Challenge 5 Work dress

his is the bodice before attaching it to the skirt. The seams are all piped  and the bodice is lined I always put the sleeves in at this time than for no other reason than to beable to say "thats the bodice finished.

 

This is my Chalenge 5 - Work dress 

'The Mantua Maker 1825-1830 Day dress'

 I know I am late in starting it but better late than never. The  pattern I am using is from 'The Mantua Maker 1825-1830 Day dress'.

I have the tiole of the bodice finished and fitting all done.

 It will be made it in white cotton lining with gray cotton that has a tiny little flower with a bit of charcoal and yellow coloured pattern around it.

Well I have not got as much done as I would have liked  I hope that I will get the main fabric cut tomorrow  I think I may be struggling to get it all out of the material the patterns says 7 and a half and I think I only have 6 mts I may have to put a contrasting colour on the bottom. 

I stopped doing this gown as I felt I had to try and catch up and then perhaps get back to it.

Today 4th April I finally got back to the dress  I have now got the back and front done I will be putting in the sleeves tomorrow (I hope) and strt to get the skirt attached. No luck I read the instructions and I have to have the bodice done then put the belt on then on goes the skirt.  The piping and the sleeves are all done and it is all beginning to look good.

I have sewn the skirt and  I was right I did not have enough material but as I was doing a working class dress so I thought that folks would not have all that much money so they would have had three drops instead of four.  I cut the sleeves out which were masive and found that I would have to patch a peice of the material into the third length.  I know this is period correct as I have seen originals that have had pieces put in when material was short and they were middle class so how much more would the working people have done.  I did not think it was going to be so hard to get the dress out of the material I had but It is made and thank goodnes.  I have never had to make bias for the piping out of such small pieces some pieces were as small as 4 inches long but it is all finished and all I have left is a piece approximately 2x3inches.

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I have opened the front so it can be seen how I lined but mostly to show the construction of it.

 The finished item puffs in sleeves you will just have to imagine what it would look like once my arm is in as well  they will be a bit larger.

 close up of the bodice and waist band which is a little lowere that gowns were in 1810's

 Side view

 Full view

The Challenge: 5

Fabric: Cotton

Pattern: Mantua maker 1825 dress

Year: 1825

Notions: piping cord, brass pins

How historically accurate is it? Machine sewn so I would say it is 90%

Hours to complete: This is a bit hard to say as I stoped and re started the dress a guess would be 40 hours

First worn: only when being fitted

Total co; Material bought on special about one year ago for $5 a Mtr I had six mtrs so $30.

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