Hello sew-friends! I have a new dress to share with you today! It's the last in my recent series of unseasonable clothing. lol I started making this dress in August or September and finished it in late October. I wanted to try to get it done for my trip in October but alas it didn't make the cut. And now it's November and it's a little too cold to wear it. Sure, I could layer on tights and turtleneck but these colors feel so summery. That said! I think it's a really pretty and unexpectedly, it feels very Regency to me. (If you're curious what Regency style dresses look like, check out this Pinterest board.)
So, to go with my Regency dress, I thought it would be fun to talk about one of my favorite authors, Jane Austen. But first, let's talk about the dress. (Book recs are at the end of the post :))
This is the Reggie wrap dress by Seamwork magazine. The dress features a classic wrap style for woven fabrics that ties at the waist. However, I used their design option for a faux wrap dress because I didn't have enough fabric for the full wrap. The bodice is very similar and has the wrap style but instead of fastening with a tie at the waist, everything is sewn down and the skirt is made with a front and a back (instead of two fronts and a back).
Sewing the dress went really smoothly. The trickiest part would probably sewing the set in sleeves. Or sewing the gathers, if you've not done that before. But you're in luck, because I recently made a video with tips for sewing gathers and you can check it out here.
If you're not familiar with Seamwork it's an online community and monthly magazine with two new patterns every month. The articles are available for anyone to read. You can purchase the patterns without a subscription. But, if you have a subscription, you get monthly credits to download the patterns of your choice and you get access to the community and classes. I think it's a great place for beginning sewists to get access to quality patterns that have a lot of helpful sewing support. Plus, the online community is really active. If you'd like to sign up and get $3 off your first month, click right here (this is my referral link and if you sign up, then I get a free month). I've been a Seamwork member since they first started five or so years ago. They've really grown into a great sewing resource and I highly recommend it.
I made a number of fit alterations and I did all of them in Adobe Illustrator. This is the first garment that I've made using my projector, so it made sense to do digital alterations. Fortunately, I've made a number of Seamwork patterns before so I had a good idea what alterations I needed. Plus, Seamwork patterns open in Illustrator so they're really easy to work with.
I started out with the size 10 and made a 1/2" full bust adjustment. I added 1.5" in length to the bodice and made a 5/8" square shoulder adjustment. Finally, I added 8" in length to the skirt. For reference, I’m 5’11”, with bust/waist/hips: 38.5/29/39.5.
This year I did a series of tutorials on adding length to patterns and I'm planning to do more tutorials on digital adjustments and shoulder slope. You can see all of my fitting tutorials in my YouTube playlist.
I started out by printing the pattern for the bodice front and back and making a muslin. (My projector wasn't ready for use at that time.) I think it was after that fitting that I decided to add length to the bodice. I then went back to Illustrator and made an artboard the size of my fabric. I used that to lay out my pattern pieces and make sure that I had enough fabric. The layout also let me know how much length I could add to the skirt. Then, I exported a pdf and used my projector to cut the dress. Short story is, it worked really well. I plan on doing a full review/rundown at some point but I want to do some more cutting with the projector first.
The one design change I made was to add ties to the back. I had accidentally cut the ties out, forgetting that they weren't needed for the faux wrap variation. But, after I tried on the dress, I thought it would be nice to have a little waist definition so I sewed up the ties and put them into the side seam, just above the skirt. If I had planned the ties out more, I would have cut them a little longer because they need to go farther to tie at the back. But, I’m ok with it as is and the shorter ties are less likely to fall in the toilet. (I can’t be the only person that has happened to, right?! lol)
I was gifted this fabric a number of years ago by The Fabric Store, when they had a shop in LA. It's a cotton fabric that kind of has a sateen feel to it. It feels very smooth and it's lightweight but does not have a lot of drape. While making samples for my Miri Tank pattern, I cut out a top from this fabric, with the plan of also making a dress. For some reason always imagined it as a wrap dress. For the tank top, I had cut facings using a different fabric, to save fabric for the dress. But the facings were too thick and I set that sample aside, so that I could make the dress first, and ensure I had enough fabric for the dress. Priorities, right? Anyway, it all worked out and I even had enough fabric for facings for the tank top. I still have not finished the top, but maybe it'll be done by next Spring. ;)
Ok, are you ready to chat Regency? So, I had always imagined this fabric as a wrap dress and because I have a Seamwork subscription, I decided to use their wrap dress pattern. The Reggie pattern has a slight empire waistline and gathered sleeves. I usually shy away from empire waistlines because I don't think they work well with my bust. And, I often feel like gathers are too fussy for me. (Being tall, I sometimes feel like gathers or very girlish styles make me look like an overgrown child. Just a personal feeling!)
