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So the dresses all began as sketches. I doodled the Blue Dress in my sketchbook when I finally decided I was going to try making it. I wanted to finish it in time for the Arisia convention, since there are sometimes other elegant hoop skirts there, and I really wanted one for myself.

I had to do a lot of doodles for what I wanted the top/sleeves to look like before settling. The coat on the bottom of the first image is something I found when looking at Civil War era reproductions, and I plan to make one for a different future dress instead (specifically one like the next sketch below, which I won't think about til 2011). The robe a l'anglaise back ended up part of different dress, instead, as well. And I learned cartridge pleating for this one.
I later did a bunch of color sketches for ideas to make more dresses. I could only find two when making this post though.

I had also done a sketch for what ended up as the Teal Ballgown in purple, but decided the greenish version looked far better. I have a few pages of measurements and scribbled notes on how things would attach.
I thought I would do another dress the next year, but I had found that I was panicking and finishing stitches right up until the convention and didn't want to repeat that. So I decided I would take a break and let things mull in my head, and give myself a little breathing space. They've mulled to the point I really want to get this next dress out. I'm going to start collecting materials and start sewing (and in this case, riveting as well) in early July, and see if I can finish before the end of August for Pi-Con. If not, I'll take a break, and finish it up for Arisia. I haven't settled on a neckline design just yet, but everything else is mostly worked out in my head.