After sewing a Regency chemise and short stays — see proof of determination in the photo below — I moved on to greater things: sewing a Regency gown.

The end product: my own Regency chemise and short stays (© D.H. Morris 2015)

My Regency chemise and short stays (© D.H. Morris 2015)

With each type of clothing I had the pleasure (!?!) of learning something new: the chemise pattern required my sewing two gussets, one under each arm, while the short stays required sewing twelve gussets (of a different type than the two inserted on the chemise), getting three layers of fabric to line up and work together, and placing eight eyelets. I had never sewn a gusset. I had never placed eyelets. There were pitfalls at every turn … mainly because I was a novice seamstress: I had not sewn anything more complicated than a straight line for something like forty years.

The good thing about the chemise and stays is that, being undergarments, no one sees them.

The gown itself was a whole other kettle of fish. Here’s why.

General Instructions for Sewing the Regency Gown

The Regency gown pattern I used was designed by Jennie Chancey of Sense and Sensibility Clothing. Her pattern instructions included information about how she designed the pattern based on gowns she had studied in two museum collections and the issues you might consider in deciding whether to go with short or long sleeves. A table on the back of the instruction booklet gives the pattern sizes, yardage required, suggestions for fabric and trim, and the notions needed. The booklet is well-organized and includes sketches of how to lay out the pattern on the fabric and what she means when she writes “Run gathering stitches in bodice front.” All good so far.

Bodice, Bodice, Boil and Bubble

Jennie advised making a mock-up of the bodice out of inexpensive fabric to get the right fit. I figured that was a good idea and set about doing so.

In the process I may have set a record, for I sewed four half mock-ups and two full mock-ups. The problem for me began with Step 1. The instructions called for pinning the bodice back to the side back and easing the curve so that they fit together nicely without any puckers. My first full mock-up was a mess. On one side I managed to ease the seam without puckers. On the other side: puckers galore!

I tried everything to improve the outcome: placing fifty pins across five inches of “eased” fabric — placing fifty pins plus basting the gathered back piece by hand — hand basting the gathered fabric (held in place by fifty pins) and then machine basting using a generous stitch length. Nothing worked consistently. Out of the eight bodice back and side pieces I sewed, only two were perfect with no puckers. My temper was inclined to bubble and boil occasionally.

1st Conclusion: I am no seamstress, a fact on which Jennie and Jane (Austen) would readily agree.

After struggling with easing seams, I decided to convert the bodice back and side back into one piece, thus eliminating the curve easing. This decision required me to alter the pattern itself, something I had never tried in my life. After measuring and calculating and drawing a new pattern on paper, I made a modified full mock-up and, finally, success. I then followed the instructions to sew the bodice front and back together, attach the lining, grade and clips the curves, and understitch all around. Easy peasy.

2nd Conclusion: the KISS directive (Keep It Simple, Stupid) is a good one for me. Someday I hope to have the sewing skills to ease the seam on the bodice back the way Jennie designed it, but I’m not there yet.

Sewing the Long Sleeves

I chose long sleeves because I wanted to make a morning dress. Here, again, the instructions were very clear. I basted everything as I went along. This photo shows the gathering stitches along the top edge of the sleeve and also my basting stitches. I basted it to try to keep the little “puckers” in place when I sewed the sleeve to the bodice.

Regency gown sleeve showing gathering stitches (© 2015 D.H. Morris)

Regency gown sleeve turned inside-out, showing gathering stitches and basting stitches across the top edge (© 2015 D.H. Morris)

Sewing the Skirt Placket

After sewing the sleeves in place I inserted the placket, which is designed to make it easier to slip the gown on and off. I watched several YouTube videos to increase my confidence, of which the best, by far, was Jennie’s. (See “How to Make an In-Seam Placket” posted on Oct. 14, 2012.) By watching the video and studying Jennie’s drawings and instructions, I pulled this one off like a pro.

Pinning the bodice to the skirt (© 2015 D.H. Morris)

Pinning the bodice to the skirt (© 2015 D.H. Morris)

Sewing the Bodice to the Skirt

Next I sewed the bodice to the skirt. This wasn’t a particularly difficult step. The challenge was to keep the front bodice free and match the side seams.

I took this photo because I had a moment when I wondered if I could wrestle with all the fabric. There seemed to be a dozen layers and a furlong of material. I had trouble keeping the side seams matched properly. In fact, one side seam is off by about 1/8 inch, even though I pushed a pin right through the center of the bodice and skirt seams (the ditch, I believe it is called) while also placing pins on either side of the seams.

Hand stitching the bodice lining was a pleasure after concentrating on sewing the long skirt to the bodice. The photo below shows the clipped curves around the sleeves, the skirt attached to the bodice, and the pins set for hand-stitching the bodice lining. Whew, almost done. I may finish it yet!

Hand stitching the bodice (© 2015 D.H. Morris)

Getting ready to hand stitch the bodice lining (© 2015 D.H. Morris)