Taking the Plunge: Beginning a Victorian Wardrobe

Ever since I began sewing historical costumes I have been, to be blunt, uninterested in making any styles in vogue after 1817. Nothing seemed more elegant than the Neo-classical silhouette, nor more dashing than the Regency dandy. However, in the last couple of weeks that has changed, and all because of Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South. Becoming Margaret Hale has become the most exciting prospect! I can hardly wait to begin! But I can't, since I'm in the middle of a long-term project of an eighteenth century ensemble, which I decided to finish before I leap into the middle of the next century and the Margaret dress. This is to motivate myself to finish with the eighteenth century faster, and it is working so far. :)

The style I chose is Margaret's dress worn during Mr. Thornton's first proposal. I've always considered it to be elegantly simple, with it's solid color, it's basic bodice and very full skirt (I adore those layers and layers of petticoats). It makes a particularly elegant silhouette as Margaret stands before the window, regally considering her dislike of Mr. Thornton and her confusion over his unexpected avowal of love. *Sigh*

Finding a suitable pattern was surprisingly simple. I knew I would have to adapt it to some degree. (Yes! Bring on the brain challenge...) It is a pattern featured on the wondrous Nehelenia Patterns and the lovely Renaissance Fabrics websites and made by Laughing Moon Mercantile. It is a ball dress pattern, which means it only includes short sleeves, but the reason I decided on this one is because it includes the all-important bretelle.

What is a bretelle, you may ask? (Which is a question I would have had before I got the pattern in the mail last week.) It is the v-shaped fabric on the bodice that goes out slightly at the shoulders, rather like an extremely deep collar. :) This detail in the design was absolutely essential to me, because to my eye it gives this dress its distinction.

Another distinguishing aspect of this dress is the sleeves. But where to find them? This was also unexpectedly simple! (I am getting quite spoiled in putting this dress together by this time...) As I mentioned in my first post I dashed over to Hancock Fabrics to catch the last day of their sale and I decided to grab one of their Victorian patterns "just in case." Then, lo and behold, after I get home I remember that I will need long bell sleeves and billowy white sleeves to go underneath them... and this pattern contains both of those! Needless to say, I was quite pleased with my unconscious foresight. :)

Then I had to find fabric... First of all, what in the world is the fabric supposed to be? I found pictures and scrutinized the dress during every scene as I watched the movie (2, 3, 20 times...), comparing it with various fabrics sold online, and my conclusion is that it most resembles a sort of damask or jacquard brocade, presumably out of some natural fiber such as cotton or silk.

I found this very helpful picture on Pinterest, which also clearly shows that the fabric is truly the color it appears to be on screen. (I thought it may have had its saturation drained as they were coloring the movie in post-production in order to add to the somber Milton atmosphere.)

Sadly, the few fabrics I could find that were of a similar color as well as being a natural fiber were out of my price range. I settled on a polyester and rayon 50/50 blend that is a slightly brighter plum color from Denver Fabrics for a pleasing $5.50/yard.

Having received it in the mail, I must admit it's not ideal, but I am still pleased with it. It has more of a drape than I expected (which maybe I should have realized, knowing it was rayon) and an ever-so-slight wrinkled look, but I think it will be satisfactory if I can line the bodice and sleeves with something stiffer.

The next part of the process will be to find the trim for the sleeves and bretelle. First I shall be checking Joann Fabrics because it's local and Nehelenia Patterns and Renaissance Fabrics because they sell trim in natural fibers.

Of course, before I can cut out a single piece I must make all the correct underpinnings. The list includes a chemise, corset, corded petticoat, and one, maybe two, full petticoats. I alternate between excitement and dread at this prospect...

The Wondrous Nehelenia Patterns

I have found it! What is basically the online historical costuming shop of my dreams: Nehelenia Patterns.

Maybe you have heard of this treasure trove, but I have lived for too long in total ignorance of it's existence.

It is such a thrill to find a website filled with delights, especially delights that you have never found anywhere else! And especially when they are the historical costuming kind. That is what Nehelenia Patterns is. They are located in Germany, so the shipping isn't the most economical for us overseas customers, but it is reasonable, especially now while the exchange rate of Euro to the dollar is quite good! Only $1.10-1.20 per 1 Euro. (Now if only the British Pound could be that good...)

This website has popped up several times during the last few months as I have searched for historical patterns, so I occasionally visited it's pattern pages. I found quite a comprehensive collection of historical patterns all gathered together in one place, which is rare in itself, but it wasn't until last week that I truly realized just how many wonderfully unique goods they actually have. I kept gleefully exclaiming as I found page after page containing things like corset laces, 10-meter lengths of boning, cutters for boning, period jewelry, chatelaines, handcrafted paper, cotton lace and ribbon, silk ribbon that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, thin white-striped cotton muslin, 17th and 18th century busks, hats, patterns from ancient times to the twentieth century, and so much more! And all in one place! That is one of the most exciting things about my discovery. I love for my resources to all be organized in one place. (This is why, at least in my case, Pinterest can be so addicting...)

Being the midst of an ambition sewing streak, I got caught up in the excitement and bought a few necessities for my 1850s corset. My busk, boning and laces arrived this week, in a box covered with German stamps and customs stickers. :)

I hope you all will browse their lovely site and enjoy it as much as I have! It is simple to navigate, and there are pictures of nearly everything, with helpful descriptions of each item. They also take PayPal, making the buying process nice and simple.

You can find them here: Nehelenia Patterns