Construction Notes: Eowyn Shieldmaiden Dress

My Eowyn Shieldmaiden Dress consists of four parts... A corset, vest, chemise, and skirt... The dying process for my Brown Camp Skirt is described below under fabrics...
The Corset, or Waist Cincher...
I started my dress with the corset... and I found my information on how to do this at Alleycatscratch.com.,  on her research page describing Eowyn's Shieldmaiden Dress,  where I was lead to Katherine's site... (See her SM dress pages here.)  and  there she illustrates how to draft a corset on her Shieldmaiden Dress Construction Page... (See this page here.)   I decided to add the embroidery pieces, so I split my pattern, as shown in the first picture here below on the left...  I flat lined an inner-lining to these pieces, and did the quilting and embroidery. on each separate piece... The front of the corset is below  to the left, and the back is below to the right...(In the little thumbnails.)   Then, I sewed the pieces together, so that I could continue to assemble the corset like Katherine explains...   I used her pattern form to cut out the lining, and put it all together just as she explains in her step by step instructions... with boning and binding tape and all...
The Vest...
I started with Katherine's advice to use Simplicity 9888.... but ended up changing most of that around... I think I'm not too fond of commercial patterns...  So, like when I drafted the corset, I took my measures and went from there... and I split this pattern up, too, in order to add the embroidery, and the topstiching... The  upper pattern  photo  below is the cut-out of the outer layer and inner lining...I flatlined each piece with the inner lining, and then did the embroidery for the neck and the bottom of the vest, and then topstiched the middle section to add texture like the vest in the movie...  Lots of stitching!   The lower pattern  photo below  is the cut-out pattern for the lining of the corset.  I put these pieces together in the same way as the corset, following Katherine's instructions, and using binding tape. 
My pattern for the outer layer and inner lining of the corset...The left side is front cut on the fold, the right is back, cutting two pieces each...
My pattern for the corset lining, to which I added the boning...The left side is the front cut on the fold, the right is the back with two pieces each...
My pattern for the outer layer and inner lining of the vest... Left is front cut on the fold,  and right is back with two pieces each.....
My pattern for the lining of the vest.  Left is front cut on the fold,  and right is back with two pieces each...
The Chemise...
Here I went back to alleycatscratch.com and discovered Maggie's wonderful site...  She has a great description of how she did her chemise, and many wonderful close up shots of the actual gown.   I found particularly helpful her tips on pintucking the neckline, and her belief that the skirt is again a separate piece that goes over the chemise.  Her extensive  information on this dress, along with pictures of her dress, can be seen here...   I flatlined my bodice with two layers, and then did the pintucking.  I've added a Pintucking Tutorial, and you can click the link if you'd like more information on how I pintucked the chemise.. After, I added a binding I cut out of the silk, and embroidered a gold stitch around the neck.   I made the skirt that attaches to the bodice  to flair at the side, to add volume.
This is my self-drafted pattern for the chemise bodice, designed to hit a little above where the vest and corset hit on the hips... the top shot is the front, again, cut on the fold... and the bottom is the back, with two pieces cut. 
Here is the skirt portion of the chemise... I cut two on the fold, with the fold being the front and the back, so the seams are at the side... I split the back skirt panel at the fold line. 
The sleeve  is particularly thought provoking... as many already have discovered...  This was long in my thoughts, before I actually tried anything...  Somewhere along the way,  I heard it consists of two parts... and this I found also in Maggie's site... And then, there was a photo I saw by someone in the photo archive at Yahoo LOTR cosume group... illustrating how this person thinks the sleeve is constructed, and I went with this idea... The top of the sleeve has a good deal extra fabric to allow for major gathering...  the pieces are sewn together .. and here I think my photo is misleading... the downward point of the top sleeve is on the outside of the arm, off the shoulder...  and the bottom piece is attached with the seam-line to the outside... Sewn together down to about the elbow, and the rest open.  I adden an eyelet at the downwrd point of the top sleeve,  and a long string to cinch this up, so you do not see any seam at all.  I also attached a little loop at the sleeve-joining seam, at the back of the arm, to secure the trim I use to tighten the sleeve up, and hold up the gathering...  I'm hoping this makes sense...
Here left is the pattern I drafted based on that photo in the archive... Both sections are cut on the fold... The bottom needs to be flipped around the other way... with the fold to the back, when sewing the pieces together...
And the Skirt...
After all of the above, the skirt was relatively simple...  I drafted this one on my own... cutting out seven panels,sewing them together, so that the seventh panel lays directly in front, so that there is no front seam.  The ratio of the gather to my waist is about 4 to 1.  I gathered this up by using an embroidery foot, and zigzagging over some gimp... then I could pull it together really easily and adjust the gather to be where I wanted it to be.  I added some boning at the back of the waistband, and three eyelets on each side, and two little extra strips that I used to finish the opening section at the back seam.  It is open, but lays in such a way with the attached strips, one over the other, towards the inside, that the opening can't be seen..  I'm finding this hard to explain... Oh well.  Hope it makes sense!   Then I let it hang for about a week, so that the bias would settle, and then I roll hemmed the edges... I have now also completed my brown camp skirt, pictured at the top of the page above with the chalice and linked to its own page...
Here is my pattern for the skirt... I cut seven of the panels, two for the seam strips, and one for the waist, cut on the fold, and then folded over, sewing the gathered sections to the unfinished edge of the waist band.
And the Fabrics!   Along with step-by-step dying instructions for the Brown Camp Skirt...
I used a dark brown cotton velvet for the corset and the vest... purchased at a local store...  and I used silk from silkconnection.com,  the paisley jacquard... I think I used about 17 yards, as I used it for the lining of the corset and vest, also.  There are about seven yards in the skirt,  one and a half yards per sleeve,  four yards for the chemise skirt,  one and a half for the bodice, and another one and a half for the lining of the vest and corset...   I think I mentioned everything... And I used about 9 yards of the braided trim for the sleeves...   


