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!