Making the Bodice -- 1795 English Regency Court Gown

This week, I'm continuing along with my English Regency court gown project, altering a standard Regency bodice to create a transitional 1795 court gown bodice pattern, and beginning to add trim to the gown.
Check out part 1 of this project here: • I'm making the most ri...
Learn more about English Regency Court gowns here: • Let's Talk English Reg...
String sequins: amzn.to/3XiBNcy
Metallic celestial trim: amzn.to/3VfF8GJ
Wide metallic lace (for the skirt): amzn.to/3VlcXpM
Delicate metallic lace (for the bodice): amzn.to/3RhMGrl
This is the Laughing Moon pattern I started with: www.laughingmo...
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[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

If you'd like to support my channel, you can join my Patreon! Thank you to all my amazing patrons! www.patreon.com/ladyrebeccafashions

[@patriciakellyadams134]

You're a fabric alchemist. As usual, I am awed by your skill, talent and imagination.

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

Aww thanks!

[@saraa3418]

Karolina Zebrowska just did an English Regency court gown and she said that tippets were like lace streamers that decorated the head somehow. She just did a video this past weekend about it and referenced all the same plates you did!

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

The hanging lace streamers are the lappets, not the tippets. The tippet is like a scarf type thing that was worn, often of fur, which would usually hang down in normal fashion, but it seems to have been attached around the neckline on this dress.

[@jayneterry8701]

​@@LadyRebeccaFashionsI was wondering if you thought of ot more like a lei. It's has a more oval look. Your fitting looks just fine.

[@yeisonagudelo2593]

This is turning out so stunning can’t wait to see the finished product 😍😍

[@seanmcgcostumes]

I’m loving this ensemble so much! It’s absolutely fabulous. The bodice trimmings are soooo pretty against the red changeable silk!

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

Thanks!

[@jelsner5077]

I'm glad that the English Regency court ensembles are finally getting some love. It would be nice to see a major movie or television series embrace this mode.

[@cassmacdonald-perfectlyimp2486]

With the appropriate level of “you expect me to wear THAT?!” From the young individuals dealing with this for the first time and also people passing out from the weight and heat etc

[@EilonwyG]

It's looking amazing so far! Can't wait to see how it looks when it's all done!

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

Thanks!

[@twinnish]

I love the look of the train at the waist. I love trains!

[@tammytom83]

Can't wait til next week..love the gold trim..

[@nurmihusa7780]

Sick today. But your cheery face and fabulous content is making me feel better. I know I’m not alone in this. Thank you for what you do! ❤❤❤

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

Aww, I hope you feel better soon! 🤗

[@KitOfTheWeirdWoods]

I just love love love!! the gathered gold and white lace trims gathered together for the top of the bodice! I can't wait to see it completed and with the sleeves!

[@lindagoesel3815]

Rebecca I can tell this is already going to be one of your "gasp" beautiful dresses again. I know it was a ridiculous period but they were "still" awesome weren't they! I'm so glad you let the fur go😂, and are using that combination of laces. That looked beautiful. I'm setting watching you and yelling, "yes that's it, no don't go there, trim is beautiful ". Hope you heard me. Can't wait to see it done. Your workmanship is amazing. ❤

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

Haha! I love that. And thanks! ☺️

[@Inna-sa]

I am so fussy when it comes to lace, but that delicate gold one is so gorgeous!! As soon as you showed it i was sold, then over the red/green... 😙🤌 Perfection 😍

[@adrianamancuso4917]

Looks amazing so far!

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

Thanks!

[@zythe69akaru]

I've been following along with your project while working on my own, a 2 in 1 cosplay of Chica from both the original FNAF (EVA foam suit) and Security Breach (80s glamrock style with a base bodysuit, leotard, leg warmers, wig, custom accessories, etc) Thank you for keeping me going, and I'll try to let you know how my competition goes (4th of July weekend!) 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

[@lilykatmoon4508]

I am loving this project more and more! I am enchanted by that red/green color changing fabric you made that last bustle dress with. It goes perfect with the green striped silk! It made me happy to see Lion squeaking away ❤! Very much looking forward to the continuation of this project. Take care and see you next week!

