V194: More Robe a l'Anglaise Problem Solving

Just getting any idea of final look, with one panel of skirt pinned on, and some trim pinned to the CF - the trim will go around the neckline and down the front edges of the skirt, too.

Here is some more progress on the Robe a l'Anglaise I've been working on (or battling).

I started over from the last post. There were just too many problems, the main one being the entirely too-short waist. After re-measuring and adjusting the waist length on FrankenLilly (again), I dropped the waist on all the pattern pieces, and even then still had to add a shoulder strap extension.

Things pinned into place - the waist hasn't been finished yet, but will pull all the rumples out of the bodice once stretched and smoothed into the waist seam, and weight down by the skirt.

I learned that the reason version 1 of this bodice didn't close in front is because I did not factor any ease into my pattern, which when all made up with the medium-weight lining and outer fabric (never mind future boning additions), "shrunk" the bodice overall, making it too small. Letting out the side and side-back seams only helped with the waist, and unfortunately wouldn't let the bust out. Special thanks goes to Jennifer Rosbrugh for this article about "historical ease."

New back, with shoulder straps set way in. No boning, or waste finishing yet.

So now the new bodice fits, but then it was on to the sleeves, another adventure in wasted fabric and obsessive 3 am basting. I have learned SO much about sleeves and armscyes, and now there are indeed two sleeves on the bodice, and they do go on over my arms, but are still constricting. I have much to learn about sleeves yet.

It's a sleeve, albeit a little tight over the front of the shoulder still.

So now it is on to getting the hooks and bars placed correctly (nope, no pinning fronts for me: not only do I not care for effect, but this fabric is very difficult to pin through), adding in some bodice stiffeners, including boning, and beginning the fun process of stretching and turning the waist under to get that perfect, smooth, tight fit.