Finished Project: 1870s Plaid Evening Bodice & The Social Daunce Irregulars Holiday Ball

This is a multi-purpose blog post because I’ve just finished a new bodice for my plaid 1870s gown and I also ha a lovely time at the Social Daunce Irregulars ball last night.  I took very few pictures, but here are a few of fellow dancers and friends.  I didn’t get picture of most of my friends I saw there, as I had tucked my camera away with my cloak for most of the night, sadly.

Wearing History: Social Daunce Irregulars Ball

Wearing History: Social Daunce Irregulars Ball

Wearing History: Social Daunce Irregulars Ball

The photo above is of my husband and I.

Wearing History: Social Daunce Irregulars Ball Wearing History: Social Daunce Irregulars Ball Wearing History: Social Daunce Irregulars Ball

The Plaid 1870s Gown is one of my favorites I’ve ever made.  Originally it had a day bodice, but I’ve been hanging onto more of the plaid fabric so I could make an evening bodice eventually.  Finally, three years later, I got around to it!  The bodice was made from Truly Victorian’s 1875 Ball Gown Basque pattern.  I was having fitting issues because I’m wearing a late 1860s corset with this outfit (as opposed to the later corset I wore under this dress originally), and this corset had a sort of “tummy pouch” because of the placement of the gores at the front, where later corsets would flatten the tummy more. I was about to embark upon questionable alterations, when Heather of Truly Victorian stepped in and helped with fitting suggestions.  Instead of making it way more complicated, all I had to do was shorten the waist length and let out the darts below the waist.  Easy fix!  Other than that, the pattern fit nearly perfect exactly out of the envelope.  If you make this, I highly suggest using stay tape at the neckline, which helped it keep it’s shape.  I also needed to take the shoulders in a bit at the inside edge, as I have relatively square shoulders.  Interfacing at the front edge helped stabilize the buttonholes, but other than that I made it exactly as the pattern indicated, and I’m quite pleased with the fit and crisp neckline of this bodice.

The trims were plundered from the day bodice version, and the belt/sash was originally worn with my 1869 plaid dress.  I guess I like plaids, as much of a pain as they are to match ;)  Yeah, I know the plaid doesn’t exactly match in the back, but it’s nearly impossible with that curve!  But the rest of it I was pleased with, as I made it in over a few days in blocks of time a few hours each.

I’m happy to now have both a day and an evening version of this gown.  It’s so much fun to wear!

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