Evenstar Designs

I'm not dead!! I started college, so sewing has kinda taken a back seat to nursing school. But I got a nice long Christmas break, so I decided to whip up a new gown. It's inspired by the Sissi Movies like my pink one . I think I might decorate it more when I come home again in the summer, but I didn't have enough time to hem yards of ruffles and bows. Also, my mom got me a "Sissi Star" necklace from Vienna for Christmas. Empress Elizabeth was known for the star jewelry she wore in her hair. Jewelers in Austria make star hairclips, necklaces, brooches, and earrings to commemorate the Empress. I was hoping for snow to take pictures, and two days before I left, it did! Oh, and I finally cut my hair! I donated 14 inches on New Year's Eve.  New Year, new hair.

I call it a "faux polonaise" because it was a mistake... the kind of mistake you make when you try to hand sew a gown by yourself in about four days. I only had 2.5 yards of the fabric which we figured was enough to make a short gown. But while a was burning the midnight oil, I forgot that tiny detail, and cut the skirt full length. This meant that the skirt would be awkwardly narrow. So I decided I could disguise the lack of fullness by decorating it in the 1780s style and pretending it was a polonaise with out the "polonaised" skirt. It worked well enough. It was so much fun to fit the gown to a real person instead of a dress form! I spent hours hand hemming and gathering white trim, but I love the way it looked! It's also really fun to sew outside when the weather is nice! And here she is wearing it in Williamsburg with a neckerchief: Not my best work, but she wore it well, and I think the ruffles are darling!