Victorian dresses

Some weeks ago I showed you where I had cut out a bodice for Victorian dresses and then it went into a bag and stayed there.  This weekend I decided to get the dress made and finished so that I can devote next weekend to helping other daughter make hers.

The fabric for this was picked out over a year ago and was intended for my youngest daughter’s prom dress.  She then decided she wasn’t going but would still like the dress...when I had time. 

Fast forward a year and we are getting things ready for an event where we rent out the panto costumes for charity.  The theme this year is Christmas so us girlies decide this is the perfect opportunity to dress up in Victorian dresses and sing carols to raise extra funds (just because we can!).

So I made up the bodice of the dress daughter had originally wanted (not historically correct) and we try to decide how to make it look Victorian in a way that can be removed so she can wear the dress as it is.  Then daughter says, forget it, just make it Victorian - do what you want with it!

I then had the choice of sticking with the original, perfect fitting bodice, or change it so that the shoulders were lower as would have been historically nearer!  I stuck with original bodice, looked for a square neck period dress and found one.

Although the shoulders should be lower the rest is as near to the original fashion plate as I could make it and when she is wearing it the shoulders are lower than on the dummy.

She wanted the lace up back so I kept that instead of hooks and eyes and she also wanted light boning to the front to which I also obliged.

The puffed sleeves should have been muslin but I stuck with the very stiff satin so that I didn’t have to interline.  I get the feeling at some point DD4 will change her mind and all the Victorian stuff will come off and go back to original bodice!

The skirt is cartridge pleated and hand sewn on and although here it is shown without a petticoat I do have one ready for her in the caravan of costume.  The event takes place on a field and we just have to hope it doesn't rain!

I finished this dress while daughter was away for the weekend so it was fingers crossed that it all fitted her and she liked it lol  She tried it on when she returned last night and swirled around the room asking in her best mickey taking voice ‘Daddy, do you love your princess?’, so I am assuming this 17 year old likes it lol I just need to sew up the hem now and she asked me to put some more black lace around the waist or I do have some 8" wide lace which will make a very pretty sash, we just need to decide which to do.

Here is a pic of the dress I made myself last year which I will be wearing.  It was based on one of the dresses in Janet Arnolds ‘patterns of fashion’ and I spent ages hand pleating all the ruffles.  I also made an underbust corset to go with it, my theory at the time was that it was being worn for a school event and I wasn’t sure ‘the girls’ would look appropriate in a full corset, so I wore a bra up top just to be sure.

We went to Gressenhall for the school visit, really worth a trip if you are in the area.  I was really pleased when one of the ladies that worked there noticed I had a corset on and said ‘oh well done!’ So it really does make a difference to the proper Victorian look to have the undies correct too.