simply love this gown, but still hesitate the task of sewing all those buttons on... and, of course, the actual task of *paying* all those buttons (the slashing etc. is not really the problem - but I so hate sewing on buttons...).
I have an idea where I could obtain a relatively cheap, larger amount of black velvet for this gown, and also have a loose idea where I could get the buttons plus how to make the closures. This gown could also be made from Margo's patterns.
Read an interesting note on the painting here.

I'm just scared of embroidering the velvet guards... call me a coward...
Material: I have something in mind, but have not bought it yet, as I don't want the gown made of satin but a nicely patterned brocade, as pictured in Janet Arnold's "Patterns of Fashion":

(Picture doesn't show Eleonora, but Isabella of Portugal, wife of Emperor Charles V, on her grave statue by Pompe, 1564.
She's wearing a dress much similar to Eleonora's, just that the skirt is split at the front to reveal a forepart - which I like a lot, I think I'll make mine at least split able, too.)

But I have already programmed the embroidery designs for the guards for my embroidery machine. I would use an enlarged version of the original pattern as given in 'Patterns of Fashion' for this gown.
It would also be quite nice to actually have one gown of Eleonora's daughter - which I have by creating the Maria di Medici gown - and this one of her mother

Update November 2005:
I know now what fabric I will make the gown from; I already have it. Plus - in addition to the paned sleeves Janet Arnold has drawn to the gown in her book, I will make another pair of sleeves - those here:

Those are the sleeves of the 'Italian gown' from 'Elizabeth R' - find my studying page for that movie here. I just love that chevron look of those sleeves.
Though, of course, at least the long strips from shoulder to wrist would have to be embroidered in the same way as the guards on the gown are embroidered - so - at least another 3 yards of guards to be embroidered...
Update December 2005:
Chance has it that I will be going to Italy in February 2006. Given the chance that my travel will also bring me to Milano, then I would like to have this gown finished until then - to take some pictures.
The chance that I can actually have it finished until then, however, are relatively small as the embroidery of the guards will take very long...

I have absolutely all the needed materials at hand - I'm plainly just searching for a reason to make this gown, which I currently can't find.
Let's just say that due to personal reasons, my... uhm... costume-wise connection to Lord of the Rings has been, uhm, a little bit severed and I don't see too many reasons to re-establish it.
Edit November 2005:
Someone asked me if I could make this gown for her, if I don't want to make it for myself.
Well, as long as I don't have to make it for myself, I won't mind making it, especially because she totally adores the samples of the fabrics I sent to her ;-)
M. - it's yours :-)
Here's a digitally composed and edited picture of the fabrics I want to use, side by side with the original gown:

(Left side shows original costume; right side shows my composition. Fabric of gown is a bit too turquoise in this picture.)
...and if that doesn't fit, then I don't know ;-)
When I start making it, I will make a site for it in the 'Other' costumes area of my site, however - originally it was planned for me, and I am so much willing to record the making process somewhere.

...made with a similar pattern from one of the various editions of 'Patterns of Fashion'.
This will perhaps become my second red gown.
Update July 2005:
I have found - and I mean found; found *on the street* while a *very* old house of a deceased old lady in my hometown was sorted out - some yards of ex-curtains, made of an incredible, rose colored velvet, woven in two-tone-rose with leaves. I took those giant curtains home and washed them, which brought them back to their former beauty.
This will be the material I will be using for this riding gown - at least for skirt and jacket (and, yes, I know that skirt and jacket are not made of the same material in the movie, but I will do it that way).
I will still have to dye the fabric, though - but the way the curtains washed make me think that they will take the dye absolutely beautiful :-)
I will still have to look for a material suitable for the vest, though.

...not for myself, but for a friend... Pattern making is finished, I now need to make a mockup and send it to him to find out if it fits - remember, I'm used to sew for women but not for men. Will see how it turns out... See the studying page for that costume in the "Research" area of this site, under "movies".

In fact, I've more or less already started collecting the materials for this gown... uhm, no, by now I have started sewing trims to the front overskirt...just to see how they would look... plus I have made a test gown for a doll, to determine the final shape.
I will have to change the neckline to something more historical, though. Plus I will be making a doublet with spanish sleeves for it.
And I probably don't need to tell you that I would rather say that this gown should be placed in a time about 100 years later than it is in the movie... plus, the neckline is so *not* period at all - especially not for "Isabella the Catholic", as that particular Queen was called during her reign.
Plus, as it turns out, my wish for Mary Tudor's brown gown would even give me another gown from the lineage of Isabel - Mary was, in fact, the granddaughter of Isabella, as her mother was Catherine of Aragon - Isabella's daughter... though Mary's gown is probably much more historical than this one of Isabella in the movie ;-)
See the studying page for that costume in the "Research" area of this site, under "movies".

