Padme Amidala Queen Amidala's dress she wore to Qui-Gon's funeral?

Hi, I've started working on this dress. I'm posting my progress in this thread

I haven't done much more than scouting fabric, and I'm working on the underwear right now.

 

I have the basic shape of the stays I want to use under the gown, I'm just waiting for the boning to arrive. I've also started on the petticoat. I have a hoopskirt, with quite a triangular silhouette, and now the next step will be to add ruffles to the petticoat to hide the hoops.

My advice for the gown would be to start looking for a fitted bodice with a mandarin collar. You would also need to decide how you want to close it, in the front or in the back. If you want back closure I would look for a pattern with a centre back seam for example. The sleeves and skirt parts are probably easier to add later on. Something like this would probably be a good start. Personally I'm going to start fumble with Butterick 4051 (discontinued) as a starting point. I'm choosing that simply because I have it, and I don't feel like ordering patterns that I will need to alter anyway. My pattern will need a lot of modiciations though, the shoulder seams is to far back, it's too open at the front and things like that. Well, that's what you have weekends for.

 

Scrap my previous post on what pattern I'm going to use. I was home at my sister yesterday and went through her patternbox. I found a pattern of a dreadful 80's ensemble, but one of the parts was a long velvet coat with a fitted bodice and flared skirt! I have to get rid of the shoulder pads and wide collar, but it's a lot better as a starting point than my other choice.

 

Today I could try all the underwear on for the first time. Unfortunately I've screwed up the sizing of the stays so they are too big. They are OK now if I close them in the back, but no cinching, and I actually look bigger then I am. They do their job with flattening my silhouette so that I look more like a prepubescent girl.

[image=http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d103/bandykullan/creations/travel%20gown/IMG_1763.jpg]

 

Very slow work going on here.

I have started the mockup of the coat. I've used this pattern as a base.
[image=http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d103/bandykullan/creations/travel%20gown/IMG_1890.jpg]

What I'm after is a flared skirt, a high neckline and a straight back seam. I'm planning on putting a zipper in the back. The pattern is quite simple, two back pieces, two side backs, two front sides and two front pieces. The shape comes from the connecting seams for the front and side pieces, and the back and side pieces and one dart on each main and back piece. I needed to cut away a lot of fabric from the lapels and of course the original is calling for shoulder pads, something I'm not interested in, so the shoulder seam needed to go from straight to curved.

This is a pic of me, the mockup isn't fitting, since I'm not wearing the stays under, I just wanted to make a quick snapshot of my progress.

[image=http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d103/bandykullan/creations/travel%20gown/IMG_1931.jpg]

 

Cassandra has her info on her website, it's not a step by step guide though.

 

And I'm finished with the first of my mockups. The next step will be a "clean" mockup, without all the extra seams where I've patched different patterns together.

[image=http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d103/bandykullan/creations/travel%20gown/IMG_1934.jpg]

 

I'm waiting for the rest of the fabric, that I'll need, to arrive. While waiting I've started to make the beaded ribbons for the front veil drapings.

[image=http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d103/bandykullan/creations/travel%20gown/IMG_1937.jpg]