Tiny Acorns Regency - Finished!

And just in time too! The last stitches were put in the night before the dance. Why do I do this to myself? 

While I was working on it, I realized after attaching the skirt that I had put the sleeves on backwards. So that added some time to the making-of. I'm of the opinion that no project is complete without ripping out at least one seam. Beyond that, the dress went together quite easily. 

 While haunting one of my favorite fabric stores with one of my besties, we found BUTTONS! And in the giant collection of unique buttons - ACORNS! They needed to be included in the dress somehow. I decided that they would do well on wrist straps to help the sleeves to behave themselves. 

 I think my friends told me to look at the ground. But what am I supposed to be seeing there? 

 If you've been a long-time reader, you might recognize the bonnet. Psst - I blogged about it here. ;) 

 The dress was relatively easy to wear and dance in. I cut the sleeves to a larger size to accomodate my farm arm and to allow ease of movement - who wants to their arms and shoulders to be restricted when they're trying to dance?

 My one point of grr with this whole thing was the modesty panel - that thing would not stay put at all the entire evening. Oh well... I'll figure something out for next time. I'm just glad that I had my brown spencer to help keep things in place. :P 

Project details: 

Pattern: The Elegant Lady's Closet by Sensibility Patterns 

Fabric: Cardamom and Caraway by Marcus Fabrics 

Time: Probably about 2 afternoons including cutting out the pattern, cutting out the fabric, and sewing it all together

Final Thoughts: I like it a lot, but there are things I would change. But that's not surprising at all. ;) Depending on what I feel like, I'll probably tack down the pleating/gathers the shoulder to help the neckline to not look so... fluffy. Beyond that, re-situating the closure, and figuring out the panel that kept peeking out, I think I'll keep it the way it is. 

Until next time! 

SG

Tiny Acorns Regency Dress

I don't know what I was thinking. There's a mini Regency ball coming up, and I convinced myself that I needed a new dress even though I already have one that would work just fine. :P 

I bought this print a long while ago with the intention of making a regency dress from it. I just hadn't gotten around to it. 

ISN'T IT CUTE!  

Mentally, I needed to get past last weekend with comic con and a bazaar, then I could sew something for myself. ;) But the ball would only be 13 days after that weekend. Could I make a dress in that time? We shall see. 

Until next time! 

SG

2016 Project Plans

Looking at my schedule for the year, I'm going to keep my sewing project list toned down. I'm trying to finish my certificate at school, and I have a new job at a chef's garden that will fill up all the mornings that I'm not in classes leaving afternoons and weekends for homework. If I should fulfill my project goals, I'll be pleasantly surprised. If I go above and beyond that, I'll be really surprised. 

First on my docket is a new Regency day dress. This project wasn't in the cards until I went to a fun fabric store for my birthday, and I found this amazing cotton. I couldn't say no. I carried it through the store, petting it all the way. Fabric creeper, I know. But I don't know a seamstress that doesn't pet every single bolt in the store while perusing the aisles. 

Ahem. Back on topic.  

So I had this fabric. I didn't know what I could do with it. Until... Actually, I knew exactly what that fabric needed to become the moment I laid eyes on it. It needed to become a Regency dress because I totally need another one. So, it shall be a crossover dress.

I just got the buttons because I thought that they looked cool. I doubt that they'll actually work their way into the dress though. 

In case you can't see the print very well in the first picture, I got one closer up. IT'S ACORNS! 

The next project I have in the works is a working, middle class colonial dress with a caraco jacket and a red petticoat. The print was found at an antique mall (but really it's a modern Waverly), but the price was right. You might recognize the fabric because I did a post on it a while back. I've just been waiting to find the right fabric for the petticoat. The other day at the thrift store, I found a cotton sheet set that was the perfect color and it was also half off! SCORE! Now to actually make it. ;) I need to make some of the structural under pieces as well to make the look complete.  

Somewhere in there, I would like to make a pineapple reticule, regency stays, and an 1840's dress, but we shall see what actually happens. 

Until next time! 

SG

1808 Ballgown - 'Caroline'

It got finished in time for the ball!!! 

Granted, it was finished the day of the ball after I had stayed up til 11:30 the night before working on it. 

All that trim.

So.

Much.

Hand sewing.

I have gained a new-found respect of seamstresses of old. 

