Victorian Sewing - June 1879 Dress

I have actually been able to do some sewing since we have been in NM. Not as much as I would like but with such limited space it’s a challenge.

This first dress has been on the drawing board for a couple years now. Then on the Carolina Belles site they started a “Dress of the Month” sew along for 1879. I have been eagerly awaiting the post of each new dress. Then one day as I was flipping though my Fashions of the Gilded Age, Vol 1 I realized that this dress is from Harper’s Bazar June 1879! Auhhhhhh! I already had the fabric so I decided to jump in!

Here is the inspiration fashion plate:


This is how far I have gotten so far…..

Front:


Back:


I drafted the overskirt (yellow print) from Fashions of the Gilded Age & used Truly Victorian Tie Back Underskirt (solid yellow & pink). I am going to add 2 more pleated ruffles to the underskirt but I wanted to see where the hem of the overskirt would hit before adding these ruffles.

For the bodice I am going to use the Truly Victorian French Vested Bodice as a base. I will alter the back to make it more appropriate for the Natural Form Era. Then I need to figure out how to modify the front to get the crossed effect above the printed “vest” part in the fashion plate. Hmmmmmm. I haven’t fully worked that part out in my head yet but I hope once I start on the pattern that things will fall into place.