Now - this is a very own design of mine, inspired by three gowns; namely the gown worn by the female moderator of the European Song Contest 2005, the wedding gown from "The Patriot" and the 'Angel' gown from "Ever after".
However - I am planning to combine elements from these gowns on a Baroque or Rococo gown. I am quite certain about the loose outer shape of the gown, but the elements of decoration will come while making the gown.
I have not yet started collecting materials for it; I need more time to let the design grow in my head; but I'll let you know when it's ready for the public

A gown inspired by... and made for...
Sorry, I cannot yet write more because that would spoil the surprise for some people
Planning is finished, collecting the materials has begun; but I can't let you know more until it is finished for the purpose it's planned for.
Just one thing I can tell you: This gown will be made with at least 15,000 Swarovski crystals in various colors and sizes plus a large amount of silk that has been mistreated so much that you won't be able to recognize it as silk any more.... The only thing keeping me from even just starting on this gown is the price for the Swarovski crystals which I currently can't afford.

...plus some gowns from various books, which I can't show here as these books - especially "Fashion" - are under strict copyright.
However, if you have those books and would like to look them up..:

Patterns of Fashion 1 (1660-1860):

• p. 48, 1798-1805 Salisbury Museum: Morning dress in white cotton (already have fabric for that one ;-) )

Patterns of Fashion (1560-1620):

• p. 80, Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt: Jerkin of embroidered black satin (for my son)

Patterns of Fashion (1860-1940):

• p. 20, 1861-3, The London Museum: Day dress

• p. 68, c. 1918, Centre de Documentation du Costume: Evening dress with Zouave hemline

• p. 31b, c. 1928-9: Evening dress (This probably won't surprise you, but this one will be made in blue instead of black. Already have all necessary fabrics.)

Norah Waugh, Cut of women's clothes 1600-1900:

• Carriage Dress from Diagram XLVII (in blue/beige checkered fabric and blue velvet)

• Afternoon dress from Diagram XLIX (in brown satin, with brown or black velvet decorations)

Fashion - The collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute:

• p. 110/111: Robe à la francaise with painted flowers - though I#d prefer it in light blue instead of pink

• p. 116: Blue jacket and gillet - after having started on the embroideries for the Valois slashed gown, I think I could also do something like this... I would also have to make a matching petticoat, though - that would be likely to the one on...

• p. 122 - embroidered skirt (with the jacket mentioned above). I'd change the embroidered flowers from red to blue to make them match the jacket.

• p. 159 - dress, c. 1800 - I have found a perfect fabric for this - it's an embroidered *curtain*. While I otherwise strongly dislike empire gowns, especially the white ones, I think I'll have to put that particular embroidered curtain to good use ;-)

• p. 210/211: Day dress, c. 1845 - but in blue/black changeant fabric. If anyone else instead of me should have fallen in love with that gown, but incidentally would love a green/orange combination: I still have a metallic woven Dupioni silk, orange silk / metallic green warp and weft threads - this would be absolutely perfect for that gown - though not for myself, if I would wear the orange / green color combination, I would look as if I had been dead for several centuries...

• p. 260/261: Cranberry silk velvet / duchesse gown, designed by C. F. Worth.
  I've once said in jest that if I could lay my hands on a piece of the original cut velvet for that gown, then afterwards I'd be willing to have those hands cut off. This gown is so incredibly beautiful that I could cry; but I strongly doubt that I will ever find a matching fabric for this one.

• p. 378-384: 'Delphos' gowns by Mariano Fortuny
  Having seen a Fortuny Delphos dress in person (see 'Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe'), I must say that they are totally different from what I thought they would be. I had assumed that the gowns were made of something like crushed habotai silk, but they are indeed made of crushed silk taffeta. The pleating is unbelievable small; no more than 3mm / 1/8 inch per pleat, in some cases even smaller. I don't think that this could be done, especially on silk taffeta, by mere crushing of the fabric; this would result in pleats at least double as wide.
  But I'm totally in love with how the dresses drape and such!

• p. 517; Coat dress by Christian Dior
  ...just that mine would have to be made in midnight blue velvet instead of dark emerald green ;-)

• p. 524/525: Evening dress, bag and shoes by Christian Dior
  I could beat myself for hours: I've had a perfect fabric for this gown in my hands (not silk taffeta, though; but the pattern was perfect!). I didn't buy it at that point of time, and now, it's no more available :-(
  Perhaps if I'm very lucky I will find more of that fabric one day - and you can be sure that I will buy it then!

• p. 624/625 (middle - the rainbow colored one): Jacket, designed by Thierry Mugler, 1990
  Just beautiful! And I've been thinking ever since I saw this jacket how I could come up with a pattern for that darn jacket, *lol*... because as simple as it looks - it's not. I guess *that* would be a garment for which even *I* would make a muslin!