This last weekend was the Port Townsend Victorian Heritage Festival. There was much fun having!
I must admit to being completely and totally inspired to make this when I stumbled across The Antique Sewist's blog. She made a plaid version of TVE30 and TVE45 and I fell in LOVE! I knew at that very moment I needed a plaid Edwardian outfit. Nothing would stop me, even the lack of plaid fabric in my stash. I already had both the patterns and just needed some kind of fabric to fulfill my plaid dreams. A few days later I was at one of the local fabric watering holes and stumbled across this somewhat bright turquoise and purple plaid. It was love at first sight! It was on sale too!! So I quickly bought some and lovingly cuddled it all the way home.
I will start with TVE30, the skirt.
Sizing and alterations:
I cut a straight size I (36 waist). In my Edwardian stays I measure 43 bust, 37 high waist, 36 waist and 43 hips. You really want to pay close attention to your high waist, the is your jumping off point at fitting this skirt. Now as you can plainly see from my measurements I am not concerned about my hips. If you have a nice hip spring you would cut your hip size and blend it to your waist size, or you can play with the darts for adjustment. Also if you are taller than 5ft 4in you will want to lengthen the skirt. My alteration was fairly simple since I only needed a bit of extra waist room. I made the skirt darts a tad bit smaller (about 1/4 off each dart side at the top) and then blended it back into the rest of the dart. That gave me about an extra inch. For the inner waistband I just made it a bit longer and folded in the ends to make the belt fit my high waist. There are very small darts on the inner waistband and they are so teeny I didn't want to mess with them. That was it. The length was perfect for me and my 2 inch heels.
Fabric:
Yeah, I loved that plaid until I realized how uneven it was...I am somewhat impatient. Even plaids and even stripes are not super difficult to work with. However, when you toss the word "uneven" into the mixture things get dicey. So turning to my trusty Vogue sewing book I read about uneven plaids. Hmmmm...Not for the plaid novice. Great! It takes a lot to discourage me. And I was going to have that damn plaid dress, even if it killed me. Vogue says on the uneven plaids you have to pick a focus point on the plaid and just run with it. That is what I did.
I patiently cut out my pieces in a single layer trying to keep it matched on my chosen focus point as I could. I knew with the lapped seams the plaid wouldn't be a perfect match but I managed to get close enough. It's certainly not perfect but I am pleased with my effort.
My fabric was some kind of mystery blend not quite mid weight suiting. I underlined my skirt with quilting cotton. Please, underline your garments. They hang so much better and you can just transfer your marks to the underlining. So easy. I used petersham ribbon for my belting. I found some on Etsy and bought several yards. It's light blue, but no one can see it anyways.
Construction:
Not difficult. On my underlining I marked ALL THE THINGS. Every seam line, every dot and dart. Read the instructions carefully and follow them. The skirt came together like a dream. The placket seaming instructions seem strange, just follow them. It will be ok. I chose to use buttons as my main closure. I would rather make buttonholes than sew on a million hooks and bars.
Final thoughts:
I love this skirt! I even made another in dark navy wool suiting. It goes together much quicker when you aren't worried about matching plaid. A very satisfying project. TV gives great fitting info with the pattern.
TVE45 Narrow Panel Blouse
Really quick and easy to make. Since my bust is 43 I decided to use size H (44), view A with 3/4 sleeves. I did no alterations.
My fabric was not a bordered fabric but I went with view A anyway. I decided to cut my center panels on the bias so I wouldn't have to worry about plaid matching. I accidentally gave my blouse shoulder seams because I wasn't paying attention to the fact you have to tape both pattern pieces together at the shoulder to make it a single piece. (duh). Sewed up like a dream.
Final thoughts:
Easy. Great for a beginner. Instant gratification. I will make more of these.
Underneath it all:
Combination underwear, corset, stockings, a single petticoat. My under blouse is a lucky vintage find (because it is a larger size). Time wise it is WWI era but I didn't care because I didn't have to make it. I also loathe high collars. So this was a nice compromise. The blouse is completely hand sewn. It is labeled The Butterfly Blouse, size 42. It has a few minor flaws but that is to be expected. I will make a proper blouse to wear under this top, someday.
Showing posts with label Edwardian dress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edwardian dress. Show all posts
Monday, April 3, 2017
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Butterick 6190 Downton Abbey peacock dress
I made this dress for a special event. One of my costuming groups hosted a wonderful Venetian themed masquerade party at the Sunset Club in Seattle. The club founders started construction in 1913 and the club opened in 1915. The building is fabulous and our banquet room was lovely.
Sooooooooo The last couple of projects I have done were from the big 4 patterns. Sometimes it seems the pattern companies shoot themselves in the foot by making the envelope cover models look meh... Butterick 6190 falls into that category. You fabric choice will make or break this dress. The fabric choices for the cover fall short. So much so that I almost passed on the pattern. The pattern is designed by Nancy Farris-Thee.
