Dotted Swiss Regency Dress

I made a new dress!



I didn't quite finish it (as you can see by the super huge seam allowance visible through the sleeve, which still needs finishing, among other things) but it was definitely wearable, and I'm pretty happy with it! It's made of 100% cotton dotted swiss, hand sewn with cotton thread, and unlined for now, but I may add a plain cotton lining behind the waistband. I haven't decided on buttons yet either, so for now, it's being worn pinned closed. (Which is actually period correct, after all!) ;)

Changes for Felicity progress. . .

I recently decided the time has come to finally finish my "Changes for Felicity" ensemble! A couple of weeks ago, I picked it back up, and started in where I left off (which was at the point where I get to start assembling the silk layer!)



I'm making the tiniest, most perfect stitches of my whole life, so it's taking a bit of time, but I'm really enjoying it. My OCD self is feeling very indulged and content! ;)



It's really starting to look like a dress! I also already had the petticoat partially made, so I think once I get beyond the super tiny hand stitched bodice, the rest of it will really just fly together. . . And, after 22 years of dreaming of it, I'll finally have Felicity's blue dress in my size! :D

A bit of an update. . .

I do realize that this blog has been sorely neglected lately, though I assure you, it's not because I haven't been doing anything in the sewing room! It's just that it's been a lot of modern/everyday clothing, stuff for my house, and knitting galore. And some historic costuming, but since it's mostly a TON of patterning and mocking up, it's nothing I feel is interesting enough to share! (Except for my recent 1954 "Knights" circle skirt, if you want to count 1954 as historic! I blogged that project on my other blog, and you can see the finished skirt here). Additionally, I've had some non-sewing stuff going on, such as a new job and a new kitten, bringing the total cat population of my household up to three. Craziness! ;)

Long story short, I am over-due to get back to some historic costuming, and not just patterning and mock ups, for once! In fact, I am about to (hopefully) put the finishing touches on a Regency bodice pattern today. This pattern is of my own invention, and is intended to be an awesome, perfectly fitted "base" off of which I can draft any other Regency things I want to make. I have the tiniest bit of tweaking to do to the sleeve and the point at which it joins to the bodice, and then I think it will be ready to go, which means I can finally start on a dress to wear to the Massachusetts Costumers annual Regency picnic!

I'll be hand-sewing this dress, which will made of white dotted swiss cotton. It will close in the back, and have short puffed sleeves with detachable full length sleeves. Or, it may end up being a bib-front, and/or have plain full-length sleeves. We'll see!



I found some lovely peachy coral beads that I want to make into a three-strand necklace, using this gold-plated clasp. I've seen a few surviving necklaces from this period that use a clasp that appears to be similar to this (although I don't have any to study in person, so I'm just guessing based on photographs) and I think it will be a nice change from the single-strand necklaces I tend to make!



I was tempted to go all out and make a new bonnet and reticule, perhaps in a peach/coral silk taffeta, but I have some other projects in the works so I think I'll stick to the dress and necklace, and probably wear my Lizzy bonnet, which I've not yet had the chance to wear. The peach/coral accessories can always be made for next year's picnic!

White bodiced petticoat? Check!

I literally just finished a new Regency bodiced petticoat!



(It's actually got a perfectly even hem; not sure why it photographed like that! I guess I was just so excited to snap a pic and post about it that I didn't notice while taking the pic. . . And, I haven't washed the blue markings off either!)

Also, it's important to note that the bodiced petticoat went under a thorough inspection by Taffy:



;)

Lizzy Bennett Bonnet UFO. . . Finished!

At long last, the bonnet is finished! And I am super happy with how it turned out! Now I just need an event to wear it to. ;)



And, this satisfies the Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge #2!

The Challenge: Challenge #2, "UFO"
Fabric/Notions: Green shot silk taffeta with olive green Kona cotton lining, green silk ribbons, green silk thread, buckram, millinery wire, flannel. . . I think that's all of it!
Pattern: Of my own invention.
Year: Not specific to a year; let's just call it Regency.
How historically accurate is it? It's based on one in a movie, so who knows! But, I did completely hand sew it and avoided synthetic materials as best I could (who knows what's in the buckram though), so in that way it's historically accurate!
Hours to complete: I didn't keep track of this. . . I patterned it in the summer of 2011 and then worked on it off and on (more "off" than "on," LOL!) from then to now.
First worn: Does taking it on and off throughout all stages of making it count? And then wearing it around my house the day I finished it? Because other than that, I have yet to wear it! ;)
Total cost: I can not recall because most of what I used had been in my stash for a while.

My first finished historical item of 2013!

I'm sorry to say that I've barely sewn anything this month. . . But not sorry to say that I have been knitting up a storm! And just yesterday, I finished these 18c mitts, from Gloria's excellant "Taylor" pattern (but with some small changes, like making them a bit narrower). They don't get a page on my web site because they were a gift for my friend Sarah!



And actually, 100% of the sewing I've done this year has been accomplished at Sarah's house, during two sewing meets. I'm about 98% of the way done with one of my 2012 UFOs (the Lizzy bonnet), which I'll be finishing and posting about later today, if all goes well. . .

Which brings me to my next topic of conversation. . . I think I'm going to jump on board the Historical Sew Fortnightly bandwagon, albeit a little bit late! These two projects will satisfy the first two challenges. . .

Challenge #1: Bi/Tri/Quadri/Quin/Sex/Septi/Octo/Nona/Centennial
Well for this one. . . Sarah's mitts! They're meant to be 18th century, and can work into Regency, so let's just call them 1712-1812 and say I met this challenge (just a little bit late). ;)

Challenge #2: UFO
This will be my Lizzy Bonnet, my UFO from 2012. . . As of the end of last year, it was sitting around just being a covered brim, plus a crown that was partially prepared to be attached. . . And now it's a little strip of binding away from being done! Stay tuned. . .