English Country Dance Costumes

I wanted a summery cotton dress to wear at conference in April.  As it turned out, no-one wore costume during the day, and I didn’t take my ball gown for the evening reception, so I was a bit miffed!  However, it got me sewing on my nice piece of fabric that I had been saving, and now I have a nice cool summer outfit.

I had been looking at the Fig Leaf front opening dress as a model of a North American pattern.  It is taken from an extant dress in Massachusetts.  I thought the Sensibility pattern could be adapted for this, and so made the bodice with a front opening and two drawstrings, neckline and underbust.  I had a small frill below the underbust drawstring, but it is not quite long enough to prevent the apron front skirt from slipping down, and I added some hooks and thread eyes to support it.  Inside the dress I added a small bum roll to hold out the gathers on the skirt.

Bodice with underlining pinned across bosom, apron front down.

Bodice closed with two drawstrings and apron front up.

Inside dress with bum roll sewn in just below underbust line.

Spencer and reticule added.

Here is the bonnet I wear with it

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