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Post by LadyJane on Jul 24, 2009 13:29:46 GMT -5
I have just moved to the DC area and have to my utter joy and extasy found it to be an area full of Jane Austen fans!!! There are balls held at the Gadsby Tavern and they are holding ECD lessons in preparation for their Jane Austen Ball!!! I have a few questions about ECD... what are the most comfrotable clothes to wear if you are jsut learning? Skirt or jeans? Tennis shoes, sandles, or ballet flats? Hair up or down? If anyone has a ny other advice to give, you may be assured that I will recieve it with gratitude!!!
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Post by Mme de Beaufort on Jul 24, 2009 19:33:18 GMT -5
That's wonderful Lady Jane. ECD practice is a fully casual thing for us... jeans, flat shoes... since it's sometimes 'skippy' and lively, be sure to wear comfortable shoes; and skirts are just nice because of the way they move when you move. In short... dress as you are most comfortable; nobody will fault you for it. What's the naem of the organizing group in Alexandria?
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Post by LadyJane on Jul 25, 2009 14:16:34 GMT -5
It is run by the Gadsby's Tavern museum. Gadsby's Tavern is very old and historic being once frequented by people like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James madison. They have a ball in honor of George Washington's Birthday in February that I look forward to with particular delight. It was first started by Groge Washington himself in 1797... it would be appropriate to wear Regency attire to a function like that, right?
I am most anxious to begin planning my gown for the ball in February... I would like it to be fancier than the Simplicity one, but not so hard that I won't be able to sew it. Does anyone have a pattern to reccomend? And I must admit myself to be quite ignorant of the other accesories one must adorn at a ball... Head dress? Coat? Shoes? Stockings? I am entirely relying on the superior knowledge of the ladies on this forum to direct me in the right path...
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Post by nonsuch on Jul 30, 2009 10:25:56 GMT -5
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Post by elizabethw on Jul 30, 2009 19:54:37 GMT -5
I have just moved to the DC area and have to my utter joy and extasy found it to be an area full of Jane Austen fans!!! There are balls held at the Gadsby Tavern and they are holding ECD lessons in preparation for their Jane Austen Ball!!! I have a few questions about ECD... what are the most comfrotable clothes to wear if you are jsut learning? Skirt or jeans? Tennis shoes, sandles, or ballet flats? Hair up or down? If anyone has a ny other advice to give, you may be assured that I will recieve it with gratitude!!! In my experience it's easiest to learn to dance in trousers and comfortable flat shoes, but once you have learned the dance it's useful to practice it in costume at least once or twice so you know if there's something about the costume that will require you to alter the way you move before you do it for real at a ball. For practice make sure your hair is out of the way but it's not necessary to pin it up.
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Post by LadyJane on Aug 2, 2009 9:02:26 GMT -5
OMGSH I had so much fun!!! I was totally confused at first (which wasn't helped by the fact that we were a few minutes late), but by the second dance I was flying about the room in utter extasy!!!
Thanks so much for that link, Courtney! I have seen that La Mode Bagatelle Regency Wardrobe before, but the price always scared me away... but I think it might be just the thing for me and my 3 sisters and my mum! I like the crossover bodice... it is most like my inspitation gown.
I found this picture taken at the Pride and Prejudice Ball in Arizona and absolutely fell in love with the gown...http://www.wemakehistory.com/2006PPBall/2006PPBall.htm ... it is the first gown in the first picture on the first row and the first picture on the second row... Absolutely lovely!!!
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Post by nonsuch on Aug 3, 2009 14:42:38 GMT -5
www.sensibility.com/diary/index.htmThis page has some general directions on how to make a gown like that. They are not very specific but I think you could do it given how many times you have made the pattern! Yeah jeans + flats should do. When I used to do SCD I would wear my uniform *yuck* and ghillies to get that foot movement, best to stay away from sneakers if ya can.
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Post by Mme de Beaufort on Aug 9, 2009 1:28:35 GMT -5
LOVELY! I'm so happy you had a lovely time. I recommend the mode Bagatelle pattern not only because you have an entire wardrobe there but also because it has all sizes in the package and the necklines are very flattering.. I like S&S but her necklines are really high, even on the crossover.
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Post by LadyJane on Aug 9, 2009 15:25:10 GMT -5
I am actually quite conservative and do not wish to expose clevage... I am also very highly endowed which prevents a number of problems for me in the search for a modest pattern... I don't want to be revealing, but I don't want a neckline up to my neck either... How 'flattering' are the la mode necklines? Would the high S&S necklines look normal on a larger busted woman?
We went to our second class... it was alot more fun than the first one, I think... It went alot smoother sice mostly everyone was familiar with the figures. And we started working on harder dances!!! Triple minors!!! And lively Scottish dances!!! Fun, Fun, Fun!!!
