Sense & Sensibility Regency Gown (Simplicity 4055)

[Mme de Beaufort]

www.sensibility.com/pattern/regency.htm

The basic gown comes both from Sensibility.com but also is produced by Simplicity. What are your thoughts?

[cosmoblue]

I found a review here: www.gbacg.org/GreatPatternReview/SenseSensibility.htm

Regency Gown Pattern

Elizabeth Doornink - Highly Recommended
This has to one of the best patterns I have ever made. It was easy to alter and simple to make up. There are endless variations possible with a bit of creativity. It was very quick to make. It can look perfect as either a ball gown or a simple work dress. Mrs. Chancey's directions are clear and simple and very easy to understand. I highly recommend it to all my friends and wish that all patterns were this easy. Pictured at left.

Rebecca Newton - Highly Recommended
Jennie Chancey's easy-to-sew, easy-to-wear regency gown is manages to cover the boundaries between costume and clothing. I made my first gown (size 18) from her pattern nearly a year ago, raising the neckline by a couple of inches (it was easy to raise). I have since made several more for myself and my clients. So comfortable, I wear my gowns on an everyday basis, over the bodiced petticoat from LaMode Bagatelle. Because Mrs. Chancey drapes and drafts her patterns all by hand, a few oops! (as she is wont to call them) slipped by her into the final version of the pattern. One, the skirt front is several inches longer than the back. You can either lengthen the back slightly, or take up tucks in the front at the hem. I've done both. Mrs. Chancey provides an "Oops" page with remedies to common problems you might face when using her patterns. As a supplement to the excellent printed instructions included with her patterns, she has also included instructions on her website, featuring clear photographs for the Regency Gown pattern, the Titanic Tea Gown and the Edwardian Walking Jacket. These are invaluable if you happen to get stuck. Pictured at right.

Roz Johnson - Highly Recommended
This pattern is easy to use and alter as needed. If you have plump upper arms, measure the width of the long sleeves carefully to be sure they have a comfortable amount of ease. The website has terrific directions, essentially repeating the ones found in the pattern envelope, but with extra tips and photographs rather than line drawings. She also has new directions for attaching the under-sleeves and an explanation for that uneven skirt length mentioned in the above review (it was the printers' error in the pattern reproduction process).

Janet Canning - Highly Recommended
Great for beginners and those returning to sewing after an absence. Yes, as noted on website, the front skirt panel was drafted longer than the back panel. I adjusted this by putting the pattern on my cutting board and looking at the curve on the side seam (an excellent way of allowing for hips and the look of the period for those not wearing a corset). I was able to correct and cut out. It is a good pattern for returning to sewing. If you are a bit fuller in the upper body but, have a modern figure (not slight of build or women's sizing), the sleeve and shoulder area are a bit tight on the arm hole. I would try a draft of the bodice and check for your armhole as well as the rest of the fit. If you have a womanly figure, contact Sense & Sensibility about their pattern suppliments. Jennie also has online instructions and classes on her website. If you want to see movement and how this dress should look, check out the Gweneth Paltrow version of Emma and the website www.sensibility.com.

Mary Alice Ladd - Highly Recommended
I recommend this pattern for beginner sewers. This is a multi-size pattern, printed on heavy paper, which will stand up to repeated use. There are links for very detailed step-by-step photos and instructions on the Sense & Sensibility website. Also check the "Oops" page for a few corrections to the pattern. Once I made the corrections, I had no problems with the pattern. I did not need to make test muslin for my gown. I cut out my preshrunk cream feather embroidered fabric on a Tuesday night and by Friday night I was wearing the finished gown to a Regency Ball. For my next gown, I plan to move the shoulder seam back and scoop in the back armhole. This should make the gown more period correct. Mary's gown is shown in the photos to the right.

Sumalee Eaton - Highly Recommended
This was a very simple, straitfoward pattern. I hardly glanced at the instructions. The end result is very pleasing. Jennie Chancey's website is also a great companion. She had online instructions with photos as well as tips for making a bodiced petticoat (which was also very easy), a drop front dress, a button front dress, a train, etc...If you are looking for a simple Regency Gown pattern, that is very comfotable, then this is definitely for you. The only caveats I have are that I am slope shouldered and the the armhole is slightly too tight. But Miss Chancey has instructions on her website for fixing these small things. I also love that it is printed on heavy duty paper, instead of tissue paper, even though I trace all of my patterns on Pellon anyway. Definitely consider buying this pattern.

