Sense & Sensibility Elegant Lady's Closet

[Mme de Beaufort]

www.sensibility.com/pattern/regency.htm

[lauren]

So, I really like this pattern. It's very easy to make and the instructions are extremely clear. The other really nice thing is the pieces can be used as a base to make other patterns. The possibilities are pretty much endless. All of my Regency gowns on my blog are made using this pattern. :-)

[tess]

A question about mixing and matching....

I'm starting on the draw string dress and want to add a different skirt. I was going to add the flat front from my other S&S pattern, but after looking at Dawn's pictures of her daughter in the blue bib-front PI pattern dress, I think I like more fullness (but not the drawstring look.

Will it work to use the skirt from my bib-front pattern with the drawstring bodice? I want to make sure I don't ruin the whole "get into it without help design".
Thanks!

[chiemi]

I really like the look of the crossover, but am worried about the fact that the model is umm...not as well endowed as myself. What is your experience with it?

[nonsuch]

Yay I'm making this pattern right now! The drawstring view is not actually gathered in the front, the front is large and the drawstring pulls it in at the neckline and the waistline. You could gather the bottom front of the bodice into a straight/flared front skirt, but that might make the gown hard to get in and out of without having some kind of opening in the back/bodice. The bib-front works a little differently I'll post the link since its hard to explain.
www.koshka-the-cat.com/drop_front1.html

[tess]

Question about the lining for the drawstring version...

It is designed to sort of "float" and be pinned in place. The instructions say its purpose is to "smooth the line of your stays". Is the lining really necessary if I have a petticoat over the stays anyhow?

Do I really need it? Should I put it in anyhow for authenticity?

[lauren]

Tess,

You don't really need the lining. When the gown is finished it is pinned to your stays and then the drawstrings tighten the rest of the dress. I followed the pattern to the letter when I first sewed it. In the other draw string dresses I have made, I have left out the flaps. It is, however, necessary for the crossover dress.

[dawnluckham]

In fact, I would actually recommend skipping that front flap style lining for the drawstring dress. Like Lauren, I put it in the very first version of this pattern I made and really; putting the gown on entailed tossing the skirts over your head in order to get the lining pinned properly.

As Lauren says, the flaps make the cross over gown fit better.

For the drawstring dress, I usually cut a lining out of the bodice pieces and this gives me a double layer to make a casing for the strings. Another method I sometimes use is to finish the neckline and the waist seam with a bias tape, which again makes a casing.

[dawnluckham]

OOooops... It looks like I missed one of your earlier questions. Sorry!

I think you can add a fuller skirt with careful pleating to this drawstring dress pattern, but I say "careful pleating" because the dress - both bodice and skirt - is actually gathered up on the drawstring.

If you add extra fullness keep it to the backs and sides so as not to end up with too much bulk on the front when you want to pull the strings up for fit.

[tess]

Okay, I think I'm not going to try to use the "larger skirt" idea.

IF I decided to go in the opposite direction and use the flat front skirt to mix-n-match, I'm confused on how to attach the much smaller skirt front to the bodice. (The picture below says they used the flat front skirt from the other pattern with the drawstring bodice). Have they pleated the front permanently when attaching it to the skirt and used the back of the skirt to give it "flex" when getting it over our head?

Any tips??

I'm using a linen material and I'm worried about the drawstring waist on the skirt looking "bunched up" and too thick in the front.

[dawnluckham]

If you look at the width of the drawstring dress bodice front, you’ll notice it’s quite wide. It’s wider than you need for your size. This is because the whole dress is drawn up on a cord that runs through the waistline seam.

The width of the bodice will dictate the width of the skirt. In order for the drawstring to work properly, the skirt top and the bottom of the bodice need to match.

You can make one or the other match with pleating.

For example, if the older pattern with the shaped skirt front is not as wide as the bodice on the draw string dress, you need to add a few tiny tucks to the drawstring dress bodice (I’d put them under each breast) in order to make the bodice and the skirt match.

If you want to use a wider skirt, you need to make little pleats at the sides in order to make the skirt match the bodice.

Both systems will work. You just have to be careful about adding too much bulk at the waistline seam.

[tess]

Thanks so much to everyone for your replies and advice! I think I've got it now.

[artemisiajolie]

So, I'm looking to get a different pattern than what I have. I currently have the Simplicity S&S pattern. Is this basically the same pattern? Or would it be a good addition?

[dawnluckham]

This pattern is different than the Simplicity pattern. It's got a straight skirt (not shaped) and the back is smaller, which makes for an interesting look. The sleeves fit into the armscye differently. They can be a bit difficult but there's on line help for that. The cross-over bodice/dress can be a little tricky to fit but looks sensational when well done. The drawstring dress is easy and quick to make without the lining and looks good on everyone.

[artemisiajolie]

Thanks Dawn! I really want to try the crossover dress.

[threadlette]

I just I'd add my experience with the pattern so far. I ordered it on Saturday and received it today and after jumping around the house squealing with joy I opened it up an was delighted. The pattern comes on nice thick paper! I know that sounds silly but I hate the super thin butcher paper that most commercial patterns come on. I have a bad habit of kneeling on pieces to keep them in place while I cut my fabric and I have ripped infinite pieces that way. So yeah. To me that is a huge bonus. I am planning on making the draw string dress eventually for just a nice day dress but I am diving right into the cross over gown since my stays are pretty much done. The instructions need to be read through a few times but so far I like what I see. I am heading out to fabric depot tonight to purchase some fabric I will be sure and give you an update on how the construction goes.

And as far as the simplicity version of the normal sense and sensibility pattern ehh.. Uber thin paper. My pet peeve. But I needed to make a regency gown in a pinch and it was great to be able to just buy the pattern without waiting for shipping. Overall it's a perfectly nice pattern but I am wishing I had ordered it directly from S&S.

~Ariel

[Miss Catherine]

Has anyone made the cross front dress with the extra panel in it? If so does it really make all that big of a difference to the way it fits?

[Charlotte]

I'm making the drawstring dress up right now (I'm pinning on the skirt) and so far my opinion is that the instructions needed a few things described a little better like setting in the long sleeves, hanging the skirt and the under bust drawstring casing. I've also had fitting issues, the front bodice is too long and the back bodice is too short. Also discovered was an unfortunate hump in the back (hunchback of Notre Dame, anyone?) bodice that I removed by changing the stitch line to a straighter line and not following the cut line. The next problem was the hang of the skirt. When pinned it to the bodice with the bowed edge along the bodice back it hangs like droopy drawers so I'm flipping it over and putting the bowed edge at the bottom, so far, it seems to hang better.
One really nice plus was that the long sleeves are actually long enough for me, which was a surprise because I had to lengthen the skirt.
Did anyone else have difficulties with this pattern?

[bennettgirl]

I have made up several dresses with this pattern and always run into problems with the elbow length sleeve. It runs very small and is arkward to put in and looks sort of strange. Does anyone else have this problem?