Laughing Moon Pattern 138 Regency Gown and time for a ball!

Oh it was that time of year again!!! The Washington Regency Society's 12th night ball. It was fantastic and so thoughtfully put together. Of course I needed a new dress for it! I wanted to dig into Laughing Moon 138 for awhile so now I had an excuse.

Pattern:
Mid to later Regency with loads of different trim/neckline/sleeve options. The waistline is a bit lower and there are bust darts. The dress buttons up the back.

Size:
I am pretty much a size 22 in LM patterns so that is what I used. I made no alterations.

Fabric:
Silk shantung for the dress and cotton for lining.

View:
I used the mid neckline and the slash and puff sleeve. The trim on the skirt and bodice was my own design.

Directions:
Great! I have no complaints. The slash and puff sleeves are time consuming but worth it. They do require some hand sewing.

The darts, oh the darts:
Soooooooo......The darts are very high and very pointy. I don't care for them. Next time I will use gathers. One of my friends made her bodice with gathers and it looks really nice. I was unhappy enough with the darts so I covered them with some gathered trim.

Final thoughts:
This makes up into a lovely gown. I will use this pattern again for sure!

The ball was great fun! I didn't really take any pictures since I was too busy having a good time. ;-)

Burda 2471 Men's Regency era pattern AKA Napoleon pattern

It was time for the Washington Regency Society (WRS) 12th night ball! I asked my youngest if he would be interested in attending with me. He had joined me for the WRS picnic last summer and had a great time. I knew if he was going to go he would need something to wear. My dilemma, he is 14 and still growing. I started out looking at the Laughing Moon patterns but I didn't want to go that in depth for a costume that won't fit him in 6 months. I landed on Burda 2471. I had used the vest pattern last year for the WRS picnic. The cut and fit were really good. After getting his measurements I realized I needed to go up to the next size on the vest because he had grown again since summer!! The only part of Burda 2471 I wasn't interested in were the breeches. They are a very modern tight cut and require fabric with some stretch. Lol. My son took one look at the picture of Napoleon's tight white disco hot pants on the pattern envelope and said yeah, no.

So what pattern did I use for his breeches? Simplicity 4923 to the rescue! The whole pattern is fantastic. I made the entire suit for my husband a couple years ago and it turned out great. If you are looking for a basic no frills pair of drop front breeches Simplicity 4923 is perfect.

Let's go!

Size and fabric:

I decided on the size 38 chest. His chest measures 37 so I checked the finished measurements and knew the 38 would work. Do yourself a favor and make the breeches and vest first. My son uses a tux shirt for costuming. Once I got done with the vest and breeches he tried all components on and I measured him again before jumping the gun on his jacket.

I wanted the costume to be washable if needed. I used red canvas for the jacket and navy brushed twill for his vest, breeches and all the contrast on the jacket.

Alterations:
None.

Construction:
This went together really easily. Just follow the directions and you should have no issues. Be aware that Burda patterns are a bit different from the Big 4.

End result:
I'm very pleased! My son looked quite dashing and he enjoyed both wearing his costume and attending the ball.

Side note:
The sleeve cap has too much ease. I had to pleat mine because the fabric was too thick to ease/gather. I also heard this from another costumer so I know it's not just me.

 Looking quite the young gent!

He spent the evening learning to play cards.

My plaid Mantua Maker Regency Gown 1810-1 Review

FINALLY I am writing this one up. I made this dress last year at the beginning of fall and didn't have the opportunity to wear it until yesterday. Washington Regency Society had their museum outing and spring tea. So out came the silk bonnet and thin cotton dress for a pouring down rainy Pac NW day.
;-)

Pattern, size, fabric:

Mantua Maker No. 1810-1 Regency drawstring dress. Multi sized. Fabric was a plaid cotton voile.
Size chosen : Large. My measurements in chemise, long stays, bodice petticoat-- 43-39(under bust)-43 hips.
 I felt that the XL would be too big in the bust. Plus this was going to be a wearable muslin I figured I can make changes when I make the next one.
Here is the thing about this specific pattern. In order to see if it's going to fit you all those drawstring channels need to be sewn. It's a bit of work. So I thought if I just make the dress up as is I can check fit and have a not perfect dress to wear. Yay!

Instructions:

Very clear. Actually pretty darn bossy. This is not a complaint, just an observation. I do my own thing so I sewed it all by machine including the hems. The dress went together fine. PLEASE read all the instructions first though. In order to make the uber multi puff sleeve you have to do the maths and lengthen the given pattern piece. She gives you the formula to use. I always keep a calculator handy so it was no issue. You will also need to lengthen the skirt piece as well. But most of us are already lengthening, shortening or lifting our skirts anyways. ;-)

My thoughts and changes I made:

This is a good but labor intensive pattern. It is size adjustable so 1 dress could be made to fit several people. She recommends ribbon or rattail cord for the drawstrings. I struggle with super shiny ribbon and rattail. This is a me issue, not a you issue. If you want to run through a field of flowers in a satin dress trimmed with 900 yards of shiny satin ribbon well you do you baby! Have fun, that is what this is all about!
So I used 1/8 wide white twill tape I buy by the roll at Burnley & Trowbridge Co. The waist tie is white satin ribbon.