This page was last updated: March 11, 2013
You may click on any photo to enlarge image...
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The Sleeve to the Chemise....
This shot links to my Brown Camp Skirt Page...
Here are shots I used above to link to other pages...  You can click on the photos for enlarged images...
I am so happy that the dress is finished now...  and when I'm not planning or working on the next thing... I get to put this on, and play!
Original Mannequin Shots...
Yvette's Costume site...
My First Dye Project... I liked it so much, i'm sure I will do it again...
For my Brown Camp Skirt, I used the same paisley jacquard silk from silkconnections.com, coloring 12 yards, because I wanted extra fabric...  I bought the dye from Dharmatrading.com.  I used Synthrapol (also sold by Dharma), and then Jacquard Acid Dye, 635 Brown, and normal household vinegar, (the acid...) and I did it in my washing machine.  The process took four steps...(Thank you Lisa, from Dharma... for giving me these wonderful instructions!)

1.  I filled the washing machine with very hot water.  (I turned up my water heater as high as it goes, and made a note to myself to turn  it down again after I was done...), and cleaned the fabric with Synthrapol... a couple of caps full.  After the rinse/spin, I took the fabric out and put it in a big, clean bucket.

2.  I refilled the machine with very hot water (very full).  In a glass jar, I mixed 4 ounces (two packs) of the dye in hot water until it was all dissolved, and added this to the machine, and mixed... Then I put the fabric back in, and agitated on gentle for about 20-30 minutes, trying to keep the fabric from twisting on itself, but keeping it moving to prevent color blotches.  (I kept pulling it out and unwinding it... I used rubber gloves for this to keep my hands clean.)

3.  Then I added vinegar (the acid)... 2 cups... I pulled the fabric to one side of the tub, and added the vinegar, mixed it in, pulled the fabric back around, and agitated another 20 minutes...

4.  Then I drained the tub, and put the fabric through two cold rinses, and I was finished...

Unfortunately,  it was not dark enough to suit me... So I had to go back, buy four more ounces of dye, and do it again!  So, one big tip is... buy enough dye in the first place!  (Saves work!)  And... Keep in mind, that when it is wet, the fabric looks two to three times darker than it is when it dries... I'm glad I was having fun doing this, because I had to do it twice!  :)

After I was done, I lined it dry, and ironed it while it was still damp...


Link to my Shieldmaiden Portraits Page...
Peter Jackson's visualization of The Lord of the Rings woke my latent passion for costuming and inspired me to learn to sew.

This page and its links reflect my best efforts in Lord of the Rings costuming.

Projects linking to their own pages are featured here. Click the links in the navigation bar to visit the individual pages, or scroll further below to the image links and see a quick overview of the costumes.
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Eowyn's Sheildmaiden Gown Construction

Welcome to Yvette's                            
Nearly ten years ago I set out to teach myself to sew, so that I could create inspired costumes such as those featured on my site.

I created this site  to share what I've done. It launched August 18, 2004, and has been growing ever-since.

In addition to costume construction pages, there are pages featuring portraits of the costumes being worn.

Costuming is a hobby I love documenting, but I do not do commissions, nor do I sell patterns.

Please visit where your interests lead you, and enjoy.
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