[@katwitanruna]

Love that lace against the burgundy silk.

[@noraleestone2859]

26:05 Dear Rebecca, It's so hilarious how often I'm completely befuddled by what you are describing, and yet I'm absolutely in love with your craft. 😍 I think you are a genius, and I can hardly wait to see this court gown completed. 😯 I've tried describing your channel to an older friend, but I don't think she really "gets" why I love it so much. 😮‍💨😞 So be it. Whatever you decide to do with the design & trim is fine by me. What do I know anyway. 😂 😉 Sending pats & scritches to Dora. Take care, & I'll see you next week. 😁🥰😽👍👋 P.S. Just remembered Lion, so give him some pats as well. 🐕

[@bekytg9393]

It was worth the time, to sew the gold lace with the gold thread. Looks perfect, looks flush to fabric.

[@katwitanruna]

The bullion trim…. Yes!

[@tinaj984]

Its so exciting to see this coming together...love that train!!😍😍😍❤❤going to be a work of art!!!❤❤❤❤

[@JenInOz]

Such pretty gold trim down the front!

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

Thanks! I was surprised how nice and delicate that trim looks!

[@SandieMitchell]

Oh my gosh, the trims are to die for! I might order some; I don't know what for, but I love them. LOL! I'm nuts for the red fabric, and it looks so darn good on you, Rebecca. Ooh, a new Petticoat...with lace!🥰

[@catherineleslie-faye4302]

Lovely work... Thanks for the hint on getting the hammere sequin look that I need for a renaissance piece. You know me... always looking for the theatrical cheats, and not being wiling to hand pound tiny bit of metal.

[@Beth-ch7pj]

That bodice lace is spectacular! Gold and red always look great together ❤. This gown, although strange-looking, is going to be very glamorous and eye catching i think! I wonder if the 'chatelaine' might be a small watch? Seems more like something that would be appropriate for court? (I feel for you doing all this slow fiddly lace and sequin work now 😅 but im sure you'll be really proud of the final results when the gown comes together 🏆)

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

Thanks! And yep, it is a little watch, which I feel like is so random with a court gown.

[@RianShafer]

I have a large stash of trims but I will be buying the moons trim, I'll find a project for it. lol I do think a more gold trim would show up on this material but what you chose is nice too. I'm looking forward to seeing it done!

[@pengdubit]

The melted looks lovely..

[@alexandrawellington8028]

This outfit is coming along beautifully!!!!!!!!! My daughter cross stitches and there are some amazing metallic looking threads that she uses which would be good for your hand stitching. It looks like metallic thread but is easy to use. xxxxxxxx

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

I think the one I'm using is metallic thread for machine embroidery, but it's working well!

[@kymberlypease3020]

Love the stars and moon trim, but this doesn’t seem to be the project that lets them shine. I’m loving how this project is coming though!

[@liav4102]

It keeps getting better and better!

[@centurycountess4949]

I wish I could remember the name of the surviving piece, it looks like a fashion plate but it too was a gown that was made. it was for the daughter of a wealthy or noble family for a special event that was in honor to her, it was a beautiful blue velvet dress according to the description that survived what the dress was to be made of. it was also one of these style of dresses as well.

[@cassmacdonald-perfectlyimp2486]

Hope your wonderful furbabies are doing OK. I have now seen Karolina and Bernadette doing their videos. All of the patterns and gowns no longer exist and the gowns were probably remade, so can’t imagine how hard this is! I wonder if the idea for the overgown is to make it like a robe a La francaise with the adjustable lining, but with a regency fit and narrow at the back, if that makes sense?

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

I think the overgowns for court gowns usually had the Regency style fitted back, and then just extended into a long train, as opposed to having Watteau pleats.

