A Botanical Gala Gown – Part 3: The Jacket and Hat…

The jacket for this ensemble was a Very Lucky Find at the Goodwill bins in Seattle’s Sodo district, where you buy by the pound. The jacket had beaded seams and a scalloped hem at the front, a short tail at the back, was well constructed and in great condition. The label said Mariella Ferretti – it’s a jacket from a 3 piece suit that originally cost $325. I think I snagged it for about $2.

I folded the collar upward, which made the modern notched lapel disappear and extended the chest size of the jacket. I planned to fasten the stand-up collar with a large hook and eye, obscured by an even larger antique-looking button from my collection. My model is wearing a black lace top, so I added black lace to the front and collar of the jacket to tie that look together. I even found remnants in my stash that were exactly the length I needed for those two embellishments, and a pair of black lace mitts to complete the look.

The butterfly brooch was another lucky find, again at the Powerhouse. I think they were those hair bun holders, one of which I stripped of its pearls and rhinestones which I replaced with blue jewels and clear crystal hearts that I dyed with a black Sharpie.

It’s a good day when you -do not- break your glass-front curio cabinet when your dress form tips over while you’re prepping for the arrival of your model… The first fitting went well, and I was ecstatic to find that the jacket fit without the need for alterations.

I had planned to add black lace to the cuffs but ran out of remnants. Then I realized that fern fronds were one of Nature’s laces, so again I stripped silk from wire and sewed it to the cuffs. I added gold trim to the back hem of the jacket, and ran foliage up the back slit to visually tie the jacket into the bustle. A giant poinsettia, a water hemlock, and a few more butterflies completed the look.

It was sheer coincidence that I started reworking my bowler hat for this ensemble on November 25, also known as St. Catherine’s Day, patron saint of lace makers. The hat will have veiling, and miniature versions of the flowers and butterflies from the rest of the ensemble.

I made amarita muscaria from Styrofoam balls, cut in half and covered with brocade, with metal studs as the spots. Pieces of avocado bags form a bed of lichens for the flora to nestle into. The lace that trails down the back has clip-on butterflies, which carry the theme upwards from the bustle.

I lucked out in finding miniature poinsettias on a garland at the Powerhouse. I replaced the plastic centers with beaded ones, and cut leaves down to size from much larger versions. I made nightshades from a wool coat scrap, and berries from wooden beads suspended on wires. The leaves were ivy shaped until I trimmed them down to a more appropriate shape. I was of course aided by the ever helpful ShopCat.

It took me awhile to figure out the bleeding hearts. Once again, the Powerhouse yielded up exactly what I needed – little heart-shaped ornaments that I covered with lace. I also found two little cicadas done up in orange net, that I reshaped the wings and painted black to look more like beetles. I just gotta say that the Powerhouse is a candy store for scavenger artists…

I tried to give the white Water Hemlock blossoms a coffee bath but I don’t think it took. So I took a fine tip sharpie to the petals to try to give them some dimension and break up the stark white. They cascade out of a broken black beaded buckle, and were the final additions to this hat.

The full ensemble for my Dangerous Beauty is now complete. Shown here are two early progress shots and the back of the finished project. I look forward to see it modeled at our Botanical Bacchanal Gala in March!