Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Regency Silk Robe

c.1795-1803
I finally own a Regency Robe! I've wanted one of these since 'Sense and Sensibility' came out ages ago. I always loved the peach robe worn by Kate Winslet as Marianne Dashwood.


The lovely pleated back. Pattern from 'Patterns of Fashion' Original.


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Posted by at 11:39 PM

5 comments:

  1. Totally gorgeous! It's so luscious and luxurious and flowy! Is the robe fabric hailstone silk?
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  2. I'm not sure what hailstone silk is! What is it? The robe silk was purchased at JoAnns a couple years ago. It is an ivory silk with no slubs and pearl beading. This was my first time sewing with a beaded fabric...I had heard horror stories, but it was actually pretty easy.
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  3. DROOOLLLLL!!!!! Love it!!! The train is fabulous!
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  4. WOW!!! it's so beautiful! how did you do the pleated back? i want to make one similar to this one and i've been struggling to figure it out...
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  5. Hey Sarah, I'll try to explain how I did the pleated back, but I fear it might be a little difficult to write into words!

    First, if you mess up the pleats it really won't matter, you'll still have the same fullness at the back there that the pleats achieve.

    If you're using the "Patterns of Fashion" pattern then you'll see that it has a seam down the center back of the gown bodice. After the center back bodice seams and the side back seams of the bodice have been sewn, fold three knife pleats on each side of the center back facing towards the center back. Stitch them into place. (Do the same for the other side of the center back bodice, forming three more pleats also facing the center back.)

    Then at the side back seam fold two knife pleats facing towards the side/front and pin them along the center back part of the gown, then fold one knife pleat facing towards the center back and pin that along the side/front of the gown. Stitch pleats into place. (Repeat for the other side of the robe.)

    Once you make the pattern, it will help if you cut out a mock up of just the top part of the robe (you could do the whole thing but it would take a lot more fabric...). You can mark the pleat lines from the pattern onto your mock up and fiddle with the pleats until you figure out how they lay properly.

    Hope this helps!

    AmericanDuchess made the same robe awhile ago, here's a link to one of her posts about it:
    http://americanduchess.blogspot.com/2009/05/1795-open-robe-sheety-toile.html
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