Edelweiss Patterns A Burgundy Velvet Evening Gown ~ Simplicity 4259
It hardly seems possible that it’s been nearly a month since I wrote the last post here! I’ve been so tied up working on the new pattern for “Liesl’s Edelweiss Dress” that my free time has been full of sewing, not blogging!
But this past weekend I found myself only two days away from a sumptuous orchestra concert that I’ve been looking forward to for months, so I pulled myself away from pattern drafting just long enough to create a burgundy velvet evening gown!
The Pattern
This gown’s bodice was made from a 1950s reproduction Simplicity Pattern (Simplicity 4259), and a skirt pattern that I drafted as I went along. And I was so happy with how it turned out! The bodice is a breeze to put together. The ruching makes fitting challenges virtually nonexistent since you don’t have to mess with darts in the front. and the overall fit is really wonderful! The bodice ends in a “v” just like the sleeves do, and I will definitely be using this pattern again! It’s too bad that it’s one of Simplicity’s out of print patterns, and I really hope they bring it back into circulation.
The Fabric
As for the fabric (which is at least part of why I like the dress so much!), I used a gorgeous “Renaissance Velvet” from Wimpheimer Fabrics. Their silk/rayon velvets are definitely the best I’ve ever come across, and they have the most luxurious sheen I have ever seen in my life. (Please note, this is my honest assessment of the fabric, and I do not receive any compensation from Wimpfheimer fabrics for my review here!) 🙂
I had so much fun hand-stitching the buttons on the sleeves, and there’s nothing quite as wonderful as sewing a dress which requires you to use button looping in the process!
The Inspiration
Ever since I was a little girl, I have adored classic style evening gowns, particularly those with a sweetheart neckline and long, fitted sleeves that button at the wrist and end in a “v”… There’s just something so very “princess-y” and elegant about this style of dress, and you simply cannot wear a gown like this without twisting your hair into some regal sort of updo!
My love for this look began as a little girl when I watched the silvery soprano Kathleen Battle with her queenly French twist hairstyles, pearl drop earrings, and classic princess evening dresses which were always made from velvet, silk taffeta, or cascading chiffon.
At the last minute I tied on a sash made from ivory embroidered tulle (my favorite kind of lace!). I think it helps add a little more character to the dress.
An Andre Rieu Concert
And as for the concert itself, oh it was marvelous! Andre Rieu, if you don’t already know, is the number one classical musician in the US. And while he’s from the Netherlands originally, he and his Johann Strauss Orchestra travel worldwide performing the gorgeous Viennese waltzes they’re famous for. But one of my favorite things about Andre Rieu is that he has a real flair for elegant settings and surroundings. When his orchestra holds a concert, it’s not a somber occasion led by gloomily attired musicians in a sparsely decorated auditorium. Oh, goodness, no! To begin with, the ladies in his orchestra dress as if they’re going to a ball! They all wear these enormous, poufy ball gowns made from brightly colored silks all embroidered and beaded, and overlaid with organza. There are ruffles, frills, fabric flowers, and ribbons everywhere on these ladies’ gowns, and they must have something like thirty hairstylists to do their hair backstage! I love to see all the airbuns, pompadours, curly updos, and coiffures that these musicians wear!
But the dresses aren’t the only thing that’s lovely about his concerts. The stage is an absolute fairyland of elegant Regency style chairs and gold scrollwork music stands, and the sides of the stage are always loaded with flowers and the kind of paneling you’d expect to see in a palace. My favorite part of Andre Rieu’s concerts, however, are the locations where they are held!! Somehow he hunts down the most exquisite castles and palaces in Europe and convinces their owners to let him perform in them! My favorite concert he’s given to date took place in Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. His orchestra performed at the front of the building, but just behind them the French doors to the gold ballroom were thrown open, and (what do you think?) there were dancers whirling away in the ballroom all evening! The world-famous Viennese debutante couples arrived in black tuxedos and white dresses to make a beautiful evening of music even more enchanting! Andre Rieu thought that this evening was such a success that his team eventually recreated the entire castle to go on tour with them around the world!
I could go on for a very long time about how much I love this music, but suffice it to say, I had a wonderful time at the concert last night! Everything was just as beautiful in person as it is on DVD, and they played many of their most famous numbers including Viennese Blood, the Blue Danube, and Stars & Stripes Forever. Many couples got up and waltzed in the aisles, and it was truly a brilliant evening.
This music that I watch on DVD while sewing (you can’t have eight hours of silence while you’re in the sewing room!) is so lovely and uplifting, and I felt so excited dressing up in such a fancy gown! It’s not very often that I have a real reason to dress up like this, so I was quite beside myself to walk around in a long, flowing velvet dress!
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Happy sewing,
Katrina
Your evening dress is amazing, such a beautiful fabric and great fit. Very dreamy. The neckline is so pretty, I feel inspired to make something with a neckline like that. Since I’m Dutch of course I know Andre Rieu, it’s nice to hear he is so famous in the US, I had no idea.
