Fashion is where expression meets practicality and lures it into the realm of the extreme. Though fashion trends have a tendency to push the limits, practicality always manages to bring them back into balance... at least for a time. Full skirts were the hallmark of the early Victorian era and by the 1860s they had expanded to as wide as six feet in diameter. However, as railroads began forging paths around the world, women began to travel more and more. Full skirts and crinolines made for poor traveling companions and the boundary for this fashion trend had been reached. Still, it would be a gallant exit. The 1870s saw a great boom in the textile industry. Hand looms were replaced by more efficient steam driven power looms which resulted in a larger supply of cloth and fancy trims at greatly reduced prices. The great cage crinolines were shed and the surplus fabric from the full skirts was draped in elaborately decorated layers and pulled toward the back in large bustles that were reminiscent of those worn a century earlier. The fashionable silhouette had become smaller and more mobile, but what was lost in size was more than made up for with the elaborate trimming which would become the hallmark of the later Victorian Era.
This dress pattern features a basque bodice that closes in in the front with five buttons or snaps and 3/4 length sleeves finished with two piece turned cuffs. The simple five paneled bustle skirt has a slight flair and extra fullness in the back giving it ample room to be worn over a bustle. A draped overskirt gives this dress a quintessential Early Bustle Period look. The overskirt can be attached directly to the underskirt or mounted on a separate waistband to allow for mixing and matching pieces.
This dress can be worn by itself, but for the full effect it is recommended that it is worn over our Primrose Chemise and Lobster Tail Bustle.
This PDF sewing pattern by Thimbles and Acorns is designed to fit 18-inch dolls such as American Girl®.
Recommended Fabrics: Dress and Lining in lightweight woven fabric such as cotton, cotton blends gingham, lawn, linen, or silk. Not suitable for knits.
Supplies Needed: Fabric:
Dress ~ 2/3 yard (2/3 m)
Lining ~ 1/4 yard (1/4 m) Scrap pieces or fat quarters work well
Note: Fabric amounts are generous; most items can be cut from leftover pieces of fabric.
Notions:
Thread; three yards lace, ribbon, or bias tape; nine 3/8-inch (9 mm) decorative buttons; 5 small snaps; one medium snap
Skill Level: Intermediate
What You Get: One 29 page sewing pattern that you digitally download as a PDF file so you can start your project immediately! The PDF sewing pattern provides full color step-by-step 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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Pixie Faire and the designers featured are not affiliated with American Girl®.
