HSF Challenge 15: White

About a week ago I saw this Lucile dress from 1916. I've seen it before but this time I knew I had to recreate it. I loved that it was 18th century inspired! After I started it I realized I could finally use it for a Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge too!

I love the skirt bustled on it!

scalloped petticoat

It's not perfect... it has a lot of small flaws I'm annoyed about but I don't know how to drape patterns and this didn't turn out horrendously awful, so I feel like I got just a little bit better at sewing in this project. I really do love the original dress and after making it I love the skirt bustled up and showing the underskirt. I think this would actually make a really gorgeous wedding dress if you really spent time to put detail into it (obviously it was a wedding dress but it would be pretty today too!).

There was a blue sash for it but when I got my friend Cait to help me take pictures I forgot the sash at home! It's unfortunate because I love the blue with it! So here's a bad self phone pic to get an idea of the blue sash. 

Things I changed: The original has four skirt layers: a scalloped shorter skirt, a sheer skirt with a lace pattern on it and a loop around the skirt of one boning line, a sheer apron with a ruffle to cover the boning line, and the outer skirt attached to the bodice. I didn't have the right kind of boning to put into the skirt layer so I left it out and then didn't really need the apron with the ruffle to cover that boning line. I could have added it anyway for the added effect of a ruffle but on the original you can't even see the underskirt's lace and I like the lace.  A zipper instead of hooks and eyes (I have no good excuse I was just being lazy and once I see a project isn't going to be perfect I start to take short cuts). Finally I didn't put in the sort of under sleeve? that is sheer and is longer than the sleeve and peeks out. I don't like it, I think it looks weird so I left it out. I may go back and add the small sheer ruffle on the neckline behind the trim, but probably not. 

The Challenge: # 15 the color white

Fabric: I think a silk blend fabric for outer dress, voile for underskirt, and a white cotton  for scalloped petticoat, grey cotton fabric for lining.

Pattern:  draped on mannequin

Year: inspired by 1916 Lucile wedding dress with obvious 18th century influence

Notions: zipper, lace for skirt

How historically accurate is it? The fabric is not accurate to the original but could be accurate to the time. I guessed on construction of the dress so it could be accurate with the skirts separated from outer dress. The zipper isn't accurate but I didn't want hooks and eyes on the back though they did have zippers at the time so it's just not accurate to the inspiration dress. 

Hours to complete: 20+

First worn: For pictures

Total cost: everything was fabric from my stash except for voile which cost me maybe $10

And because the original dress was a wedding dress I had to try one picture with a makeshift veil from lace I had. I love the sharp look of the dress from the side  in this. 

Exciting Monday

Sometimes the best way for me to be sure to finish something is to just go at it right away and work like mad till I finish it. It's when I put things down and pick up other projects in between that it never gets done. Fortunately that didn't happen with the 1916 Lucile dress!  I'm so excited to say that I finished it tonight! I'm going to give it a whole post later this week when I can find someone to take real pictures of me in it! Here's  a preview-

I'm so excited about this dress and I have lots to say about it but I'll save that for it's own post!

And as a bonus! I finally finally completed something I can use for the Historical Sew Fortnightly because this dress is obviously perfect for the challenge 15 which is the color white and it's not due till July 29, so I'm early! This has inspired me to push myself to get some more historical things done before summer ends and I really want to do more of the challenges!

Lucile Dress Mock-Up

I have attempted draping my first pattern! and the Lucile Dress is slowly coming along.

Via

Besides figuring out a pattern for the bodice I've been trying to figure out how to attach the many different layers of the skirt. I've pinned some different layers and have come up with a plan.

Grey Fabric is just for the mock-up

I will attach the the white silk outer skirt to the bodice because that obviously looks attached. Then dealing with the three layers under that which look like a white scalloped skirt with a lace skirt over that has some kind of boning run through it's middle and then a lace sheer panel/apron that is on top in the immediate front. I considered attaching the lace apron to the bodice also but instead I'll attach it to what I am calling the petticoat now.

So I will start with a white cotton scalloped petticoat. On top of that will be the sheer layer with boning through it's middle. I want to do some kind of lace design like they have on it. I think I will attach it near the top of the petticoat but not too the waistband because my other concern is the waistband getting too bulky. Finally the apron will be attached. With the apron I am still not sure how I will attach it yet.

My design plan for this petticoat (apron not here). I tried to show it flat and then gathered into the skirt.

1916 dress inspired by the 18th century

I recently saw a picture of this 1916 lucile wedding dress and fell in love with it. I found more detailed pictures of it on the digital collection of the Chicago History Museum website.

Via

I have absolutely no reason to make this dress and it would be a little ridiculous to spend time making this. BUT I do happen to have lots of a white silky blend fabric left over from my graduation dress I made two years ago and I've never had anything to do with it... and well I'll just use the need for practicing pattern drafting as an excuse to be making a random 1916 wedding gown. 

The only thing I think I would change on this dress is the sleeves, possibly make them longer and definitely get rid of the netted undersleeves. I do love the trim though. I think the hardest thing for me would be the way the skirt is attached to the bodice, I'm not sure I like how it looks up close. 

I'm really glad this Chicago Museum's photo allow you to zoom in so closely and see the details it will be a huge help in constructing this!