A Previous Project, a Regency Dress, and a Petticoat

I know I haven't been posting about sewing lately... that's because I've been busy actually sewing something! Over the weekend, I made a regency dress, inspired by "Emma" (I had just recently finished the last episode, and was feeling very Jane Austen-ish). So, I ran upstairs (after cleaning up the dishes from breakfast) and looked through my fabric supply.

(sorry this is crooked. I fixed it in Picasa, but I'm not sure it worked....)

Something's wrong with the back drawstring in this pic... I promise I'll install snaps in the back soon.

The dress can also be worn with this red sash made of red taffeta.(The skirt looks huge in this pic! If I remember correctly, that's because the wind was blowing pretty hard.)

I used Simplicity 4055, a pattern I already had on hand; view B bodice, a skirt I made up, and view A sleeves.

I need to re-do the sleeves.... but not right now! Maybe sometime this summer when I don't have a lot to do.

Over all, I am quite happy with how it turned out. It was a relatively quick project, and I only had to seam rip once (WOW!) The dress is very comfortable, too.

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My aunt taught me about patterns during a project we made with this pattern a few years ago. My sister is modeling it for me as I can no longer fit into it. (It's rather big on her still.... I sewed it when I was 11 or 12, and she's almost 10)

 

 That shade of blue becomes her, doesn't it? Brings out her eyes :)

We used bodice A.....

 

and used a combination of A's sleeves, and the bottom part of B's sleeves. It was Auntie's idea :)

It fastens with hooks and eyes in the back (it was supposed to be buttons and buttonholes, but those are pretty hard to do, and time consuming.)

Thank you, auntie! (and Amelia for modeling it)

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I have also been sewing a petticoat. I was going to buy a whole bunch of cotton for petticoats and shifts and stuff..... but then I decided I wanted to make that inexpensive fantasy outfit instead.(I'm posting about it soon....)
I still need some petticoats.... so I pulled out this striped fabric that my grandma bought for me at a garage sale a few years ago.

Originally, I was going to make a nightgown.... but since I need a petticoat, I decided to make one instead (after all, I don't really need another nightgown :)
I did the waistband differently than I normally do.  I gathered the skirt with a long machine stitch, and sewed the skirt and the waistband together. Then I rolled the other edge of the waistband back a half inch, ironed it, and slip stitched it over the waistband and skirt seam.

It doesn't have as much bulk as the way I used to do things.... though certainly not as easy. I'll probably do a tutorial thingy on it, complete with pics, so that you understand what I'm saying.
I hand sewed two buttons on, and two button holes to fasten it.

 

 

It was quite a fun process..... I intend to make more like this.
Celine