Elizabeth Swann | 2018

Elizabeth Swann | Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl

Made for : Halloween 2018

Awards : Best costume at a local bar.

Background : I had a bunch of curtain fabric in my stash that I’d brought to do a remake of Margaery Tyrell’s wedding gown with but I had ultimately decided it was too yellow and so it was forgotten about.

Cue Halloween 2018 – My friend Anna, had left her Jack Sparrow costume with me and so I had the brilliant idea to make an Elizabeth to match it the week before Halloween.

Somehow, I made it in time and wore it out on the town that Halloween night where I won best dressed at a bar.

Things used :

Hair : When I first wore this for the Halloween party, I used my own hair despite it being far too short. I backcombed the front and sprayed the bajeebas out of it with hairspray so it would hold it’s shape. I’m still surprised to this day with how well it held together/turned out.

When I wore it for the photos with Anna as Jack in 209, I styled one of her old wigs the night before in a similar way to how I done my own hair the year before.

Dress : This was one of the very rare times when I get to follow a pattern straight out of the packet with no alterations. Reasoning being, it was a quick throw-together costume and I wasn’t concerned with it being “screen accurate”.

Obviously it was made using Simplicity 4092, a pattern I’d had in my stash for years because of this exact moment – I might make an Elizabeth one day. The main part of the dress was made from a upholstery brocade that I’d originally brought with the intention of remaking my Margaery wedding gown with but promptly decided it was too yellow and forgot about it in my stash.

The underskirt was made from a pair of curtains that were on the floor in my sewing room when I moved in to this house. They were already the perfect length so I used the hems they already had and worked up from there.

The stomacher and the sleeve frills were the only parts of the dress I had to buy new fabrics for. The stomacher was made from a layer of cotton, batting, satin and a heavy lace on top. The neckline was trimmed with a small gather lace.

Along the edges of the yellow part of the dress, I finished them with some bias I had on hand that was conveniently already dyed the colour of the gown. I then machine sewed a fancy scroll embroidery of the top. I did buy a bunch of the tiny bows to add as well but I ran out of time.

Bumroll : Made using Simplicity 8162 from cotton and cotton lace I already had in the stash. I kind of hated how this looked, I think I may have over stuffed it or perhaps I just didn’t like how much poof it added.

Shoes : I used a pair of boots I had previously used for my Margaery gown and glued satin roses to the toe.