#4 - Make a Regency Dress and Spencer

The Regency/Napoleonic period is one of my favorites when it comes to women's clothing. It was a real pleasure to make this outfit and the Australian Costumers Guild picnic that I wore it to for the first time was such a lovely, wonderful day.


The corset was made from 4 layers of cotton - entirely handsewn, the sewing, cording, quilting, eyelets and binding. It was my first attempt at a corset ever. The corset was based on a pattern from Jean Hunnisette's book 'Costume for the Stage and Screen 1800 - 1900'.

The cotton chemise was based on a Kannik's Korner pattern. As were the stockings.

The dress pattern was one from Jane Arnold's book for the period and made of cotton muslin. Mostly handsewn also - only because I doubted my ability to sew the curved back seams on a machine!

The spencer was a big deal for me because it was the first pattern I ever drafted myself. I used the sketch and details of a spencer in Norah Bradfield's book 'Costume in Detail', making a toille by draping fabric on my sewing dummy. It is made of a pretty blue dupion silk.

The bonnet is made based on a design in an Ackerman's fashion plate - the brim was made by sewing some woven straw braid together. I then added a circle of the same dupion silk then trimmed it with feathers and paper flowers.