[@cassmacdonald-perfectlyimp2486]

@@LadyRebeccaFashions I think you’re doing an amazing job! It would be so interesting to see images of these gowns from the back or patterns, but, alas! I think the interpretation you’re making is excellent and uses period references, if that makes sense?

[@lynndragon2536]

I'm trying to learn grading patterns myself, it seems a useful skill. I kinda like the look of the melted sequins....

[@margarethall1625]

Looking great!!

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

Thanks!

[@Gandellion]

I also love the stars and moons trim, I think you need to make something specifically to use it on

[@flagerdevil]

To the topic of ironing things too hot... I recently ended up with the seams on my iron 👀 It was on cotton and so was the fabric, the thread was polyester though, but I've never had that problem before. I still don't fully understand what happened 🤷 😆

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

Like, the thread melted off your fabric onto your iron?

[@flagerdevil]

@@LadyRebeccaFashions yes 😁

[@linseiler1135]

Quilting stencil should work great..

[@edo4896]

Not Your Momma's History has a video on making a chaterlaine, if you have time to

[@DOSBoxMom]

That does look like descriptions I've seen of 1810s English court gowns, where the hoop skirts were starting right at an Empire waist. With a 1790s court gown, one could almost go with hoop skirts at a natural waist, especially for the mother of a young lady being presented at Court, since the mother might conceivably be wearing slightly older styles, which may well still have had a natural waist. (Think Mrs. Bennet in the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice, which used a 1790s setting.)

[@tenaoconnor7510]

If you’re going for the lace front I would start with a corset pattern or lace upfront type dress

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

It's a fake lace-up front. It's just decorative.

[@joycehunt1307]

I too love the gold trim on the red silk. Just beautiful. Is there enough of the antique trim for a necklace or choker? bracelet? earrings?

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

Probably! I'm still thinking I'm going to put it either somewhere on the bodice or my cap, though.

[@alred3600]

Refering to Your search for a pattern or possible blueprint for the upper part, it's maybe not so difficult, as you made it by Your a bit overprecise research. As what they did was, as You've already mentioned, simply to combine more or less a slightly 'gecizised' late rokoko underpart from the late 1780s, with the more contemporary classical empire upper part from around 1810...Wich then also explains the strange waistline, as in 1810, this line was 'a la grec' meanung directly under Your brest and almost up tomyour armpits in 'beneath your bosom at the height of the hart" (acctualy about 5-8 inches higher than the hart but its a nice historical metaphor, so we should keep it, even if it might confuses Your measurement). Also the whole style may isn't so ridiculous as You may think, and also wasn't just founded a strange marotte of Queen Charlott but had very sincere reasons: 1) As the 'Greek' or Empire style only got popular as result and after the French Revolution and was a kind of visual brand of the hostile court of Napoleon Ist, it was practically impossible and would have been almost regarded as an act of high treason, if a British Queen and her court would've adopted thuscstyle without major differentiation and a clear optical confession to the ancienne regime... 2) Due to the Napoleonic wars and blockade of trade and sea, money and material was scarse, especially fine cotton mousselin and silk gaze was extremely scarse, as it had to be mostly imported from or via the continent. 3) Due to the little ice age and the outbreak if the Tambora it got cold...very cold in those years, meaning thousands of women, wearing the new very light Empire style died from pneumonia and other results of hypothermia...So big hoops, were huge masses of enclosed air could serve as some sort of thermal puffer (and even warm underpants, little cole fired ovens or hot water bottles) could be hidden, weren't such a bad thing...Even more so, as there were thousands of only slightly or never worn Rokkoko robes left, such could be re- or better further on be used, including the strange fact, that British upper parts of regency (court) dresses at least until the late 1810s and early 20s were mostly made out of silk and other "reuseable" materials from 1780s and 90s late Rokkoko (Georgian) robes, wich also might be an explanation for the somewhat slit and "rolled" up design of the under parts, which suspiciously look as someone had put together small slices from several bigger robes into a new one, hiding the stitching lines with all kinds of reused embellishments, which originally would come from totally different things or places in late Georgian robes... So, if You should ever make another Regency court dress, simply take an empire upper part, make this with left over Rokkoko materials, and then take two or three old Georgian Robes, slice them in small trances or drape them in a way, the wholes and worn places arecless visible, put a bit if material to the lower end to make it longer, embellush with leftovers, don't forget the wollen knickerbockers beyond, and then stitch it to the Zombie Empire part...It's easy, and looking to the scratches, most likely what court women did, to avoid unoatriotuc and prorevolitiinary/napoleonic scandal, cut costs low and avoid beeing' accused for treason by importing illegally "Continental"/"French" cotton, looking ridiculous but highly distinguishable frommordunary people, keeping up court etikette and making no high ranking noble and official unhappy, but also included a bit if the newest chic - So You see, it's not fashion, but high politics and fear of an English revolution and Napoleonic invasion, and if cause lack of resources, and maybe even the collapse of climate, wich resulted in this very specific style. Also there was another problem with the Greek style... 4) Only a few years before and just before loosing her head Marie Antoinette had experimented with the 'style grec', causing a huge scandal, by the silly idea to introduce at court and even got painting in such an 'undergaement' by Viginie Le Brun, of which the sometimes very naive Marie Antoinett unfortunately also decided to exhibit it un the annual salon des beaux arts...It was a double scandal, as the Queen was shown practically naked, and - even worse - the new fashion also made many high functions and highly symbolic gestures of the highest nobels, and thereby their high dotated and prestigious court functions during the lever et coucher of the Queen redundant, as the new style was much easier to put on and off, skipping dozens of steps and persons jn protocoll - which was one if the crucial causes Marie Antoinette got so unpopular amongst the French nobility and especially amongst members of the house Orleans, which did everything to harm the image iof the Queen, financed the Revolutionaries, and later on even signed the death sentences of King and Queen, in aspiration to take over...wich wasn't sucessfull directly as the duke of Orleans alias citoyen Philippe lost also his head, but became szccessful in the long term with Louis Philippe's reign and the fact, the house Orleans inherits all former Burbon lines including the princely lines going back to the legitimized children of Louis XIV with Athenaise de Montespan... So pure Empire alias style grec was an absolute no go at the British court...

