Megan S - Mississippi, USA

Éowyn's Meduseld

I made this version of Éowyn's "signature" gown for the midnight showing of Return of the King. As it was made for me, I chose a budget version, but I believe the appearance of the gown is quite beautiful. The gown does not fit my dressform as well as it does me, so I will try to get some more pictures of me wearing it when I can find someone to take them...photographing oneself is not an easy thing to do! Also, for some reason, in some pictures the gown looks pink; it is something to do with my digicam that I haven't figured out yet. (So much for the myth of the technologically-advanced university student...) This gown is not pink, but I suppose it could be made in pink if one wanted to!

The gown itself is a fairly standard 14th-century style, not princess-seamed and shaped at the sides and the back, with a full skirt and train. The biggest deviations from "period" are the deep v-neck, which most gowns of the period did not have, and the hidden back zipper, which is also completely "unperiod" but present in the movie gowns. My own gown is not made of wool but creamy cotton sateen, as wool would have been unbearably hot in Mississippi. There are a little more than 9 yards of fabric in the gown and sleeves, but more would be required for anyone not Hobbit-sized.

The pennant sleeves are lined with a fabulous jacquard tapestry in shades of cream and gold. This fabric is supple enough to drape beautifully and blow about in a good wind (which thankfully we had), but stiff enough to hold its shape when turned up to form a cuff - just like the original gown.

The undersleeves are a very mundane creamish-gold patterned acetate lining to reduce bulk. The outer sleeves are then trimmed with cream-and-gold cord about the edges and bound with a plain cream cord above the elbow.

The neckline is a deep, wide V, trimmed in a metallic gold vine trim that is a very close match to the pattern of the original gown's trim. Outside of that runs another V, of gold-and-cream braid; this also trims the shoulders where the sleeves attach.

Here you can see the graceful folds of the skirt and train, and a bit of the invisible zipper. There is actually more skirt than is even showing, as nearly 6 of the 9 yards I used in this gown are in the skirt and train.

The belt is cannibalized from four belts I found at a department store. The medallions were originally connected by a lot of beads and and jump rings, so I took all the belts apart and used only the medallions. They are tacked to the fabric belt (which is machine-embroidered with gold) to keep them from shifting. The tongue of the belt is not corded with gold, as I ran out of time (I do the hand-cording on my professional version). It is painted instead with shimmery gold fabric paint.

To see more of Megan's website, click <herehttp://www.geocities.com/greensleevesgarb/myeowyn.htm>

This page was last updated 11/21/09