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Post by Mme de Beaufort on Jan 11, 2008 0:21:03 GMT -5
Thank you Dawn. You're very kind. Angela Holland-Sniff made Carolyn's gown. Here are some pictures of it:   I love the fullness and the length of the back. |
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Post by Val on Jan 11, 2008 11:35:46 GMT -5
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!  At this point, everything is getting too big for me. I've already lost 24 lbs, and 22 inches total since Aug. I'm making things now that can be taken in if necessary because I plan on loosing more. Thank you Jenny Craig. |
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Post by Mme de Beaufort on Jan 11, 2008 11:45:32 GMT -5
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! At this point, everything is getting too big for me. I've already lost 24 lbs, and 22 inches total since Aug. I'm making things now that can be taken in if necessary because I plan on loosing more. Thank you Jenny Craig. Wow val! That's fantastic! Congratulations. That's a happy chore then, making new, slimmer costumes. How exciting it must be. |
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Post by Val on Jan 11, 2008 12:23:22 GMT -5
Yes, very! I had to get to the point where I was just disgusted with myself. Of course being retired, I have the time now to eat properly, drink LOTS of water, and get out and walk. That means getting away from the computer for at least a half hr.
But also scarey with making something new. Is it going to fit me in 6 months? and what if I gain it all back? *No, don't think that way*
I shall now be away from the computer for half an hr. ;D
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Post by Goblin, esq. on Jan 11, 2008 14:18:53 GMT -5
Angela Holland-Sniff made Carolyn's gown. [...] I love the fullness and the length of the back. I realize that they are not entirely suitable for dancing, but I wish more Regency/Empire gowns would have trains. I think it's because my brain keeps bringing up Napoleonic court wear. But they did have detachable trains, I believe, so perhaps one could wear one for the Grand March, and dispense with it for the more vigorous country dances which involve backing up. |
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Post by dawnluckham on Jan 11, 2008 14:36:10 GMT -5
I have the exact opposite feeling about trains. They’re DIRTY! I know they show up in countless fashion plates and I know it shows up in period art and I know they show up in extent garments, but they are incredibly impractical. Jane Austen mentions pinning up trains for dancing in Mansfield Park. It must have been a common solution. Court wear is not exactly normal for North America.  I’ll admit that most of the events that I attend are outdoors. I hate seeing all these women wandering around with their gowns trailing in the mud and the dirt. It’s disgusting and I’m not convinced it’s period correct either. Women then knew how (and of course, did) to shorten their skirts to a practical length for common daywear and for dancing. P.S. Thanks Steph for sharing more pictures of the beautiful blue gown. It really is lovely! |
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Post by Mme de Beaufort on Jan 11, 2008 14:42:12 GMT -5
I have to agree about the trains. My aunt's gown has a small train and like my wedding gown, it got that smutty, icky stuff on the edge that doesn't wash out. Annoying.
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Post by Goblin, esq. on Jan 11, 2008 15:56:41 GMT -5
I’ll admit that most of the events that I attend are outdoors. I hate seeing all these women wandering around with their gowns trailing in the mud and the dirt. It’s disgusting and I’m not convinced it’s period correct either. Women then knew how (and of course, did) to shorten their skirts to a practical length for common daywear and for dancing. Certainly my opinion might be different if I had to wear a train! You're right, though; different clothes for different occasions. (You don't wear an evening gown in the morning, and don't even get me started about modern weddings with the groom in a morning suit and the groomsmen in tuxedos!) You wouldn't wear a ball slipper on a country walk, and the same holds for other articles of clothing. |
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Post by Goblin, esq. on Jan 11, 2008 16:07:08 GMT -5
Angela Holland-Sniff made Carolyn's gown. Here are some pictures of it: Oh, and after noticing the title of that picture, I realized the fireplace looked familiar!  |
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Post by Miss Ida on Jan 12, 2008 15:53:23 GMT -5
Is that you good sir`?
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Post by Goblin, esq. on Jan 12, 2008 22:33:16 GMT -5
Yes, that's what I look like when I'm very very tired. There's a front view taken at the same time where my tiredness is very obvious. :-) I have a number of pictures of Lady Egg and myself at goblinrevolution.org/costumes/ |
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Post by Miss Ida on Jan 13, 2008 10:37:41 GMT -5
is that your baby or? either way he is adorable!
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tess
Clergy
"...my gown is to be trimmed everywhere with white ribbon plaited somehow or other." - Jane Austen
Posts: 172
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Post by tess on May 28, 2008 12:40:25 GMT -5
I'm working on the skirt for view B, and I have a question about the back placket.