I used elastic in the sleeves. She wanted all drawstrings and I wasn't having it. Elastic can fit many sized arms without the constant adjustments of drawstrings. However washing and ironing this will be a bitch. My next one will be silk taffeta dry clean only thanks.

The neckline has 4 total sets of drawstrings. Then you have the waist ribbon drawstring. I had to have husband draw everything up and tie them off before I could really tell how this would fit. It took us about 5 minutes to accomplish this event. I realized if I would always need help getting in this dress and Mimi doesn't like that. I am a strong independent woman. So once we had them adjusted exactly where I wanted them I untied only the waist and easily slipped the dress off over my head. I knotted all the ties (except for waist) and top stitched the drawstrings in place at the shoulders. So this dress is not as adjustable but I can sure as hell put it on by myself. Just slip it over your head and tie the waist ribbon.

Alterations I will need:

The under bust/waist just barely meets at the back. I will make it a couple inches bigger. If you are larger than a B cup (D here) you will want to add a bit of length to the bodice. Otherwise the waist seam line will be at your mid bust. Mine is landing a little high. Tying the waist ribbon around the front helps. So that is another thing I need to change. Otherwise it really is a pretty dress. I want it made out  of black silk taffeta. With those ridiculous sleeves. Regency Gothic, Northanger Abbey.

Other final thoughts:

I know a lot of people avoid her patterns because the cover art and few pictures are not that great. Maybe she has been doing this so long there is no interest in repackaging her product. I think that is a shame but... not my circus etc etc etc....

So after all my blah blah blah......I recommend this pattern. Not for a beginner, but anyone beyond that could have a go. Enter into this journey with inexpensive fabric you like but don't love. Plan on just making a wearable muslin. Have fun!

Photo Roundup!

At the museum photo op.

Back view. Ooooooo that back waist is barely keeping it together!

Who wore it better?

Dress front. The drawstrings on the bodice panel are NOT adjustable, just for pretty.

Dress back, many drawstrings.

Shoulder where I topstitched the drawstrings in place.

The Lovely Countess selling her tomatoes....

Lady Rebecca and I trying to open the safe.

The Washington Regency Society

Washington Regency Society 12th night Ball!!

I have been very remiss in my blogging lately. Life gets busy between family, work and sewing time. However, lucky for you I have a nasty cold and have taken to my bed. So lets talk about a most wonderful fabulous event put on by The Washington Regency Society!

This was a fairly momentous event. WRS decided to set up a ball for 12th night. It was held at our favorite Regency haunt, Lakewold Gardens. There was a wonderful dinner and a delicious 12th night cake. Plus Regency ball dancing! What can be better than spending the evening with friends, food and dancing.

What I wore:

Of course I did make a new dress and open robe. I kept it simple and used my Sense and Sensibility drawstring dress pattern. I had several yards of black silk gauze I planned on using. I figured a black Regency gown is a practical wardrobe choice. I have never worked with silk gauze before. It wasn't challenging but it snags very easily. On the other hand it is light and airy. Quite delightful. I will definitely wear it again.

For my open robe I used The Mantua Makers pattern, #1810-2. It is meant for sheer fabrics and I had some black and metallic cold chiffon I could use. The pattern is pretty straightforward and I recommend it. It makes up quickly too.

After making my black and gold ensemble I realize how much I need a black Regency bodice petticoat for my darker outfits. So now that is on my list of much needed undergarments.

Of course I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted. Here are a few from our wonderful evening. :-)

 Myself and The Countess!

 The Countess' lovely reproduction of a museum dress AND the pretty white dress she made for her friend. I was quite covetous of that gown.

 Selfie time!

 Setting up for dinner.

 A very dashing couple!

 The Lady Cynthia and her handsome escort! I loved the exotic look of both their outfits.

I found the prize in my piece of cake and was crowned King of the evening!

It was a wonderful time and I hope we can do it again! Now I am gearing up for The Victorian Festival in Port Townsend, Washington. Sewing away on new costumes (1890s) If you fancy a trip to the PacNW I highly recommend a trip to Port Townsend for VicFest! It is March 23-25th 2018.

Jane Fest 2017 Regency riding habit and an open robe hack

I've been quiet lately. After such a busy summer I had a nice lull in costume activities. I've still been sewing though.

