Little Gowns for Little Women

Have you ever seen anything so sweet as these delicate muslin girls' gowns we discovered in the Bath Costume Museum? Perfectly comfortable on sultry summer days!

Opening Shop: Rebecca Newton, Dressmaker

If you've been hankering for a custom-made dress, now is your chance! I will be accepting custom projects from May to July 2008 while I am home from school for the summer. Although I primarily work with Baker Lane and Sense and Sensibility Patterns, I am happy to negotiate other projects as well. Drop me a line to discuss what you have in mind at regencyreb@gmail.com.

It was a ball!

Back to the Ball

As the idea of building four original costumes for the Centennial Ball grew increasingly overwhelming, I grew less inclined to tackle the project. My friends and I are still planning to attend the event February 24th, however, we will be wearing gowns from my existing costume trunk. The four of us are going as the daughters of a missions-minded minister in 1907. Rachael and Laura are donning Edwardian afternoon gowns of ivory linen; Andrea is to appear in an embroidered Empire gown that we shall pretend is our great-grandmother's wedding gown from 1807. I am the eldest of the group and something of an old maid. My costume consists of a brown walking skirt, which I shall pair with a frothy ivory blouse and an "antique" brooch. To unify our costumes, we will all wear blue sashes in shades suited to our complexions. Our excitement is mounting; I am certainly relieved my sewing responsibilities will be limited to making sashes and taking a tuck here and there.

My friends, Rachael, Laura, and Andrea, and I have decided to portray four sisters from 1907 for the Ball. I'm the eldest, and a bit prim; Rachael is the free spirited Bohemian; Laura is a tomboy; Andrea is a persistent little flirt. Of course, our costumes must reflect our personalities! I've been commissioned to work on the girls' gowns over Christmas break, and I'm wondering "What have I got myself into?!" I don't even own a sewing machine.

For my costume, I'd like to do a waist along the lines of this pattern from Past Patterns. It's ten years out of style for 1907, but I'm an old maid, so it will work.

Butterick has pattern along similar lines. See Butterick 3417. Depending on how good a deal I can get on fabric, I may even make a skirt to match from Butterick 3418. Otherwise, I shall have to wear my Folkwear Walking Skirt.

For the other girls' costumes, I think I will use the same skirt pattern with variations. Rachael's waist should have a V neckline with an high-collared inset; Laura wants a square neckline, and Andrea wants something off the shoulder. I'm hoping to find some vintage evening gowns to tweak. I haven't found existing patterns for the girls' and I don't have time to draft draft patterns for each girl's dress.

My Quandry

College of the Ozarks is celebrating 100 years of Hard Work. In February, there will be a gala Heritage Costume Ball. Donning Edwardian costume for an evening of fine dining, music, and historic dance sounds delightful! I'm having some trouble locating examples of evening attire from the period, either pictures of extant garments or fashion plates. As I glean inspiration on the web, I will post it here, a blog just for fashion and costuming!