1840’s Pleated Dress Cont…

So I have been slowly but surely working on the corally-pink pleated gown.  After I basted the pleats onto the shoulder, I hand stitched them at certain points to make sure they stayed in place, as well as stitched the ends of the pleats so they would lay flat.


DSC01160DSC01161DSC01162

This part was very time consuming and I stuck myself four times with the result of my fingers becoming clumsy from all of the bandaids…the life of a sewer!

Than I made three oval pieces to put over the edges of the front pleats and to go over the shoulder seams.  The front piece I edged in piping.

DSC01164

I did a simple running stitch along the outer edges of the three pieces.

DSC01165DSC01166

The next step is to attach the sleeves.  Stay-tuned!!


An 1840’s Pleated Gown

Okay…so I had every intention of beginning to recreate the 1850’s Day Gown I made earlier in the year.  See post HERE.  So I took my little self down to the fabric store I use and bought beautiful terra cotta color fabric.  I just fell in love with it and quickly scooped up 9 yards again, with every intention of starting it.  However, the fabric just didn’t seem to want to be an 1850’s gown.  People think I’m crazy, but usually when I shop for fabric, I never go in with what I want to make, I just find fabric I like and it tells me what it wants to be.   And for the most part, it turns out!  I find when I stray from that method, I end up making a hot mess.

Anyway…so this fabric just did not want to be an 1850’s or even 1860’s gown…it wanted to be an 1840’s gown.  I apologize to a faithful reader who has been patiently waiting for me to recreate the 1850’s gown…I promise it will happen!!! 🙂

I took a few pictures of what I have accomplished so far:

The bodice has a deeper point in the front than an 1850’s gown –

DSC01153

 

Read More