#fauxtuny

 I finally made a Fauxtuny

This is as John Singer Sargent as I will ever get

This started last year

https://erniekdesigns.blogspot.com/2023/07/a-fortuny-dress-cant-be-that-hard-right.html

The grey pleated polyester fabric for the toile was more expensive than the Joann's but too heavy and not suited to the task. The Joann's is thin fake china silk, the perfect weight and did I mention that it was already pleated? 

https://www.joann.com/navy-solid-pleated-bodre-silky-fabric/18260612.html 

The toile is heavier and not worth mentioning for this use, but it was informative. I did not quite pay attention to everything it told me.

The neckline is a portent of things to come

the ensemble, minus handboat

There's no photos of it in action because it sorta fell off me.

I have had cosplay failures. Seam ripped up the backside of the pants, the belt disintegrated. Heat stroke in a onesie in a cold convention ballroom. You just keep going as if nothing is wrong. this is how it works. 

Pay no attention to that woman with the dress falling off her

This time the problem was something I anticipated but didn't do anything about and forgot about. 

The delphos opening of the dress at the top is entirely gathered by cord and the sleeve are secured by beads spaced out. The neckline needs to be a separate loop of cord, or secured somehow, to keep it from expaaaaaaaanding so the dress falls off your shoulders. 

Which it did.

I was wearing a slip dress underneath, so it's not like anyting was showing, but the comments went from "I love your dress" to "Your hat is very nice" over the course of a few hours. Sitting in a theater seat did not help. The cocoon wrap also slid off. Not checking in the restroom mirror did not help (I was ushering, I did not have time)

I needed to keep the beads in the gap and the cords at the end. It's 50% of the design, and 100% of the effort I put into it. No, I did not pleat my own fabric (thus the faux) but the beading was vital to the look.

So much handsewing to keep the pleats pleaty and the tunnel for the cord open

THIS TIME, I added stitching through the cord and the first bead and the fabric, back and forth a couple of times. The neckline is stablized.

I used my head as a measuring device to determine the optimal neckline opening.

And here we are

With the not entirely period one piece cocoon wrap, made from a frosty mesh knit from Joann's 

(it leaves a trail of silver dust wherever it goes)

There is no pocket in this ensemble. That is a fault I will live with.

For a cheap piece of Joann's polyester and a bag of glass beads, it's a great dress; It really looks great, it's appallingly comfortable. I made a belt only because without it feels unwieldly.

Now I'm going to need a hat to wear this to Seattle Frocktails