How many polka dot dresses does one girl need? Well, if you are me, about a million! Before Christmas I started a new mid-1790s white gown. My old one is covered in brown stains, the casualty of a leak in my costume closet (but thankfully one of the few casualties), so it was time for a new one! This time I picked a spotted cotton from the stash that I had originally earmarked for a summer bustle gown. The fabric has raised dots but I choose to use the back side for a more subtle look.
I used my basic gathered front regency pattern as a base, but decided to go for a slightly earlier style by lengthening the back pieces and lowering the front drawstring channel. The waist hits just above my natural waistline like the dress pictured in
Costume in Detail below. To give the dress a bit more visual interest, I added three drawstring channels to the front of the dress like pink silk dress from the Kyoto fashion institute.
Construction is very simple. The front is one panel of fabric with the neckline and armscythes cut out. 4 drawstring channels were then sewn into the front - one at the neckline and three under the bust. The dress closes with a slit at the center front. The bodice is lined in white linen and the bodice front lining closes separately with pins. The back skirt is two panels gathered to the back waist.
I added sleeves to the dress yesterday and now all it needs is a hem. Hopefully, I will finish it this week and then it will be my last completed project of 2011!
Posted:
12/29/2011 3:41:52 PM by
Aubry | with
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