Elizabeth Bennet Wedding Dress: Complete!!

Way back in April, I started on the Lizzy Bennet Wedding Trouseau from the 1995 P&P.  Well,  yesterday I finally finished the coat from the wedding dress!  (Well...I would really like to find a piece of lovely lace for the veil like Lizzy's....)  But anyways....Huzzah!!!  I had been on my back last week with my annual back tweeking, so I didn't think I would be able to finish the coat, let alone do any sewing at all!  But thank God, my back is almost 100% back to normal!!  Yeeeeaaaahhhhh!!!

Anyhoo, here are some images of Lizzy in her fabulous dress as a reminder:

Image source: The Enchanted Garden Tumblr

Alas, I cannot find the source of this image....

My coat.  There are of course some changes that were made.  The tab across the front is larger as it has to cover the waist band of the dress...and the buttons are ivory with a sparkly center.  I tried in vain the locate buttons that were similar to the originals, but no dice.  I have looked high and low for a cross like Lizzy's and finally decided to use a silver cross that I already own!  The lace is left over lace from a Lizzy Wedding bonnet that I made for a client.  My Mama selflessly sacrificed a length for the project.  Thank you Mumsy!!

Some wonderful images of the dress at Lyme Park as taken by the Paula who writes Podheim Blog.

Emma wearing Lizzy's dress.

I'm kind of stressing about the back and how far out it bumps out.  I think it is the thickness of the fabric and the amount of fabric that the coat uses.  But there needed to be that much to go around the dress.  So.....

I did find some examples of the back of pelisses that did stick out this much in fashion plates from this era.  Then I remind myself that this is a movie recreation and not an exact replica of an extant garment, so my desire to have it era correct gets to relax!  Yeah for that!!!

Patterns I used for this pelisse:

I modified Butterick 6074.  The hem of the spencer was too long so it was cut up quite a bit.  Then of course the neckline had to be altered to slope down towards a separated center front.

For the skirt of the pelisse, I used the skirt part of this La Mode Bagatelle pattern and slit the front piece up the center angling it from top to bottom.

The fabulous shoes that I got off of eBay.  I found this awesome Regency Shoe Hack from The Bohemian Belle and decided that until I can own a pair of American Duchess Highbury shoes, these will do nicely!  I will be making a fun cockade for the top of the shoes to cover the base of my tooties...

When I get back from Coco, I am going to add some petersham to the top of the shoes and the place where the side seam in extant examples is placed...but for now, I am happy to have some Regency looking shoes!!  

Onward and upward to my Gala dress!

Be blessed my friends!

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