Red and white block printed gown

It's nice to have a new dress. This particular dress has been on my to-do list for a long time, ever since I bought those Indian block prints and long before that really. The reason I haven't got around making it until now has been, as ever, the lack of the right fabric. Anyway, I found nice white cotton voile around the New Year and was really chuffed to bits. Finally!

The "little white dress" is certainly the ubiquitous Regency fashion
item, but the patterned print fabric dresses were equally popular, in all available colours. I'm not well read enough on the topic to write about it at lenght, but there's plenty of information on the subject to be found in the net.

The dress pattern came from Janet Arnold's book, and it's the same I used for my very first Regency dress, the white fern dress. I always liked that pattern and it worked well, so why not use it. I cut the pieces and then set out printing them. I used the narrow border print on the neck edge, the cuffs, the "belt" piece and the hem. For the hem I also used the big paisley prints to create a wide border. The rest of the dress is printed with the little flower motif. I measured the hem border very carefully, to make the both hem pieces match when I sewed them together. I was a bit less meticulous with the flower motif, and didn't measure and mark the placements. It shows, if you examine the dress really closely, but not so much as to really bother me. I'm already planning to print fabric for another project, so maybe I'll be more careful next time.

Now, then. Enough with this, here are some pictures.

The neck-edge and the belt pieces

Sleeve

The dress hem

It was surprisingly hard to print both the hem pieces. It didn't really take that long, but after finishing the first piece, I procrastinated for a week before starting on the second piece.

I like the back and the pretty pleats

Well, it's winter, after all, so the Shetland lace shawl came in handy here.

The colour looks pink but it's actually red. I swear I'm not doing this on purpose... :)

This dress has already proved to be very versatile, it matches most of my Regency spencers and shawls. That's what I really like about Regency fashions (and try to keep in mind whenever I make new things), that you can mix and match different items of clothing and have a new outfit with small changes and different combinations.

I made this 1790s-1800 spencer in early January 2013

The dress with the long-sleeved frilly chemisette

The dress closes with 3 dorset buttons and there's a ribbon running through the belt channel underbust that ties at the back, to secure the fit of the bodice.

Looks fab with this spencer, too.

The Pelisse Project

I've gone and done it. I've begun the Pelisse Project, after the gorgeous Museum of London pelisse. Some weeks ago I actually emailed the museum for some more information about the garment and they answered very quickly and even sent me some photos of it before it was put on display. Those photos were really helpful and really gave me a better idea on how to proceed with the sewing.

I even managed to find nice fabric for the project, never an easy feat in a town with only one fabric shop selling clothing fabric. My choice is cotton viscose, sort of purplish red, almost papal in some lights... :) I know, the viscose isn't very period accurate, nor is the colour, but beggars can't be choosers. I'm very happy with the fabric, though, it works fine, it's just the right thickness and has a nice fall and shimmer to it.

So far I've cut the pieces, assembled and fitted the bodice and the hem and sewn them together, figured out the petal oversleeves, cut and hemmed them and only just finished the collar. Next step would be the immense amount of rouleaux piping to be made and sewn into those leafy shapes to imitate the original. I also have the beading to do. I mean to do the piping and beading decoration on the sleeves before I sew the seams, because that sort of work is so much easier to do on a flat piece rather than on a 3D one.

For pattern's I've used my trusted regency bodice pattern which I took from Jean Hunnisett's book and the pelisse hem  is an 1820s three-piece pattern also from Hunnisett's book. The sleeves are from Janet Arnold's book and I drafted the petal oversleeves and the collar myself. Here are some construction photos of the project so far.

Preparing to cut the pieces. The hem pieces are chalked on the fabric.

First try-on. The hem is only pinned on here.

The petal sleeves in the making.

The collar. I'm very pleased with its shape!

1790s open robe

Yesterday I finished the 1790s open robe to go with the round gown I made. The robe was originally that of à la francaise variety, but having had it float around half finished for months on end, and no prospects of ever finishing it let alone wearing it, I decided to give it a new life. Lucky thing with the francaises is that they take up massive amounts of fabric, so I definitely had more than enough to go around.

I used the Janet Arnold pattern, only with slight tweaks in the back piece and slightly shorter train; I just don't hold with trains, they may look cool when you're standing indoors, but try walking around the streets and lawns and it's a mess. I have a little trainage though, just enough for the robe to look the part :) I still need to put some hooks and bars to close the robe in front and I might embroider the front edges, but for now, it's wearable.

So, the round gown, the open robe on top, teamed with long mitts and a shawl I knitted (the mitts inspired by similar ones from 1820-30 in V&A, and the shawl after an Estonian pattern), plus a "Marianne Dashwood" hat. And a book, since it was Jane Austen's birthday when I was taking the photos. Northanger Abbey accessorised the outfit perfectly :)

Trying on the whole "Marianne Dashwood at Delaford picnic" look

I really need to figure out the hair; 1790s look would call for a massive curly do,  so there's still some way to go to achieve that...

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