The Great Pattern Review
Patterns of Fashion
by Janet Arnold
Mari Jo Young - Highly Recommended
This book has the most successful patterns I have tried. The patterns are drawn from dresses in museums; they are extremely comfortable to wear. You must be experienced in pattern drafting and tailoring. Do not attempt any of them unless you are an advanced tailor/seamstress. They are fun to work with if you have the necessary knowledge. Remember the sizing is only approximately 1 square = 1 inch. The finished size is not given, so you must continually check your measurements.
Monique Motyl
It is very important to remember that each of these garments was custom-made for a specific person whose body type probably won't match yours. In addition to grading the pattern, you will need to consider the shoulders, torso length, neck length, etc. All of this can be done with your muslin. You'll also find that some of the construction may, at times, seem odd. This may be due to limitations in the amount of fabric available for the garment.
c.1745-55 Sack Dress from The Victoria and Albert Museum - Patterns of Fashion 1
Jana Keeler - Recommended
I used an overhead projector to enlarge the pattern pieces onto the wall. When I got them close to the measurements I needed, I just traced the pattern pieces onto butcher paper. I read the instructions carefully and went slowly. It all went together very well. It creates a beautiful gown. Gayl Packard is wearing the gown made by Jana in this photo.
c.1770-5 Sack Dress from Snowshill Manor - Patterns of Fashion 1
Monique Motyl - Highly Recommended
These are great patterns but, not for the inexperienced or impatient. It took a lot of twisting my brain around this pattern to understand the construction. The under-lacing in back blew my mind away. I watched the opening scene of Dangerous Liaisons over and over to help me understand the garments. The pleating of the fabric over the panier is really a neat effect.
c.1780-90 Gown from The Gallery of English Costume - Patterns of Fashion 1
Denisen Hartlove - Recommended
I found the fitting to be tricky and frustrating. I had to get help. I chose to leave off the vandyked collar. Denisen is wearing the dress in the photo on the right. The handsome man with her (in the photo to the right) is husband Jay, the talented costumer who helped her solve the fitting problems.
c.1795-1800 Half Robe from Snowshill Manor - Patterns of Fashion 1
Sally Norton - Highly Recommended
Not all difficult to scale; there are so few pieces. The fit is adjustable by two drawstrings; one at the neck and the other at the waist; therefore, the fitting required during construction is minimal. I made it in a pale blue stripped cotton print and added matching blue ribbon work on the sleeves. It turned out very well and, worn over a muslin gown, is a really charming ensemble for daywear.
c.1798-1805 Drop-Front Gown from Salisbury Museum- Patterns of Fashion 1
Katherine Caron-Greig - Highly Recommended
I had been trying to figure out exactly how a drop-front gown worked so when I found the perfect embroidered linen-cotton blend I knew I had to try one. I found the Janet Arnold pattern quite easy to work with. Of course, it helped the the original was almost exactly my size! I scaled up the pattern by hand, which was much easier than I thought it would be. The construction details in the book are quite helpful, though I wish there were a few more, such as exactly how the lining and outer fabric are attached. I wanted to make a long sleeved dress, so I used the under-sleeve pattern which I extended with the Sense and Sensibility long sleeve pattern. The pleating instructions for the skirt are very clear, and result in two invisible side plackets. I didn't run into any problems making this dress; overall a much better experience than the average pattern. Pictured on left.
Teresa Liao - Recommended
The biggest challenge with this dress was scaling it up and modifying the original pattern to fit me. After the fit was right, the dress itself went together in no time. I modified the sleeve to remove the puffed upper sleeve and extend the long false sleeve all the way up to the armscye. I also skimped a bit on the skirt width, but this didn't end up presenting a problem at all as there is already plenty of fullness at the back of the skirt. Combined with the pattern markings and the illustrations, the construction notes are sufficient to get the dress put together; however, I did have a couple creative problem solving moments. I never could figure out how exactly to attach the front skirt and the drop-front to the waistband; I ended up just sandwiching the skirt piece into the folded over waistband and then hand stitching the bottom edge of the drop-front in place. I also didn't know how to attach the bodice lining, so I just made up two bodices (one of fashion fabric and the other of muslin), sewed them together and turned them through the armscyes. Pictured on right.
c.1806-9 Frock from The Victoria and Albert Museum - Patterns of Fashion 1
Monique Motyl - Recommended
The original owner had very wide shoulders. There was no way that wide square neckline was not going to fall the shoulders. I had to redraft the bodice pieces. After I got a bodice that fit, everything went smoothly. The result is very pretty and fits well.
