My curtain along dress is done! All but the hand finishing, that is - edges, hems, ties, and 4" of binding. And I love it!
I'm not even wearing my stays in these pictures; I had just put the skirt and sleeves on, and wanted to make sure it wasn't horrible. I ended up loving it so much I didn't want to take it off!
It's a little difficult to get on and off, which really makes me think that either the sewn-together method was not used on the inspiration gown, or that the proportions were different enough that it wasn't a struggle. Still, the fit is all that I could hope for.
The skirt is apron front. Trying for the 1790s "puffy" look, I wanted a lot of fullness in the back, less on the sides, and very little in front. The apron is completely straight, with two deep pleats at either end to keep the opening from gapping. The rest of the skirt is set in 1/4" visible pleats. At the sides they're only 1/4" deep, then shading to 3/4" and finally 1" deep at the center back.
I couldn't get a good picture of the back, although I tried a lot. The red curtains are heavily dyed; even after washing and drying, the fabric feels like it's starched with medium liquid starch. Plus it's sateen, so it's not flimsy. This means that the 1/4" pleats "puff" out very nicely. And it kind of sways and hangs in back in a way that I've never seen cotton do before - and incidentally perfect for this style.
Yay! So excited!
By the way, notice the new furniture behind the mirror? 1926 Singer treadle machine, in working condition. It just needs a new belt. A super nice lady at church just gave it to me! I can't wait to play with it after Costume College. Especially I want to play with all the crazy attachments the old Singers have. ;)