The dress is made of 18th century reproduction fabric purchased from Duran Textiles. The dress is lined with fine linen and hand sewn with linen thread. I left it unboned. It's worn over two plain linen petticoats, the previously presented false rump, late 18th century stays and shift and the recently finished shoes, stockings and garters. Everything has been sewn by hand.
(I bought the fabric in 2006 and the fabric I got back then was silk taffeta in texture. I have seen this same fabric in a retail shop earlier this year and judging by that they have since then changed the fabric in to a slubbed silk, like dupioni, but very fine quality with small and few slubs. The slubs are more or less hidden by the dots and stripes of the fabric and the fabric is still absolutely gorgeous. It could also be that it was just that one lot that was different. I just wanted to let you know if there is anyone considering to buy and is picky about these things, that the quality of the silk might vary.)
The fan was purchased from http://www.artbyaurora.net/18th/
It's painted on a paper leaf and the sticks are bone. I highly recommend her products.
Construction:
The bodice seaming was based loosely on the late 1770's robe à l'Anglaise in The Cut of Women's Clothes 1600-1930. I cut the fabric for the petticoat and the robe to period width panels and sewed them together with a running stitch, five panels each. The top of the petticoat was folded in a sloping shape to even the hem and to accommodate a bumroll. The folded edge was then pleated and whip stitched to tapes to tie the petticoat on. The robe bodice lining was then sewn together. The silk bodice pieces were mounted on top and back stitched from the outside, edges finished with the stitch with the fancy name, le point à rabattre sous la main. The underside of the sleeves were sewn from the inside through all layers and top sleeve from the outside through all layers except for the silk shoulder piece that was sewn down last.
Skirts of the robe were also folded to shape, pleated and whip stitched to the bottom edge of the bodice. The robe is "polonaised" through silk tape loops and ties. The bodice closes with hooks and eyes with no overlap.
I decorated the dress with pinked self fabric strips. I used a reproduction pinking tool and was very pleased with the results.
The strips were then gathered using a whip stitch and then attached to the dress with running stitches.
I had a piece of very old handmade lace that I added to the neckline and sleeves. And I made decorative bows from dark brown silk taffeta.
The large pouf hairstyle was made over a large rat and a few hairpieces were needed to complete it.
