Dragonstone Gown, Pt. 1

I do a different themed birthday party for myself every year, and since this is the last year we'll get new Game of Thrones episodes (*quiet weeping*), and my birthday's the same week the final season premieres, it seemed the perfect year for a Game of Thrones theme!

A few years ago, I made Dany's iconic blue Astapor-conquering outfit for Halloween, but I decided I wanted something new and more regal for my name-day feast. I fell in love with this Dragonstone landing outfit as soon as I saw it, so I've embarked on what may prove to be a foolhardy project, given the level of beading and embroidery here.

As they always do for major pop culture properties, Simplicity has released a pattern that's similar to this look (S8768), and because I hate draping my own patterns, I used theirs as a base:

There are a couple of differences, however, that I had to adjust to get the look I wanted. The most crucial divergence is that Simplicity's pattern is for a two-piece gown + cape, and the fantastic sleeves (which are, honestly, the whole reason I wanted this look) are connected not to the gown but to the separate cape and collar. Other, more minor details include that the Simplicity gown does not have the underbust seam that the show's does, and the Simplicity collar is intended to be made of contrasting fabric instead of matching the gown, like Dany's does.

I decided I didn't really care about the underbust seam (as a busty person, I don't usually choose elements that draw more attention to that area anyway), but it took some finagling to figure out how to adapt the cape sleeves to fit into the dress. I settled on cutting one cape pattern piece for each sleeve (the design requires four pieces for the cape) and curving the top of the piece so it would ease into the armhole along with the regular sleeve. I also decided to line my cape sleeves in a rich burgundy fabric I had lying around, which isn't quite screen-accurate, but I like the effect. 

I kept the collar as a separate piece that I'll attach to the gown with a few snaps (the Simplicity pattern calls for velcro). This was my first time working with fusible foam interfacing, and I have to say I'm a fan of the structure it offers! The collar looks really good, although there is plenty of beading and embroidery still to be done (that's a separate post).

I don't have any good pictures right now, but I'll take some soon!