Sewing a Regency (Day) Dress [Chapter 3 1/2: Strategy Update]

I dreamt about the dress - and the blue material.

So, first, the green one shall be dealt with in second, and then I came to realize a couple of things: the pattern could be... let's say, not perfect, and instead of sharing something that may need too many adjustments, I'm going to work on a standard pattern that could be adapted to different sizes (hopefully).

In order to make sure that my pattern works, I'm going to try it.

Chapter 4 won't be posted until I've finished the dress, but that means that the pattern can be trusted, and I can post Chapter 5: Cutting the Pieces, Chapter 6: Assembling the Dress, and Chapter 7: Showing Off Modelling the Dress at the same time.

Unfortunately, the Easter break is happening very soon, which means that two weeks of my life are about to be eaten up by Muggles.

Well, I'll have time to convert all the measurements meticulously...

I should have realized the issue about creating the pattern and posting it straight away, but I think the pollen's melting my brain cells.

See you soon-ish with (hopefully) four new sewing posts...

Sewing a Regency (Day) Dress [Chapter 3: Material (Shopping) Madness]

So... I went shopping... for Regency plausible material.

I was really trying to find some crépon like the Elinor blue dress in Sense and Sensibility, but there was none, and the only affordable one was black (I love black, but I really thought it'd be a tad too much). 

I went to a store that specializes in selling remnants (10 ft for £4!!!), and I found really nice things:

- first this nice light maroon/dark beige crêpe with golden flowers (yes, I swear they're flowers; hopefully, it'll photograph better with the whole dress):

 [incidentally, I placed the remnant on my dark maroon satin coat lining]

- then, I found this light green light cotton fabric:

 - and last, I adopted this thick cotton fabric:

I'm going to start with the green one.

Everything's almost ready about the pattern, but, as I'd like to give you the measurements in inches and centimetres, I'll have to do some maths and that's going to be barmy and basically pure hell.

Oh... what's going to slow me down, as well, is the local, self-appointed assistant.

Here, you can see him working on what's going to become a petticoat for my V&A Couture Inspired Dress:

So, basically, Chapter 4: Dress Pattern may be slightly slow to appear...

Sewing a Regency (Day) Dress [Chapter 2: Planning the Pattern&Testing Things]

So... I was planning to go buy material last Friday, but I had to change my plans, and I'll go only next Friday.

However, I've been collecting quite a few photos of dresses in museums, and I've made choices about the pattern that I'm about to start plotting (can one plot a pattern? Ach! Never mind...). 

I've noticed two ways to deal with gathers on the top front part of the dress (I can deal with that, or with pleats, on a skirt in my sleep, and plan what needs to be done before tea, and with just my non-dominant hand - I've got years of training on 19th century skirts). I could either make the top front part in one or two pieces (both would be historically possible). 

As it happens, I don't want to have two pieces, and so, I'm going to need to make a few tests in order to assess how much material is needed in order to get the proper gathers.

Basically, checking how much material is needed won't take me long, and then I can start combining patterns.

Incidentally, the sleeves may end up being the tricky part of this pattern: what shape to choose? Buttons on the forearm or not?

For my first dress, I'll probably stick to what I can see in the captures from Sense and Sensibility, which means a simple long sleeve with decorative buttons.

All right. See you all in a few days, and wish me luck!

Sewing a Regency (Day) Dress [Chapter 1: Addiction&Pattern]

*curtseys*

How do you do?

I see you've met my... Oops! Wrong reference, sorry!

*coughs discreetly*

So... I happen to have addictions: mint sweets, cheeses, books, music... and making historical costumes (that started when I was dancing, and I had to make my own costumes - because that was waaaaaay cheaper that way).

As it happens, Sense and Sensibility (the 1995 version) is my favourite film, and for the past two days (and I can't even remember how it started!), I've been looking at photos and blogs and pages and documentaries and anything I could find really about Regency dresses.

It turns out that I could only find two free patterns on the Internet, and so, I've decided that if I manage to make the dress of my dreams, I'm going to share the pattern here.

My plan is to use what I've found on the Internet, what I know about the history of fashion and... what I can snatch from the Sense and Sensibility film.

Basically, I'll be trying to make something like this: 

Now... I just have to:

- work on the pattern

- go shop for some material and ribbons (that I can afford)

- find time to work on it

- deal with ignore my Muggle relatives as they'll disparage my wish to wear a Regency dress today (basically... So, what???!)

Wish me luck?

Research News

I've learnt to allow my plot bunnies (all my plot bunnies) to hop at their own pace.

Usually, I've got two works on which I work alternatively because that helps the bunnies hop and go farther, but I've got a whole list of projects that are all simmering in my brain cells and that are getting their bunny legs whilst being marinated in the barmy sea of my imagination.

The literary plot bunnies are healthy and hopping very well.

The research plot bunnies have been slower... probably because the freezing nerve has been preventing me from having any of those for seven years (doesn't help at all!).

Last year (!!! Hell! Nasty thing Time; it disappears into thin air), I mentioned possible topics, and Federico is still number one on my list.

I didn't want to focus on one part of his works or write a full (if short) biography. I wanted to find something different. A fortnight ago, having a tad more energy, at last, I started consulting info about him, and one detail caught my eye. It's a tiny, tiny little something, but I couldn't find anything about it; in consequence, I have now put my Detective cap on, and I'll have to hunt for clues about that detail (incidentally, I want to officially declare that in spite of whatever my blood relatives might have wanted me to believe, learning several languages was a brilliant idea since I could find info in Spanish, and these papers are going to be important and solid sources, which I wouldn't have found otherwise).

Basically, there are weeks (maybe months) of research ahead, but I want to believe that I will come up with something interesting...

As well, I think I may try to work on the history of a small street where I live. The place is, I was told, the smallest street in town, and it's got a charming ensemble of mediaeval houses that are absolutely gorgeous. A beautiful library's right behind that street, so I might focus on the area in the Middle-Ages if I don't find much on that particular short street. That could be something slightly different... and hopefully interesting, too.

In literary plot bunnies news, I'm about half-way through my fantasy novel, I'm writing a new short story about love (but with a planetary twist... and I may post that one here when it's done - you'll understand why when you read it), and I'll start working on the second story of Muff&Sherly - The Annotated Edition.

I started working a bit on the screenplay for Mireio, but it's going to take longer than I thought: I've got to make a choice about the language; when the idea first came to my mind centuries ago, it was clear that I wanted it to be in Provençal, but it might be unrealistic... Then, there's the question of the History references in the plot, which are interesting in the book, but could be odd on screen.

Choices, choices, choices. There's a lot of work ahead, and... I'll have to let that plot bunny simmer in the pot a bit longer (but that has to be for the best).

Right... back to the fantasy novel: the bunny's at a turning point, and it's loud and demanding... See youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!