Read part 1 and part 2. Once I had made the bodice and skirt, I tried them both on together and discovered a problem. As soon as I started to move, the bodice popped out of the skirt. I puzzled over how to fix this …
Read part 1 and part 3. The blue underskirt is the basic skirt from Simplicity 1728, gathered all around instead of pleating the front. The aubergine overskirt is 6.5 yards of chiffon with three deep tucks in the bottom third. I calculated the tucks so …
For my 1855 ball gown I chose a royal blue cotton percale with an aubergine chiffon for the overlay, which turned out to have the most wonderful iridescent, colour-shifting effect. I used the same base pattern as my 1860s ball gown: Simplicity 1728. I shortened …
This Ragtime era dress was my re-entry into historical sewing in 2012, after not doing any at all while I was at university. It has proved to be a very versatile dress and I seem to alter it slightly every time I wear it! The …
For Halloween 2016 my department at work decided to do Game of Thrones, and I chose Margaery Tyrell. I love her dresses and was dying for an excuse to make one. My version is a combination of several of her blue/turquoise dresses: the v-neckline, halter, …