The tea gown: draping the bodice
With my design worked out and my fabric sorted, it was time to drape a pattern for my tea gown. First though, I had to figure out how it was going to go together and fasten. So here is my basic design (on the right): After confusing you all by asking how you thought the one on the left got put on (that’s easy – under the flap on the PL front) when I meant the right, and getting every possible suggestion on how it might go together, (my favourite being “drink the bottle labelled ‘drink me’, shrink to size, climb into the dress, and then eat the cookie labelled ‘eat me’ and grown until you fit it again”) I decided on what I thought was the most likely historically-accurate option. My tea gown will have a basic bodice support which will fasten up the centre front with hooks. The lace overbodice will be sew into the gown on one side, and will wrap over the bodice support and fasten on the other side with …