Fabric Cravings

It has long (well, OK, not that long) been a dream of mine to recreate Eleanora di Toledo's unbearably gorgeous gown in this portrait by Bronzino:




I knew the biggest stumbling block (aside from my sewing skills) would be finding a match for that fabric. That fabric!! I swoon for that fabric! I figured that by the time I found anything even close, my sewing skills would have caught up enough to attempt such a gown.

Well. Yesterday, while helping an online pal hunt down fabric for a fairy bodice, I saw this:



For the perfectly reasonably price of $13/yard. Now, I realize I just said that I never spend that much on fabric... but truly. Even I knew I wasn't going to get away with being that miserly on Eleanora.

Now, obviously that fabric is NOT an exact match. But look how pretty it is! It has the green swirls! It has the medallions! It's only $13 a yard! It's called Venetian Room, for pity's sake!

But. The medallions are green and purple; not that wonderful golden orange in the portrait. And the background is much duller than the bright white of Eleanora's gown. And possibly most significantly (which you've no doubt already noticed), the fabric is railroaded--meaning, the pattern goes sideways. Which would mean a lot of piecing. A LOT.

So... I shall probably pass, and forever rue the day I did not buy the almost-perfect fabric. Sigh.