Life has been a whirlwind for the past 6 weeks, and it's just finally starting to return to a more expected routine. Just about the only constant has been my blog schedule!
I have no reason to complain, though- the reasons for my busyness have been of the Christmas Ball(s)-attending, Williamsburg-traipsing, Foyle's War Party-planning, Friend-visiting nature. :-)
We took a trip to Williamsburg for a week at the end of the year, and were joined by Kathryn, Tara, and their parents.
A wonderful time was had by all (unsurprisingly!). :-) This was my family's 13th visit to Williamsburg, and I'm beginning to think that this town truly *is* magical. We have yet to experience an unenjoyable trip!
This was our first time to go in the winter, and we enjoyed all the festive wreaths ornamenting all the homes and shops. The whole town felt festive, but in an understated and tasteful way. It proved a great backdrop for outfit photos, so we took the opportunity to photographically document all of my 18th century projects from over the years. Consequently, there will be some Christmas wreaths adorning the blog over the next few months- but they were so pretty that I don't think it's too much of an issue. ;-)
This dress was one of my very first 18th century garments- I made it 8 years ago. It has some aspects that aren't my favorite, and I feel like there are a few areas that need changing to accurately reflect the period. But I'm having such a hard time putting my finger on what exactly it is that needs to be changed! So, if you have any ideas or tips, please share! I'd love to hear from an "outside" source- I feel like I'm so blinded that I can't look at it impartially!
I used J.P. Ryan's Robe a l'Anglaise pattern for the dress, and it went together rather well! The ensemble is formed by a dress and a matching petticoat. The dress is polonaised in the back with loops and ribbon inside.
I love how the apron adds just the right amount of interest! Of all my accessories, I think this apron is one of my favorites! I made it in April 2013 as a last-minute addition to my wardrobe, but it has turned out to be one of my best ideas!
The 18th century just had some of the most. amazing. ideas. ever!! Those curving back seams that end in that wonderful pointed waistline that connects with those amazing pleats in the skirt. Perfection.
Also, the 18th century had the most amazing shoes and stockings. Period.
Shoes- "Kensington" by American Duchess
Buckles- "Valois" by American Duchess
Stockings- Jas. Townsend
The dress closes with pins down the front- another reason to love the 18th century! No need for sewing in closures!! Yay!!
Also, I can't resist drawing attention to that pattern matching across the front.... isn't that great?! When I first made the dress, it overlapped too much to allow that, but I guess increasing in girth does have a few advantages! ;-)
Maybe I'm just spoiled by a plethora of outfit choices for our trips to Williamsburg, but I will admit that this dress is one of my least favorite outfits. It is lovely, but something just feels "off".
It does however, have wonderful connotations to go along with it! Years ago when I first made it, my dad posted about it on his blog, and we got a random comment from a stranger asking where we purchased the fabric. Well, that stranger kept in touch, and we started following her blog too. Over the years, we've been able to meet up in Williamsburg several times, and have had the delightful pleasure of getting to know her and her sister! Those strangers ended up being Rebecca and Ashley, of Fashionable Frolick fame and how very glad I am that they are no longer strangers! :-)
Of all the wreaths around town, this was my definite favorite, so I knew I'd have to get pictures by it!
Isn't it lovely?!
· A big thank you to Kathryn for sorting through all the goofy poses I was giving her and coming up with a surprisingly demure-looking representation of how I was acting. ;-) ·
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This is an absolutely beautiful gown!! I just love it! The details are so lovely - the pleats are my favorite!! You did an absolutely wonderful job on the whole outfit!! The pictures are beautiful too!!
ReplyDeleteThis post is right up my alley - I just made a petticoat yesterday, and as soon as I get the jacket pattern I'll be making one!
I love your stockings - have you ever been to the Jas. Townsend store?
It's gorgeous! Love the simple red and white. You always do such amazing work. I totally approve of your choice of footwear too ;-)
ReplyDelete:-D I *love* those shoes. And judging by the plethora of compliments whenever I wear them, so does everyone else. ;-)
DeleteThough this may be one of your least favorite gowns, it is beautiful! I love the simplicity of the style, with no embellishment at the neckline or center front. It just seems very classic and shows off the delicate pattern of the fabric to great effect. I also like how this gown works well as a nice day dress for an upper-class persona but could also work for a "best" dress for a lower class lady. It seems rather versatile! You look lovely as usual, and I am jealous of your trip to Williamsburg!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bianca! You're right about the versatility, I'd really love to solidify 2 distinctive looks sometime soon. :-)
DeleteIf this is your least favorite gown I can't wait to see your favorites! :D
ReplyDeleteThat Christmas wreath is so very lovely.
