1790s and 1890s

I managed to get pictures and some video of the 1790s dress yesterday, so that video is now fully edited and uploaded, and the project can be put away. Or at least, it can be put away when the hem is dry (or clean and dry, if I have to soak it in oxyclean or something). Because yes, my yard was still a little muddy, and naturally, I stepped on the back of my hem multiple times. I tried to wash it out just using woolite, so I'll have to see today if that actually worked. 

I also started on the teagown. I spent most of Tuesday's sewing time waffling about the differences between the TV pattern and my extant dress, and trying to decide if I wanted it to be an exact copy (other than fabric choice) or if a close visual copy would suffice. Finally, I said screw it, because having a teagown with that much weight coming from the back of the neck, which only opens down the front to hip level would just be a pain to put on and take off. So I'm going with the pattern's closure of buttoning all the way down the front. I also went with the pattern for seamlines, since my antique one has one front piece cut on the fold, two back pieces where the back and side-back bodice sections are cut and seamed together, but then connect all into one skirt panel (if that makes sense), and a gusset on either side. The pattern, on the other hand, has two front pieces, two side-back pieces, and one center back piece on the fold, which just made more sense. 

So anyway, I cut out a hip-length mockup, sewed it together, and yesterday afternoon, I fitted the mockup. The main issue was that the hip flare was super not enough. It also didn't quite have enough room in the back pleating to create four pleats like my extant. And it barely had enough extra in the CF to pin the seam allowances together, let alone overlap for buttons. Oh, and the shoulders were way too wide. But all of those are easy fixes, and things I feel confident doing just in the final pieces, without having to make another mockup. So now I've ripped apart the mockup pieces, and it's ready to be cut out in wool with a cotton lining. 

I'm really glad that I have a Wed afternoon zoom sewing group, since I did all the fitting yesterday with them, and it helped me be motivated. After our chat, I walked Lion, and somehow came back with a major headache (probably partially stemming from the fact I had been wearing a hairband all afternoon), and had no desire to get up from the recliner chair for the rest of the evening. I hope today's sewing goes better!