Jane Fest 2017 took place at the University of Washington this past weekend. This is the first but hopefully not the last Jane Fest. The turn out was really great! There was also a ball and those tickets sold out in about 5 minutes. There is a definite desire in our region for Jane but also for Regency costume events. The Washington Regency Society (WRS) and JASNA both had informational booths at the event. We are alway looking for new members and there was so much interest from the public that our booth was jumpin! I also participated in the fashion show. It was very well received, and wow there were a lot of people in the audience! Needless to say for such an attention whore I do get very nervous during fashion shows and the like. I'm sure it shows, but I am also trying to step out of my introvert zone and live a little. I figure if I can inspire even one person to follow their creative passion then my work has purpose. Now, on to sewing!

Regency Riding habit:

I have wanted to make a riding habit for quite awhile. Practicality had been holding me back. However when the fashion show line up arrived in my email I was tagged to wear a riding habit. I easily had 2 months to make it so I jumped right in. The real trick was finding wool in a bearable color and at a good price. Not as easy as one would think. Luckily I ran across some dark brown 100% wool suiting for a sweet price. One of my fantasy garments has been a brown wool hooded cloak lined with rich lavender duchess satin. It is one of my favorite color combinations. Once I purchased my wool I set about looking for lavender velveteen. Again, not an easy task because I was really looking for a particular shade. After looking around I discovered the perfect shade of lavender velveteen at Wm. Booth, Draper. I knew I would be using it as trim on my spencer and for my top hat only. I happily purchased two yards.

Patterns used:

Laughing Moon #137 Regency pelisse and spencer. View C with view B collar.
Sense and Sensibility drawstring dress.
Lynn McMasters top hat pattern.

Laughing Moon #137

A new release pattern. I normally wear a size 22 in LM so I decided to go that route. It made up easily and I had no issues with the instructions. I feel like this spencer runs a bit large. The bust is roomy (even for me). I used the non overlapping center closure and I can actually still overlap mine quite a bit. I left off the belt because my velveteen was pretty bulky for piping and though it did work on the spencer body for a small belt it looked wrong. I thought about making my belt out of the velveteen but then realized I didn't want a horizontal line of lavender cutting me off. On my frame (chubby) a continuous unbroken column of color looks more flattering. My advice on this pattern is choose your normal size and one size down and make a muslin of both. I think if I make this spencer or pelisse again I will give size 20 a try.

Sense and Sensibility drawstring dress: S&SDD

AKA my favorite! I am pretty much in love with this dress. It is easy to make and size adjustable. I have made 4 drawstring dresses since summer. You can make one in about 6 hours. The sleeves are a bit fussy but once you figure out the fussy bit they go right in. Since this was a riding habit I made a sleeveless jumper out of S&SDD. I added length and width to the skirt. My train is very short because trains suck in general. The pattern only talks about adding extra width to the skirt for the crossover bodice view. However I find that the skirt looks better on the drawstring dress if you just cut the panels the whole width of your fabric. It adds a bit more oomph to the finished product. On my first drawstring dress my skirt feels so skimpy.

Lynn McMasters top hat/riding hat pattern:

Who doesn't want a lavender velveteen top hat! Since I like fashion drama I used the men's stovepipe crown and the Victorian women's riding hat brim. I knew I wanted a hella tall hat with a small brim. This is not a beginner pattern, more intermediate. It goes together nicely. I did have to finesse the tip and crown to fit together. This caused me to even/smooth those areas out with extra mull. It was worth the extra effort. Since the pattern is unisex sized and no measurements are given I went with size large. My head is 23.25 inches so I did have to take some bulk out of the head opening. She does cover how to do that in the instructions. The hat is a perfect fit.

Open robe hack using Laughing Moon 126 Bib front gown: TNT (tried and true)

I decided to use my TNT laughing Moon 126 as my open robe. I had bought a beautiful sari and was dying to make an open robe but didn't feel like fitting a new pattern. Hacking this was simple. I used the front lining pieces that you tie together under the bib front. I traced off the piece and just re-drafted the neckline to my preference.  Then I added to the front for the closure. I used 2 hooks and eyes to close my robe. The back of the gown stayed the same except I didn't pleat the skirt fabric I just gathered it.

 The original piece is above my traced off and altered version.

Here is the original piece laid over my altered  bodice fabric. 

Since I had run out of fabric for my under gown I had to add sleeves to my open robe. I just used the sleeve from the LM pattern. The under gown was made from thrifted fabric. It is white cotton with a gold metallic stripe. There were some stains on the fabric I had to fussy cut around but it all worked out. I used my Sense and Sensibility drawstring dress as my under gown and just finished the arm openings with bias tape. Easy peasy.

A most fun time! Here are some additional pictures of our long but fantastic day.

 My green silk spencer and matching hat!

The lovely Countess and I before the fashion show.

