1790s Chintz Gown – The Home Stretch

It’s that time of year – that special time just before That Big Annual Costume Event when the mad “must-get-it-all-done!” sewing commences.   I wonder why I do this to myself: I have loads of perfectly good costumes to wear to Costume College, yet I simply must go right down to the wire making new things.  WHY!?

The neckline is well below the top of the stays.  I will need to wear a more opaque neckerchief to fill it all in

I spent this past weekend working feverishly on this 1790s chintz gown, made from the famous Lowe’s “Felicite” curtains, in the noir colorway
(yummmmmy).  The gown is for Maggie’s wedding…in October…and despite having one Curtain-Along dress to wear to Costume College already, I decided to finish this one up and wear it as well.

It’s close, very close.  In fact, it was finished, until I put it on. (Isn’t that always the case? lol).  I knew the neckline was going to be tricky, as it is *very* low on the originl gown.  As suspected, mine wasn’t low enough, and wasn’t working at all with the Regency stays, so I put on my 1780s prow-front stays, folded the bib down a bit, and was happy to see the correct silhouette emerge.  Yay!

Just a bit of a train in back – think I might add some weights to get it to behave a bit

I don’t have time to make 1790s stays, so I’m going to have to wing it with my 1780s, which create the right bust shape, at least.  So now all that is left is to stitch down the bib alteration, remove the belt loop from the back (it’s too high), add an oomph-pad to the back to kick out the skirt, and sew on the buttons.  Onward!