New year, new spencer

Happy New Year! First day of the year 2013 today, and I'm diligently documenting my first costuming event for the year. I cheated a bit; I started making the new spencer yesterday and only finished today, but that counts, no?

The spencer in question has been on my to-do list for a long time, ever since I first laid my eyes on it. I'm talking of this delightful little number:

The Christie's auction house page states that it's from the 1790s, so a perfect companion to the white round gown I have!

I was really prudent and didn't buy any new material for this jacket; I took apart a pair of linen capris I had made some years ago (which I never wore anyway because wide-legged capris? I don't think so :P ). I really wanted to use the nice fabric for something, so luckily there was just enough for this little project. I used my standard Regency bodice pattern for the back and remodeled the front by using my drop-front gown pattern. Because I didn't have any extra material, I chose to make the sleeves elbow lenght, but that goes nicely with the period look anyway. I used the same sleeve pattern as for the black print jacket. The jacket is entirely hand-sewn and lined with white batiste.

The original spencer has nice trim around the hem and the neckline, so I might add some to mine as well.

All the pieces cut (except the sleeves)

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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1790s round gown after Tidens Toj pattern

Hahaa! Few weeks ago I found out that the Danish National Museum's Tidens Toj page was up and running again, after a long time inactive. So, I rushed to print out the pattern for the white 1790s round gown and for once I was even lucky enough to find a suitable fabric for it. I used the pattern mainly as guidelines, so the bodice in my gown is a bit different to the original gown. I decided to use my drop-front dress bodice pattern as the base bodice (the one with lacing in the original pattern), mainly because I know it fits me well and that way I didn't have to fiddle with fitting and stuff. I also chose to leave out the pleating on the bodice back, because my fabric is embroidered all over and the pleats would've been odd and bulky. So then it was just to cut the hem, the sleeves and the bodice fronts which were pleated to the shoulders. A very nice project it was too, and I like the result. I'm making an open robe to go with it, after the Janet Arnold pattern, what else : )

I chose to leave out the lacing and instead just pin the bodice flaps like on a drop front gown.

Here I'm showing how the front of the dress is not attached to the base bodice. Also, I cut the centre front slit shorter than on the original gown, wanting to make it look tidier.

Tying the ribbons that close the dress

I had to add a little separate piece to the neck, because the bodice fronts were a tad too short to meet at the back...

I'm fairly pleased with the dress, I just need to make another petticoat to its measurements; the one I have on is too long.

No pleating on the bodice back, purely because of the fabric I used.

A construction photo of the bodice fronts, I sewed a rolled hem on the front edges; the other edge was topstitched on the bodice.

The gown fabric is embroidered thin cotton batiste (I think).