This diary is essentially being written in retrospect, because the dress itself is nearly finished*.
Planning:
I spent a lot of time thumbing through Nancy Bradfield’s ‘Costume in Detail’ for this project. My original plan was to make it a back fastening gown – as both front and back fastening gowns were popular during the period. I was very keen to make a front fastening gown, but was worried that the fabric I was using for this dress was too thin. I had made a previous regency dress from the Folkwear Empire dress pattern and my original plan was to remake this pattern, adjusting the bodice. So I threw together a few bodice pieces…and then decided that it wasn't going to work. My primary concern was that the patterned fabric looked really odd when gathered.
...So then I decided it would be better to do a drop-front dress. I spent a weekend muffling round drafting a pattern and came up with something I’m fairy happy with (I am planning to put this up on the site soon for anyone else who'd like to use it)Bodice:
The bodice of the dress is based on the dress bodice on page 89-90 of Costumes in Detail by Nancy Bradfield. I wanted to cut the back of the bodice very small and narrow. This dress (circa 1800-1810) has a gorgeous cut in the back and I decided that my pattern should imitate the back of this bodice.
Costume in Detail was also great because it includes so many measurements. Although I probably have a slightly larger frame than many regency ladies, it was great to have these as reference points and to know exactly HOW SMALL that back piece was cut.Source: Nancy Bradfield, Costume in Detail 1730-1930 , Costume and Fashion Press, Great Britain, 1968, p. 90 I drafted my own bodice pattern based on this pic: The bodice is made of only three pieces: back and two side front. This was great for this pattern because it limited the amount of careful placement I had to do to avoid the pattern of the fabric.
So the dress closes basically like a jacket, pinning in the front. The pinned panels are then covered by a front panel which is attached to the front of the skirt. (photos to follow)
Here I am fitting the bodice back. All I can say is thank god for the digital camera or else I would have had no idea how this really looked. It's very hard to fit this well on Dolly, because she doesn't squish into the proper regency shape, so it had to be human guinea-pig time.
Sleeves:
The first plan was to make short, puffed sleeves, but then I got a hankering to do long sleeves with a long puffed oversleeve. So I did some hunting around and happily, happily found this dress from 1815. In the end I've decided to leave the sleeves short, but will definitely be making one with double sleeves in future.
Skirt:
The dress is not meant to be an exact copy of the Bradfield dress and there are several important differences. I decided to go with a gathered skirt, rather than a pleated one since my fabric was so fine.
I decided to use the skirt from the Folkwear pattern and adjust it as I needed. I cut the back panel wider than the pattern because of the fabric being so fine. I also decided that the skirt should have a slight train beause...well, just cos. No, the truth is that I quite like a train on a skirt, and they just look so graceful and I just couldn't quite resist. I cut the back and side panels slightly longer to allow myself a little space to cut the curve of the train. Although the Folkwear pattern comes with an optional train pattern, I didn't want a huge long ball dress train. I just wand a little length to let the back drape a little rather than falling straight down.
So the skirt is a large rectangular back panel, slightly tapered side panels and a rectangular front panel.
Sunday 5th March: Everything suddenly comes together
This weekend's been the point in the project where it's all come together and sudden what were a few rectangles of fabric and tiny scraps of bodice, are suddenly a dress! And so I had to try it on, and I've got a few pics, so I thought I'd share them
