A 1700’s Girl’s Dress

By Elizabeth M.

 Dear Venturers,

It seems that a new and exciting event is coming up! This Christmas there is going to be a parade, and a group (not a costuming group) I am apart of is going to have a float! The attire will be 1770’s as the theme for the float will be famous figures of the American Revolution. As you can imagine I have taken it upon myself to make sure that everyone is as appropriately dressed as I can manage since I’m the only one who does historical sewing (you don’t want to see the monstrosities that were ordered off Amazon…).


Amidst all this my, erm “loyal sewing machine”  has decided to break. Currently it’s off getting pampered at the sewing machine spa for the next month. Thankfully my grandmother loaned me hers! ❤️


So here I am acting like a typical blogger giving my whole life’s story before actually getting to the dress…  ;/


This project was greatly influenced by this beauty here:

http://www.sew18thcentury.com/2015/11/a-little-gown-for-little-girl.html?spref=pi&m=1


 I gave up on trying to give dimensions so that who ever is reading this can copy, so this is just how the dress is constructed.


I used a light pink flannel (I’m pretty sure that’s what it is…) for the entire dress. It is very thin and drapes nicely. I am also going to line the bodice with the same flannel so that who ever will be wearing this will stay nice and warm.

 


These are the pieces. I ended up not adding the additional lace above the hem. The bodice only has two panels and they look identical. I did make the mistake of adding the same square neckline to the front AND to the back, and putting the little tale thing on the back as well (I later cute this off). 



The lace on the sleeves will be sewn a bit under the sleeve for a layered sort of look (not to look like an undergarment, but just to add an extra ruffle type thing). 





Because this is only a one-time costume and I’m making all this from my own fabric stash, I just added this small piece of (I call it linen but I’m not sure exactly what it is…) scrap fabric left from making my own shift to the neckline to make it look like the proper undergarments are worn. Sorry, there’s a lot going on in that picture! 




The inside. It is not lined yet. 




The skirt part is sewn just under the bodice (including the tale-like thing) so that the bodice hangs over the skirt by just a little bit! 




The skirt will have a tie at the top to close it, and the bodice will lace up over it. This all in the back.



This is only pinned together. I will post new pictures on here when I finish! 



Working on this gown has been super fun because it’s very different from what I usually do. I’ve never actually sewn a gown that is all one piece before, much less for a small girl, or in such a lovely color! I plan to line one of my summer jackets in the scraps from this project so that I don’t freeze to death! In addition to finishing this dress, I’m also making a jacket for my mother, a few caps, a new cardinal cloak for myself, A George Washington coat (it’s just too embarrassing for me to have members of my family walking around in that polyester terribleness) and I’m not sure about a few other men’s outfits. 


Which looks better?

Note: I used a size small girl’s T-shirt to draft a pattern for the bodice. The long sleeves are 15 inches in length. This made it super easy for me to avoid lengthy pattern drafting and measurements especially since the last time I was around someone this size was… I suppose a long time ago. ;)

“I am no bird, and no net ensnares me.”

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