c.1818-23 Pelisse from Gloucester Museum - Patterns of Fashion 1
Monique Motyl
I used the bodice pieces to make this as a Spenser. The amount of hand-work is staggering. If you attempt this, do not put any time constraints on yourself. It's taken me a long time (I'm still not quite done). I cannot imagine doing all this hand-work around the hem for the Pelisse. Neither the scaling nor the construction are difficult --- it's all about the trimming which is all done by hand. I've had several starts and stops struggling with different approaches.
c.1852-6 Day Dress from The Victoria and Albert Museum - Patterns of Fashion 1
Lisa Prindle - Recommended
The skirt pattern went together easily. It looks fantastic. I've used it for many different dresses. It proves that the Simplicity 9761 patttern uses too much fabric in the skirt.
The bodice pattern gave me high blood pressure. My muslin worked fine but, for whatever reason, once I cut out the fashion fabric, I started having issues. My first problem was the lack of balance marks to align the low-cut lining to the high-cut outer bodice. Then the extremely fat back shoulder seams compounded the fitting problem. Then I ran out of fabric, so I couldn't recut the darn thing.
The pleats over the shoulder were very easy to do as was the shirring. Overall, the main problem was in the fit at the shoulders and rounded neckline. I fiddled with it over and over again but, finally gave up. Purchase Past Patterns Fan Front Bodice 801. Your husband/significant other/mother/cat will thank you.
c.1856-60 Wedding Dress from The Victoria and Albert Museum - Patterns of Fashion 1
Lisa Prindle - Recommended for those with patience.
I made the jacket bodice. Be prepared to spend more time fussing with the pattern than sewing the garment. Once enlarged, I had to slash and spread the pattern in slivers all over my dress form. The original garment (and pattern) are extremely small. The finished product is more than worth the trouble. Once I had a the pattern pieces in the correct size, the garment assembled easily. I had to cut the neckline lower than is historically accurate. My friend (for whom I was making the garment) is uncomfortable wearing high necklines.
c.1861-3 Day Dress from The London Museum - Patterns of Fashion 2
Lisa Prindle - Highly Recommended
I made the bodice. This pattern has unusually angled front darts that REALLY flatter the figure. I only had to add to the side seams and add a bit at the shoulder seams to fit a modern size 14. The pleated peplum assembled easily. The sleeves are a keeper with an unusual 'W" shape. I cheated and used pre-pleated ribbon trim to outline the jacket front and peplum.
c.1861-4 Evening Dress from The Gallery of English Costume - Patterns of Fashion 2
Lisa Prindle - Highly Recommended
Before Simplicity came out with their ballgown pattern, I used the Janet Arnold pattern for a pleated Berthe. The original gown illustrated in Patterns of Fashion has the Berthe closing at the shoulder rather than at the center back (as does the Simplicity gown). This side closure makes much more sense. It is not difficult to make the pattern fit any ballgown bodice. Just take your time drafting the pattern and mark all of your pleating lines.
c.1868-9 Promenade Dress from The Victoria and Albert Museum - Patterns of Fashion 2
Monique Motyl - Highly Recommended
Their are a lot of pieces to this ensemble but, they are all straightforward shapes and easy to scale. It goes together perfectly without any problems. There is a lot of handwork; none of particularly difficult --- just a lot of it. The result is beautiful and worth all the effort.
c.1870-1 Day Dress and Evening Bodice from The Gallery of English Costume - Patterns of Fashion 2
Lorraine Carson
Whoever owned the original garment definitely had a body shape different from mine. I had to work with the fit and make adjustments but, I am happy with the finished garment. Lorraine's skirt is pictured on the left.
Monique Motyl - Recommended
I made the Bodice for Evening Wear. It is a very good pattern. This evening bodice will be worn with the 1868-9 Skirt and Overskirt from Promenade Dress in The Victorian and Albert Museum. Because the Promenade dress has bows, I added bows to the evening bodice. Pictured on the right.
