Victorian Blue: Planning

I've named this project Victorian Blue because the fabric from the stash that I earmarked for it is a dark blue and a light blue with a dark blue stripe. I used my scanner to grab those swatches. I think it worked better than take photos.

I've got over five yards of the dark blue and seven and half yards of the striped. The most I should need is four yards and 3/8ths for bodice and underskirt and three yards for the contrast apron and drape. Yeah, fabric to spare! Now what else do I need to this dress?

Shopping List

• Thread = I have plenty of blue in the sewing supplies.
• Eight hook (and bar) closures = After careful reading of the directions, I figured out they want you to use six hook and bar closures for the skirt, apron, and drape and two on the petticoat and bustle pillow. I have those in the stash already.
• Three hook and eye closures = I have in the stash.
• Six oz. polyester fiberfill = Have in the stash.
• 5/8 yard fabric for Dickey = I decided to use the same dark blue that I'm using for the apron and drape.
• 3/4 yard fabric for Bodice Lining = This holds the interfacing and boning. I can use the dark blue fabric. It doesn't show through the stripes, but it has a tighter weave.
• Five and 3/8 yards of 7/8-inch wide grosgrain ribbon for waistband and tabs of Skirt, Petticoat, and Bustle pillow = Which I have plenty of after running out making the corsets how many years back?
• 16" lightweight separating zipper = Normally I would take this out and use period fastenings, but I have a collection of Truly Victorian patterns for bodices with period fastenings. If I hate how it is with the zipper, I'll make a new bodice with one of those patterns rather than hack this one.
• One package of navy or black ¼-inch wide twill tape = Don't have any twill tape. It is used to hold the drawstrings for the drape, so it's best to get it in navy or black.
• One package of navy ½-inch wide single-fold bias tape = This is used to finish off the bodice and then is covered with trim. Navy is probably the best choice.
• Three ½-inch plastic rings = These are to help bunch-up the drape.
• Seven pearl or gold 5/8-inch buttons = Well, the buttons I had stashed away thinking they'd be perfect turned out to be 3/8-inch. I have a shiny pearl and gold brooch-like button I plan on sewing to the dickey, so what buttons I decide on using must match that. I do have plenty 5/8-inch buttons but they are a bronze color rather than gold, and I'm leaning toward pearly.
• Two and 3/8 yards of 45-inch wide lining fabric for Drape = This lining helps sandwich the crinoline fabric, and it looks like the lining is against the skirt. I usually use the cream-colored cotton I have gobs of, but I may need to buy dark blue to match.
• Two and 3/8 yards of 54-inch wide crinoline fabric for Drape = Once I got over my confusion about this stuff, I realized I don't have any in the stash.
• One and 3/8 yards of 22-inch to 36-inch wide medium weight non-fusible interfacing for Bodice, Dickey Collar, and Apron Back = What I have in the stash is fusible.
• Two and ¼ yards of 3/8-inch wide featherweight = Yes, I will be wearing a corset like a proper Victorian lady would (no way would I trust my girls to just that), but I will bone the bodice to support the proper shape.
• Three and ¼ yards of One and 1/8-inch wide jacquard braid for Bodice and Skirt trim = Now we've come to the trim options that I don't have. These choices will probably be made in the fabric store.
• Seven and ¼ yard of 5/8-inch wide flat lace edging for Bodice and Skirt Trim = Personally, I'm not crazy about lace, but it makes this dress.
• Two and 7/8 yards of 5/8-inch wide gimp braid for Bodice = I'm already sorry for the fabric store whose trim choices I must decimate.
• 7/8 yard of One and 3/8-inch wide braid for Sleeve trim = We're still not done with trim?
• Eight and 3/8 yards of four-inch wide pre-gathered lace = One and 3/8 yards are needed for the sleeve trim, seven yards for the apron and skirt trim.
• Four and 7/8 yards of One and ¾-inch wide braid for Apron and Skirt Trim = Where the heck do you sew all this trim on?
• Two and 3/8 yard of One and 1/2-inch wide satin and sheer ribbon for Bows = Wait, you have to make the bows?
• Mom's bow maker kit = This I can borrow, but I know I'll never make pretty bows if I have to tie them without help.

Okay, one thing I REALLY don't like about this pattern and caused me a good deal of headaches: they labeled the contrasting drape the bustle in the pattern instructions and on the pattern pieces. Once I figured out what they were talking about, I was okay. Then I'm looking over the instruction while composing the shopping list:

Pin crinoline to bustle and lower bustle sections, having raw edges even. Baste raw edges even.

WTF? As far as I knew crinoline equals hoop skirt a.k.a petticoat, and the pattern includes a petticoat as View C which I will have to make too. Luckily, Wikipedia explained that there is a fabric called this but the hoop skirt co-opted the word in 1850. I know there's limited space with these patterns, but I think an explanation could have been squeezed in somewhere in the packaging. After the fun I've had with typos in other patterns, I would have just assumed the writer mixed up their terms and not realized I had another type of fabric to look for. Especially when the co-opting took place over a century ago!

So this is my rough coloration of how I think it will turn out. I have no idea what I'll find for the trim.