Regency Dress part 2

So I'm having an argument with my toile at the moment. It just doesn't fit or flatter with or without the appropriate foundation garments.

Front

Back

Inside Back

 I ended up for some reason with the bodice being bigger than the skirt. So Instead of pleating the skirt had to gather the top more. So plan A has failed.

Plan B is to try and make my own pattern (with help-if a certain person doesn't decide she's got more important things to do)

My plan C is to buy a modern maxi dress, put it with my chemise and have a shawl or spencer jacket.

Example of the kind of look

Of course the model there is 8 inches too tall (can you believe it only £5.99!?). I'd have to take the length up. But you get the idea.

I'm only going to get to do the saturday anyway.:(

Regency Dress

So I've been planning to go to the Jane Austen Festival in Bath for several years and each time something stops me. But this time I'm thinking properly seriously about it. And planning my outfit.

Day Dress

Evening Dress

My 'plan' is to have a plain petticoat with some embroidery round the base. Then have 2 open robes.....Short sleeve for evening, long sleeve for day. Also bonnet for the Day/Outside, turban or beret for inside. Got some nice feathers and ribbon I want to use. It won't have a train for practical and cost reasons.
Although I do like the 2nd open robe shown here.
Been looking on the V&A website. A lot of the open robes like this one have 3/4 length sleeves.
I like this as a colour for the 'evening' dress.

This is as far as I've got with what was supposed to be a toile...but I put so much effort into it I'm gonna tidy it up a bit, finish it and use it. Wear it as a petticoat maybe?

Bodice and Skirt

The bodice is sewn (no sleeves) and the skirt is tacked ready for sewing.  The fabric...well when I read the word lining when I first gt the pattern the only thing market lining that was cheap where I bought the fabric....well it was curtain lining. So its not exactly flimsy. lol!

Headwear
Well choices are:
Bonnet
Beret
Turban

I like the ones described here. Torn between the 'capote' and the rope turban.

1930's/40's style

I do like looking at the old newsreels some of the make do and mend ones are great for ideas.

This has an interesting 'waistcoat' element.

FASHION HINTS (aka PATCHWORK & HATS) (issue title - S.O.S.)

I do wonder where you ordinary woman would just have a hat block hanging around.

HATS (aka MAKE AND MEND HATS)

Although the 'clothes' they make from a shirt etc. Look nice. But they don't give instructions. :(

And now an appropriate poster so the novice seamstress....

Crazy patchwork

I wanted to use up some of my small scraps that I can't really use for anything else...so decided to do some 'crazy' patchwork. Using the rest of the skirt I cut up for the crinoline as backing. Sitting doing it while watching TV.

Might applique some music related shapes.
Edit:

 

Edit 2: Did a french knot...well several...

 

Latest photo:

 

Some lazy daisy

1950's dress - update 4 - the crinoline

Dress so far

So this morning I made my petticoat/crinoline to make the skirt stick out. I did originally intend to use the online pattern...but in a sort out I came across an old white linen tiered skirt with elastic waist and thought Ii might cannibalize the material to save me work.

You can see I even left the little loops on for hanging it on a coathanger.

 And Here it Is at work..not quite sticky outy enough but I'm working on that....

Needs another ruffle at the bottom of skirt

Hat disaster!

So...I just wasted a load of time trying to make another hat. Wanted to use the really stiff interfacing I bought aaaagggess ago to make a proper sticky out brim....well it was a bit of a disaster.  At least I only used 'scraps' too small to make into anything else.

My little old machine really didn't like it. Was playing me up something terrible.  The needle wouldn't stay thread and it was making a scary noise.

My sewing machine, balanced on ironing board as don't have sewing table.

And can't use the more heavy duty one as its decided to break (was making a burning smell and pedal got stuck on 'go').

Back to the hat. I made the 'wings' of the brim too big so ended up looking like a deerstalker. So cut them down but now it looks a mess.

The brim should have been like in the picture below

The one lady Edith (far left) is wearing

Instead it turned out like:

Top View

Inside View

Side View

1920's hat - part 2

So I re-drafted the pattern for the brim of the hat, keeping the existing crown.

Larger 'flip'

Tried to modify the back to 20's style.

Stitching close up

The hat is fine..just...well it doesn't 'sit' like I want. I want it to sit back on my head but it wants to be flat.

Soooo....I rejigged the pattern. First I elongated the 'triangles' that made up the crown to make them taller.

Then I re did the brim virtually from scratch using this as inspiration.

Of course this is just a 'toile' to see if the pattern worked before I used the proper material. I also haven't interfaced any of the fabric here as I would normally. Oh and that's another thing I am debating adding interface to the triangles too or maybe just lining the crown? But not sure how to do that and not have stitches show through. I'm also gonna put bias binding round the brim.
This is just for the flip up brim....
I have some heavy duty interfacing I plan to use for my 'downton abbey' style hat.