103.8-18 Apron Front Dress, c.1799
I first saw this gown in a hotel room where its owner was sharing its purchase with a group of enthusiastic costume lovers. I fell in love with this chocolate colored dress and asked if I could borrow it for the pattern series.
I have to admit the sleeve shape on this one really through me for a loop. It took several tries to set them in correctly. I did not realize how dominant our current sleeve shape is ingrained until I tried setting what looked like the sleeve head (it isn’t) towards the back of the armscye.
In sample mode I tried this one one of our local museum staff and she asked why I had tucked in the frill when it looked nicer on the outside. Back to the costume books and there are many examples of the bodice “frill” being worn over the apron front but it is not all that obvious. Your choice on how you want to wear it.
I suggest setting in the sleeve by hand. You will have less hair pulling. My first muslin was sewn all by hand and it really didn’t take that long. I was sitting with a group of parents in a hall while our kids were in rehearsal all day. It was a very pleasant way to pass the time and I got a good deal of it done that day.
The original gown belonged to the Nathan Pierson family in the Richmond/Pittsburgh area of Massachusetts. Not much else is known about its specific history. The style of the gown, however, is a typical transitional dress from the waisted gowns of the 1770s and 1780s to the rising waistlines the early 1790s to what we know as the Empire Style of the 1800s. The use of the shoulder strap construction and ties for closure are holder-overs from earlier sewing techniques, as is the method of attaching the self to the lining. The high waistline and very long sleeves speak to a very stylish and fashionable garment.