~`~Arwen's rose dress~`~
First of all, I really want to give credit to LOTR Costume Research Page because they just have SO many resources, and which is where I found the Rose Dress first anyway. I based my costume on their drawings and exibit photo of the Rose Dress. You really should go to their site, I think it's the best one out there and you will be missing out if you don't.
fabric: My fabric consists of two types of material, not including the lining. The main part is made out of very soft suede-cloth and has a velvety appearance. For thelacy, lighter color in the front of Arwen's Rose Dress and for the lacy lower sleeve, I just used my imagination.(Scroll down for more info) ;) There are plenty of good places to purchase fabric, such as JoAnn Fabrics (which is where I bought mine), and G-Street Fabrics (although I think this store is only in the Washington, D.C. area, and they seem to run a little pricey.) However, if you live in the area and don't mind the prices, they have excellent fabric and scores and scores of every different kind. If there isn't a JoAnn's near you, pick up the Yellow Pages and look under craft supplies, or fabric. Also, be creative! That's my motto. If you can't find anything you like, don't panic! There are plenty of other solutions. In fact, for the lighter piece of fabric in the front of the skirt, I couldn't find anything that came even remotely close to Elven-looking in any of the fabric stores I went into. (OK, well, I found one, but I couldn't afford $60 a freaking yard!!)
I went to Linens N' Things. :)
Yes, I found basically what I was looking for there. A curtain, sheer, rose pink, and replete with lots of wispy Elven-looking designs. Perfect. It ended up fitting brilliantly. The only problem was, it was see through and it was going to a major part of the skirt! Don't worry, problem solved. (See Putting it all Together)
A few other places you might try looking is in the Good Wills or nearby thrift shops, they always have curtains and things you might use as fabric and the don't cost an arm and a leg and they look great in the finished product, too. Seriously. I know somebody who made a Renaissance dress out of a beautiful brocade curtain she found there. It's worth a try, right? Also, go online and check out eBay and search under 'fabric' or 'clothing and accessories', they have lot's, too. One more place you might try is Bed Bath & Beyond, it's like Linens N' Things, but maybe you only have one or the other, right? They have good stuff too.
Patterns: These are pretty easy to find, and you really don't have to go running all over town to get them. If you prefer ordering online (please make sure you ask your parents first if you're a kid!) you can find them in such places as SewingPatterns.com (there are other links from that site, also) as well as JoAnn Fabrics. These two places would be your best bet.
Everything Else: You can find just about everything else you need from thread to fabric scissors to needles, zippers, etc at, once again, JoAnn Fabrics, or any other sewing or large crafting store. These are the easy things to find. :)
Here's a summary of where I got everything:
Crimson suede-cloth (main part of dress)- JoAnn Fabrics
Crimson lining - JoAnn Fabrics
Sheer, rose colored fabric (front of skirt and sleeves) - Linens 'N Things
soft pink binding (sleeves) - JoAnn Fabrics
gold lace for neckline - JoAnn Fabrics
Patterns - JoAnn Fabrics
If you still have any questions, go ahead and email me at: Ice_Hockey_Lass@hotmail.com
Happy hunting!!