Going to the Fair!

Upon entering Dickens Fair, I was overcome with emotion!

We were the best-looking group of friends there!

32 Sewing Mistakes

Here's a list of my Dickens Faire 2010 sewing mistakes. 

The list is not comprehensive, but you get the idea:

1. Who knew historical bloomers don’t close at the butt? Yeah, I’m hanging wide open here.
2. Sewed bloomer ruffle inside out. Will have to live with this one… sewed on smallest stitching so it’s impossible to take out.  Oops.
3. Pins disappear into carpet. Ouch.
4. So… that cute 3D fabric with popup flowers I bought for my Chemise… well, it’s a PAIN and-a-half to get the thick flowers to fold inside a French seam. Flower fragments line my floor.
5. Oh, THAT’s why we make the armband twice as wide… it’s supposed to cover over the ruffled sleeve seams. Too bad I sewed it shut. Oops.
6. Are the sleeves of my Chemise supposed to stay ON my shoulders?  Hmm…
7. The instructions warning that the blue tailor’s chalk won’t come out if you iron it are right. Chemise has blue polka dots on it.
8. By the way… Walmart white chalk does not mark on dark fabrics worth ANYTHING.
9. Yay! Second bodice toile is long enough! Let’s try to make a straight sleeve.
10. Let’s try again.
11. One more for good measure. Alright, whatever... it will do.

1840s Dickens Fair Gown

1. So there were lots of things about this gown pattern that I didn't like and ended up altering.This was the fringe gown from HELL. From everything I read, this modern fringe we have in stores today was not even accurate for the time period. Plus, I hate it. The problem is, the gown was designed for fringe and the sleeves are impossible to keep as Pagoda sleeves without it, because the are actually split in two where the fringe meets. So, no fringe.
2. I hated the pagoda sleeves and had to draft my own straight sleeve pattern instead. This was trickier than I anticipated!
3. I ended up having to extend the bodice darts all the way up because I have no bust. I altered my sleeve design so the curve of the sleeve would be seamlessly integrated with the bodice dart line.
4. No collar for me. It looks clownish in person.
5. Had to lengthen the bodice waist two inches because I must have a freakishly long torso. Huh. This didn't come up in the Regency pattern.  ;-)

1840s Dickens Fair Chemise and Drawers

In September 2010, I decided to make a dress for Dickens Fair (due to some gentle encouragement from a friend).  Keep in mind this would be the second thing I had ever sewn (and this design seemed slightly more complicated than a regency gown).   

So, I bought Simplicity 3727's Civil War Pattern:

and made the chemise and bloomers from Simplicity 9769: