Day of the Ball --- It's the Little Things

Having completed a majority of work the evening before, I only had a few small things left to do today for the bodice. Primarily, finishing up the shoulder trim. I got some buttons from Joanns Fabrics.

And here the final cockade. 

It goes over the shoulder and the ribbon ends loop to form quasi-shoulder caps. 

I also had to add buttons for the skirt loops. I used the smaller button as a shank, by sewing both buttons together. I used the smaller button as a shank, by sewing both buttons together. This allowed me to pull up the skirt and hook it to the underside of my bodice.

 

And what's a dress without some accessories? About 2.5 hours before having to leave for the Ball, I realized that I had no hair ornaments and my 1890's hair style looked a little too plain. Whoops....

So I drove back to Joanns and picked up a few bits and bobs --- feathers and a silk flower. 

Within 10 minutes, using a bit of felt, some sewing, and a hot glue gun, I had a hair piece that I attached to a small hair comb that I slid into my hair.

I stopped myself at that point, because I seriously considered making a reticule (i.e a purse) out of left over fabric, when I really needed was to finished getting dressed. Instead, I grabbed on of my prettier yarn bags with scroll work.

(Note to self: I need to make more "formal" ditty bags 

that can do double duty as a yarn bag and purse for such events.)

Here's the bodice at various stages of trim.

I shall finish this series with a final post about the Ball itself, later.