3/22/04: The design I really love the snug design of my crewel embroidered surcote here. It's based on the green velvet surcote with the turned back fur collar Elizabeth wears in the BBC series, Elizabeth R. I liked that it wasn't just a loose gown with no shape to flatter the wearer. Mine has a loose back but a laced panel underneath so it still fits close to the body and all the undergarments. I don't know if this is historically accurate but it was the only way I could think of to recreate the silhouette of that particular gown from the series. Donna has not decided if she wants that or something more comfortable than a bathrobe. I found the brocades online over a year ago - one symmetrical design for  the main gown, and one patterned more like some period all-over blackwork designs for the forepart - and I recently picked up some really perfect silks to accent the brocades. $4 a yard doesn't suck for silk! The braid trim was found maybe 9 months ago and was a vintage remnant. It was cheap but there was only around 4 yards of it so I'll still need something else. The sleeves on my surcote are a half moon shape in velvet, lined with a silk jacquard stripe, but I wanted something different for Donna's. After cutting out the long pendant sleeves for my PDSvN dress, I dragged out the bolts of Donna's fabric to see if there was enough. Lucky me, there is just enough of the forepart fabric to get a forepart and two pendant sleeves. I will line them with one of the silks, probably the light yellow. This is going to be lovely. 9/10/04: Another find I wasn't too fond of the peach color in the trim I found but I found another trim that's perfect. It was cheap but there was only 9-1/2 yards left so I took it all. I'll have to be careful about where I apply it to maintain the balance. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to trim around the skirt, down the front and around the pendant over sleeves. We'll have to see. 3/18/05: time to make the toile I finally tracked down Donna in her corset and got her measured. Time to make a toile and look for the accent fabrics to replace all the silks I stole from this project and used on my PDSvN dress. | 