Pattern and Fabric:
This is a Downton Abbey inspired dress. The bodice is boned and closes up the back with hooks and eyes. There are several views. I made view A-B with D trained skirt. (regret, trains suck, just saying) 5 years ago I purchased 2.5 yards of this gorgeous peacock silk/velvet burn out. I finally felt I could work with this shifty moody fabric. My sewing confidence has improved in the last couple years and I wanted to put it to use. Since I am a beginner to shifty fabrics I thought the simple lines of 6190 would be perfect. Happily I was right. The fabric for the dress bodice and skirt are black poly crepe back satin. I used regular black satin for the sash and some black lace for the bodice. The kimono style cropped jacket is separate from the dress. It does cover up most of the bodice. You could leave off the bodice sleeves if you are making the cropped jacket. The overskirt and kimono sleeve hems are trimmed with black sequins. The peacock fabric doesn't need much to set it off. It speaks for itself. it is a bear to photograph. After making this dress I have approximately 1/3 yard of peacock fabric left. It was close.
Size and Alterations:
Big 4 I'm normally cutting an 18 or 20. After looking at finished garment measurements I decided on size 18 and did a .75 FBA and rolled out the side bust dart my FBA created. The bodice does have vertical darts on both front and back pieces. You could add your FBA to that dart. I did wind up taking the back dart in 1/4 more. Otherwise I didn't do any other alterations. If you are tall you will want to watch the skirt length.
Pattern Construction:
No issues at all. The directions are clear and concise. I enjoyed sewing it.
Design Changes:
I decided to pull up the center front of the overskirt and tack it up. I added a gold bullion tassel and a vintage black silk tassel. Instead of small hooks and eyes I used french hooks and bars. They always feel more secure to me.
Final Notes:
I like this pattern. It does have a nice Downton Abbey feel. It's not H/A. However, it gives the vibe of that time frame. I don't feel the envelope picture does this dress justice at all. Beware, this dress can look frumpy. Choose your fabric wisely.
Sooooooooo The last couple of projects I have done were from the big 4 patterns. Sometimes it seems the pattern companies shoot themselves in the foot by making the envelope cover models look meh... Butterick 6190 falls into that category. You fabric choice will make or break this dress. The fabric choices for the cover fall short. So much so that I almost passed on the pattern. The pattern is designed by Nancy Farris-Thee.
Pattern and Fabric:
This is a Downton Abbey inspired dress. The bodice is boned and closes up the back with hooks and eyes. There are several views. I made view A-B with D trained skirt. (regret, trains suck, just saying) 5 years ago I purchased 2.5 yards of this gorgeous peacock silk/velvet burn out. I finally felt I could work with this shifty moody fabric. My sewing confidence has improved in the last couple years and I wanted to put it to use. Since I am a beginner to shifty fabrics I thought the simple lines of 6190 would be perfect. Happily I was right. The fabric for the dress bodice and skirt are black poly crepe back satin. I used regular black satin for the sash and some black lace for the bodice. The kimono style cropped jacket is separate from the dress. It does cover up most of the bodice. You could leave off the bodice sleeves if you are making the cropped jacket. The overskirt and kimono sleeve hems are trimmed with black sequins. The peacock fabric doesn't need much to set it off. It speaks for itself. it is a bear to photograph. After making this dress I have approximately 1/3 yard of peacock fabric left. It was close.
Size and Alterations:
Big 4 I'm normally cutting an 18 or 20. After looking at finished garment measurements I decided on size 18 and did a .75 FBA and rolled out the side bust dart my FBA created. The bodice does have vertical darts on both front and back pieces. You could add your FBA to that dart. I did wind up taking the back dart in 1/4 more. Otherwise I didn't do any other alterations. If you are tall you will want to watch the skirt length.
Pattern Construction:
No issues at all. The directions are clear and concise. I enjoyed sewing it.
Design Changes:
I decided to pull up the center front of the overskirt and tack it up. I added a gold bullion tassel and a vintage black silk tassel. Instead of small hooks and eyes I used french hooks and bars. They always feel more secure to me.
Final Notes:
I like this pattern. It does have a nice Downton Abbey feel. It's not H/A. However, it gives the vibe of that time frame. I don't feel the envelope picture does this dress justice at all. Beware, this dress can look frumpy. Choose your fabric wisely.
Yay! A good picture of my peacock fabric!
My American Duchess Tango Boots!
Being naughty!
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Butterick 6093 Downton Abbey dress
I just finished making this dress in time for a Downton Abbey themed garden party at Dunn Gardens in Seattle.
I chose view "A" because I think the envelope picture of view "B" is ugly. However, The Pragmatic Costumer made a revised view "B" that was fabulous.
This is a fairly easy dress to sew. I would not say it is for a beginner, but if you have a few dresses under your belt and can do some pleating, sleeves and a zipper, go for it.
Sizing. This runs true to size as far as the finished measurements go. I graded several sizes together to make my dress. My FBM is 42 inches D cup. High bust is 36. I did not want to do a FBA (full bust adjustment) so I did a cheater FBA. I cut size 14 in the neck and shoulders. Size 16 on the side seams.
