My First Regency Gown!
I used (and abused) the Laughing Moon 126 pattern, with the gathered bib front.
This gown was made for my SIL to wear to Costume College this summer, so some of you will be seeing it live in a few months!
The fabric choice was both horrible and wonderful at the same time. Wonderful because it looks AMAZING-- it's super gorgeous. It has a hot pink warp with a bright turquoise weft and it makes a shimmering lavender color that looks much nicer in person than in pictures. Will I ever use a fabric that photos easily? I don't think so. Also on the wonderful side is my SIL-- a beautiful blue-eyed blonde who rocks this color like you wouldn't believe. That's about it for wonderful. Everything else was shitty! It was warped off grain, went permanently limp with steam, had permanent creases from where it was folded on the bolt, couldn't handle needle punctures without permanent damage, any droplet of water would make a permanent water mark, had to use the bias to make the sleeve/neckline/back ties because it looked really bad the other way, top-stitching looked like ass, no thread on earth matched it, and it just sucked in every way possible. Lucky for this gown the fabric had a pretty face, because it had the shittiest personality!
I'm not sure yet if I'm a fan of the drop-front gown. I don't like the way it looks where it has to be pinned to the bodice. It looks unfinished to me. Plus, the big old open slashes down the sides I'm not fond of. I like everything perfectly in place with no room for wardrobe malfunctions. This dress seems to be begging to malfunction at inopportune times. At least I have a few months to address whatever could go wrong. Anyone have and tips and hints for me?
I can't make anything plain. I just can't. So, I spent way too much time trying to come up with this pleated fan thing border. I looked at hundreds of extant gowns and fashion plates and whatever I tried to mimic, it just didn't look good in person with this fabric. This one looked okay. I really wanted it to be all lavender without any turquoise showing, but finally I just gave up and did it the easy way. WHICH DID NOT END UP EASY AT ALL.
Pinning the pleat stacks in place--
Tacking them around the hem--
Fluffing out the fan shape and tacking them in place--
Then on to the bigger row, using my scalloped scissors for the edges. (I guess that's another thing for the wonderful pile-- it cut like a dream.)
Pinned in place above the other row--
Fanned out and tacked down, then stitched down in strategic places to hold the fan shape. This all took WAY LONGER than I ever expected. I guess I wouldn't be me without seriously underestimating stuff. It was very very time consuming!
So, that's my first Regency dress. I think it turned out very pretty! Anyone have any ideas what to accessorize it with?
This gown was made for my SIL to wear to Costume College this summer, so some of you will be seeing it live in a few months!
The fabric choice was both horrible and wonderful at the same time. Wonderful because it looks AMAZING-- it's super gorgeous. It has a hot pink warp with a bright turquoise weft and it makes a shimmering lavender color that looks much nicer in person than in pictures. Will I ever use a fabric that photos easily? I don't think so. Also on the wonderful side is my SIL-- a beautiful blue-eyed blonde who rocks this color like you wouldn't believe. That's about it for wonderful. Everything else was shitty! It was warped off grain, went permanently limp with steam, had permanent creases from where it was folded on the bolt, couldn't handle needle punctures without permanent damage, any droplet of water would make a permanent water mark, had to use the bias to make the sleeve/neckline/back ties because it looked really bad the other way, top-stitching looked like ass, no thread on earth matched it, and it just sucked in every way possible. Lucky for this gown the fabric had a pretty face, because it had the shittiest personality!
I'm not sure yet if I'm a fan of the drop-front gown. I don't like the way it looks where it has to be pinned to the bodice. It looks unfinished to me. Plus, the big old open slashes down the sides I'm not fond of. I like everything perfectly in place with no room for wardrobe malfunctions. This dress seems to be begging to malfunction at inopportune times. At least I have a few months to address whatever could go wrong. Anyone have and tips and hints for me?
I can't make anything plain. I just can't. So, I spent way too much time trying to come up with this pleated fan thing border. I looked at hundreds of extant gowns and fashion plates and whatever I tried to mimic, it just didn't look good in person with this fabric. This one looked okay. I really wanted it to be all lavender without any turquoise showing, but finally I just gave up and did it the easy way. WHICH DID NOT END UP EASY AT ALL.
Pinning the pleat stacks in place--
Tacking them around the hem--
Fluffing out the fan shape and tacking them in place--
Then on to the bigger row, using my scalloped scissors for the edges. (I guess that's another thing for the wonderful pile-- it cut like a dream.)
Pinned in place above the other row--
Fanned out and tacked down, then stitched down in strategic places to hold the fan shape. This all took WAY LONGER than I ever expected. I guess I wouldn't be me without seriously underestimating stuff. It was very very time consuming!
So, that's my first Regency dress. I think it turned out very pretty! Anyone have any ideas what to accessorize it with?