In all the hullaballoo over COVID-19 last year, I completely forgot to post about the one other costume that I did indeed make. My cousin invited me along to an outing by the seaside mid-year. Many of my old costumes don’t fit anymore so I was at a loss as to what I could wear. Inspiration hit me and I decided to make a new ensemble. I went with a Regency outfit as I figured it’s something that I will get the most wear out of (it’s the period I do the most with me re-enactment group).
I was determined to make everything completely out of stash fabric, so I went through my collection to see what I could find. I settled on a soft liberty cotton in a blue and green plaid print for the gown. It’s a beautiful fabric with a very soft finish and sheen – perfect for Regency. I hunted around on the net to find a design that I liked. I ended up choosing to reproduce a museum gown that is very adjustable in fit (great when you have weight-loss aspirations). I threw together a pattern, mocked it up and made my adjustments before cutting my beautiful fabric.
Now, a Regency ensemble isn’t complete without some accoutrements. I again headed to the stash to see what I had to hand. Some green cotton velveteen that I had purchased for another project and turned out to be the wrong colour provided the perfect match to set off my outfit. Yes to the cotton because despite it being winter in Australia, it’s not especially cold here and I like my gowns to breathe. I drafted up new spencer, reticule, and bonnet patterns to get the ball rolling. Somehow I managed to get everything made in time for the weekend outing.
We spent some time taking pics by the shore.
And some bonus shots and a link to the original gown I based my design on:
https://www.thejohnbrightcollection.co.uk/costume/dress-06/
