This gown has been about 4 years in the making, and I am so glad it’s finally done!
I started it so long ago that I’m not sure where exactly all the construction pictures I took of it went. It is fairly straightforward sacque construction, with a fitted back lining which the gown back drapes over, and a stomacher front, making it suitable for the 1760’s-1770’s or so. I borrowed Katherine from the Fashionable Past’s idea to hide lacing under the robings to secure the gown a bit better than pinning it. I had planned to wear the gown for an early December event last year, but I realized last minute that there was no way it would work. I had gained about 40-50 pounds since I made the pattern for this dress four years ago and several others that no longer fit as well. In this “before” picture, you can see the problems I had. (Also I apologize for the *horrible* bathroom selfie format of these pictures! I try to get better pictures of the finished product but in-process is harder to do.)
![wp-1449953587531 image](https://beccatimetravelgirl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp-1449953587531.jpeg?w=334&h=594)
So the first fix I did was to make new stays, which helped the situation immensely. I am going to post about these soon, but am currently wearing them unfinished because I wanted to move on to making some gowns.
![wp-1449953607020 image](https://beccatimetravelgirl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp-1449953607020.jpeg?w=349&h=621)
![wp-1449953626353 image](https://beccatimetravelgirl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp-1449953626353.jpeg?w=352&h=626)
(…I did warn you! Maybe I will remember to clean the counter off next time!)
Then I began making the sacque more wearable. I added robings on either side of the bodice, covering up the lacing holes and making the stomacher opening narrower, as it had been much too wide before adding them. Then I started adding trim. I did 4-inch wide self-fabric strips on the stomacher arranged in a bow shape, and on either side of the skirt opening I did 6-inch wide poufs. I thought about padding out the trim, but they held up all right without padding for now. I sewed all the poufs on from the outside using a spaced backstitch, which felt like it took forever, but it took only about 6-8 hours, sped up by Netflix watching and audiobooks.
![wp-1449953708783 image](https://beccatimetravelgirl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp-1449953708783.jpeg?w=377&h=670)
![wp-1449953717992 image](https://beccatimetravelgirl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp-1449953717992.jpeg?w=379&h=674)
Here is the finished gown!
![wp-1449953737748 image](https://beccatimetravelgirl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp-1449953737748.jpeg?w=372&h=661)
I wish I always had huge historical fireplaces as the backdrop for my photos 🙂
![wp-1449953746861 image](https://beccatimetravelgirl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp-1449953746861.jpeg?w=378&h=672)
I was worried when I first started this gown that the back pleats had too little fabric and weren’t full enough, but it worked out! I should wear more skirt supports for sure, maybe I can make some small panniers before the next wearing.
![wp-1449953755406 image](https://beccatimetravelgirl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp-1449953755406.jpeg?w=384&h=683)
These are the hard to see poufs on the skirt fronts. I may outline them with a darker red trim someday so they stand out more.
![wp-1449953763445 image](https://beccatimetravelgirl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp-1449953763445.jpeg?w=405&h=720)
I’m really proud of my stomacher trim! This was the first time I have ever worn a stomacher fronted gown, and it worked out perfectly! I forgot my lacing string for the hidden lacing, so I ended up pinning the robings to the stomacher (which I didn’t intend on doing) and it held up very well, with no wardrobe malfunctions at all!
Some final thoughts: The gown turned out beautifully and wore very well. With that said, I would highly recommend not using upholstery weight cotton to make a sacque or any nicer gown with, as the material is very hard to see with if multiple layers are involved. Additionally, heavy cotton is not the most accurate choice for a fine gown, which current me knows a lot better than younger me who spent 14 dollars a yard on this fabric in 2011. *sigh* Live and learn, I guess. But that’s not going to stop me from wearing this gown to all fancier occasions where I may need some of the pluses of cotton like washability, breathability, etc. I’m just glad I was able to finally get this gown done and wear it!
I’ll leave you with some more pictures of the event where I wore the gown and my hairstyle.
![wp-1449954431819 image](https://beccatimetravelgirl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp-1449954431819.jpeg?w=412&h=733)
My husband and mother-in-law. She wore a gown I made in about 2012 or so, a silk petticoat I remodeled from a skirt from Goodwill, and a Larkin and Smith cap with ribbon to match.
![wp-1449954440420 image](https://beccatimetravelgirl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp-1449954440420.jpeg?w=433&h=770)
I wore my hair in a high pouf with the aid of some rats I made from my own hair (rats being pads made from hair, kind of like a historical bump-it). I am going to buy some pomade and powder and experiment with real 18th century hair styling soon, so stay tuned for that!
![wp-1449954445706 image](https://beccatimetravelgirl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp-1449954445706.jpeg?w=456&h=810)
For some reason, one strand kept wanting to fall over, so I had to keep running to the bathroom and fixing it.
![wp-1449954451544 image](https://beccatimetravelgirl.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wp-1449954451544.jpeg?w=478&h=849)
I wore another Larkin & Smith cap, and I love how it turned my simple pouf into an elegant hairstyle! I will also do a review of these caps soon!
Thanks for reading!
Rebecca