The Arrival of the Silk Charmeuse...

...and there was much rejoicing.

The silk came, and it's absolutely perfect for the project I have in mind for it. Those of you who guessed, quite brilliantly, that I was aiming for the Perfect Peacock Blue Sacque? You are very observant readers, and even more intuitive guessers, but alas--no, this is not the Peacock Blue Sacque project. I'm afraid the charmeuse is just a touch thin to stand up to the pleats of the eighteenth-century gown. I may experiment with the scraps to see if flat-lining would be an option, because the color is astounding--even better in person than in this photograph (slightly darker, a touch less green).

But for now, rather than an eighteenth-century Peacock Gown, I'm aiming for a 1930s Peacock Gown.

I even (gasp!) have an excuse--my husband is a Naval Reserve officer, and the annual Navy Birthday Ball is in October. Finding something last year was a fail of epic proportions (and we thankfully had last-minute time conflicts, or else I would have been stuck wearing a garbage bag or something). So this year, I'm being proactive and making my own gown.

The pattern I'm basing the gown on is a Vintage Vogue pattern, a 1937 design (#V2859).

Before I can touch the silk, though, I'll be tucking into some scrap fabric to make a muslin or two . I'm, er, bustier than the ideal 1930s silhouette, so I need to see how the pattern will favor my curves--or not. And I want to finagle the straps a bit, possibly doing a crossed back (as I plan to dance the heck out of this dress).

Stick with me--this one's going to be fun!

And don't forget to enter Ye Olde Shifte or Shirte Giveawaye (man, adding e's to things really gets that old-timey feel going, doesn't it?).