Aylwen Garde - Highly Recommended
I love this pattern and find it easy to use and easy to trace off. It is excellent for begining sewers. I prefer to use cottons and light drapable fabrics. Silk dupioni is so stiff that it gives this dress a big bottom. The bodice portion of this pattern is suited to someone with broad shoulders. The dress will fall off narrow shoulders.

I tend to use the La Mode Bagetelle pattern for the bodice. It's a better fit for me. Her dresses are pictured at right.

Mary Ingles - Not Recommended
My experience with this pattern was not positive. It was simple to get together at first. It's not easy to get the lining gathered inside the bodice, to whipstitch it to the waist line, to encase the seams of the bodice and skirt between the bodice and lining. The lining piece should have been designed differently. I gave up in trying to gather and whipstitch at the same time. I finally gave up, tore it apart, and reassembled it in a different way. My sister and I both tried making dresses. The fit didn't work for either of us. The arms were too tight and the skirt wasn't even. One part ended up being too short and ruined the look of my dress. My sister is lucky that she is short and needs to hem up patterns, but my dress is ruined. The designer should have taken into consideration the different proportions of larger body sizes to smaller body sizes before putting this pattern out.

April Bong - Recommended with caution.
After making four different dresses, I have given up on this pattern. I could never make the bodice fit properly. There seems to be way too much material to gather in the back and make it all fit. The sleeves were small and so were the arm holes. If you are exactly the right body shap for this pattern, it may work for you. If not, you will have to make a lot of alterations and still may not be able to make it fit well.

[austenfan]

I agree with April Bong, the sleeves do run small.

[dawnluckham]

This is my daughter modeling the Simplicity Sense and Sensibility pattern. This is the drawstring dress:

[Val]

So far this is the only pattern I've used for Regency, just because of time limitations. I do own LMB, and quite a few commercial ones, so I have hopes...
The pattern seemed to me a little easier to sew since I'm used to modern pattern techniques. But I hadn't sewed in perhaps 20 years, so I was rusty.
When I first used it, I made the muslin and was happy with it, so I made 4 of them at one time. I had all my different cotton materials, and cut them out. Then I sewed them on an assembly line. That way I made the front bodice 4 times, the back, the sleeves, you get the idea. Doing them over and over made me learn it better. And in the end, I had FOUR dresses!
The white one www.pbase.com/cinnamonhrts/image/47199640
The peach one
www.pbase.com/cinnamonhrts/image/47199528
Can't find photos of the others. I'm haning onto some other fabrics for new gowns, once I get the LMB one fitted.
None of them are fancy, although my white one I sewed a ruffle a few inches above the hem, and need to do something for the bodice, as it got some yellowed greasy stains on it. *how did that happen?*
And as you can see, I wasn't wearing a corset, so it's droopy.
I plan on making another all white one, with longer sleeves, as I'm a little old to be wearing the poofy ones. And I want a dark colored spencer to go with it. I tried S&S spencer pattern but hated the fit on it. Will try LMB's next.

[Mme de Beaufort]

Oh, there's Katherine in the image with the peach dress. Isn't she precious? I want to adopt her as my daughter.

Your gowns are lovely; I especially like the white one.

This is me in the daygown from this pattern:

My hair is a disaster and I'm wearing my 'period' glasses. ::smirk:: and as usual my stay is poking out from my neckline at the shoulder.

[Miss Ida]

you look amazing in that dress!! I have a lot to love as well so seeing you look so good encourages me to dress up as well !

[Val]

I didn't like how high the neckline was and when I lowered it, it made the shoulders really wide too.
That color looks wonderful on you. I have a really pretty periwinkle blue one that was made for me by the Romantic Seamstress. I bought the fabric for $2 a yard. I love this color on me. www.pbase.com/cinnamonhrts/image/47199638
It buttons in front, which I loved. And the neckline is cut perfect for me. It's a little long so I kept stepping on the hem. I'd love to do one of these. I think it's a pattern she made and not a purchased one.

[cosmoblue]

Steph- you finally posted you picture here, yay!

admin said:

O I'm wearing my 'period' glasses. ::smirk::

I didn't even think about my glasses. One more reason to have lasik done.

[Mme de Beaufort]

I hate seeing myself in photographs... I get very depressed. ::Lawlz:: however it's not the first image I've posted of myself... I posted the one where I"m sitting at the table talking to Thea and you can see the platforming of the corset.



