Sew Modern Sew Historical: Truly Victorian TV456 1850s gathered front day dress

Well, it's about time I reviewed this pattern. I haven't felt much like blogging lately. My sweet little MinPin Havoc passed away at the end of April and I am still very sad. Some days I feel ok and then I get hit with a wave of sadness in my heart. I know in time it will get easier to deal with. He really was my special little friend and I miss him so.

Fort Nisqually was putting on a Queen Victoria's birthday celebration on May 20th. I decided it was time to make an icky green dress for the event. I do not possess a cage crinoline and really don't want to make one. I decided on TV456 because I figured I could get away with no crinoline and just use corded petticoats and a cheater net crinoline.

Pattern:
1856 dress for day or evening. Fan front gathers, dropped shoulder full pleated skirt. I used my normal TV size G back and I front. I had 10 yards of this ick green cotton that I bought for a bustle dress but that never happened. When cotton is on a flash sale and it's 2.99 a yard you get 10 yards. Am I right or what!!

Alterations:
Anything after Regency and before the bustle are a mystery for me in regards to fitting. That dropped shoulder... I did my standard alterations, 1/2 inch tuck in the upper back, let darts out 1/4 inch, shortened the upper bodice length 1.75 inches. Normally I shorten TV skirts by about 2 inches. With dropped shoulder patterns I normally take about 1 inch off the shoulder area.

Construction:
Fairly straight forward. I didn't have any issues. The bodice gathering is fussy but I expected that. The skirt is pleated and easy to do. I sewed my skirt to the bodice but if I make it again I will just make it into a separate skirt.

Final thoughts:
It makes a very pretty dress. This would be fantastic in taffeta. I managed to not need a hoop but the dress would look much better with one. Both center back pattern pieces are labeled as lining. One is the lining the other is the fashion fabric. The gathering on the center back piece is pretty minuscule. If I make this dress again I will not bother with the gathering and just use the lining piece.

As usual the Countess and I had a good time at Fort Nisqually.

Such a demure lady...

My partner in crime The Countess

Oooooooo someone is playing with Lucifers (matches)

Staring longingly at the marble bust of husband number 4. For some reason my husbands keep falling down the stairs and dying. I'm now on the lookout for husband number 5.