Jane Austen Festival KY 2017: Day dress and Bonnet

After completing my chemise and stays I only had about a week left to finish the actual drawstring dress. I wasn't 100% sure on the instructions so I had to e-mail the pattern maker and ask for some help. She was very helpful and even has photos of the process you can follow if you get stuck. I'm glad I did because I almost ran out of time.

Sketch of day dress.

As I mentioned in the previous post I used Sense and Sensibilities The Elegant Ladies closet drawstring dress pattern. This was a very easy pattern to work with especially for a true beginner like myself. I started with mock ups of the pattern because I really didn't want to mess up the fabric I bought. The fabric I purchased from a quilt shop in Texas that was having a really big sale.

Fabric choice!

Mock up and actual bodice

Note puff sleeve on mock up. It looks bad.

The construction went very easily for me. I really liked the ease of making the drawstring neckline. The only hang up that I had was trying to make the puff sleeves. I made a few mock ups but never could really get it to work. So instead I tried to do the elbow length sleeves and those worked so much better. 

Elbow Sleeves on mock up

Bodice with elbow length sleeves

Also my doomsday whiteboard.

The next issue I had was attaching the skirt. I didn't understand how to do the drawstring on this portion so I had to refer to the photos the designer sent me.  I finally figure it out and put it together with only 2 days to spare!

Completed dress and doomsday whiteboard.

The dress looked fabulous when I finished and I was so excited. I was nervous to try it on because the last time I tried something on I had made it didn't fit me. If there was something wrong with the dress I was just going to leave it because I was running out of time.

First time trying on everything.

Thankfully since it is drawstring it was easy to get a great fit. I was very happy with the results and didn't have to make any adjustments. I also bought a thrift store straw hat and decorated it to match the dress. I hand sewed the lace around the edge and the green edging then applied a green ribbon around the top round portion. I then put some ribbon at the back so I could tie it under my chin and hold it onto my head to make it more like a bonnet. Finally to finish the whole outfit I added a purple ribbon at the waist to hide the drawstring.

Process of creating the bonnet.

Back of the dress                                Front of the dress.

All in all I really enjoyed making this costume! It was a little difficult at some parts but otherwise was really great for a beginner. I didn't take any photos at the festival itself because I went alone, but I will be sure to get some next time!


Now, for the final word.

Would I use this pattern again?
Yes. It was very easy to use and the help from the creator was a god send at times.

Would I recommend it to someone that is just getting into this time period?
Yes. This is a very easy pattern to get your feet wet.

Is it historically accurate?
Yes and no. Drawstring yes. The way the dress fits over your body, no. For it to be more accurate it would need a bib front opening. Since I was new to sewing I skipped this step but the instructions are available on Sense & Sensibilities website!

As usual I like to go over what new skills I learned doing this project!

-Sewed a bonnet
-First dress ever made using a pattern