But wait! If Mimi's bust measures a 42 how can she cut a size 16 and not do a FBA? Size 16 is for a 38 bust. Well, you see all those gathers on the under bust of the dress. Those are your friends. I just used less gathers for my under bust seam. Simple!
I do have a D cup and we know most patterns are designed for a B cup. But I found there was plenty of room. Now, if you needed to do a FBA you would just rotate the FBA dart down into the under bust gathers. Still easy, but I was super lazy.
Skirting the issues:
Where I could have gotten into big trouble is the waist/hip area. Luckily I read The Pragmatic Costumers review BEFORE I cut my fabric. This dress is a very columnar style. And even though my hips are never a fitting issue for me, on this dress they would have been. So I sized up the skirt to about a 20 (44 hips). My hips are 43, fyi. I sewed the darts and did the pleating. And I just used less gathers on the bodice once I attached it to the skirt.
There were some changes:
View "A" is a fabric hog. I did not realize it is a double skirted dress (over skirt and under skirt). TWO WHOLE SKIRTS!!! Duh! Well of course I ran out of my floral fabric...And no more to be found either. So I needed to think outside the box. One of the things I did not like about this pattern is the vent on one side of the skirt. I understand why it is there, but it is a very modern solution for the narrow skirts of that era. So I decided to make the under skirt a separate garment. I used the provided underskirt pattern and added a few inches to the back seam. I used a simple drawstring waist to finish it. By adding that extra fabric to the back I did not need the side vent for walking. My under skirt has ample room but still kept the column shape of the time period. My underskirt is also a false bottom skirt. I wasn't going to go buy 2.5 yards of fashion fabric when I could buy .75 yards and use muslin for the top of the underskirt. No one is going to see that part of the skirt anyway. You can't see in the picture but the visible underskirt is a light green and white check linen.
The quick and dirty round up:
Make a muslin. If you are over a D cup you may want to do a FBA. Really pay attention to the waist/hip size and make adjustments. I give this pattern a thumbs up and it has gone in my favorites drawer. I will certainly make it again.
And......
I chose view "A" because I think the envelope picture of view "B" is ugly. However, The Pragmatic Costumer made a revised view "B" that was fabulous.
This is a fairly easy dress to sew. I would not say it is for a beginner, but if you have a few dresses under your belt and can do some pleating, sleeves and a zipper, go for it.
Sizing. This runs true to size as far as the finished measurements go. I graded several sizes together to make my dress. My FBM is 42 inches D cup. High bust is 36. I did not want to do a FBA (full bust adjustment) so I did a cheater FBA. I cut size 14 in the neck and shoulders. Size 16 on the side seams.
But wait! If Mimi's bust measures a 42 how can she cut a size 16 and not do a FBA? Size 16 is for a 38 bust. Well, you see all those gathers on the under bust of the dress. Those are your friends. I just used less gathers for my under bust seam. Simple!
I do have a D cup and we know most patterns are designed for a B cup. But I found there was plenty of room. Now, if you needed to do a FBA you would just rotate the FBA dart down into the under bust gathers. Still easy, but I was super lazy.
Skirting the issues:
Where I could have gotten into big trouble is the waist/hip area. Luckily I read The Pragmatic Costumers review BEFORE I cut my fabric. This dress is a very columnar style. And even though my hips are never a fitting issue for me, on this dress they would have been. So I sized up the skirt to about a 20 (44 hips). My hips are 43, fyi. I sewed the darts and did the pleating. And I just used less gathers on the bodice once I attached it to the skirt.
There were some changes:
View "A" is a fabric hog. I did not realize it is a double skirted dress (over skirt and under skirt). TWO WHOLE SKIRTS!!! Duh! Well of course I ran out of my floral fabric...And no more to be found either. So I needed to think outside the box. One of the things I did not like about this pattern is the vent on one side of the skirt. I understand why it is there, but it is a very modern solution for the narrow skirts of that era. So I decided to make the under skirt a separate garment. I used the provided underskirt pattern and added a few inches to the back seam. I used a simple drawstring waist to finish it. By adding that extra fabric to the back I did not need the side vent for walking. My under skirt has ample room but still kept the column shape of the time period. My underskirt is also a false bottom skirt. I wasn't going to go buy 2.5 yards of fashion fabric when I could buy .75 yards and use muslin for the top of the underskirt. No one is going to see that part of the skirt anyway. You can't see in the picture but the visible underskirt is a light green and white check linen.
Updated pictures 8/11/2020
The quick and dirty round up:
Make a muslin. If you are over a D cup you may want to do a FBA. Really pay attention to the waist/hip size and make adjustments. I give this pattern a thumbs up and it has gone in my favorites drawer. I will certainly make it again.
And......
Yes, Sean Bean...since you asked...Ahem
I'm wearing a Titanic era corset (purchased) a princess petticoat and Edwardian combinations under my corset.
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