First Project for 2014 is....

REGENCY!

Is anyone else surprised? Because I kinda am. lol A friend (Dixie, you all know her!) wanted to start a historical costuming group and I said I was down, so we started one. Central Ohio Costuming Society, you can find us on Facebook. And then I read on one of the blogs I follow (The Victorian Needle) that there's a Regency Ball in Michigan in March 2014. I asked Dixie if she was interested and bam! I'm making an outfit in the one era I thought would be the last I tackled. I did a little research, and I could get away with a redingote or something (the ball covers 1790 to 1825, so I do have a little leeway) but I found and fell in love with the open gown so full on Regency it is! Albeit early Regency.

So, my to do list:

1. Regency undergarments: Short stays, chemise and a bodiced petticoat. I already have fabric for the short stays -- white 100% linen and 100% cotton canvas that I found in the remnant bin at Joanns. If I can get on it, I'll do the stays for the HSF 2013 One Metre challenge, if not it'll just go with the rest for the HSF 2014 Under It All challenge.
2. A gown, this will be in white as it seems to be the most common. Plus it'll be easy to dress up or down.
3. And an open robe, probably in pink (for the HSF pink challenge!) in a sari if I can find one I like.

I'm planning to purchase Sense and Sensibility's Regency underthings pattern as well as her Elegant Lady's Closet pattern for the gown. I'll use her tutorial to make the bodiced petticoat based off the gown pattern. And I'm not quite sure on the open robe yet. There aren't a lot of patterns for it out there, so I may have to learn to enlarge and or drape patterns. Eeep.

I also plan to make:

4. A spencer, by cannibalizing the aforementioned Joker coat. It's corduroy which I know they had, but I doubt ladies spencers were a common thing to make from it. But I really love the color so I'm doing it anyways. Since I'm re-using fabric, I'm doing this first to get it done for the Make Do and Mend HSF challenge. I'm going to use the Simplicity Regency dress pattern I have and figure out a pattern for this.
5. A sleeveless spencer, out of some turquoise dupioni silk I have. I don't have a lot left, but it should be enough for a cute little bodice to fancy up my white gown.