Except not because my boning poked through (so was removed) and I need to move the seams to actually work with the curves I do have and with the non curves. The boning sticks away from my waist, so I also need to knuckle down and nip in the waist again.

But I do still like my old rope skirt  and I love the overall Aussie feel to the colour blocks and proportion. Also bodice is fully multifunctionsal- the bust applique snaps off too, so Carlotta style upper can be done 🙂

For an idea of why it took almost a decade from the last version? Each row of trim on the bodice took 15mins. That’s the vertical ones. So….

The scarf is the new tour version. Yes. That is what it is. Yes. Ehem. I need to remove the dye from the ends and then dip dye in green then black and see if I can also wrangle in there some glold bars (no dye areas- silk goes yellow in the dye remover) and then find somewhere in Auckland with long fringe.

I will add little forehead curls. But more old school than new school tiny ringlets. The curls of the wig are big and soft and need a more subtle hairline. But OMG! Widow’s peak lace front wigs let people see the full expanse of my giant forehead! This is new!

Wig is from Wigfashion on ebay. The same colour- lovely chestnut with deep red highlights- very subtle but it warms the whole wig.

Small section left to fill plus a couple of filligree pieces on the top of the red band. And stones. But once the tabs are tacked in place.

Reminding myself of how this will look finished so it is worth being worked on.

Front and back views of the upper applique snapped in place and the belt and lower appliques pinned in place.

I decided I did like the twisted braid after all and I’ll probably do a mix of Aussie and US styles here too: big stones and braid on the middle three seams. The loopy braid on the side and back seams.

I had to stop singing the cadenza at one point today. Yeah, but I managed a few scales as well and some good leg stretches (also if I support both hands I can still bend really far back and see upside down, so there is that!)

Worked a bit on the Elissa and Elsa bodices (Elsa spanx thing so as to have that super flowy effect of the bodice and skirt which will not have any support- I’d cut the fabric on the bias if I could.. sigh)

Just left the Hannibal bodice like this, the applique is just laid on. The only wiggly trim I could get is my braided cord and I twisted it to make a good cover for the zip.

The bodice before gold trimming.

The inside of the bodice! Tight weave cotton mix. Herringbone twill tape (will need to install some as a waistband too) herrinbone stitched to hold the boning in. These means easy removal to alter seams. Cunning plan for a bodice supposed to be used in the theatre.

Utilispanx! Two layers of heavy stretch lingerie, bra cups denuded of every thing and covered in shaped fabric.

Just four bones in there so far but there will be a panel of them down the front or some sort of extra elastic stays. The cups are deliberately dimensional so they should fit right over to the top neckline.

I have also admitted defeat in the dyeing of the lining of the Maleficent tabbard. I’m going to just use the soft charmeuse after all. I wanted silk but it’s so horrible to dye.Unless I can get 6 packets of those tiny dylon packets which is impossible as it seems only Spotlight stocks it here and they have not been restocking the shelves- they are on sale.