...And Now For Something Completely Different

So, here's something a bit out of the ordinary:  I made myself a Regency-era (Empire) gown.  I had six yards of sage green crushed Dupioni silk on hand that I had had for years, and  I was saving it for "something special", but that something never came around - what was I saving it for then?  I decided to have fun with it. 

And so I give you:

At first I thought I'd get a Simplicity pattern and just start sewing; but I had too many questions about the fashions themselves - first and foremost, was that Simplicity pattern even accurate?  A LOT of reading and study happened next.  Long story short, I finally ended up ordering the Morning Dress pattern from Reconstructing History, and got to work. 

I adore these buttons!

The pattern went together pretty easily once I figured out some snags I had along the way.   But once I got it sorted the dress came together just like it was supposed to.  I made three mock-ups of the bodice, and two finished bodices,  to get the fit right.  

I also made a Regency-style chemise, and a pair of stays to wear beneath the dress.  The fashion in the early-mid Regency period was to let it all hang out - no corset, no stays, nothing.  Of course, larger women (me) and larger-busted women (me again) did opt to wear stays to keep everything in place.  The chemise is made of handkerchief-weight white cotton;  the stays are made of cotton calico with bias tape binding and hand-stitched lacing eyelets.  

Credit where credit is due: 

A dear friend gave me a big gift card for my birthday this year, which I used to purchase a new cutting table (hooray, no more cutting out on the floor!) and all the notions and supplies I needed for this dress.  I had the fabric already, but without that birthday present this outfit wouldn't have happened.  Thanks, Friend!  

What's Next? 

Sadly, I don't have anywhere to wear this outfit - I'm not involved with JASNA or any local Regency groups (there aren't any local Regency groups), and Halloween didn't happen this year.  This was purely an exercise in branching out and learning something new.  It'll hang in the closet forever, I suppose.  Even if it does, I plan to keep learning and keep adding to the ensemble - it needs a Spencer jacket and a hat!  Those are "one of these days" projects, I think. 

For now, though, my next project is going to be a [modern] winter coat for me.  I've always wanted to make one, and I've found the perfect pattern for it.  It'll take me a while to collect all the components I'll need for the coat, though, so I probably won't have the blog post about it for you for a couple of months.  In the meantime, there are always masks to make.