I'd like to gather the extra fabric with a 2" center pleat, the pleats on each side going out in opposite directions (does that make sense?). If I do that, I want to hide the back placket under the underturned part of that initial middle pleat.
Can I offset the placket to hide it in this way, or will it show even more than leaving it centered? Any advice on this whole placket thing?
So far this has been a manageable project (my first dress), but I have no experience and plackets are a foreign concept!
Of course it remains to be seen if the thing will fit at all when I get it all together. So far, the bodice feels wide in the shoulders, but since I made the button-back view A, I don't see much recourse in that.
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Post by dawnluckham on May 28, 2008 12:56:10 GMT -5
Tess, make the pleats at the back INWARD facing - not outward facing. You'll save yourself a world of effort and it will look very pretty as well as hide the placket.
The design you think you'd like to do with the 2" wide centre back pleat would work better with a front closing gown. Extent gowns for the most part have the greatest fullness of skirt fabric at centre back. They don't generally have a flat pleat there.
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tess
Clergy
"...my gown is to be trimmed everywhere with white ribbon plaited somehow or other." - Jane Austen
Posts: 172
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Post by tess on May 28, 2008 14:51:49 GMT -5
Dawn, I'm not sure what you mean by facing the pleats inward. I'm terrible with describing things. Here is a picture of the gathers/pleats. They are in the back center, between the bodice back seams.  There is one "fold" in the middle, with edges of that gather tucked under it on right and left side, then the gathers on the side of that center one fall to the left or right, respectively. Is this period incorrect?? |
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Post by lauren on May 28, 2008 15:03:25 GMT -5
I think the pleating looks very nice :-) As for the accuracy, I have no idea  I really love the fabric, very pretty. Also, your pleats currently face outward. To make them face in, you would flip it. The fold would face the center, instead of the sides. I hope that makes sense :-) |
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Post by dawnluckham on May 28, 2008 19:30:13 GMT -5
Tess, what a lovely fabric choice! Maybe you've shown it before and I've forgotten.  What you're showing in your picture is a box pleat with the subsequent pleats all facing the side seams. If you looked at the inside of the skirt you would see an inverted box pleat with all the knife pleats facing centre back. Imagine the placket inside the centre of that folded fabric. |
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tess
Clergy
"...my gown is to be trimmed everywhere with white ribbon plaited somehow or other." - Jane Austen
Posts: 172
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Post by tess on Jun 21, 2008 15:51:18 GMT -5
I've posted my pics of my short stays, so here is the skinny on my new dress. First, I have yet to add some tan ribbon trim around the sleeves, and I totally forgot to tie the piece around my waist for the pics (argh). Here is one closeup of the bodice (where I don't hate the pic of me!)  I made a size 16, as I thought that would be correct for my bust measurement (37"). However, the bodice was much too big and I had to take in in about 2 1/2 inches. Next time I'll make a 12 or 14, I guess.  Back-I didn't add the "extra" panel for more fullness, but I might next time. I do have on my short stays with the little padded bustle, so that helps hold things out some.  I've GOT to figure out what to do with my hair! I have super fine straight hair that won't curl. I can't stand it pulled back from my face....I see a bonnet in my future! I didn't line the skirt, but did line the bodice. I used fabric covered buttons down the back. I made matching undersleeves (using buttonholes in the underneath of the sleeve binding) [not shown]. I'm really happy with it. Since this was only the second thing I'd ever sewn, I had kinda decided that it probably wouldn't be wearable. I think the Simplicity pattern was fine, but I couldn't have completed the steps without the step-by-step instructions on the S&S site (complete with pictures). I think I'll order all future patterns from her site, rather than Simplicity. |
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Post by Mme de Beaufort on Jun 21, 2008 23:15:06 GMT -5
WOW! Your gown turned out so pretty! I love love love the fabric, and I think it's a triumph project for a first-time seamstress. Excellent work!
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tess
Clergy
"...my gown is to be trimmed everywhere with white ribbon plaited somehow or other." - Jane Austen
Posts: 172
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Post by tess on Jun 22, 2008 8:51:15 GMT -5
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I soooo wish I lived near you where there were wonderful Regency events to wear it to. I think I'm going to get to wear it next month at our JA festival and that may be it for the year  If plane tickets didn't cost a fortune, I'd be coming to one of your big events this year! Kudos to you for planning so many great things to dress up for ;D |
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Where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself that I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong? ~ Jane Austen 
