bodice ruffle

[Mother Dean]

This is the inspiration for my older daughter's winter best dress. Everything is done except putting the trim on the bodice and attaching the skirt.

My questions:
1) Do I trim the bodice and then attach the waistband or the other way around? I can't see that detail well enough.

2) What happens in the back? Does the ruffle stop just behind the shoulder or does it go to the waistband as well? Or perhaps it just travels across the back as one continuous ruffle?

3) Does anyone know where I found this picture? I am sure they have more detail photos that could easily answer my questions. Also, I would love to be able to post credits with this image.

As always,
Thank you so much for your time and assistance,

[Elizabeth]

#3: I have no idea where you found it. But I like it!

#2: Often frills do stop at the shoulder seam. Because the seams are dropped to the back, it's enough to visually "carry around", but you don't waste fabric on the back of the dress, and the trim has less chance of being squashed by coats and sitting.

#1: I'd construct the bodice (including setting the sleeves) and then tack on the trim. That gives you flexibility to change out the trim or repair it without having to take apart the bodice at all. It does look like the trim stops before the waistband.

That is a truly lovely frock! I LOVE the coral detail, and that bow at the back!

[Beth Chamberlain]

It's the MFA's, they even have a picture of the back, http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/woman-s-dress-in-four-parts-bodice-115982.

I kinda recognized the background and guessed it was the MFA. I know the fact that I have a few museum photography sets memorized says something and I'm not sure I want to know what that is    But, I tired something as an experiment. Google image search will now search on images, as in the actual picture not words describing the picture. You  need to have a second window open to Google image searching and just drag & drop the image in the search box. They have not crawled all the museum databases so it won't get you to the source (not now, I'm holding out hope for someday!) but it did take me to a blog where the blogger had credited the MFA. Something to keep in mind for all those un-ID'd images we've all got.

Beth

[Joanna Jones]

The flat front and triangle shape of the skirt, and the self-fabric collar make me think more of the late 60s to early 70s - am I way off base?  Though there is quite a shoulder-drop.

[Mother Dean]

Reviving an old thread because my question is about this project.

While searching the forum for something else, I came upon the info that you don't trim the skirt on a cotton dress. Does that, and the other "rules" for cotton dresses hold true on girl's clothes? The other "no-no" that I am hinting at is a pagoda style sleeve.

Thanks so much for your input,

[Elizabeth]

Short open sleeves show up in cottons for girl's dresses, but I've not seen a cotton print full-length open sleeve at this point (sheers, yes; silks, yes.)

Cotton prints *are* the embellishment, quite often. So, there's no *need* to add more trimming, generally, though there are always exceptions. If you're going for an exception, you'll want any trims to be as hard-wearing and washable as the cotton print, of course... and look at as many cotton print dresses as possible to get an idea of what sorts of embellishments would work with yours.

[Mother Dean]

Thanks Elizabeth.
I am sure that I knew about the self fabric ruffle but my brain is a bit frazzled. My daughter asked me to put the dress together (the skirt on the bodice) before all of the trimmings were on and I never got back to it. Now, I'm working on my cotton dress and thinking that I need to remake hers.

Here is the dress as it was when I stopped:

This was taken last fall.

She didn't want the coat sleeves as on the inspiration dress so I made open sleeves and added a box pleated ruffle. I think that she would be more open to the bishop sleeves now but she still doesn't like the coat style sleeve.

If I ever get done hemming the ruffle at the bottom, I can add that and the bodice ruffle.

She doesn't like the contrasting colors so I have blue silk to make a belt and bow.

What do you think? Does all of that sound right?

[Elizabeth]

A bishop sleeve would be very cute with this style, and a blue silk belt? Can I just sigh and "squee" for a second? That will be adorable! If you do remake the sleeve, re-use that sleeve trim on the bodice--you could get a great faux-yoked look, or just do a bit at the armscye. What a classic face she has--just lovely!!

[Mother Dean]

Thank you Elizabeth.
I really appreciate all of your help. Your patterns and support make everything much easier and I just wanted to take a moment and let you know.
So, again let me just say, Thank You. 

[Elizabeth]

Thanks, Jessica! I love getting feedback, positive and negative, but the positive is very fun.