Historical Sew Monthly 2020 - November - Go Green Glow-Up

 November: Go Green Glow-Up: Be environmentally friendly and celebrate how your making skills have ‘glowed-up’ as you’ve used and practiced them by taking apart an early make of yours that no-longer represents your making skills, and re-making it so you’d be proud to use it. It can be as elaborate as a total re-make, or as simple as getting the ribbons or buttons you didn’t have time to source at first. You could even take something from a challenge made earlier in the year, and fix the tiny things you weren’t totally happy with.

                                                                     The Dreamstress

In September of 2015 I wrote a blog post for the Historical Sew Monthly Challenge #6 - Out of Your Comfort Zone.

http://theperfecttouchvictorian.blogspot.com/2015/09/historical-sew-monthly-challenge-6-out.html

It was my first dip into the Regency Era and most definitely out of my comfort zone.  To help me with the uneasiness of appropriate undergarments and accessories for the era, I acquired the La Mode Bagatelle Regency Wardrobe pattern which included most everything I would need to feel comfortable creating this historical period fashion.

I made the bodiced petticoat, a trained gown, and a chemisette.

I wore this gown once at Costume College, later made a Spencer and reticule from the same pattern, and everything has been stored since as I haven't had a chance to participate in any Regency events.

The novel coronavirus brought many changes and challenges to our lives and also brought opportunities through internet costume events.  One of those events was to be in November, my birthday month, and it was being hosted by the Regency Society of Virginia.  I am a member just to learn from the events they bring to their members.  The November event was a presentation on the history of silhouette art and Charles Burns, a silhouette artist from the UK, would be in attendance to create our silhouette.  It was a perfect excuse for me to add to my very slight Regency wardrobe, use the last bit of a red silk, and attend an event that was just one week before my birthday.

I had purchased a hat pattern from a costumer's destash and found that the pattern designer had an overdress pattern for the same period and purchased that as well.  I had just enough of the red silk for the overdress and hat, and a small amount of gold silk for lining.

I didn't know anything about the fashions of the Regency Era when I first sewed for this period in 2015 and five years later my knowledge is no better.  I rely on portraits and costumers much more knowledgeable than me to guide me.  In this case I also depended upon the pattern designer.  I did, however, decide without any factual support to add gold piping to the bodice edges of the gown and to the trim I would add to the hat.  Is piping historically accurate?  Or historically acceptable for this period?  I still don't have evidence.  But it will bring a smile to me just adding that pop of color and I decide that is most important for my birthday gown.  I cut fabric strips at a 45 degree angle to the selvedge edge which is the bias of the fabric.  There is stretch in the bias which allows the pipinig to follow curves beautifully. The width of each strip is double the seam allowance of 1/2" plus the circumference of my 1/8" cord which in this case is 3/8" for a total width of 1-3/8".

The pattern is easy to follow and my fabric and bias strips are cut and ready for assembly.

The cord is sewn into the bias strip using the zipper foot.

Then I pin the bias with cord to the edges of the fabric pieces.  Because I cut the strips allowing for the seam allowance I can pin the strip even with the edge of the fabric piece.

The bias strip is sewn to the fabric using the zipper foot.

Then the adjoining piece is pinned over the bias strip.  I do this in two steps to be sure I follow the cord closely.

This is the finished back and side backs with the gold piping.  I really love the pop of color!

I add the bias to create piping along all edges of the bodice.

The lining is cut from the same gold silk as the bias strips and sewn.

The lining is sewn to the outside front edges of the bodice leaving the lower edge and belt front edge open.  The lined bodice is turned and pressed and the lining armholes hand stitched to the bodice armholes.

The lined bodice is now ready for the skirt and the buckle flaps.

The skirt is an easy assembly with long interior seams which I machine sew and hemmed front and lower edges which would be visible and I hem by hand.

Then the upper edge of the skirt is pleated according to the pattern instructions to match the lower edge of the bodice.

I machine sew the skirt to the outer bodice layer...

...and hand stitch the bodice lining to enclose the skirt/bodice seam.  The belts are added at the front edges and the skirt and bodice are aligned and hand stitched together.

Completed bodice and skirt interior and exterior.

I've had the most beautiful buckle from Ensembles of the Past on Etsy and with my gold accents I think this will be perfect for the completed Overdress.

The Overdress completely changes the look of the white gown and without the chemisette will make a beautiful evening gown.  I have a pattern for an evening turban also by Wingeo and if I ever have the opportunity to wear an evening ensemble I will create a matching turban with the few scraps of red silk I have left.  There may be enough for a petal reticule for the pattern from Out of a Portrait.

Here is a little peek at the next part of this project - the Gathered Day Hat.  It will be a separate blog post as I want to share all the steps I used including the buckram base and the curled feathers.

Thank you for being here!  I look forward to sharing the next part of this project including the party for which it was all created.  Until then,

Hugs,

                     Jeanette

Historical Sew Monthly

What the item is: Overdress
How it fits the challenge: The Historical Sew Monthly Challenge in June 2015 was Out of Your Comfort Zone. I made my first Regency white dress. This year I added the overdress with the technique of piping on all bodice edges.
Material: Silk
Pattern: Wingeo 1795 - 1825 #256 Overdress
Year: 1795 - 1825
Notions: Cord for piping, thread, buckle from Ensembles of the Past.
How historically accurate is it? Silhouette similar to illustrations I have seen, correct fabric, but the piping is my own touch.
Hours to complete: 24 hours
First worn: Zoom event November 2020
Total cost: $72