That's me in the white with the blue pelisse. Both were made from the S&S pattern but I shortened the back by about an inch. I also made my own sleeves because I have two hams that fit nothing.

My husband is the gentleman standing in the center, and my aunt can be seen sitting to the left in the butterick gown. Susan Pasco is in the striped dress speaking to Robert; she's one of the designers of the Mode Bagatelle patterns, and I'm speaking to Carolyn Finnell of the Arizona Regency Society. I must be saying: "YOU DON'T SAY!" with my eyeballs all bugged out like that.

I wore frameless glasses for that night.

[Mme de Beaufort]

val said:

I didn't like how high the neckline was and when I lowered it, it made the shoulders really wide too.
That color looks wonderful on you. I have a really pretty periwinkle blue one that was made for me by the Romantic Seamstress. I bought the fabric for $2 a yard. I love this color on me. www.pbase.com/cinnamonhrts/image/47199638
It buttons in front, which I loved. And the neckline is cut perfect for me. It's a little long so I kept stepping on the hem. I'd love to do one of these. I think it's a pattern she made and not a purchased one.

I LOVE that gown. I love the shape and drape of it, and the sleeves. You look great!

[Mme de Beaufort]

cosmoblue said:

Steph- you finally posted you picture here, yay!

admin said:

O I'm wearing my 'period' glasses. ::smirk::

I didn't even think about my glasses. One more reason to have lasik done.

:::sigh:::: Lasik would be so nice. Frameless glasses will have to do for now for me .

[cosmoblue]

admin said:

it's not the first image I've posted of myself... I posted the one where I"m sitting at the table talking to Thea and you can see the platforming of the corset.

I know that you posted that but you didn't post it in the pattern review section.

[Val]

Found another one. This is my favorite www.pbase.com/cinnamonhrts/image/63241418 I was getting the hem marked that day. And this is the spencer I made for it. www.pbase.com/cinnamonhrts/image/63241420 I had buttoned tabs on the cuffs. Except the day I wore it, the bottom was waay too big, so off it came. I don't know what happened with it.
Oh, and here is one more- www.pbase.com/cinnamonhrts/image/83676276 I copied this from a painting, actually an Empire one (French, same time period as Regency) but can't seem to find my pic of the painting. It was the Empress Josephine.
I had a hair piece attached to me head with the veil, but shortly after I arrived at the Gala ball, someone got snagged on the veil, and they yanked. This pic was taken shortly after. I wasn't able to repair the damage, so I just pinned the veil to my own hair.
Also, after this Costume College, I decided I didn't like my weight gain, and have been on Jenny Craig for 4 months now, losing 24 lbs, and 22 inches so far. Makes it interesting for fitting patterns.
I tried wearing frameless glasses for awhile but I had no "color" on my face then. Mine modern ones are just a thin tortoise-shell wire. Anyhow they're good for hiding bags and wrinkles.

[Mme de Beaufort]

Are you wearing a stay under that? If you are, it's very discreet. You can totally tell I"m wearing one.

[kathy1815]

I absolutely love this pattern! Being of the larger size especially in the bodice area I always had to make several mock ups before coming up with a pattern that would work. The Sensibility.com pattern was the first one that didn't need "extra" work. I made the dress in a day and it was the most comfortable fit ever. I've told all of my friends that this is the pattern to use. In fact, I just received the children's dress pattern and started on a dress for my niece. I do agree about the sleeves however...but the sleeves are the easiest to make adjustments to. Once you have a bodice that fits properly the hard work is over.

[Val]

Not sure if that's me you're referring to but I was only wearing an uplift bra. I didn't have the proper underthings at that point.

[Mme de Beaufort]

Yes I meant you. Interesting... the gown looks great.

[Val]

Thank you. I felt kind of "saggy". Oh well, I plan on it being even better with new underpinning.

[dawnluckham]

I love the photos! I don't see much wrong from here, with everyones "look". Beautiful!

Stephanie, I love both of your gowns. The red, though, is YOUR colour! And the blue silk that Carolyn Finnell is wearing is positively scrumptious.

Val your white gown is sweet and the spencer looks great. I loved your CC gown. I enjoyed reading the “evolution” of it’s design and it turned out beautifully. You’ll get those stays done yet! Then, of course you’re going to have to alter all of your gowns, you know. They’ll all be too big for you!