Initial Trim Sewing for Mauve Italian Gamurra

After waiting for the mail patiently for weeks and testing various fabric swatches, I finally have all my trim and supplies for my Italian Gamurra inspired by this dress from the TV Show the Borgias:

I was still unsure of the trim orders for the supporting trim.  Honor did side by side, quick mock ups in photo shop of the two trim plans.  The first plan was center beaded panel>>thin light brown>>thick dark brown>>thin dark brown.

The second trim pattern was center beaded panel>>thick dark brown>>thin light brown>>thin dark brown.

The mock ups looked like this:

There was serious issues capturing the colors of the silk due to the different colors used for the warp and weft to produce the silk.  The cotton velvet was also recalcitrant in photos due to the nap.  And to be honest, the beaded panel was also bitchy about being photographed; its more a purple brown than a chocolate brown that the Etsy seller photographed it as.

I prepped the beaded trim my removing a metallic border that was on one side and removing metal flower spangles from the sari side while Honor did the mock ups.  I asked for input on the trim patterns from friends and from an SCA Garb group on FB.

While trying to decide the best trim option, I got the center beaded trim down.  To do this, I laid the fabric out on the front driveway (only place big enough to lay out 3ydx54in).  With the help of my lovely wife I laid out grid lines two inches from center on both sides for the vertical trim as the trim was 4in wide.  Then I marked a single grid line for the top of the trim for the horizontal trim.  You can still see the tail ends of the tailor’s chalk marking the vertical trim lines below the horizontal trim.

A small majority, like myself, leaned towards B.  But there is still some indecision about the bodice trim pattern to go with skirt trim pattern B.  During my stitch and bitch on Sunday I got the thick brown trim stitched down.  The miters are not perfect but all in all I am happy with them.

I think I may lay down a thick brown layer UNDER the horizontal beaded trim but I am not sure yet.  I will wait until I have the other trims down first.  I am also not 100% sure on the bodice trim.