Construction of the dress

I decided to make a paper template with pleats to demonstrate how the bodice and skirt would fit together. 

Paper template with pleats measured and pleated to fit lower edge of bodice, alongside skirt pieces which were then pleated using an under layer of cotton lawn and over layer of silk crepeline. 

Skirt and bodice joined with a spattering of flowers worked in eyelet stitch - flowers experimentally placed at this stage

I thought more at this stage how to how to represent the lace bobbins in my own way to compliment the dress.

I played around with cut off kebab sticks with beads threaded on to create the basic bobbin shape and then wrapped the whole with tissue paper - papier mache style - these were then wrapped with thread and beads. Delighted with these!

Not sure where to put them yet, this seems to be very much design by process but perhaps hanging from the sash? 

Having completed the stem stitch for the dress hem I now turned to the text on the sash. Again I have a wealth of poetry courtesy of my aunt. I chose this :

The land of my childhood, the land where I grew. 

The land I love still. 

Where I walked in the woodland. 

The pathways I knew. The land I remember. By E.M.Lock

My template for the text to be worked for the sash as for the hem of the skirt:

And next I'll be thinking about creating a small book to accompany the project, I've made a stash of papers to use. Considering how to incorporate the components involved: