Since I joined The Greater Bay Area Costume Guild (which I wish I had done years ago) I have opened myself up to new time periods. It is a bit scary, but interesting, to go into these new areas but here I go!
I ordered a couple of new patterns from Sense and Sensibilities because I am putting my toe into the Regency era. The first endeavor is Regency underwear. No French Drawers here! (I still haven't gotten brave enough to wear the ones I made last year with the "Challenges". A little too airy for me.)
This pattern makes a chemise that gathers at the neck. A chemise is the first thing on, next to the skin, so I used a 100% cotton and made it in blue.
It also makes "Short Stays, which is totally new to me. It is like a corset-like bra, giving the uplift for the cleavage you see in all those Jane Austin movies. And the patten includes a Chemisette, which covers the short stays. The chemisette has a gathered neck that can be adjusted to the amount that can be seen above the actual dress.
The Regency period did not have the advantage of sewing machines and everything was sewn by hand. I am cheating on my first endeavors.....I'm machine sewing the main seams and finishing the seam edges by hand. Since I don't know much about the construction of these clothes I want to move along just to figure it all out. I don't mind removing sewing machine stitches, but hand stitching is painful to remove because I remember the effort to putting the stitches in!
The other pattern I bought was for a Regency Dress. But I cannot even think about it now so I will stay with the "underthings" and not just go straight to the dress. So, I started with the chemise. I always copy the original patterns with tracing paper or freezer paper so I keep the originals in my library. It also gives me an opportunity to "learn" the pattern as I am tracing it. Then the cutting out and putting it together.
The Chemise pattern has a gusset under the arm which took me a while to figure out just what I was supposed to. When I skipped a few steps ahead in the instructions I could see what I was supposed to be achieving and then it was easy.
Then all the seams needed to be flat-felled.
So far, so good. I have yet to finish the neckline.
It also makes "Short Stays, which is totally new to me. It is like a corset-like bra, giving the uplift for the cleavage you see in all those Jane Austin movies. And the patten includes a Chemisette, which covers the short stays. The chemisette has a gathered neck that can be adjusted to the amount that can be seen above the actual dress.
The Regency period did not have the advantage of sewing machines and everything was sewn by hand. I am cheating on my first endeavors.....I'm machine sewing the main seams and finishing the seam edges by hand. Since I don't know much about the construction of these clothes I want to move along just to figure it all out. I don't mind removing sewing machine stitches, but hand stitching is painful to remove because I remember the effort to putting the stitches in!
The other pattern I bought was for a Regency Dress. But I cannot even think about it now so I will stay with the "underthings" and not just go straight to the dress. So, I started with the chemise. I always copy the original patterns with tracing paper or freezer paper so I keep the originals in my library. It also gives me an opportunity to "learn" the pattern as I am tracing it. Then the cutting out and putting it together.
The Chemise pattern has a gusset under the arm which took me a while to figure out just what I was supposed to. When I skipped a few steps ahead in the instructions I could see what I was supposed to be achieving and then it was easy.
Then all the seams needed to be flat-felled.
So far, so good. I have yet to finish the neckline.
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