 The Countess having a chat with Flat Jane.

 Flat Jane saying something scandalous!

 Or funny!

 Flat Jane selfie!

 The Countess, Lady Rebecca and yours truly.

 Always fun with the Countess!

 Dancing at the ball!

I did enjoy four dances even though my feet were killing me! It was a super long day but so worth it. There were a lot of people dressed up for the main event and the ball. My only words of advice ladies, leave the trains off for the ball. I noticed a few young ladies struggling with their trains and it was painful to watch. You don't want your pretty dress stepped on and torn, trust Madame Mimi on this. ;-)

Final Notes:

My turban was made using the Wingeo turban pattern as my base and then I just draped the rest and added some beads and feathers. My pearl jewelry was purchased from inthelongrun on Esty.

Sense and Sensibility drawstring dress and Washington Regency Society's Tall Ship sail

It was that time of year again! Time for a fabulous picnic and lovely sail on The Lady Washington. Taking place in picturesque Port Ludlow, Washington.

We decided to make a weekend of it and reserve a hotel room in Port Townsend at Manresa Castle. Saturday was the picnic and sail and Sunday was for shopping in Port Townsend. I have been trying to build a nice Regency wardrobe so I have choices for events. I made two new dresses, one new spencer and a silk bag hat.

For the sailing day I made Laughing Moon's drop front gown (again) in a paisley print cotton shirting. I have a total love affair with this pattern going on. It makes such a pretty dress! I had been looking at Regency fashion plates to get some ideas for an easy spencer to make. I noticed some really cute open front spencers. I decided to hack my Laughing Moon spencer pattern and create my own open front pointy spencer. I used a pretty navy blue linen from Fabrics-store.com. Since I knew this was going to be hanging open I bought enough linen to line the front bodice pieces. The rest of my lining was some basic black cotton. I used some scraps of checkered silk taffeta and broke out Butterick 6397 Making History hat pattern. I used view A the Edwardian bag hat pattern. It went together easily.


On to Sense and Sensibility drawstring dress pattern!

Pattern:

The Elegant Lady's closet. Drawstring dress AKA round gown. Several sleeve options. Sizing is somewhat flexible. Also included is a crossover bodice pattern.

Fabric, size and alterations:

This was basically going to be a wearable muslin. I had some ok quality pink striped shirting in my stash. This dress is hard to muslin because of it's flexible sizing in the front, but he back is fitted so that's what makes it a bit tricky. I went by my bust measurement and made the size 22.

I did zero alterations. NONE. Yeah...... how often does that happen. The only thing I will do differently is lengthen the skirt. Oddly it runs a bit short even for me (5ft 4in).

Construction:

I was a little baffled by the front only lining pieces (flaps). Not sure their purpose so I asked around. They help hold the front of the gown in place. Mine are just pinned closed. And yes, they really do help hold the gown in place.

I chose the 3/4 sleeve. It is nicely fitted without being super tight. If you normally have to do a full sleeve adjustment I would make a muslin of the sleeve and check for fit. I have average middle aged lady arms and didn't need one.

Setting in those sleeves.....I normally don't have sleevil issues. I do ok with them. This pattern has sleeves that go farther back onto the shoulder area. There is a weird little angle in the back shoulder area that you have to finesse. Now S&S does warn you in the instructions about the sleeves since this is based on a period dress. So I finessed the hell out of them. There were a few ripped seams and minor frustrations but I did get them sewn on. I still feel they are not perfect but I do not find them awkward or uncomfortable.

Final thoughts:

I like my dress! I didn't have any problems with the instructions. Other than the sleeves I found this dress easy and quick to make. You may have less finessing in the sleeve area if you go with the short puffy version. Gathers can cover a multitude of sins. ;-) You will really want the back of the dress to fit correctly. If it doesn't it may not be comfortable to wear. This pattern is in the running for a ballgown. It's got some competition with another pattern but.......I haven't made a choice yet. I will muslin the other gown first. This would also be a great dress to use under a open robe. If I did make a ballgown out of it I would also make an open robe. Just to gussy to up a bit. I highly recommend this lovely little pattern!

On to the pictures!

 Saturday Sail! Laughing Moon 126 gown and 129 spencer (hacked)

 The lovely Countess!

 Adventure selfie!!

 On the lady Washington for the evening sail.

 The Hawaiian Chieftain in the distance.

 Exploring Port Townsend wearing the Sense and Sensibility gown.

 At the end of the day I asked the Countess to take some pics in front of Manresa Castle. S&S dress with my hacked LM 129. 

Well summer events have wrapped up and now we move on to fall! My boys are back in school and the house seems too quiet. There will be some more Regency sewing on the way and also planning for VicFest 2018. Time flies by so quickly! Thanks again for stopping by and reading my little blog!

Instagram multi shots!!! ;-)