Extremely large puffed sleeves were highly fashionable during the early Victorian Era, but as these sleeves reached their greatest proportions, they began to deflate and droop eventually giving way to gently sloping shoulders. By the 1850s the fullness of the sleeves had dropped from the shoulders to below the elbow. This evolution of fashion took place just as the Industrial Revolution was gaining momentum so fabric was still very expensive and clothing still time consuming to make. Practical women kept up with the latest fashions by having their old dresses altered. To tame the excessively large puffed sleeves, dressmakers often pleated the excess fabric around the upper pushing the fullness more toward the elbow.
Extra instructions are included in this PDF pattern by Thimbles and Acorns for special details such as the smocked sleeves, pleated skirt, and piped seams.
Supplies Needed:
Dress:
-2/3 yard lightweight woven fabric such as cotton or cotton blends. Not suitable for knits
Contrast for the Collar and the Undersleeves:
- 1/6 yard lightweight woven fabric such as cotton batiste, muslin, or handkerchief linen (scrap pieces or fat quarters work well). Not suitable for knits.
Contrast for Piping and Belt:
- 1/4 yard lightweight fabric such as lawn, silk, or taffeta. Not suitable for knits.
Lining:
- 1/6 yard lightweight fabric such as cotton batiste or muslin (scrap pieces or fat quarter work well). Lining may be white or another color that compliments the dress fabric. Not suitable for knits.
Trim:
-2 yards soutache braid
Closures:
- 5 size 4/0 snaps. 1 size 1/0 snap. 3-inches of 1/2-inch wide hook and loop tape or 1/4-inch buttons may be used instead of snaps
Finishing:
-5 small buttons to conceal snaps, 1 ribbon buckle with a 1/2-inch slide, and 1 decorative shank button to attach at the collar
Skill Level: Intermediate; The basic pattern itself is not too difficult, but some sewing experience is helpful.
What You Get: One 17 page sewing pattern that you digitally download as a PDF file so you can start your project immediately! The PDF sewing pattern provides step-by-step digitally drawn illustrated instructions and full size pattern pieces. A PDF reader is required to view and print the files (example: Adobe Reader or Preview for MAC). The download link is received immediately after the transaction is complete. Print copies are NOT available.
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