 John Singer Sargent painted Ellen Terry wearing this costume after he's seen her perform in it in 1888. Until just recently, this is the only source available for what it looked like. However, due to years of being worn and taken on tours, the dress was in desperate need of restoration. In 2011, the National Trust spent 110,000 pounds doing just that. Textile conservator Zensie Tinker spent 5 years on the iconic dress and the results are amazing.  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/smallhythe-place/features/the-beetle-wing-dress-at-smallhythe-place The 'Beetle Wing Dress' worn by actress Ellen Terry (1847–1928) for her portrayal of Lady Macbeth in Henry Irving's production of Macbeth at the Lyceum Theatre, London in 1888 – 1889. The gown was designed by Alice Laura Comyns-Carr and built by Ada Cort Nettleship. The dress consists of a knitted bodice, crochet sleeves and skirt lined with a plain-weave silk. The dress is embellished with green iridescent beetle-wing cases designed to shimmer under stage lighting. The costume is accessorised with a bejewelled heather coloured cloak, costume jewellery, a belt and a hanging scabbard and knife. When our family needed new costumes to wear to Sherwood Forest Faire, this dress was my inspiration for my costume, which you can read all about in the link to my blog.
Today I found another costume maker's blog It's all Frosting, where she recreated this gown to wear to Costume College in 2019 and I'd like to share her journey with you. I'm mostly doing this so I can find it later. Part 1: Inspiration Part 2: Supplies Part 3: Patterning and Mockup Part 4: Cutting Part 5: Bodice and Construction Part 6: Beetlewings Part 7: More Beetlewings Part 8: Skirt Part 9: Sleeves Part 10: Collar and Brooch Part 11: Belt Part 12: Wig Styling Part 13: Crown Part 14: Final Photos Part 15: Final Thoughts
1 Comment
8/5/2022 03:55:23 am
Nice article! Thanks for sharing this informative post. Keep posting! Leave a Reply. |
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