asked my boss about the collar I was having so many issues with and she came up with a great solution /o/ so it's been remade :3b
It doesn't close in front quiiite as much as it possibly sure but I think it's pretty as is :( also once the trim is added it might help... HOPEFULLY NO ONE WILL MIND. and if I absolutely can't stand it, maybe I'll remake it before summer. But this is what it'll be for next week

step 19 - collar

Conchita's collar is not...possible... I mean, I fucked with the pattern I pulled from a wedding gown pattern and put in an extra seam that might get it to do what it's supposed to do, but...it really doesn't look good?

I need it to do this:


currently it is doing this:




IT'S DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE??? IT LOOKS EASY. it makes no fucking sense. ....it's just that CURVE. I am essentially fucking with the pattern so that there's a pseudo "princess seam" in it. I AM MAKING IT LIKE A BODICE :/ I made a mockup of it and was like OTL... fabric and physics don't really...do that... Anyway, you can see the extra seam I added in there that isn't in normal collars. it's supposed to somehow...curve...out...... and unless I make the WHOLE THING out of small panels (which I could!) ...it isn't possible

step 18 - more progress

Closures on the skirt! and the "corset"'s seams are stitched down. had major issues with the bodice closures though... idk man :/ I wanted to put in an invisible zipper, but I can't really attach the skirt to the bodice the way it was made, and really keeping them separate isn't a huge deal since there's a significant overlap so I don't have to worry about skin showing or whatever.

So I was like "well, I'll just put in a smaller invisible zipper then!" but then the problem came when I could get the gown ON but not OFF... so that had to get ripped out :/ I think I'm gonna go with snaps.

As for the skirt, I can't open it as low as I'd like for just one closure because it'd be visible, so instead I opened it about three or four inches on both side-seams, and closed it with a large snap and a hook and eye on each side. That'll be hidden under the "corset" and the drapey thing anyway.

stitched down either side of the seams on the corset to make it look neater and smoother. BEFORE on the left, AFTER on the right:


The bodice still needs to be better fitted and...actually closed, but with the petticoat and shoes, this is what it currently looks like:

step 17 - STUFF GOT DONE \o/

WIGS BOTH STYLED \o/!! I am happier with the results of my friend's wig than I am with mine but it isn't bad :3 .......and, well I attached the skirts to each other but I didn't get the skirt attached to the bodice or the hemlines done :/ I did get the vinyl and lace attached together though (like how I made the bodice layers) and got most of the corset together. I made the shape of it by just taking my bodice pattern and guesstimating where I needed to cut to make it an underbust corset and extended the bottom two inches so that it'd be longer than the bodice. Also I took an inch off either side of center front to make up the center opening area that'll be laced up.





I AM SERIOUSLY STARTING TO PANIC ABOUT FINISHING IN TIME h-hahaha

step 16 - things happened

TOO BUSY TO BLOG doesn't help that I caught the plague or something. been so sick @@ and that is not helping my productivity. Anyway, chiffon layer got marked and then cut:


ran into an unexpected problem when laying out the chiffon, namely that it isn't quite wide enough. Both the organza and tafetta were 60"-wide fabrics, but the chiffon isn't, which means that the skirt isn't as long as it needs to be. Thankfully, Conchita has a black trim near the bottom, so I'm going to cut the skirt to as long as it is before the trim and then use the trim to hide another piece I'll attach on.

and the three layers of the skirt look like this when laid out together:



Things that need to happen before 10pm today, in order of priority: wigs x2, attach skirt to bodice, mark hemlines.

step 15 - skirt (pt1)

Conchita's skirt has a diameter of ~96.25"...

...I think my pettocoat has a slightly larger circumference, but the conchita overskirt should actually have too many folds so a full circle should be good :3
Tafetta's cut, and so is the top organza layer. it is staticky as hell.

Organza, marked but not yet cut:


Ran out of time to do the chiffon, so I'll cut that tomorrow andddd probably bring my petticoat and shoes so I can try it all on and get it hemmed? or, well. I could get the black cut and then just do the petticoat and shoe trying-on on wednesday :T

step 14 - magic :'D

got a bra to go with this since Conchita is a lot ~curvier~ than I am, and I need to fill out the top of my bodice more to match the skirt since the skirt is so...big.

Also, my shoes arrived and they are so much nicer than I expected them to be.

crappy photo, but yeah. I like them! more comfortable and steady to walk on than I expected.