Talk of the Ton
- wingedmermaid
- Jun 13, 2024
- 3 min read
Dearest Gentle Reader...
Like many people, I've recently been swept up in Bridgerton mania. I've always enjoyed anything that has to do with the Regency era -- mostly thanks to a love of Jane Austen's works (have I ever mentioned that my cat is named "Darcy"?). But I must confess that I didn't share the excitement over the series until this season -- when I heard it would be centered around Penelope and Collin. The first season didn't really grip me enough to finish it, and I didn't watch the second, but I so liked the idea of Penelope being the the one to find love this time, I watched a few recap videos and dove right in. I tend to prefer shows that are a little less raunchy (honestly, give me a good hand flex or an almost kiss after a rejected proposal in the rain any day), so I'm not sure if I'll go back and finish season 1 or 2, but I did really enjoy season 3, so maybe I'll give the others a shot.
Sew-endipity
As I mentioned in this post, I'm always the most motivated to work on something when there's a fun event involved. Seeing everyone so excited for season three and posting pictures of their dolls in Regency dress, it almost felt like another AGIG costume event. At the same time, I'd just recently unearthed about a quarter yard of lavender jacquard fabric I'd bought maybe a decade ago (the things you find when you declutter!). After seeing beautiful dress after dress, I decided I wanted to use it to try my hand at making a Regency gown for my dolls, too.
I used DollsatHeartPatterns's "The Regency Evening Gown" pattern (Etsy) and it was absolutely worth every penny. The recommended skill level is "intermediate," but thanks to the excellent photos and instructions, this "confident beginner" sewist was able to get through it and learn a lot in the process! It was the first time I'd ever heard of things like "stay tape" or "undersewing," and it gave me good practice with hand sewing.
I made sure to take my time and work carefully. With so little fabric to spare, I didn't have much room for mistakes. Here are some progress shots to give you an idea of the process...
As usual, Elizabeth was my sewing helper. Every time I tried the dress on her and checked that it was fitting well, I grew more and more excited with the progress I was making. It took a while to make the dress this first time, but I have a hunch a second attempt would go much faster. I might even make a top using the dress bodice as a guide -- the bodice and sleeves together looked so cute when I tried them on Lizzie!
To finish off the dress, I added a ribbon around the waist and a tiny bow at the center of the bodice. I thought about adding a few beads or some lace, but I decided I wanted to keep the dress more "Bridgerton" and less "Featherington."
Practice Makes Progress
When the dress was complete, I decided the look was still missing something -- gloves! I used AnnVanDorenDesigns's doll gloves pattern (Etsy), which was also very easy to understand, but was a little tricky due to the size and fabric of the gloves. My first attempt was horrendous. It looked like I'd made a stretch tulle cow udder! By the fourth attempt, I was pretty happy with the gloves I'd made. They're definitely not perfect, but they read well in photos.
The Day has Arrived!
Today (6/13/24) was the release of part two of season three of Bridgerton. To celebrate, I dressed Mia in the gown and gloves, and printed off a small copy of Lady Whistledown's society paper. Together, she, Elizabeth and I have quickly devoured the last four episodes. Judging by the posts I'm seeing on AGIG today, we're definitely not the only ones! ;D
Happy watching!
