'The Rivals' Lydia Dress

Carnegie Mellon University's production of The Rivals was on stage this past week. The show was fabulous with beautiful period costumes, a stunning set, and wonderful acting. The dress that I was charged with draping for the show for Lydia was completed on time and to my satisfaction. Originally the dress was to have loads of additional trim - gathered and pinked silk all down the front of the bodice and skirt. But the designer determined that this look was better suited.

The bodice was draped on a dress form over the period undergarments, and, due to time restraints, the first fitting was done in fabric rather than muslin. The first fitting went wonderfully with no alterations needing to be made to the bodice. The overskirt is knife pleated and sewn to the bodice. The dress has a stomacher front and closes at the side of the stomacher. The engegeants are four layers - silk alternating with lace.

The bodice was interlined in a layer of satin backed flannel with a layer of white silk taffeta for the lining. The seam allowances are finished with white lace edging to keep the interior looking beautiful and the seam allowances from fraying. The bodice is fully boned in spiral boning. The underskirt silk was flat lined to a layer of silk organza and the hem finished with the same lace edging as the bodice. The overskirt was also flat lined to silk organza.

The overskirt was polonaised and sewn into place to tapes attached to the waist of the dress.