The Faerie Queene (McCall's 4995)
This pattern was actually McCall's version of one of the Star Wars Padme gowns, but I changed it quite a bit. If you are interested in construction details, there is a dress diary.
As usual with McCall's patterns, the original pattern was actually not very well drawn, and it only turned out well after hours of re-drafting. This was fine, since I knew what I was getting into, but if you ever use this pattern, be prepared for a huge amount of fitting.
I left out the shoulder beads; I used black tulle for the cape instead of opaque fabric; I added two bust pleats; I completely rebuilt the interior structure, using tricks I've learned from corsetry; and of course I had to redraw the cut of the gown itself, since the character it was designed for was pregnant. I did, however, modify it in such a way that it would be easy to return the gown to a maternity dress if I ever wanted to (I just used two long darts in the front that can easily be taken out to release the gown's fullness).
The most difficult part was rebuilding the interior structure. Obviously, this gown has to be worn without a bra, and I hate strapless bras, so I spent the extra time to build support into the gown itself. I had to double-line the interior so the bust seams wouldn't be visible through this delicate fabric. Also, I had to get it so the zipper would pull on the interior structure, not on the outside of the dress. In the end, including interfacing, there are five (invisible) layers in the bodice.
I'd recommend snaps on the shoulder attachment, rather than the hooks the pattern calls for. The hooks tend to fall off easily when the gown is worn and if I get the time I might even go back and replace my hooks with snaps.
Overall, I love this dress!
