Aunt Marchs Act 1 dress and hat...

Here is the start of a costume for my oldest daughter to wear as Aunt March in the play "Little Woman".   The production is not till May but for once I can get ahead start and good becasue the costumes are crazy difficult to make.  This dress alone has over 154 cut pieces of fabric that have to be sewn together into a dress. I have lost count after that point but add about 20 to 30 more and that is this dress.

I have never made a dress before that has that many pieces ( not counting individual beads and things of course) and still cutting out pieces this is insane. Oh and I forgot to say it has over 35 yards of fabric in it how did woman wear such dresses 100+ years ago. Seriously if this dress was on a little old lady she would not be able to move or it might kill her from the shear weight of the item. That yardage does not even count, stockings, pantaloons, corset, hoop skirt slip, shawl, hat, gloves, scarf, purse and all the other stuff that has to go on her still. I am wondering if my daughter will be able to move seriously. She may wipe out a few other actors in the hall back stage with this.  It is just one of two crazy dresses I have to make for her for the play I have yet to start the second or the ones for the other actors yet.

Below is the hat i made to go with this dress.