But, when I chose this pattern, I did not think about those things at all. I just went for it. I saw wrap dress and said yes. Which is surprising, because I've also never been that successful with wrap dresses. Again because of the bust. Doing the FBA and making a muslin was key for this dress and I'm very glad I didn't skip those steps.
Anyway, when I finally tried this dress on, I thought well, it's maybe not my usual style, but it's really pretty. And very Regency! The empire waist and gathered short sleeves are key to a Regency style dress. It's a very comfortable dress and I think when temperatures get warm again, I'll be wearing it, especially if I have an Austen event to go to. Maybe I'll need to throw a tea party, just to wear this dress!
I got into Austen when everyone else did in the mid-to-late 1990s. (The Colin Firth miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice will forever be my favorite version of P&P.) Back in the 90s (my high school years!), I read all 6 of Austen's novels and even wrote my senior thesis on my two favorites, P&P and Persuasion. I re-read Persuasion this year, and it's still my favorite. It might be the most sentimental and emotional of the books, but that's what I like about it.
In the last year or so, I've read a lot of Austen inspired books and a couple of non-fiction about her. So, if you're also an Austen-phile, or looking to become one, I have a few book recommendations for you. (Disclosure: Links below are affiliate links. If you purchase through the links, I will receive a small commission. You will not be charged extra. The library is also a great place to find these books.)
The Bennet Women by Eden Appiah-Kubi (on Bookshop, on Amazon)
This book is inspired by Pride and Prejudice but set in current times at a Black college. The characters are more diverse (racially, gender, orientation) than the original, which was refreshing. I did like that the Lizzy character is multi-dimensional. She's a scientist and a dancer. It's a fun read but doesn't really bring anything new besides diversity and contemporary views of society.
The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow (on Bookshop, on Amazon)
This is also inspired by P&P. It tells the story but from the perspective of the main character's sister Mary. Mary is very maligned in the original and loved that she gets her own story here. I felt that the first half of the book repeats the original a lot but the second half was really fun and that's where I became invested in Mary's story. (I won't spoil it by telling you what happens!)
The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner (on Bookshop, on Amazon)
This was a really sweet novel set in Jane Austen's hometown in post-WW2 England. The main characters all love reading Jane Austen and the book celebrates that love as well as telling intertwining stories about their lives. I really enjoyed it and it inspired me to reread Persuasion. It also made me want to visit Chawton.
Jane Austen and Food by Maggie Lane (on Amazon)
This is a non-fiction analysis of the role of food in Austen's novels. It's pretty long and not light reading but if you love food history and Austen, it's worth checking out. I really enjoyed reading about some of the things they ate in that period.
The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things by Paula Byrne (on Bookshop, on Amazon)
I listened to this on audio book and enjoyed learning more about Austen and where she found inspiration for her characters. Again, it's not light reading but if you love Austen, I think you'd enjoy this book and learning more about her.
The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler (on Bookshop, on Amazon)
This is an older book and a movie. I think both are really fun, especially if you love Austen. It's similar to the Jane Austen Society, about a group of people who gather to read Austen but it's set in the mid '00s.
Lost in Austen
This is a really fun TV miniseries about a contemporary woman who goes back in time and ends up in an Austen novel.
Sanditon
This was a recent miniseries on PBS based on Austen’s final, unfinished novel. It’s worth watching and especially helpful to know the story a bit if you read The Real Jane Austen book mentioned above.
If you have Austen related recommendations, I'd love to hear them.