c.1874-7 Day Dress from Gloucester Museum - Patterns of Fashion 2
Kendra Van Cleave - Highly Recommended
I only made the skirt. It makes a gorgeous early natural form period silhouette. A few construction notes that I learned the hard way: Arnold tells you to cut the center front shirred panel just under two times wider than the drawn pattern piece. What she neglects to mention is that you'll also lose length (in addition to width), so cut the panel at least 1/4 longer so that you have room to work with. If I made the pattern again, I might move the opening to the side rather than the center back, which ends up being part of the draped back and seems like a slightly odd place to have an opening. Line the center back piece with net (I used two layers) so that the poufs stand out. I used hooks and eyes for the vertical tapes at the center back (eyes sewn to the skirt, hooks sewn to the tape) so that I could open up the skirt for ironing. For the trim around the hem, you'll want to experiment to find the right amount of fabric to put into the pleated section. I wasn't able to get the "flopping over" look and ended up with more of a fan. You'll definitely want to wear it over a petticoat with ruffles down the back and a bustle pad to give the correct silhouette.
c.1882-3 Dinner Dress from The London Museum - Patterns of Fashion 2
Michaela de Bruce - Highly Recommended
I found the pattern to be very simple, all the shaping of the polonaise was in the front darts, which could be altered to fit each person. As long as you left the neckline until after the darts, there should be no problem. I had to deal with a very small amount of fabric, and I altered the sleeves be look like a favorite fashion plate from Harpers Bazaar. I also had no where near enough fabric for the train, so altered the polonaise pleats into the back seams. It is a forgiving pattern and will allow a fair whack of experimentation. However you have to fit it, even if it's just inside out on yourself. Next time I will make it with lining and fabric in one, and out of a softer less brittle fabric.
c.1887-9 Day Dress from The Victoria and Albert Museum - Patterns of Fashion 2
Monique Motyl - Recommended
This is a very challenging pattern but, it is worth all the effort. The pattern requires a lot of study to figure it out. The bustle is built into the skirt. The construction is complex. You'll need a lot of time and patience and you'll need to be the sort of person who enjoys figuring things out. It's worth the effort. The result is beautiful.
c.1893 Evening Dress from The London Museum - Patterns of Fashion 2
Monique Motyl
The original owner had very wide shoulder. I made this for someone whose shoulder are completely different. This required re-shaping the bodice and that meant re-shaping the sleeve over-drape. The velvet sections of the bodice were cut on the bias, probably due to economy of fabric. The instructions note that will cause the fabric to wrinkle. Instead of velvet, I made this gown of moire (the body) and satin (replacing the velvet). The change of fabric meant I didn't have the support velvet would provide to the sleeves. Velvet has enough body to hold up the over-sleeve; satin does not. I had to build an under-structure using a heavy interfacing and rows of gathered net.
c.1902-3 Day Dress from The Gallery of English Costume - Patterns of Fashion 2
Monique Motyl - Recommended
This one is definitely for experienced sewers. It is a fantastically complicated pattern. The Edwardian underpinnings are complicated to understand and tricky to do. It takes care and concentration to get it right. The scale drawing is absolutely perfect. I didn't have any problem scaling the pattern; you could just count squares to scale it up. It was easy.
c.1913-4 Afternoon Dress from The Victoria and Albert Museum - Patterns of Fashion 2
Heidi Schultz
Not an easy pattern! You really need to be able to drape a pattern to get this to work. The under-bodice and underskirt went together easily and the pattern shapes given worked quite well. The draped overskirt is cut out in a very odd way, that did not work for me at all, so I draped it myself and got much the same effect. I think they original might also have been done this way; I can't think of how else you would get the shape of the piece and the odd placement of the pleats at the hem front. The Magyar bodice doesn't enlarge well, so be prepared to drape that as well. I ended up altering the top, and made kimono sleeves instead, leaving the neck line open, because I don't care for high collars. Since I couldn't find any skunk fur trim (like the original) I used a marabou boa around the hem and cuffs.
c.1915-6 Afternoon Dress from Centre de Documentation du Costume - Patterns of Fashion 2
Monique Motyl - Recommended
I love how the ruffles are created. A 1/16" cord is run through the top of the fabric, then the fabric is gathered up to create the ruffle. The cord holds the whole thing up and makes a beautiful piped edge. The understructure is net; I chose to make the understructure out of the same light cotton I'm using for the dress. Sally Norton is wearing the dress Monique made.
c.1917-8 Afternoon Dress from The Victoria and Albert Museum - Patterns of Fashion 2
Monique Motyl
Gr-r-r-r-r-r! This pattern is making me crazy. No thread seems to be strong enough for all the gathering. The sleeves are mounted on the under-bodice. It's like 2 dresses in one; they are only attached at the shoulders. I didn't pipe all the seams (as in the original garment) and I choose to self-line the entire over-bodice.