The Larkin and Smith English gown(s)

 I started these bad boys back in 2018 when I was nannying for a friend, who still has an amazing fabric stash for projects. (I'm more the person who says, ooo, I want that fabric for this specific project. She, on the other hand, just buys the fabric, and worries about the project later). 

Part of my remuneration for watching her kids was yardage and yardage and yardage of a beautiful yellow and mauve linen stripe and a mauve worsted wool. I never knew wool could feel like this. It's not scratchy. It's wonderfully smooth. I've been watching Burnley and Trowbridge for another worsted, and I think I may need to purchase the Aurora lightweight stuffs - it's like the color of peach skin.  

Anyway. I've been bungling my way through these gowns for the last two years. I got busy with work, with grad school, and then COVID happened, and suddenly I found myself with a lot more time on my hands than I anticipated. It didn't hurt that I was able to meet up with friends for a sewing weekend and ask questions about construction that frankly, I couldn't figure out from reading the instructions. 

They're mixed parts of hand and machine sewn - I did blind hems on the linen gown and petticoat so I could have one of the gowns for sure ready for the coming weekend. 

 

Update: It's the end of January, and I'm almost done sewing the wool worsted! It looks like I made a mistake with the sleeves, which I have to go back and fix, but it's not a big deal. What is unfortunate is that I have these two finished gowns and no events to wear them to, thanks to COVID!

March 27 - I was a fool and didn't line the sleeves, and am having a devil of a time finishing off the sleeve hems. I don't want to have to take the sleeves off and construct them in the period manner and put them back on, but it's looking like that's the best solution. Why didn't I in the first place? I was on a weekend sewing retreat when I cut the sleeves, pressed for time, it was Sunday, there wasn't linen to make linings... I could go on. I should have waited. 

I did actually get to wear the linen gown during Read Across America week, it was "Different Decade Thursday" so I freaked the kids out and went with a different century entirely. A few of the parents thought I was Amish.