Hi Katrina,
You have done a fantastic job on your evening dress. Beautiful rich colour, perfect fit and a lovely drape. I do like looking at the dresses you make for yourself, they always look fabulous on you. I love the pointed sleeve end, it’s one of my favourite styles, sort of Medieval/Plantagenet. A style Guinevere would have worn at Camelot.
Looking forward to your next dress!
Linda xx
Oh My Gosh, my friend and I were there and we saw you. We were commenting on how beautiful your dress was. What a surprise to find your blog and that you are a fellow seamstress too. Great concert, love Andre Rieu.
What a beautiful dress…that velvet is just dreamy, and I love the sleeves. I love watching Andre Rieu’s concerts when they come on PBS…it would be so fun to see one in real life.
Sounds like a lovely experience! How did you order velvet from that company? I’ve never heard of them before and when I went to their website they don’t seem to have a way of ordering fabric, or even that many options pictured.
Best,
Quinn
This is a lovely dress! The sleeves remind me a lot of Georgiana Darcy’s pink dress that you posted about a month or two ago – are you practicing? 🙂 Can’t wait to see the Edelweiss dress pattern!
Thank you so much, ladies!
~ Elise, how wonderful! Have you gone to his concerts in Maastricht?
~ Linda, that true – I could see how this has a “Medieval” sort of feel to it!
~ Deb, how neat that you were at the concert, too! It was an evening I’ll never forget!
~ Lauren, thank you! I’ve never watched his shows on PBS, but I have lots of dvds and there are tons of concert videos on Youtube. 🙂
~ Quinn, good question! I actually purchased the fabric from a local store in my area that carries it on and off, but I believe the Wimpfheimer website said that they have small minimums for ordering and I think there was an email address to contact them. It might be a little extra effort to order than average online fabric stores, but their velvets are THE BEST in the world (or at least in America!). So luxurious and unbelievably gorgeous in person.
~ Emily, wow! You’re very observative! No, I hadn’t thought of using this as a practice for the Georgiana Darcy gown, but there are a lot of similarities. Her sleeves end in more curved shapes, but still has the tight fit and button closure. I’m not 100% sure if I’ll be making that costume for the Jane Austen Festival, but if I do than the could certainly have counted as “practice”!
Congrats, m’dear, I’ve awarded you the “Very Inspiring Blogger” award! (http://americanduchess.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-very-inspiring-blogger-award.html)
–Lauren
Oh my goodness, Lauren! Thank you so much!! I am really honored that you picked my blog and it was so sweet of you to think of me. 🙂
All the best!
Katrina
Unfortunately I’ve never been at one of his concerts. Maastricht is quite the train ride from where I live 😉 But maybe someday, you never know!
This is a lovely dress! Thanks for shariing
Hello Miss Katrina! I was familiar with your blog and your amazing work before the Andre Rieu concert on March 18. Well, today I decided to check your blog as I had not looked at it for awhile. I began reading this entry and then took a doubletake of the pics and the date…and with a start, I realized I had seen you at the concert too! Though I was at the back, higher up facing the stage, so I did not see your dress up close. I just noticed a lady wearing a very fancy dress…I thought you might be with the orchestra! HEHE:) Really made me smile!
Oh my goodness, Jessica! That is amazing! I wish I could have met someone who reads my blog, but at least you got to see the dress from afar! 🙂 Yes, lots of people asked me if I was “in the show”, probably just because most ladies in the audience were in “business casual” attire, at best. There were lots of men in suits, but most the women sitting next to us were in pants and a sweater or something.
Anyhow, thank you for the comment! It made me smile, too! 🙂
I knew which concert you attended as soon as I saw the music stands. Andre` Riu has such a flair for magnificent presentation! I love seeing all the dresses on the ladies in the orchestra.
Your dress is quite lovely. 🙂 The sash did add some character to the dress, but I wonder if you might consider making an openwork sash with a bit more structure? Maybe a larger lace pattern centered between bands of ribbon. Just an idea.
You look lovely in everything you make, of course! 🙂
Hi Sarah! I’m glad there are other Andre Rieu fans amongst today’s sewers! I love to pop one of his dvds on when I’m sewing. Yes, the sash was a last minute addition that I tied on while I was heading out the door. 🙂 What I would like to do at some point is make a firmly interlined sash/belt (sort of Medicis belt style from the 1860s) that ties in an enormous bow in back. But since I very rarely get to dress up this much I might not have an occasion to wear it for awhile still!
Thanks for the comment!
Happy sewing,
Katrina
Another fan of the Johann Strauss Orchestra! =)
You might be interested to know that several of the dvds reference the musicians doing their own hair. Even the vocal soloists are their own stylists.
Love the dress, and yes, the belt is a well-chosen addition.
Hello, Narelle,
That is interesting! I know for a fact that at least for certain concerts they have hair and makeup artists because I saw a behind the scenes feature on an Andre Rieu dvd where there were about two dozen stylists in this gigantic room all going to town on the ladies’ hair and makeup. It must have been a huge task! But it looked like they were all having fun. 🙂 Perhaps for certain smaller scale concerts they don’t have their full makeup team though – I don’t know.
Thanks for the comment!
Katrina