Period patterns

[vicky whitworth]

There is a rumour that our local is having a masked ball theme for New Year's Eve this year. I have just tried on my wedding dress from 25 years ago - I was hoping it would have transformed from the Little Bo Peep look to something more 18th century lady zombi - forgot to say it is a Pirates of the Caribbean masked ball theme - but all I discovered was that Little Bo Peep is now not so little and the dress won't go round me. In the same box though found some Victorian widow's weeds and random bits of torn lace so feel I can cobble together a chemise and petticoat but want to make a sort of over-dress in velvet. Full length, laced across the front, no sleeves. Does anyone have any idea how much fabric I might need? or bright ideas where I might find a pattern for this sort of thing?
Husband's acoustic group will be playing. He is adamant he's still going to wear jeans and a check shirt. Somehow I have to transform him into a dandy highwayman.
Thanks, Vicky

 

[Penners]

I have just tried on my wedding dress from 25 years ago - but all I discovered was that Little Bo Peep is now not so little and the dress won't go round me.

I have the same trouble with my elderly dinner suit. Clearly the fabric has shrunk.

 

[JoceAndChris]

It's around 4 or 5 metres for a full dress.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/360731448307

This is more of a medieval costume, there are quite a lot of 18th C patterns on there. Have you done dress making? It's not particularly easy in my opinion, and by the time you've bought the pattern and the velvet, rather costly.

I'd trawl the charity shops to see if you find a full length dress that might be modified.

 

[Moo]

If you look in the back of the major dressmaking pattern catalogues* you may well find a whole section devoted to fancy dress. If you find something you like, you'll also learn whether or not it would be economical to diy.
Don't just base your coatings on new fabric, by the way. Old curtains and/or bedspreads can be quite a good source of material.


*. Butterick, McCalls, Vogue......

 

[Penners]

Don't just base your coatings on new fabric

Good advice. You need to cut your coatings according to your clothings.

 

[Moo]

Trust you, Mr P, to spot the typo. But I blame the spell-checker.....

 

[Penners]

Eye have a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye can knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

My, my! Mr P you are razor sharp after your recent silence!!

 

[Penners]

I trust you treasured the silence while it lasted, Joss.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Weeelll, since you mention it-------!!