The construction of the dress and open robe was pretty straight forward (it helps that I've done these patterns in the past). For the dress, I sorta came up with the pattern as I went since I was changing the Regency Simplicity pattern as I went. I wanted a drop-front gown so that I could dress myself and not have to worry about having someone else lace me into my dress. The open robe is an altered version of the spencer/pelisse pattern from Sense and Sensibility. I can't leave patterns well enough alone, can I? ;) 

After I finished the machine sewing portion of the open robe, I set that aside to do all the hand-sewing while watching TV, listening to sermons, taking my break at work, or sitting the resource room at school in between classes.  That dress was hauled all around town in my project bag along with my portable sewing 'kit' and the invisible thread. Oh yes, all that gold trim on the train is tacked down with invisible thread. That added a whole new dimension to things. Why did I use it? The trim is gold and the fabric is teal. I didn't want thread to show. There are my reasons. 

How many hours in the open robe? I have no idea. The day of the ball, I timed myself. How much time am I actually spending on this thing? Turns out it was about 15 minutes for 10 inches. Whaaaat? Multiply that by 5 yards 10 inches... I'm not going to do the math. All I know is that I love how it turned out. Just like I imagined it would be, even better than the sketch that I drew (because I don't draw very well). 

While I was hand stitching in the evenings and in spare moments, the dress was being machine sewn whenever I had a moment in the craft room. Rather simple and straight forward. Using sketches from the Hungarican Chick, I drafted pieces from my Simplicity pattern that would be transformed into a bib-front. After working out the kinks in my pattern, I chopped up the sleeve pattern (don't worry, it was a piece that I traced from the original) to make the slits and button closures work. And it worked on the first try. Since when does that happen? 

The final result? 

There is an insurance building across the street from the ballroom that had these fantastic pillars. We just had to use them as a backdrop for pictures. 

And the open robe has a loooong train. :Squee!: But how is one to dance with such a long train and not trip? I attached a strap to the hem so that I could sling it around my wrist to keep it out of the way. After I did that, I was going through some fashion plates from the era and realized that they bustled it at the waist (Regency waist - not actual waist) to look like a chunky flower. Kinda cool. But I had already done the work, so the wrist band was going to stay. 

As I was spending goodness-knows-how-much-time sewing all that trim, I came up with a name for the dress. I've decided to dub it 'Caroline' because it strikes me as something that Caroline Bingley would have worn to a ball. 

Until next time!

SG

1808 Ball Gown WIP

I apologize in advance for the lousy picture, but I'm so excited with how the open robe is turning out that I had to share a quick peak with you! 

TA-DA!!!

It's looking even better than I imagined it. For the October ball, this will be about as much detail as it will get because of time constraints, but there are other balls coming up later in the year that I would potentially add even more detail to it (read: embroidery).

As for the trim, I bought five yards. FIVE YARDS! And it still wasn't enough. My estimate at the cutting counter was off by 10 inches. Not bad for not actually measuring the train. 

Until next time!

SG

1808 Ball Gown Inspiration and Planning

The Netherfield ball is coming up, and I got the Regency sewing bug again. I could wear one of my other dressed inspired by the early-1800's, but who wants to wear a plain, cotton day dress to an elegantly-themed ball? Not I. It's time to pull out all stops and power sew to get this ball gown done in time. 

My main inspiration for the dress is a collection of actual dresses, paintings, and modern re-enactors.

I love the concept of a loooooonng train. But I don't want to be tripping over it while dancing. The solution I came up with was an open robe. From what I can tell, there seem to many interpretations of the same concept: a bodice of some sort, a stylish closure in the front, and an over skirt. I really like the idea of sprucing up the basic white Regency ball gown and adding the color pop of the open robe. 

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PS - Holly Madchen photography is INCREDIBLE!

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Next up comes the actual ball gown. Apron-front (or bib-front), is certainly my preferred style, but I'll need to alter the pattern that I have to make it work (because I'm a cheapskate and don't want to buy :another: pattern). So it will all depend on how much time I have after finishing the open robe. Next part of the ball gown planning is the sleeves. I really don't like how the puff sleeves look on me; my shoulders are wide enough without the added puffiness of sleeves, thankyouvermuch. But then I found this painting: 

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I adore those sleeves. I'll just be altering the sleeves on my pattern. 'Nuff said. 

And no dress is complete without accessories! I really wanted to make a pineapple reticule, but my knitting skills are very lacking to figure out the pineapple bag pattern on Ravelry. So sad. But then, the Dreamstress did an inspiration post and sewed her own. I shall be making a pattern for that too, apparently.  

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Then it came down to scouting out materials to actually make this dress. 

I already had left over peacock teal chantung in my stash (left over from an 1860's ball gown), and there would certainly be enough to make the open robe with that. Random side note: I think I have a thing for deep, saturated teals because that color is starting to dominate my ball gown selection. Now, I know that chantung is no where near historically accurate, the material is too nubby. A smooth fabric would have been a better choice. But, honestly, I'm not aiming for a perfect look. Yes, I do want to look the part, but you can't argue with a stash-busting project that can certainly do a fine job of things.

