----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, June 03, 2006 3:25 AM
Subject: Re: [h-cost] 1850s ballgown a lace berthe or fichu
The fichu isn't very ball gown to me. A bertha would be more formal I
think.
Actually I have only seen fichus used with ballgowns in the 1850s (I know
they were used to fill in necklines in earlier decades but what Godeys is
calling a fichu in 1859 sits off the shoulder and therefore wouldn't fill in
a neckline).
http://rawimages.myphotoalbum.com/f/fo/for/form/forme/formetoknow/albums/album01/1859_evening_wear.jpg
this is from the same year as the pattern I mentioned and it looks like it's
the same shape with different decoration
http://rawimages.myphotoalbum.com/f/fo/for/form/forme/formetoknow/albums/album01/1855_Evening_Dresses_Petit_Courier_Des_Dames2.jpg
this one shows a fichu that matches the gown, so it's probably doesn't count
as it wouldn't work well with other gowns
http://rawimages.myphotoalbum.com/f/fo/for/form/forme/formetoknow/albums/album01/1855_Evening_dress_Dame_Tidende92.jpg
and this one shows 2 fichus which are a rather different shape to the
pattern in Godeys.
I made an entire Ball gown out of Cafe curtain fabric I bought by the
pound
at a mill outlet. The stuff was only like 18" or 20" wide and I cut the
hem
off...which made it look very curtain-like...instead cutting around the
lace
pattern just above the straight hem...which made it scalloped. Yes it was
100%
polyester but it looked great! So I'd say hit the curtain department of
your
local mill outlet and see what's lacy. You could even get enough to sew
some
tiers on the skirt maybe.
But before I can buy anything I need to know what I'm looking for so I've
got to find a way to identify what sort of patterns would be used in mid
19th century lace.
Elizabeth
--------------------------------------------
Elizabeth Walpole
Canberra Australia
ewalpole[at]tpg.com.au
http://au.geocities.com/e_walpole/
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