The 1770s-90s are a time of experimentation and transition in cutting and patternmaking techniques. In the first 3/4 of the 18th century women’s sleeves are almost always cut so stripes run horizontally across the sleeves. However, in the last quarter of the 18th c both grainlines are used, so stripes can run either way.
We thought you might enjoy seeing some of the inspiration behind the Angelica Gown. Every Scroop + Virgil’s historical pattern starts with research. We look at extant garments in private collections and museums. We assemble huge inspiration boards of items from online databases, noting details and similar design and construction elements. Then we start parsing and sorting. What elements are commonly seen together? What aesthetic features do we really want to include? What construction features do we really want to include? Is there a particular garment that is the starting point for the whole design, or are we mixing common elements? Here’s what we ended up with for the Angelica Gown! The Angelica Gown pattern is available as a digital download from ScroopPatterns.com, and as a paper pattern from Virgil’s Fine Goods. View A Front: This was an easy pick! I absolutely love the neckline of this gown, and the waist edge, with its sharp curve and truncated point. This shape shows up on other extant garments, and in fashion plates, so it was a …
It’s time for everyone’s favourite part of a pattern launch! Tester makes! Testers are fabulous! They allow you to see what the pattern looks like in a whole range of fabrics, styled on in a whole bunch of different ways, on a whole range of bodies. They also help us make sure we deliver you the best possible pattern. They point out any bits that are rough or confusing. They provide feedback on things we can’t decide between: we could include X or Y, but not both. Which is better from their perspective? So we are so immensely grateful to the people who are willing to pattern test. Thank you so much! There were so many AMAZING testers for the Angelica Gown pattern, and they took so many gorgeous photos, and some of them even made multiple versions of the gown (which has to be a very good sign about how good the pattern is!) that we can’t cover them all in one post, so here’s just a small sampling. 💛 View A: Natalie of …
