Before the month slips away from me, I'll share about this Regency gown that I made for a friend this past month. She and her husband were invited to an English Country Dance, so she wanted a pretty Regency gown to wear to the event. Julie chose the fabric and the style, and I did the stitching!
I used the Elegant Ladies' Closet pattern from Sense & Sensibility Patterns, with a few modifications. I raised the neckline 1.5" and added a total of 4" of extra width to the front of the dress for potential maternity/nursing wear. I custom-fitted the length of the bodice on Julie so that she could wear the dress without needing period undergarments. Julie wanted a little extra something to add interest and definition, so she requested that I use a coordinating bias binding on the outside of the dress for the drawstring casing. I also added detachable long sleeves, from the same fabric, which I basted in after this photo was taken. I also made a chemise from cotton muslin for her to wear under the dress (no pictures of that, as it is pretty basic, but the interesting challenges of that pattern are flat-felled seams and inserting gussets under the arms).
Sewing this dress in the middle of winter was like getting a whiff of summertime and roses!
I'm a 31-year-old Christian. My hope is to live a quiet life filled with home and hearth, family and friends, loveliness and simplicity. I'm wife to Douglas (married October 2008) and mother to Edmund (born November 2009), Lavinia (born May 2012), and Rosamund (born February 2014).
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So lovely, Laura! Julie will have a versatile (not to mention beautiful) dress -- and it certainly does breath of spring and freshness.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Shannon
the dress came out beautifully Laura! I have been meaning to call and see how you are doing. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you! :)
ReplyDeleteSarah Mendenhall
It's really beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLaura, today I accidentally came across your old blog and I am really fascinated by it! You remind me of Emily of New Moon, my favourite book ever:-) At the beginning I thought you gave up writing in 2010 and I feel so glad and relieved that you keep on writing. I love your dresses, I've just started learning how to sew myself (now I'm making my second dress) and your blog will be such a great inspiration! Thank you for this!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Poland:-)
Anna Wróblewska
Be-a-utiful! What a charming rose print fabric. I love how you always make the most feminine dresses. : )
ReplyDeleteHappy sewing,
Katrina
Hi Laura
ReplyDeleteSeing the devastating tornadoes out in the midwest and knowing you live in that area, I hope all is well with you and your family, and that the tornadoe didn't hit your neck of the woods.
When you have the chance, let us know that your all ok.
What a sad time for all those unfortunate people.
Fondly,
Irene (from NJ)
Thank you, ladies, for your sweet comments! Irene, how thoughtful of you to be concerned. Mercifully, God spared us from tornadoes and the worst we endured were some major thunderstorms. I'm very thankful for safety and shelter!
ReplyDelete