For the actual dress, I found a simple dotted Swiss at Joann's (of all places) that would do the job credibly and pearl buttons for the fancy sleeves. 

The sketched out result from lunch breaks, blog hopping, and Pinterest cruising.

All that being said, I should probably get sewing. ;)

Until next time!

SG

Regency Poke Bonnet

In trying to complete the various ensembles that I have for different fashions eras, I've come the realization that I have a sore lacking of hats. And it's not like I don't wear hats! I don them quite frequently in my 'modern wardrobe.' The issue has been the lack of historical hats. So I've been keeping my eyes peeled for for deals on bonnets to add to my collection. 

Sarah, over at Romantic History, was selling some of her costuming pieces, so I swooped in and bought a Swiss dot cap and the Regency poke bonnet.  

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My family can testify to how excited I was when the package arrived. You couldn't get the bonnet off of my head. 

But it seemed rather simple, almost basic. Something inside of me was begging to dress it up just a bit. I heeded the tug, and bought some brown ribbon and trim to add to the hat. After I tacked them on, it was better, but still needed just a little bit more. I found a feather in my room left over from doing Rococo hair styles and tucked it into the ties. 

Better. Much better. But it still needed a little bit more. 

And then, after digging around in my boxes upon boxes of trims and ribbons and notion, I found a small cluster of flowers that had fallen off of my sewing box.

You heard me right - from my sewing box. 

When I was just getting started with all my sewing adventures, my mom bought me a sewing box that looked like a small hat box. Alack, alas... the flowers on the lid fell off shortly after bringing it home. But, being my craft-supply hoarding self, I kept the silly little flowers since I thought that they were pretty. Little did I know that they would someday end up on a Regency bonnet. :P  

The poke bonnet will be able to make its debut while I'm helping at the ECD Oregon table at a home school conference. Can't wait!

Until next time!

SG

American Duchess "Nankeen" Regency Boot Give-away!

American Duchess is hosting a give-away! 

Just stop for a moment and imagine being Elizabeth Bennet on her way to Netherfield to visit her sister. Hopefully, your hem won't be six inches deep in mud. ;) 

Head on over to her blog for your chance to win! 

Throwback Thursday: Damask Green Regency

It was 2009 and graduation was coming up. Being the off-beat, homeschooler that I was, I wanted a Regency dress for the event instead of a cute, trendy summer frock. No, I needed a Regency dress. It was my second 'big' sewing project, the first time I would be doing it on my own without much in the way of mentoring, and the first time I had worked with a pattern so... drapey. A friend of mine let me borrow her pattern from Sense and Sensibility Patterns. It looked pretty straight forward and simple enough, so, true to my style, I dived in without really knowing what I was getting myself into. But I wasn't ecstatic about the final results. It felt frumpy and baggy, and the closure on the front just wouldn't cooperate. I still wore it to the graduation, and I even wore it to a bachelorette tea party. I decided that crossover Regency gowns weren't my thing because of the kinks in the pattern that wouldn't seem to work themselves out. The dress landed in the farthest corner in the costume closet as more structured dresses were added to the collection.  

Fast forward to August 2013. I got my sister and myself tickets to a Regency ball. And I hadn't a clue what I was going to wear. Anything that I would choose would have to be altered (loosing 30 lbs. will make your entire wardrobe not fit anymore). It was an excellent time to see if there was any hope for that light green damask crossover dress. 

I checked out books from the library and scoured Pinterest for ideas. It didn't take much research to find bits and pieces that I wanted to incorporate. But first, fixing that darn closure and those funky sleeves. I wish I had a before and after picture of that closure. It was a mess before. Some ribbon here and some stitches there, I'm much more pleased with the final results. But, as a whole, it didn't seem complete. 

I had enough time to spare before the ball (it was still several days away) to make that something more that the dress needed. A spencer! I had the pattern, fabric, trim, buttons... everything already in the stash (and it was all given to me by different people at different times o_O) I did a mock-up, and somewhere along the line, I decided to make it sleeveless. There are sleeveless spencers out there; just check out this beauty. After doing a coat for my brother, this project went really quick. The only kink that I ran into along the process was the ribbon on the waist that I had on my dress - the spencer wasn't long enough to cover it up. A 1 1/2" waistband needed to be added in the front and 3" to the back. After drafting some pieces and adding a seam allowance, the problem disappeared. 

I took a step back. It was finished (long before the day-of). And I loved it. 

I just needed to figure out what to do with my hair for the ball. ;)

Want some pictures from the event? 

After lots of dancing

I ended up doing a turban up-do for my hair. It seemed rather pirate-y to me. 

The gorgeous venue

Until next time!

SG