Blue-Green Summer Dress

This dress was again done with the simplicity 4055 pattern, this time with some slight alterations in the bodice. I lengthened it to give more gathering at the front, and I altered the back neckline a bit as well so that it would fall nicer.

For this dress I used a greenish-blue small checker pattern cotton fabric. The bodice is lined with bleached cotton muslin. The skirt and the sleeves are unlined.

I'm ok with how this one came out. Its again not the best fabric choice as the gown ends up looking a little stiff, but o well. Also, I think I might have burned the back a bit while ironing...oops. Overall, its wearable but I hope to take all that I learned making this gown (and others) and apply it to some better gowns in the future.

Green Cotton Dress

So, after finally making some stays, I decided that it was time to try out a regency gown. I chose this light green cotton fabric to make this dress. It ended up being nice and easy to work with, if not a little stiff looking in the end.

I used the same simplicity pattern 4055 for this dress as I did for my white chemise/petticoat, this time with the long sleeves and no train. I was in a rush to finish it and see how it looked, so it got sort of thrown together. Intended to be wearable but mostly a mock-up, it ended up OK but I doubt I would ever consider wearing it anywhere. It was fun though!

As this dress stands now, its still un-hemmed at the bottom and completely lacking in any detailing. I'm not sure I will ever get around to finishing it, although I may get the urge one day to at least hem the bottom of it.

Usefull Books

After checking out what Jessamyn's site recommended as far as pattern books for the regency era, I decided to make use of that resource I so often overlook: the Library. I love books and read to excess, but I always forget about the library! Anywho, so I put an order in for two great books (the only two they could get for me from the list), and they just came in yesterday. I was up until all hours of the night reading them and they really are great. The books I got in are "The Cut of Women's Clothes: 1600-1930" by Norah Waugh and "Period Costume for Stage and Screen: Patterns for Women's Dress 1800-1909" by Jean Hunnisett.

I am hoping to attempt some of the pattens they show, especially an open robe and a drop front gown. Its going to be a trick scaling up the patterns, but I am determined to try.

For a great example of the drop-front gown I want to try, see Koshka-the-cat's version here. She did such a great job.

Short Stays

After attempting my first regency dress (the sad white chemise), I realized that I had to get myself a set of short stays. I wanted to use the Simplicity 4052 pattern, so I found it on ebay and bought it since it is now out-of-print. I was excited about an almost bone-less corset, since I had already made a corset before and the boning had been intense and involved.

I had some cotton muslin on hand, and some stiff blue fabric (have no idea of what type, I had gotten it so long ago), so I decided to use them. I didn't feel like going out and investing in duck cloth and the like if my first attempt was just going to come out crappy. Plus, I was rather impatient to get started :)


It turned out ok in the end, and only a few days ago actually did I finally get around to finishing the edges. The sewing is quick and sloppy, but the stay works well enough for now under a dress. The eyelets are hand sewn and only half done (hehe), but I plan on doing some hand sewing in the near future so they will probably get done then.

Overall, I'm happy with my first attempt at this pattern. I will most likely make a better version in the future.

White Chemise

So, this project was my first attempt at sewing anything in the regency era. It was a good learning experience, but it was before I really understood the silhouette of the era. It was also when my sewing skills were just starting to really form, so there are many, many things wrong with this piece. However, it was fun to do and still works ok as a petticoat or a chemise...at least until I get around to making a better one.

To make this piece, I used Simplicity 4055, with the view A bodice without the sleeves and the view B skirt without the train. Since I made this before my short stays, it fits a little oddly over them. For fun, I added lace to the neckline, but unfortunately its sort of scratchy and uncomfortable on.
O well!

welcome

Welcome to my new blog, where I will hopefully be sharing with the world my love for sewing historical fashion. Although most of my current projects are focusing around the Regency era (due to both my current obsession with that time and my less than advanced sewing skills..), I hope to share projects that focus on other time periods as well in the future.

I hope you all enjoy!