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Post by elizabethw on Aug 10, 2009 19:00:01 GMT -5
If you want to be historically accurate you are much better off cutting a standard low neckline and filling it in with a chemisette or a fichu. Sense and Sensibility patterns are designed to accommodate varying cup sizes but they do that by lengthening the bodice at the bottom not the top (otherwise you have the waistline cutting across the middle of your bust) I assume the la Mode Bagatelle bodice would be similar. The aim for any pattern designer will be to create a similar look for various figures, otherwise there's no point in making a multi sized pattern.
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Post by LadyJane on Aug 11, 2009 6:26:39 GMT -5
WEre chemise' and fichu's wron at balls?
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Post by elizabethw on Aug 12, 2009 20:05:18 GMT -5
WEre chemise' and fichu's wron at balls? not by young ladies hoping to catch a husband, a fancy lacy fichu might be worn by a married woman, depending on the time and place. Ballgowns did tend to show off some cleavage but if you're not comfortable with this you can make a bit of a compromise without looking too odd by making the neckline a bit more like a day dress. To use another well endowed woman as an example compare the necklines on Lizzy Bennet's ballgown costumersguide.com/pride_prejudice/1995netherfield.html with a day dress costumersguide.com/pride_prejudice/1995gold.htmlIf that's still too revealing I found that making a V neck that was high enough at the centre front to cover the top of my stays doesn't show any cleavage at all.
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Post by LadyJane on Aug 13, 2009 6:08:44 GMT -5
WHat pattern did you use for the v-neck you mentioned?
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Post by elizabethw on Aug 13, 2009 21:15:19 GMT -5
I used the Sense and Sensibility Elegant Ladies Closet crossover dress, but I cut the neckline down by a few inches so it just covered the top of my stays. This is the result (I'm on the left if you hadn't guessed)
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Post by LadyJane on Aug 14, 2009 6:25:51 GMT -5
Oh, that does look lovely!!! Does the la mode have a v-neck bodice?... I can't quite tell from the pictures...
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Post by dawnluckham on Aug 14, 2009 9:17:48 GMT -5
Here is Elizabeth Tucker Salisbury c. 1810 I don’t know if this is her ball gown, but she’s very dressed up. People often sat for their portraits in their ‘best’ clothing. I think you could get away with this look at a ball if you are married. She wears a sheer chemisette under her gown. The gown has a very low neckline. Note the “insert” ( ). I’ve been wondering if this is her chemise and stays showing or if this is indeed an insert – part of the gown or intended bit of lace (like a “tucker”). Either way, it fills in the alarmingly low “v”. If you are not married – here is a beautiful gown that would be perfectly suitable for a ball or evening wear. Sadly, I captured the image long ago before I started documenting where these things come from and I’ve forgotten which museum collection it’s from. Notice how the neckline is raised to a less revealing line but also retaining the “look” of a low neckline. There is a style that shows up often with a deep ‘v’ and an insert. It allows you to make the depth of the revealing neckline at your comfort zone (though I wouldn’t suggest taking it as high as your collar bones). Here are two fashion plates showing the style. To make this style, choose any back closing gown you like, cut a deep v in the front bodice and then make a triangle insert to fill in the v.
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Post by LadyJane on Aug 14, 2009 16:32:32 GMT -5
Oh, I totally love that second gown!!! Thanks so much for the pictures!!! I am not married (only 17!!!) so I don't think I'll venture a chemisette... I really want to do a v-neck wiht a pretty little 'insert'... Seeing these pictures gives me an idea of the possibilites!!! Thanks again!!!
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Post by Mme de Beaufort on Aug 16, 2009 17:43:59 GMT -5
Mode bagatelle has both a crossover front bodice and a mock bib-front bodice in the package. I like the crossover very much. I will warn you though, if you're very much endowed, the difference between DD and DDD is huge. Here is my ballgown from the last Winter ball... as you can see, the largest size of the pattern DD was not enough to cover my girls with any shred of modesty (I am DDD), so I had to make a little insert thingie to cover my cleavage, but my dear Stephanie II to whom I gave the gown, is a DD, and as you can see, that neckline is very complimentary of her décolletage... You might want to make a muslin first and cut generously, and then play with the gathering at the waistline to insure your neckline is adequately covered.
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Post by Mme de Beaufort on Aug 16, 2009 17:46:59 GMT -5
I used the Sense and Sensibility Elegant Ladies Closet crossover dress, but I cut the neckline down by a few inches so it just covered the top of my stays. This is the result (I'm on the left if you hadn't guessed) Duke of Kent's Waltz?
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Post by LadyJane on Aug 17, 2009 16:02:39 GMT -5
Oh, I loved the Duke of Kent's Waltz at our classes... that and Petronella, I think were my favorites... Oh, and The Hop Ground... and others...
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