Curtain-Along Gown Remake
May. 22nd, 2024 10:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
totchipandaI am *inspired* to work on my old curtain-along gown, made in 2014/2015 (I remember I had intended to track how long it took me, inspired at the time by mandie_rw's dress in a day and koshka_the_cat and other prolific hand-makers) and then did not work on it at all consistently so I have no idea how long it took! I only wore it once, in 2017, and I spent a couple hours lifting the front hem very sloppily the day before I wore it. It's been on the "to-do" list ever since. (CoCo '17 was its own anxiety-bearing event, separate from but connected to CoCo '18, so the gown held some of those memories and I didn't want to poke the bear, so to speak.)
I talked about it more on my blog rather than here, but it was made from a pattern from They Of Whom We Do Not Speak with a custom-drafted sleeve from... Costume Close-up, I think, because the included one was RIDICULOUS. I recall taking a whole slew of images of how I attempted to proportionally draft it and posted that on said blog (but if they were on photobucket, they are gone forever. Maybe). I gave it some box pleated self-trim and it was styled after my VERY FAVOURITEST GOWN EVER, the striped silk one from Snowshill Manor in PoF 1. Which, with plenty more experience than I had at the time, was not the best gown to model this one after lol. Oh well! It fulfilled a dream and some day I shall have that gorgeous creature in my closet.
So, gown was made from 2 out of 3 Waverly Felicite curtains in the cream colourway (I wanted black like Amanda's gown but at the time I could only ever get one panel of that colour, which is now my Amalia jacket). It was entirely handsewn onto a light linen lining. I tried the gown on yesterday which, surprisingly, still fit??? Kind of! The sleeves I expected to be completely unwearable but they were fine (though I think a shift sleeve under them would make them really snug). The bodice obviously did not close, not even close. It was tight even in 2017, and now it's been almost 10 years since I first patterned it. My boobs got bigger in that time (shrug). Looking at the photo I shared on my Instagram story (which has been reposted several times, since literally, that was the only time i wore it), the fit is definitely off, particularly in the back length. (I also had a cobbled-together rump which was made with "ehhhh that looks OK i guess" and the gown was never fitted over it.)
I measured it last night and examined what I had done to make it, and honestly, I'm impressed. Baby historical sewist me was so lost and confused but determined to make a go of it, and the dress is actually well made. Some things I would do differently now, and my stitching has definitely improved in the intervening 9-10 years. I plan to take many pictures before any modifications.
Gown
Bust - 38"
Waist - 33"
Center front length - 13"
Center back length - 14"
Sleeve length at underarm - 13 1/4"
Bicep - 14 1/2"
Skirt length at open front edge - 40 1/8" (with a deeper hem)
Skirt length at center back (approx) - 43"
Hem width - approx 120"
Skirt has loopies with cotton ties.
Petticoat
Waist (no overlap) - 32"
Hem width - 100"
Front length - 38 1/4" (with a deeper hem)
Side length - 40"
Back length - 40"
Lengths taken from lower waistband edge, and tied with polyester tapes.
I'm not 100% sure what I want to do, especially now that I've looked at it more closely. It was made as an English gown with the pleated back down into the skirt. I could, potentially, remove this portion and refit it as an Italian gown while not changing much else about the fit of the gown. My love suggested a round gown (which I have also considered). I went searching on the Met (as one does) for specifically cotton gowns and found a few, though they are all almost exactly what I have already XD
Linkies:
American ca. 1775. Possibly a round gown? I don't see any obvious evidence of a skirt over a petticoat.
British 1780-85. Says English but looks Italian to me; hooked front closure.
American, 1785-95. Another Italian gown attributed as English (look at that sharp point at cb!). CF has been widened at the bust, probably to better allow the "prow front" from that later fashion. Also appears to have a slight drawstring in the neckline and stitching along the front edge but NOT close to it makes me think there is a under-bodice closure there (like on Scroop's Angelica gown).
Based on these three. I'm thinking Italian is the way to go. FORTUITOUSLY, I wanted to make an Aidah gown soon anyway (or more likely, a mashup of Aidah and Angelica).
THE LIST
Make a rump (Frances has also been on my to-do list for awhile).
Unpick petticoat from waistbands and the adjusted hem. Reset onto tapes over the rump. Reset the pocket slit wot's stitches broke.
Basically take the gown down its base shapes again. Alas.
Another option is to just remove enough stitching to separate the skirt from the bodice. This will depend if I can find the third panel in a timely fashion, but the bodice could absolutely be reused as it is for another purpose. I would consider adding a lil butt fluffle and redoing the trim to make a cute lil jacket. We shall see.
MORE LINKIES!!
I rediscovered the existence of the V&A!
Italian Gown.
Gown with a ruffled petticoat, no back view. I want a looooong wrapping fichu like this.
English gown with robings. I'm not going to go with this option for this project but UGH ITS SO CUTE! CUTE CUTE CUTE.
The gold dot Italian gown!. Perfect, stunning, gorgeous, no notes. Ok, one note: I love the flappy flaps that were clearly added on AFTER the waistline was cut.
And in the category of "clearly modified for fashion trends", all of these gowns have had their skirts cut at waist level, and remounted to the bodice.
Gown, 1785-1790. Appears to have a solid, unpleated back, and is pieced along center front.
Gown, 1780-85. Hard to tell the back, description says it was pleated, front is laid to have a double-pointed hem not unlike a vest, but not sure if it would have been worn that way (there would be significant overlap). Small amount of piecing at center front.
