There are 39 pieces in this pattern. The fabric requirement is incorrect; it does not include the 3 yards needed for the skirt ruffles. Sue’s dress was made of a pale peach colored fabric and has been dubbed The Peach Melba. Pictured on left.
Rated 4 out of 5
Patricia Cannata –
WARNING. This pattern is for Advanced Sewers Only! The instructions were complete and in order but, this is a very complicated historical pattern. Some of the terminology is difficult to decipher. There are a lot of pattern pieces to keep track of. They fit well, but it was not an easy assembly.
Be sure before you cut out your skirt to measure the length and adjust the pattern accordingly; otherwise, the ruffles will be placed too far down the skirt and have to be moved up. Very painful process. Be prepared to sew miles and miles of ruffles. Use 60″ wide fabric; 45″ is not wide enough. You’ll have to add more pieces. Christine James (Patricia’s daughter) is wearing the dress in the photo.
Rated 3 out of 5
Lorraine Carson –
This one will just about finish you off. There’s just so much of it. You’ll get very sick of looking at your fabric and you get tired of lifting and moving so much fabric. In the photo, Emily Cikovsky is wearing the dress made by Lorraine.
Rated 5 out of 5
Lisa Prindle –
A friend gave me this pattern, and I chose to use it for my wedding gown. I was aware of the other pattern reviews, so I purchased enough fabric and lengthened the skirt for my height.
I altered the bodice front as it poofed out too much for my use. I didn’t use the bodice overlay pattern, but instead cut the bodice lining pattern larger at the center front and didn’t sew the darts. I lay this over the fitted bodice lining and shirred the front bodice at the waist and neckline to fit. Hooks and eyes, hidden in the shirred front, close the top bodice layer. As you can see in the photo, I shortened the sleeves slightly and used the lower neckline version, replacing the large collar with a small ruffle. The belt in the pattern is just a plain sash, so I drafted a bias belt based on an original.
The skirt ruffles proved surprisingly easy using a technique familiar to quilters called “continuous bias”, (available online or in quilt books); this avoided cutting the ruffle pattern piece out repeatedly and sewing each piece together. This technique produces a large tube of fabric that you cut into the width of your ruffle, so I used my serger (hey, they had them in the 1880’s!) which helped finish the edges. Do invest in a ruffler attachment as it will save loads of time. Be sure you mark the ruffle placement lines on the skirt.
I didn’t find this pattern any more difficult than any other Past Pattern gown I’ve assembled, so don’t hesitate to use it. Just learn how to make continuous bias!
Sue Toorans –
There are 39 pieces in this pattern. The fabric requirement is incorrect; it does not include the 3 yards needed for the skirt ruffles. Sue’s dress was made of a pale peach colored fabric and has been dubbed The Peach Melba. Pictured on left.
Patricia Cannata –
WARNING. This pattern is for Advanced Sewers Only! The instructions were complete and in order but, this is a very complicated historical pattern. Some of the terminology is difficult to decipher. There are a lot of pattern pieces to keep track of. They fit well, but it was not an easy assembly.
Be sure before you cut out your skirt to measure the length and adjust the pattern accordingly; otherwise, the ruffles will be placed too far down the skirt and have to be moved up. Very painful process. Be prepared to sew miles and miles of ruffles. Use 60″ wide fabric; 45″ is not wide enough. You’ll have to add more pieces. Christine James (Patricia’s daughter) is wearing the dress in the photo.
Lorraine Carson –
This one will just about finish you off. There’s just so much of it. You’ll get very sick of looking at your fabric and you get tired of lifting and moving so much fabric. In the photo, Emily Cikovsky is wearing the dress made by Lorraine.
Lisa Prindle –
A friend gave me this pattern, and I chose to use it for my wedding gown. I was aware of the other pattern reviews, so I purchased enough fabric and lengthened the skirt for my height.
I altered the bodice front as it poofed out too much for my use. I didn’t use the bodice overlay pattern, but instead cut the bodice lining pattern larger at the center front and didn’t sew the darts. I lay this over the fitted bodice lining and shirred the front bodice at the waist and neckline to fit. Hooks and eyes, hidden in the shirred front, close the top bodice layer. As you can see in the photo, I shortened the sleeves slightly and used the lower neckline version, replacing the large collar with a small ruffle. The belt in the pattern is just a plain sash, so I drafted a bias belt based on an original.
The skirt ruffles proved surprisingly easy using a technique familiar to quilters called “continuous bias”, (available online or in quilt books); this avoided cutting the ruffle pattern piece out repeatedly and sewing each piece together. This technique produces a large tube of fabric that you cut into the width of your ruffle, so I used my serger (hey, they had them in the 1880’s!) which helped finish the edges. Do invest in a ruffler attachment as it will save loads of time. Be sure you mark the ruffle placement lines on the skirt.
I didn’t find this pattern any more difficult than any other Past Pattern gown I’ve assembled, so don’t hesitate to use it. Just learn how to make continuous bias!