[@ElizabethJones-pv3sj]

Thinking about the weight hanging from your shoulders (something I noticed Karolina mentioned when talking about her court gown) I wonder if something like a bumroll around your waist might help support the weight from below? I know it would be very tough to make work on this tight timeframe but some sort of pillows that fit up inside the hoops and attach to a waistband or even a yoke to might help support the weight of the skirts from below.

[@LadyRebeccaFashions]

Unfortunately that wouldn't help, since it's so much higher than my waist. Making a lightweight organdy petticoat should help though - that's where most of the weight is coming from.

[@petapendlebury9024]

​@@LadyRebeccaFashionsI wondered if a small pad beneath your shoulder straps might help spread the load but an organdy petticoat would be a wise decision if you wanted to keep them on for the whole event - unlike Karolina! Those melted sequins look beautiful on screen - an unintentional success. I wonder if someone else will see this and find it the perfect solution for their project?!

[@ElizabethJones-pv3sj]

I'm sure the original wearers must have come up with a solution to the discomfort other than just put up with it. I wonder if they attached some petticoats to the stays or mounted on a bodice instead of just straps.

[@michellecornum5856]

This is shaping up to be very pretty. WHY DID THEY HAVE TO BE SO WEIRD!!!

[@brandyloutherback9288]

Sadly, more Bridgerton than Bridgerton is RN!

[@brandyloutherback9288]

The Good News: Penelope finally got flattering cuts! The bad news: Bridgerton's "corsets" are mostly gone!

[@Avotts]

You might consider spacing your sequence lines farther apart. A little goes a long way. Oh, no. I thought the sequence would go up and down. For some reason, to me, it does not look good. way too puckery. maybe consider a small metallic cord. Dont wasre your antique trim on this project. Remember you have other trims around the neckline.

[@elizharber3564]

🧵✨