Mrs. Lovett's "By the Sea" Costume

Sweeney Todd: Mrs. Lovett's "By the Sea" Costume

Every year I have a costume or two that was completely unplanned and usually something I
began on a whim. This dress definitely falls into that particular category. After (finally) seeing the
movie, it was imperative that I make a Mrs. Lovett costume as soon as possible. This will probably
be a costume that will be impossible to replicate with movie accuracy as the scene is very brief and
the character sitting down throughout. Sadly, this costume has not been on display, like many
other of the movie costumes to date.

April 23, 2008

What can I say? Costume ADD strikes again! I found myself scouring Madison yesterday for a reasonably
accurate striped fabric for the skirt. Suffice to say that navy/white fabric is unattainable, or at least in any
form that I can afford. I found a lovely black/white striped cotton at Gayfeather Fabrics.
The stripes are approximately 1/2" wide.

May 5, 2008

I've made a bit of progress on the petticoat and upper portion of the skirt. Since the
circumference of the skirt now measures 6.5 yards I am anticipating that I will need to
piece 120 bias cut sections together to make the zig-zag pattern! At this point I'm
considering alternatives, such as screen printing my own zig-zag fabric. Just as a note, I
will not be using the corset in the photo and my choice of fabrics for the petticoat was
random [ie, what I had lying around].

Cleopatra's Closet: A Costume Site

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May 11, 2008

Last week I began a section of the zig-zags to determine if piecing was a feasible option. Actually, it was extremely easy. I also think I
may have overestimated the number of pieces I will need. I think I will need only 100 for the circumference of the skirt. I have since been
working in 10-12 piece sections, completing one section per night. It only takes about an hour to complete each section (this includes
cutting, not just sewing). I am simply working with two templates which make one individual chevron when sewn together. All I have to
do is line up the stripes on my pattern pieces with the stripes on my fabric and I have the correct angle. I do have to manipulate the bias a
bit while sewing to make sure each stripe matches up, however this is quite easy to do. The original costumes has 8 white stripes and 9
black in the zig-zag portion of the skirt. I added an extra black stripe on the top and bottom
to leave room for hemming/attaching.