Gown, 1780s. CLEARLY was made as an English gown as the pleated back is still in place, but the back ends in a delicate lil point and there is a definite waist seam. Piecing again at center front and a neckline drawstring.
mandie_rw's dress in a day and koshka_the_cat and other prolific hand-makers) and then did not work on it at all consistently so I have no idea how long it took! I only wore it once, in 2017, and I spent a couple hours lifting the front hem very sloppily the day before I wore it. It's been on the "to-do" list ever since. (CoCo '17 was its own anxiety-bearing event, separate from but connected to CoCo '18, so the gown held some of those memories and I didn't want to poke the bear, so to speak.)I talked about it more on my blog rather than here, but it was made from a pattern from They Of Whom We Do Not Speak with a custom-drafted sleeve from... Costume Close-up, I think, because the included one was RIDICULOUS. I recall taking a whole slew of images of how I attempted to proportionally draft it and posted that on said blog (but if they were on photobucket, they are gone forever. Maybe). I gave it some box pleated self-trim and it was styled after my VERY FAVOURITEST GOWN EVER, the striped silk one from Snowshill Manor in PoF 1. Which, with plenty more experience than I had at the time, was not the best gown to model this one after lol. Oh well! It fulfilled a dream and some day I shall have that gorgeous creature in my closet.
So, gown was made from 2 out of 3 Waverly Felicite curtains in the cream colourway (I wanted black like Amanda's gown but at the time I could only ever get one panel of that colour, which is now my Amalia jacket). It was entirely handsewn onto a light linen lining. I tried the gown on yesterday which, surprisingly, still fit??? Kind of! The sleeves I expected to be completely unwearable but they were fine (though I think a shift sleeve under them would make them really snug). The bodice obviously did not close, not even close. It was tight even in 2017, and now it's been almost 10 years since I first patterned it. My boobs got bigger in that time (shrug). Looking at the photo I shared on my Instagram story (which has been reposted several times, since literally, that was the only time i wore it), the fit is definitely off, particularly in the back length. (I also had a cobbled-together rump which was made with "ehhhh that looks OK i guess" and the gown was never fitted over it.)
I measured it last night and examined what I had done to make it, and honestly, I'm impressed. Baby historical sewist me was so lost and confused but determined to make a go of it, and the dress is actually well made. Some things I would do differently now, and my stitching has definitely improved in the intervening 9-10 years. I plan to take many pictures before any modifications.
Gown
Bust - 38"
Waist - 33"
Center front length - 13"
Center back length - 14"
Sleeve length at underarm - 13 1/4"
Bicep - 14 1/2"
Skirt length at open front edge - 40 1/8" (with a deeper hem)
Skirt length at center back (approx) - 43"
Hem width - approx 120"
Skirt has loopies with cotton ties.
Petticoat
Waist (no overlap) - 32"
Hem width - 100"
Front length - 38 1/4" (with a deeper hem)
Side length - 40"
Back length - 40"
Lengths taken from lower waistband edge, and tied with polyester tapes.
I'm not 100% sure what I want to do, especially now that I've looked at it more closely. It was made as an English gown with the pleated back down into the skirt. I could, potentially, remove this portion and refit it as an Italian gown while not changing much else about the fit of the gown. My love suggested a round gown (which I have also considered). I went searching on the Met (as one does) for specifically cotton gowns and found a few, though they are all almost exactly what I have already XD
Linkies:
American ca. 1775. Possibly a round gown? I don't see any obvious evidence of a skirt over a petticoat.
British 1780-85. Says English but looks Italian to me; hooked front closure.
American, 1785-95. Another Italian gown attributed as English (look at that sharp point at cb!). CF has been widened at the bust, probably to better allow the "prow front" from that later fashion. Also appears to have a slight drawstring in the neckline and stitching along the front edge but NOT close to it makes me think there is a under-bodice closure there (like on Scroop's Angelica gown).
Based on these three. I'm thinking Italian is the way to go. FORTUITOUSLY, I wanted to make an Aidah gown soon anyway (or more likely, a mashup of Aidah and Angelica).
THE LIST
Make a rump (Frances has also been on my to-do list for awhile).
Unpick petticoat from waistbands and the adjusted hem. Reset onto tapes over the rump. Reset the pocket slit wot's stitches broke.
Basically take the gown down its base shapes again. Alas.
Another option is to just remove enough stitching to separate the skirt from the bodice. This will depend if I can find the third panel in a timely fashion, but the bodice could absolutely be reused as it is for another purpose. I would consider adding a lil butt fluffle and redoing the trim to make a cute lil jacket. We shall see.
MORE LINKIES!!
I rediscovered the existence of the V&A!
Italian Gown.
Gown with a ruffled petticoat, no back view. I want a looooong wrapping fichu like this.
English gown with robings. I'm not going to go with this option for this project but UGH ITS SO CUTE! CUTE CUTE CUTE.
The gold dot Italian gown!. Perfect, stunning, gorgeous, no notes. Ok, one note: I love the flappy flaps that were clearly added on AFTER the waistline was cut.
And in the category of "clearly modified for fashion trends", all of these gowns have had their skirts cut at waist level, and remounted to the bodice.
Gown, 1785-1790. Appears to have a solid, unpleated back, and is pieced along center front.
Gown, 1780-85. Hard to tell the back, description says it was pleated, front is laid to have a double-pointed hem not unlike a vest, but not sure if it would have been worn that way (there would be significant overlap). Small amount of piecing at center front.
Gown, 1780s. CLEARLY was made as an English gown as the pleated back is still in place, but the back ends in a delicate lil point and there is a definite waist seam. Piecing again at center front and a neckline drawstring.
