Modifying a regency dress

A friend recently gave me a regency dress she wasn't happy with. The reason was quickly discovered and is one of the most common difficulties when sewing for this period: the front skirt part didn't fit at all. The tricky part is to keep it as flat as possible while still putting enough fabric to the front to keep it from clinging to your belly but not making you look pregnant - which requires shaping the top edge a bit.

So first step: undo the front half of the waist seam and the side seams, as well as the hem which will also have to be adjusted. The upper edge of the front skirt piece is cut out in a slight curve, the sides are cut slightly at an angle. This helps to keep the front flat because this slightly trapezoide shape gives more fabric at the hem where it's needed while keeping the upper part as smooth as possible without adding bulk. Two small tucks (one under each breast) also help. I also had to take a little width out of the bodice, taking in the side seams beneath the sleeves, then closed the side seams again. Always check if the  pleated back part of the skirt doesn't come too far to the front, which would ruin the silhouette. Which it didn't do here, so I could adjust the hem and finish a very practical day dress. It can be worn without any kind of undergarments (like corset or even bust-shaping shift) thus being the perfect choice for summer reenactments. Yay again to me being a stick figure :D

Green regency hat

If you happen to find a woven golf visor straw hat, buy ten of them, they make lovely regency hats! I found one with a hatband matching my dress which I hastily decorated for a first outing, then took apart, shaped properly and decorated anew.

The crown is rather flat, as it's designed to be worn as sun protection and flat on your head. I beribboned it and during the first trip discovered a few flaws due to this shape.

It doesn't sit on your head tight enough, and tends to slip up or down depending on where on the back of your head your hairdo is. Plus it just looks like a golf visor hat repurposed. So once back, I set myself to do the thing properly. Which meant stripping it of five hours' worth of hand-stitched-on trimming, moistening the crown (spray with water, inside and outside) and putting it into a flower pot for shaping :D You take what you can get... Make sure to remove all ribbons, sweatbands etc., you want just the plain straw weave.

Let dry over night and you'll get a nice, cone-shaped crown, still flexible enough to fit to your head. The bottom of the crown can remain round or you can flatten it once the actual size has been determined.

Put this on as you would the finished hat, if possible with updone hair so you discover where it sits perfectly. Sew a plain cotton ribbon around right where the brim starts to retain this size. If you like, you can flatten the back of the crown by moistening it again and pressing it flat. I just put it on the floor and put a bottle into the crown. Simple as that.

In the meantime, buy a properly shaped hat at a reenactment because you lose your patience and need sun protection...

I sewed the previous green hatband back on (invisible stitches), as well as the satin ribbons. All that's missing now are the proper pictures ;)

Scottish robe à l'Anglaise

I had been toying with the idea of making a dress from this crazy tartan design just for the sake of having an absurd dress. In the end it came out not so absurd at all!

Fabric for: Regency dress, Anglaise and Francaise

Scottish robe à la Francaise

Another liveroleplay upcoming, Jacobite Scotland this time! Time for yet another Francaise after my tried pattern. Only if you use it for a Francaise instead of a Piemontaise (as I did last time), bear in mind that you'll have to cut the part for the Watteau pleats at an angle, or you'll end up with not very nice pleats that make a perfectionist undo the complete back part to set in gores to get proper pleats. The fabric is a light cotton tartan weave, and six metres were just enough for the robe and the decoration. If you want to have the skirt underneath made from the same fabric, buy at least 8 metres or more for skirt decoration.

Fabric raid: Regency dress, Anglaise and Francaise

The sleeves have two flounces, and two rows of lace underneath. Again, used the usual pinking shears method. Getting a pro in this...

The bodice is fitted with no back lacing as the earlier Francaises would have. The top fabric is sewn to the lining right along the watteau pleats.Make sure you cut the Watteau part at an angle or the pleats won't fall nicely.

And here came the moment when I realized I'd have to make a quick pannier-bumroll because the one I wore for the Piemontaise doesn't work with the pleating of a Francaise... Why do I keep encountering unexpected problems no matter how many years of experience I have?