Such a cute fabric! I'd love to have a piece! And the whole outfit is just yummy. Yay for red details!
ReplyDeleteOh I love this dress! The colors are great and pop so well with the red shoes. Unfortunately, I don't think I can help by suggesting things to change--I like it as is!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Quinn
You look so beautiful! What a charming dress and I always love your photos so much. You are very inspiring!
ReplyDeleteIf you want to make it look a bit more period and less machine-sewn, you could do some topstitching in red silk or linen thread to imitate the spaced backstitching that is common in this period. That's what I have done on some of my comissions, and it looks nice :-) Your gown looks great though even if you don't do this!
ReplyDeleteRebecca, I love that idea! I also really, really love the look of visible hand-stitching- why didn't I think of that idea before?? Thanks! :-D
DeleteI LOVE THIS DRESS. You can give it to me if you want. 'k, thanks.
ReplyDeleteI love that era of clothing! My family visited Williamsburg once when I was ten. I loved visiting the charming little shops and homes. It is always such a treat to see your beautiful creations!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sarah! I hope you're able to go back sometime!
DeleteLove the gown ! But I wonder if the missing 'look' is the lack of a hip roll or small panniers under the skirt--it hangs rather straight from the waist and should bell out more on the sides. Personally, I like hip rolls as they are easy to make and less cumbersome. even though the overall effect is less dramatic with the hip roll, you probably won't need to worry about the hem being off-with panniers, you would need to add fabric to keep the hemline even. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great idea, Deborah. I'll definitely be experimenting with more skirt supports!
DeleteI know nothing about advanced sewing, let alone historical costuming, so you're definitely not going to get any "tips" from me, but as usual this is so impressive and beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely dress and lovely fabric! I started my 18th century sewing with that pattern, and just took apart the first chintz dress I did with it, to remake in a more accurate way. From the pictures, your dress looks and fits beautifully. If I come across anything interesting I change, during my own reconstruction of the pattern, I will be sure to share.
ReplyDeleteCaroline
I love the pattern!!! It´s a beautiful gown!
ReplyDeleteThis is so beautiful! I must admit that I am quite jealous of your dress... And your trip to Williamsburg! :)
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I'd like to say that I absolutely love your blog, and I've been following it since the beginning, but this is my first time commenting. So hi! I know that this comment doesn't really belong on this post, but oh well! I'd just like to say that you getting your hair cut gave me the courage to get mine done. I'd been thinking about getting it cut for a while, and reading your post about your haircut just sort of sealed the deal for me. I got 16 inches cut off for Locks of Love, and probably another inch - inch and a half in trimmings. So thank you for the encouraging post!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jean! It's so nice to hear from you! :-) Congratulations on the hair cut- that's exciting!!
DeleteThis gown is lovely! I really like that you paired it with simple accessories too. Such a simple gown leaves so many options for dressing up or dressing down. And kudos for matching up the floral pattern on the center front. Such a nice detail. :) Something the J.P Ryan pattern is lacking are the shoulder straps and back neck facing. These are easily added if you have some left over fabric. Do you own a copy of Costume in Detail 1730-1930 by Nancy Bradfield? Lots of great details in that book!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rebecca about adding top stitching to the center back pleats. You should also consider some kind of bum roll or hip pads to help fluff out the skirts. They don't need to be very big or full and are easy to make.
Something else you might try is rucking the gown's skirts a little higher. Look at period images of Polonaise gowns and play around with the skirts. If your gown has pocket slits try pulling the skirts up through them in stead of using the hidden ties. This a look you often see with the working class. Hope these suggestions are helpful. The gown looks wonderful as is and really seems to fit you well. You did a fantastic job!
-Emily
Great ideas, Emily! Thanks! I completely forgot about the back-neck facing- I'll be looking into that. :-) Also, I never really thought about pulling up the polonaising more, but that's why I need all of you! I'll experiment around with all these ideas to see what makes me happier. :-)
DeleteThanks again so much!
Thank you all so much! And thanks for the advice! :-)
ReplyDeleteOhhhh! This is lovely!! I LOVE the back of the dress. I've heard that with a Robe a l'Anglaise you can use one of those split bum rolls to get a more authentic look. I've seen it done a few times with gorgeous results. :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Lizzy
P.S. I've been meaning to comment and ask what pattern you use for your 18th century shirts? *cough* I may or may not have been inspired by your yellow shirt that you posted a while ago *cough*
Thanks for commenting, Lizzy! :-) For my 18th century jackets, I usually use JP Ryan's jacket pattern as a starting point. My mustard jacket was based off of the JP Ryan robe a l'Anglaise pattern, with several modifications. :-)
DeleteHope that helps!