1905 Lemon Chiffon Dress

1905 Lemon Chiffon Dress | HistoricalSewing.com
1905 Lemon Chiffon Dress at Costume College

We all have those time periods that call strongly to us. Over and over and over.

The hats. The dresses. The undergarments. The jewelry….

Then you get an opportunity to make it. Not that you didn’t have one before. But it now takes center stage… The moment has arrived. You grasp it, taking it by the horns until the needle stabbing begins and the clock winds down. Then you make adjustments and finally finish it just a few short hours before you have to wear it.

Yellow Chiffon appearing at Costume College
Yellow Chiffon appearing at Costume College with Val in her striped Edwardian dress.

This is my story of the (finally) finished Lemon Chiffon Dress. It wasn’t completely finished when I wore it to Costume College 2012. When the Downton Abbey tea presented by Andover Fabrics arrived in town I knew it must get done.

Jen in Edwardian Undergarments
Jen in Edwardian Undergarments

It all started with the purple corset in January of 2012. Heather over at Truly Victorian had finally ventured into Edwardian styles (much to our eternal appreciation). Then came the undergarments – because you HAVE to have a new set of those when you time travel to a new era.

c.1905-10 photograph
c.1905-10 photograph used for inspiration

Next came the gathering of inspiration photos and pictures of antique garments. (All calling your name and saying “Make me! Make me NOW!”)

My budget and stash of patterns kept me at bay though. Fortunately it yielded an antique McCalls pattern that I decided to use for the bodice. By making a really expensive mockup.

1905 Bodice in striped seersucker
1905 Bodice in striped seersucker

The fabric is a yellow & white striped cotton seersucker. Yum. The bodice trim was cut from bright yellow silk (same as the belt) and covered with a 1.25″ flat lace and edged with a 5/8″ edging lace. All was hand tacked down to the bodice along the neckline and sleeves.

1905 Sleeve trim
Sleeve trim made from yellow silk taffeta, 1.25″ flat lace and edging lace
Cutting out 1905 skirt
Cutting out 1905 skirt

The skirt was made straight from Truly Victorian TVE21 1903 Trumpet Skirt. Each panel was cut separately (this was fun on the floor!) with the 6″ sweep train. Although I love the skirt, the train it can be a bit bothersome in a crowd. Next time this will be made with the street walking length. The skirt hem was finished with a 3″ facing from polished cotton.

Pinning Ruffle onto 1905 Foundation Skirt
Pinning Ruffle onto 1905 Foundation Skirt

The foundation skirt (aka lining) is made from China silk from Dharma Trading. The hem ruffle was gathered up using my machine gathering foot then mounted on by machine.

1905 Dress worn in winter
1905 Dress worn in winter

When I wore the dress in 2012 the bodice back opening did not have all the hook & loops yet so it was pinned shut for wearing. I finished tacking them in December 2013 to wear to a Downton Abbey Tea. I also made a down & dirty version of Wearing History’s 1910s Edwardian Blouse. That went together quite easily for a straight-0ut-of-the-box, need-now project. I want to make the blouse again in an allover lace and elbow sleeves.

Right, then!  Now what’s next?….. I think an 1897 walking/sporting dress. 🙂

Don’t you love getting those old UFO projects finished? 

10 thoughts on “1905 Lemon Chiffon Dress

  1. Ronda David-Burroughs says:

    You inspire me! If you had no other reason to have a costuming blog, the fact that you look like any of us (i.e., not a 14 year old emaciated model), and look fantastic, gives us hope we could look as good as you. That’s a good reason!

    I don’t have trouble with the color yellow; as an artist, you chose a color that lights up your face, and you have the skin tone that’s perfect for it.

    Now, enough of my talking – get to work and inspire us some more.

    Sincerely,
    Ronda

  2. K. Winter says:

    Wow -you’ve pulled off the impossible! I’ve been told many times that “White girls can’t wear yellow!”
    Though I’m not big on the colour myself, you look fantastic in that dress, and the colour scheme suits it perfectly. Bravo!
    (With my Irish Canadian pallor, dark, dark Serbian hair, and light grey eyes, I’m going to continue avoiding yellow like the plague.)

  3. raelene says:

    love the gloves! so very pretty and you wear that color well I find yellow to be a tough color to pull off on adults no matter the time period

    • Jennifer Rosbrugh says:

      Thanks. The gloves are vintage mid-20th century and are nylon (probably). I’m also a summer in coloring so the light yellows with blue undertones tend to work with me. But I’m always cautious with yellows.

  4. LadyD says:

    Looks very summery. I keep eyeing up the ‘golfing’ outfit in ‘Edwardian Modiste’ I think made up in the right fabric it could work for both modern and historical. Probably need some kind of ‘sports’ corset to wear with it though. 😉

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