I made the bodice according to the pattern, but cut the high neckline down into the quasi-keyhole seen here. (Well, kind of seen. But it's there, I promise.) The neckline was finished with thin, off-white bias tape. The side seams were left open past waist level and the edges finished. Then I made a much fuller underskirt of the same material and layered it underneath the dress. When I was planning my dress there was still speculation about the skirt being split...we now know that it isn't, but I like the look all the same.
The sleeves took a few tries to get just right, and could still use a little tweaking. Basically, I made huge, rather triangular sleeves that reached to the ground. The tops of the sleeves are pleated at the shoulder to make it just a little bit puffier. Then, I split the sleeves on the outside edge from a few inches below my fingertips.
Finally, I made armbands, approximately three inches thick, with elastic at the top and bottom. To make the sleeves look like this, I would slide the elastic armband over my arm and puff the top of the sleeve up over it.
Because of the way the sleeves were constructed, these steps had to be repeated EVERY time I took the dress on and off. I needed a handmaiden (or handhobbit, as it turned out)! This was a bit of a hassle, but I discovered while making mock-ups that fixing any of the sleeve elements in place gave the whole sleeve a very unnatural look. It just didn't move right. So convenience was sacrificed for authenticity. I didn't mind so much as Essay did, who was forced to "put my sleeves on" more times than I can remember. That's a "holdwine" for ya.
I wore brown, calf-high boots from Wal-Mart.
The vest is made from 2 yards of a chocolate-brown stretch suede. I used SImplicity pattern 9888 as my guide, altering the neck and hemlines ever so slightly. This vest ISN'T back-lacing...I didn't know it was supposed to be until after it was done. Guess that gives me an excuse to do it over. ;o)
The trim...well, the trim kinda sucks. I'm not all that pleased with it, but it was the best I could find. It doens't really capture that Celtic feel of the Rohirrim, but it's not so bad from a distance. I used one line around the bust, three around the hem. The two lines of trim on the shoulders are sewn on a bit like sleeve caps, tapering in from the top of the shoulder to where they end in the armpit area. They do not go all the way around the arm.
The trim around the neck is thinner, but with the same antique gold look. Not an exact match to the rest of the trim, but close enough that it doesn't scream, "I DON'T MATCH!"
This is my version of Finduilas' mantle, given to Eowyn in ROTK. It was made according to Simplicity pattern 9887, but with a long, triangular hood similar to those on the Fellowship cloaks. The fabric is a navy suedecloth, lined with acetate of the same color.
The stars weren't on it at this point, because I ran out of time, but I'm putting them on now. I might rip the hood off too. Who knows?
The cloak closes with a navy frog clasp sewn on the inside so it can't be seen. It is covered here with the Noble Collection's Rohan Brooch, a Christmas present from Essay.
