Regency Inspired Dresses ~ A Journey

I have had a particular idea for a Regency dress for Coco for so long, honestly! On 2016 hubby got me the expensive lace, and this year I was finally able to make it. But, I wanted this dress -and one for Venezia- to fit on their story... so costume party it is! The story about that is in another post, so I can focus here on sewing and related rambles.

Read the store here: http://bit.ly/NewYearStory

So, this is a long post as you'll have some photos of the dresses, me being defeated by xmas lights (yet again), photos anecdotes and above all, a video! I decided to make a video about the process, steps and inspiration of the dresses. The one for Venezia is... sort of a novelty -a crossover between a menswear and the final outfit of the movie "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies", which I loved. And to be honest, V is having so many Mr. Darcy vibes!!

Anyways, here are some photos, and the anecdotes are below. I hope you will laugh at them.. or at my sillyness, hahahaha!!

So, where do we start with the anecdotes? Of course, sewing failures!

• Redo Coco's bodice twice (after cutting and gathering the very expensive lilac lace) because it was too short and the gathering too thick. Check.
• Redo V's chemissette (seen on video) three times because I either didn't like the fabric, the seams or the overall shape. Check.
• Spent 5 mins on V's hairdo, and 20 mins on Coco's updo. Check.
• Puncture myself underneath a nail so badly it started bleeding. Check.
• Change the beads/buttons on V's waistcoat 5 times, because reasons -buttons too small, loops to big, fastening not working, assymetrical placing, the right ones!. Check.
• Decide to embroider something for the first time ever, and not knowing what to do, so needing to rush to my mom's, claming for help. Check.
• Have to fill in V's boots with cotton because dang Iplehouse ankle joints do not allow movement. Check.
• Forget to make Coco's petticoat. Check.

Now, there are photography failures as well!

If you know me, you know that December means fighting against xmas lights, hoping to some day obtain a decent bokeh. So back in November I decided I wanted the white lights I saw last year and thought a whole set up with those. Hubby and I went to the store back then, but they "haven't made inventory" of the things... so we were back in early December, only to see they had the classic boring and pathetic lights, not even LED lights, for ridiculous prices and with green wire!! THE HORROR.

We went to another store, and I found affordable LED lights, but they were multicolor. I decided to get them anyways since the wire was transparent, though a little thick. So! I prepared this whole setup with white background, the lights, some tulle on top... and got the nice bokeh I wanted, with the wire conveniently blurred by both the lens and the tulle.

But wait, no bokeh on this photos! Thing is, when I went to edit the photos, they looked terrible. The blue lights were far more shiny than the yellows and red, and on the camera they saturated colors, and became almost as the same pale lilac as Coco's dress!! All the photos had that lilac background!

It doesn't need clarifying that I got really sad. I spent a Sunday and instead of going to nap (I become a zombie if I don't nap) trying to get some decent photos. Hubby and I tried so many things! Poor guy, he was there trying to help me. However, sadly nothing looked good... at least, not how I wanted it. I ended up using a golden-marble-like background, but I hated those photos. Not only I have used that background so much, but I was angry at the rule of "the prettiest or more effort on the clothing, the shittiest the photos".

Forward to a couple days after, I kept brainstorming ideas. I didn't want to spend any more on lights, so I though to make more backlit photos. I know I've been abusing these, but oh well... at least they look so much better! It was harder to make than with my tinies, but at least I got the pretty pure white background that I have wanted.

I hope you have enjoyed this outfits! V has so many Mr. Darcy vibes in these clothes that it is amazing... or Sherlock Holmes vibes, I dunno. Thing is, they look so great together! I might give them more "time" together on the story, hahahaha. Blame Daggry Saga for this, they ship them! xD