Heather White

There's really nothing that looks grander than a red velvet Elizabethan gown. Heather's outfit is so classy and wonderfully made. She really put a lot of work into the embellishments on this outfit, including a pearled forepart and some really great sleeves with chevron-shaped trim. You can see a better picture of the sleeves and a ton of other great photos here. Heather has also sent us a great description of the outfit which you can read below the picture, and you can contact her at lady_rose04(at)yahoo(dot)com.

This dress was a labor of love (and at times insanity) that I began June 1st and completely finished at 11:00 the night before Michigan Renaissance Festival started on August 14th. In it I was known as Lady Anne Hastings and could be seen attending Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

The dress is made from ten yards of red cotton velveteen, with approximately 12 yards of black and gold Europa trim, the sleeves and looped tabs are trimmed with several yards of black velvet trim of varying widths. The dress was made from Margo Anderson's Ladies Elizabethan Wardrobe Package and came together better than I had anticipated for my first noble Elizabethan. The skirt is cartridge pleated to a waistband and fastened with a hook and bar. The bodice spiral laces up the back, but also closes in front with hooks and eyes covered by the center row of trim. I fully intended to sew over my grommets, but I ran out of time and inclination once festival got going. It is worn over a very late period canvas/duck corset boned with spring steel. The forepart was made from 1.5 yards of diamond patterned brocade and hand pearled. The girdle belt is made from 2 yards of velveteen roping and a potpourri ball that I had as a Christmas ornament. I got the idea from this portrait. The hat is from La Paloma. I winged, err, drafted the caul pattern myself after a little trial and error. I realize that it is hard to see in the photos but there is diagonal cross hatching machine embroidery on the back and then hand beaded with the black beads on the crosses.

Aside from never wanting to do any beading again, ever, the dress was a success and was a lot of fun to make.