Regency Costume

Starting on a new jacket by recycling a coat

Having a new dress this year I also wanted a new outer garment. First of all I thought I would make a full length pelisse (nice and warm!) but with time ticking on I decided that was a bit ambitious for this year. Also, I was keen on using velvet which would have been expensive and it does need to withstand the elements!

As luck would have it, I have a green velvet coat that's at the end of its useful life, having become a little threadbare in parts, the button on the back was ripping off and the lining coming undone. So rather than throwing it out I thought I'd have a go at turning it into a little Spencer jacket.

Hmm! Easier said than done. I picked it apart, then, using pattern pieces for the Spencer jacket, cut out the shapes I thought I would need, although couldn't pay any attention to things like the lie of the pattern pieces in relation to the grain of the fabric! I tacked it together and played around with the fit and ended up with a little basic jacket shape which I'm hoping will work. It still needs a waistband, the collar needs sorting out and the fit is a little iffy, but I think it will be OK.

The sleeve lining is still in place (more or less) but I need to create a new lining for the bodice. I've cut off the existing collar and have in mind a fur collar (fake of course, there's only so far I will go with authenticity!) I picked up a fake fur gilet at a charity shop and set about cutting off the collar part. It needs dying brown, or I may even dye the whole jacket, although I like the green velvet, and the faded look of it works fine.

Here's the gilet before I cut it up, and here's how it will fit with the jacket (I've not yet attached anything or trimmed for length, this is just laid out to see the effect):

 

 

 

New Regency costume for 2011!

Having worn my outfit for two Bonfire nights (2008 and 2010), this year I decided to make a new one. I really like the Regency style though so I'm re-using the same dress pattern although going a bit 'off piste' with the outerwear.

In 2009 I became a 'rank marshall' which means you do a lot of running through the ranks keeping people in line, watching out for dangerous behaviour/drunks, taking torches off children if they're unhappy or asking members of the public not to pick up burning torches, etc... I was a bit worried about tripping up in my dress so I wore a more practical outfit of a basic smuggler (white trouser, hooped guernsey) with a little black 'military' style jacket and cap. But last year I was more confident, so I wore my Regency costume - everything went fine except it rained a fair bit and it was muddy at the field where we have the fireworks. So basically my dress and petticoat are pretty much trashed! It made me realise how durable those Regency garments had to be to withstand everyday use.

Anyway, the fabric I've chosen for this year's dress is a white cotton with a fine daisy print in green and yellow. Yes I know, another impractical colour! But reasonably authentic from a distance at least. I decided to use the 'round gown' pattern and go for a crossover bodice this time.

Here's how it's going so far:

The skirt opening with placket (I'm getting better at these!)

Here's one half of the bodice, pinning the casing for the neck drawstring which goes between the lining and the outer.

Once the drawstring is inserted...

Gathers on the lower edge (to fit to the waist band)

The 'finished' half-bodice, ready to assemble with its other half, and fit.

The Spencer Jacket

Here's how the jacket turned out - I'm really pleased with it actually, it feels lovely to wear and very snug fitting without being too tight.

I used a sage green corduroy, interlined with cotton sateen and lined with a sage green polyester 'mock silk' - whoops! I really caved on this - I was planning to use natural fabrics only but there was no silk available in the colour I wanted so I decided to go with the lovely shiny polyester. It was a nightmare to work with though, so serves me right. Looks great though.

I knew the jacket would be a challenge but all Nick's help (endless fittings and pinnings) was worth it! For the collar facing I used some heavy duty canvas left over from a harpsichord cover, and with 2 pieces of rigilene boning I got the 'standup' look I wanted. I had to re-do the waistband as it was originally too thick. Looking at the proportions in my reference book I knew it had to be daintier.

The sleeves were tricky - I cut my own pattern pieces because the actual pattern was simple straight sleeves. Unfortunately I managed to make one arm just a bit too tight - enough to notice - so I ended up having to buy more fabric to re-make the sleeve. I also messed up the piping on one arm, getting the join at the front rather than somewhere less noticeable! Nevertheless I loved some of the details like the button cuffs, the diamond shaped back and the peplum. It took a while to get the button placement correct so that the the bodice sat smoothly - once again I'm indebted to Saira Foden for her advice. Saira is a mine of fantastic knowledge about dressmaking, tailoring, historical costume and general tips and tricks. Her shop The-Stitchery has become like a second home to me and it's where I bought all the fabrics and notions I needed for this project.

Making the dress & petticoat

I made the bodiced petticoat using a cream sateen cotton, and used the same fabric to line the bodice of both the petticoat and the dress. I was looking for a white or very pale printed cotton for the dress itself, with some kind of delicate pattern. What I chose in the end wasn't exactly period correct if you look close up but from a distance it's great! It's a cream background with a tiny gold dot print. All pure cotton of course, no polycotton!

Sewing in the cotton fabric was easy, and good thing given the number of seams I had to unpick and re-do! I tend to naturally cut corners or ignore pattern instructions at will. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes not!

With the dress, I'm not entirely happy with how the neckline turned out, the fit isn't great, but maybe that's because I changed my mind from the crossover bodice to the round neck, after I'd cut it out, and was determined to patch it up rather than start again! Next time I would start again.

I enjoyed adding my own details: the ribbon ties on the sleeves, the overstitching on the neckline and the mother of pearl buttons. Thanks to Saira at The-Stitchery who put me right about buttons - bone or wood only, no plastic please!

Although I enjoyed following the pattern there were a few niggly things - like being told to 'cut 2' of certain pieces only to realise later it should have read 'cut 4'. Also, the illustrations didn't always apply to the style I was following, and sometimes whole stages were missed out, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps!

I was pleased with the the waistline gathers on both dress and petticoat - I made them flat at the front and put all the gathers at the back, giving a nice swishy feel and a smooth front (as opposed to the pregnant look). I'm no sylph and I need all the help I can get.