1920s London debutante dress - Historic Sew Fortnightly

All done. All photographed. Wow I'm not used to both! I finished my 1920s "deb" dress without a problem and through it on with a make shift slip yesterday afternoon. I pinned my hair up and didn't even put make up on except for the lipstick at the end. So excuse any blemishes, this was a spontaneous photo shoot.

First things first, I used this past patterns pattern from 1926 for the skirt. The first time I made the pattern I sized down the bodice because it is MUCH too big, but since then I managed to loose the front of my new pattern. So I drafted a new bodice pattern based off of a dress I'd made with the old pattern.

It's a great pattern, I love it.

I have already showed you my inspiration photos, but I'll throw them in for posterity's sake. (-;

1920s silk and lace gown

1920s silk and lace gown

1920s English Debutante

Some music: You're a Real Sweetheart 1928

The Challenge: White

Fabric: White silk chiffon, antique cotton lace

Pattern: Past Patterns #1965

Year: the pattern is from 1926 but I was not faithful to it, so maybe a bit earlier 1923-1926

Notions: Mettler cotton thread with silk finish in ivory, four white metal hooks and eyes

How historically accurate is it? All the materials are period,  I used an original pattern, and I think original techniques, so pretty darn historical!

Hours to complete: I didn't really count, but I made it in about a day

First worn:  July 20th for the photo shoot

Total cost: It was $18 for the pattern three years ago, $20 for the antique lace one year ago, and the silk was a gift. So in total $38

My busy unscheduled week

I have only two full weeks of unscheduled bliss this summer, that is one of them. I have filled my days with sewing, listening to Opera music, watching BBC and ITV programs, and working out. I'm not a huge fan of the summer, (the heat? Ewe!) but I love having free time! During the school year I have practically no free time so I have to make the most of it now! I've been sewing a lot. I made most of a Poiret inspired dress (as usual I stopped before closures and sewing on the sash).

Ignore me in this picture. It will have a grey/green silk velvet sash.

 Then I started another 1910s dress inspired by these fashion drawings.

My dress is completely synthetic because that's what I had in my stash, but I quite like it anywaay. Here's the progress:

The top of the under dress is covered by three tiers of lace. The red bodice and the straps of the red bodice will be embroidered with little red beads. I see the finished product styled with a psyche's knot or something romantic like that.

Then I stopped working on that to start (and almost finish) a little white 1920s dress. I was inspired by a couple of dresses I had seen recently on ebay and etsy. 

I had some beautiful white silk chiffon and some antique lace that I was jut itching to put together. I was inspired by the idea of the English debutante of the 1920s so that is the theme of my dress. After I do all the finishing I plan to do a themed photo shoot for it with a grand staircase and some feathers and pearls! I will also post better pictures of it for the Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge "white" because it is white.

This is a really bad picture, it's much more elegant in real life!

A detail of the lace which is really beautiful.

Lastly I was watching Sense and Sensibility from 2008 and I started making an 1790s-1800s open robe in powder blue linen. I re-cut the pattern based off of the Sense and Sensibility one... haha ironic. It went together really smoothly except for the sleeves which fit terribly. Don't laugh, but it's possible that they are on backwards.... that's the way they fit. )-: Hmmm well the sleeves still needs some work and the robe needs closures but that will wait for the robes and robbing challenge for the Historic Sew Fortnightly.

A Few Photos from my Photoshoot

On the 8th three friends of mine, my fantastic photographer/mother and I drove out to Longwood Gardens for a photo shoot. I don't have to many photos ready to show, but they are gorgeous. We got some bizarre looks as we walked in with our hair and makeup all done but in modern day clothes. And I apologise to the few confused people who walked into a bathroom to find some crazy girls lacing corsets and pinning flowers into their hair! It was absolutely wonderful fun, the place was practically empty, and the weather was perfect. I'll show more pictures later, but here are two of me and the best group shot.

Here is my favorite group shot. I made all of the dresses in the last 6 months and they all suited their model perfectly! I love my friends; they are the best. I think this photo looks like the cover of a BBC drama that spans three eras!

My dresses on show

I never really got a chance to show much of what I've done this year, actually not really anything!

Here are a series of pictures showing an assembly I gave for the Middle School in January and a quick presentation for an art center in May.

Fitting and hair practice in advance

Regency

waiting for the big day

Asking questions (the roman dress's tunic is on backwards)

Answering Questions

1913

Regency

1926

1956

1780s

1780s polonaise with my (Philadelphia Classics Society award winning) Greek dress

B.C.E. Greek, 1780s, and 1952 meets 2012.

Bright Young People 1926 Dress

I made this dress when I was almost 13 for my birthday party inspired by Theresa Youngman and the Bright Young People of London's jazz age.

It was made from a 1926 french pattern that I got from Eva Dress. It's in a Mediterranean blue georgette.

 

I'm on the left. I also made the white one but

 in about 24 hours! 

I thought it was an absolute dream then (other than the boatloads of problems) and I still love it!