Following the lead of girliegirl32786 and fancyfrocks, I am posting some pictures of what was pretty much my final pattern mock-up. I think it's so cool to see the shapes flat that turn into different 3D results.

For reference, I started out with the 1795-1803 Open Robe pattern lining from Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion Vol. 1 but added a few inches of length to the ( Read more... )

I put some pins in my hem on Friday, but that has been about it for sewing. Weekends tend to be incredibly unproductive for me. Social obligations take up so much time and whatever free time I have is spent reading for my thesis. I had hoped to get some sewing done today but had to go to school for work and put in the whole day there. I may still ( Read more... )

I'm almost done! I just need to mark the skirt hem and actually hem it. This evening I hemmed the wrists in a not-very-period way and the neckline in a very-period way. I cut the sleeve lining 2 inches shorter than the outer fabric and then turned the outer fabric twice to cover the raw edge of the lining. I hemmed the wrists by hand using a sort ( Read more... )

I totally missed the HSF due date on this one, so not I'm taking my time instead of trying to rush through. (A good thing because it gives me more time to read. I have a lot of reading to do before I meet with my thesis advisor in late July.) After taking yesterday off, I got back to it and set the sleeves in today. They have three little pleats on ( Read more... )

I can see the finish line! It involves sleeve and lots of hemming by hand, but it's still a finish line. The striped chemise gown is now enough together to try on, so you get pictures. I'm wearing it over my 1790 stays and shift. I pinned in the sleeve to check length and any wonkiness. Overall, the sleeve is good, but way too long and it needs a ( Read more... )

I got all the drawstring channels sewn and I pleated and attached the back skirt to the back bodice. It was a 58" rectangle pleated to a 8 1/2" back waist, so it looks really neat. The pleating was something I was really not looking forward to, but actually, thanks to the stripes, turned out to be fairly pain-free. Next is the shoulder strap and ( Read more... )

I'm currently hand-sewing the drawstring channels into the front of the gown. It feels like it's taking forever. I don't think this is going to be done in time for the HSF deadline, but maybe only a couple days late.

Got the handsewing done on the front bodice lining. Pictures of the bodice so far:

( Read more... )

Well, the back bodice pieces went together fine. I layered the outer fabric and lining so that when the seam is sewn and then pressed open all the raw edges are enclosed in the middle. I think this is often done with corsets. The effect is the same as the seams shown in Costume Close-up but without handsewing down the other side of the lining. ( Read more... )

I decided I was done with mock-ups and cut out the actual dress last night. My skirt panels don't seem perfectly perpendicular at the hem, but I figure that can get sorted out when I actually hem the thing. I got stalled after cutting because our iron wasn't working and my pieces definitely need ironing. However, we now have a new iron so I can get ( Read more... )