I've been slightly MIA for a while... Not from LJ in general, I've kept up with my f-list every day, but I've just been so slow in my sewing that the little progress I've made didn't seem worthy of posting. I'm beeing silly and pretentious, I know...

So I promise to shape up and get writing! Even the teensiest progress shall henceforth be documented! =)

I've been meaning to do a red Cranach dress for a while but have secretly also liked the green ones very much. Here's one of Judith that you can find all over the web, but here's my favourite, which I've only found as a thumbnail over at Frazzled Frau.

When rummaging my wardrobe I stumbled upon this old dress from the early days of my sewing adventures, in green velvet and a hideous gold brocade.

I started considering the crazy idea of turning that dress into a Cranach. There was enough green fabric left to do puff/slash sleeves. I have this gorgeous Schumacher brocade lampas that has a nice green undertone which would look good with the green velvet (but awful with red). The problem is that the original dress isn't very period. The skirt isn't wide enough for a Cranach. And the cut isn't very period either. And it would be a shame to use the schumacher fabric on something that I still wouldn't be happy with. But I figured that I'm never wearing the dress anyways so I might as well have some fun with it. And I realised that the Schumacher fabric piece runs the wrong way, with the brocade pattern lying down on the side for the length of the fabric, meaning I can't make a corset or something out of it. And it wouldn't be enough for a real Cranach with that period width in the skirt.

I love the Schumacher but it was very cheap, and I don't have anything else planned for it.
So what the hell!

I started with the puff and slash sleeves (on 2 FEB, see what I mean by slow progress?), they only need the lining now, and I promise (for real) that I'll post piccies and 'the making of' when they're done.
After that (and some procrastination I'm sure) I'll do the guards on the skirt, and then, maybe, I'll attempt to Cranach-ify the bodice with a plastron, brustfleck and guards.