One Gown: Many Impressions

Larkin & Smith - English Gown Pattern
http://atthesignofthegoldenscissors.com

One of the questions we have been getting about our English Gown Pattern is, "The original is a silk gown, I portray a Rev War camp follower, will this pattern work for me?  The answer is "absolutely" and here's why...

Eighteenth century dress makers were very creative when it came making beautiful gowns. They had fabulous fabrics to work with, ones specifically woven for making gowns, as well as lovely trims and laces designed for adorning these wearable confections.  One the other hand, when it came to the actual "form" of the English Gown, the basic parts and construction were pretty much the same, whether you are making a fancy silk gown or a simple linsey-woolsy one.  Think about a gown as a line drawing - it can be simple and unadorned or you can add color, designs, and decorations.

(These three gowns were made with the same pattern but with different trimmings and fabrics)

If you are portraying a Revolutionary War camp follower, you are reenacting the years from 1775-1783, and will need a gown that works well for that time period.  The stomacher front/en fourreau back gown, not only fits well into that date range, it will also have you covered your for pre-War events like the Boston Tea Party and Battle Road.

Gown with optional cuffs

We have included a few variations in the pattern to help you adapt the gown for your impression.  The original gown is a silk tobine self trimmed with ruching and sleeve flounces.  However, if you are making a gown for a camp follower, you should opt for a simpler and more appropriate sleeve treatment and skip the trimming.  Included in the pattern is a longer sleeve for wearing without sleeve flounces and an optional cuff pattern piece, which you can use for your worsted or linen camp follower gown. However, the most important part, is to select a fabric that is appropriate for your impression and documentable to the period. Do your research, it will pay off in accuracy and confidence in your impression.

Next: The Documentation Card

Introducing Larkin & Smith Historical Patterns: English Gown

http://atthesignofthegoldenscissors.com/products/18th-century-english-gown

Ever wish you could attend a gown workshop but couldn’t travel to where it was being held or fit it into your schedule?  Have you put off making an en fourreau/stomacher front English gown because you have no idea how to translate the gridded diagrams from the books in your library into something that resembles a real garment?  Our new pattern will solve your dilemma!

Introducing the first gown pattern from "Larkin & Smith" – and it’s an English Gown.  The gown workshop offered by Hallie Larkin and Steph Smith has been transformed into a pattern along with a 34 page instruction manual with color plates and illustrations.  It is truly a workshop in an envelope.

The instructions will take you through the step by step process of making a reproduction gown using period techniques. We think you will find, as we have, conducting this workshop through the years, that even the novice seamstress, with little to no experience, can create a well fitting and authentically constructed gown.

The pattern is taken from an original in a private collection and is typical of many English gowns made from the 1760s to the end of the 1770s.

The pattern can be purchased through At the Sign of the Golden Scissors website. www.atthesignofthegoldenscissors.com and is available in sizes 34 – 43 (these are bust measurements in stays).  Coming shortly are sizes 45 - 51.

We hope you enjoy using the pattern as much as we enjoyed making it for you!

It's available now at http://atthesignofthegoldenscissors.com/products/18th-century-english-gown

As a thank your for ordering, we'll include 12 longs pins for use in closing your finished gown. Each pattern also includes a documentation card.

Next: About developing the pattern