Elizabeth Rose Couture : Pretty Dresses

Thursday, 18 September 2014

Pretty Dresses

I am quite proud of myself to have competed two dresses in less than a weeks time! I had finally gotten around to making that Victorian (1830's) day dress that I had created and fitted the toile for, but with other projects going, had put it aside...

This was the sketch. I decided to leave off the long puffs, just do the upper ones also add a waist band. After researching n looking at pictures of gowns at the time, the band added to it quite nicely!

I also was considering hand sewing the entire garment since I've wanted to start actually sewing historically authentic clothing since I've got couture down pat and want to experiment with how clothes used to be made and which techniques where used/fashionable which eras etc... but it ended up being the majority of it sewn with a 21st Century machine!

It didn't take me too long to whip up since I wasn't bothered about all the layers of stiffener/lining/boning etc for just a simple day frock, it was finished with in like two days so...

I WANTED TO MAKE ANOTHER

looked through my tub of sheets I'd collected from Salvo's, jumped onto Pinterest for design ideas (I was going to be using the same pattern but wanted new ideas for sleeves or something...) and the first image I saw was this!

With that high of a waist this looks more line 1850's. Dress 1835, American, Made of cotton

I was like that is exactly the dress I'd like to make!

The image above is the inspiration for this next gown...

I couldn't figure out how the sleeves where done and really wasn't prepared to be frustrated in figuring out sleeve patterns, though they were so cool and I wanted them for this dress however I just used the same pattern as the first, only made them fuller,

so they have quite a POOF!

(was super chuffed when I saw on the sheet's tag that it was 100% cotton too!)