1 Week Regency
Feb. 27th, 2008 05:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gurdymonkeyThe story so far: I had acquired 8 yards of 16" wide kimono silk from eBay that was originally intended for Shinto vestments (hence the unusually wide bolt-width). It was gorgeous, it was worth what I paid and it was not long enough to get anything Japanese out of!
PEERS is holding a Pride and Prejudice Ball on March 1. So last Saturday I dug ol' Simplicity Retro Costume Collection 9221 out of the depths of the sewing basket it's been living in since 2001, unrolled the bolt and started calculating. I had enough for the skirt if I used five widths of silk, I had enough for the bodice if I made it in four pieces, but there wasn't enough for sleeves! While the daring Miss Bingley might swan about with naked arms in the latest Paris frock, I am no longer a sweet young thing by any stretch of the imagination. I was going to have to piece something into the sleeves. A yard of gold dupioni from Silk Road Fabrics later, I had my solution.
Skirt assembly, sleeves and bodice assembly are at this point complete.
To do: pleat bodice into waistband. Pleat skirt into waistband. Hem skirt. Look fabulous.
The pattern I used is no longer in print. Being a costume pattern, it eschews such period details as those interesting V back and shoulder seams one often sees on Regency dresses, but it's not awful. Review of the lovely Regency Costume Companion website is helpful in choosing which pattern options to tweak or ignore completely. Given all the tucks and pleats in the sleeves, bodice and skirt, doing this whole thing by hand is actually pretty easy.
PEERS is holding a Pride and Prejudice Ball on March 1. So last Saturday I dug ol' Simplicity Retro Costume Collection 9221 out of the depths of the sewing basket it's been living in since 2001, unrolled the bolt and started calculating. I had enough for the skirt if I used five widths of silk, I had enough for the bodice if I made it in four pieces, but there wasn't enough for sleeves! While the daring Miss Bingley might swan about with naked arms in the latest Paris frock, I am no longer a sweet young thing by any stretch of the imagination. I was going to have to piece something into the sleeves. A yard of gold dupioni from Silk Road Fabrics later, I had my solution.
Skirt assembly, sleeves and bodice assembly are at this point complete.
To do: pleat bodice into waistband. Pleat skirt into waistband. Hem skirt. Look fabulous.
The pattern I used is no longer in print. Being a costume pattern, it eschews such period details as those interesting V back and shoulder seams one often sees on Regency dresses, but it's not awful. Review of the lovely Regency Costume Companion website is helpful in choosing which pattern options to tweak or ignore completely. Given all the tucks and pleats in the sleeves, bodice and skirt, doing this whole thing by hand is actually pretty easy.
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no subject
Date: 2008-02-28 02:07 am (UTC)Do post a pic of you in all the finery :)
So - do you think they would have beaded such a fabric? I could see you going crazy and doing seed pearls across the front - not necessarily in each square, but in a 'pattern'.
But gorgeous fabric, and great color combo.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-28 02:14 am (UTC)I honestly don't know if they did beading. And personally, I'm just not into it.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-28 01:25 pm (UTC)But simplicity (along with glorious gold and white silk) is very elegant :)
no subject
Date: 2008-02-28 03:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-28 01:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-28 04:48 pm (UTC)Just finished watching the BBC 1996 version of P & P. Not only am I have some juvenile fantasies about Mr. Darcy, I'm also thinking about making some clothing. Perhaps a simple dress and long coat. Can't wait to see how yours turns out!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-28 07:50 pm (UTC)