One of my customers purchased this gown at auction a few years ago and sent me detailed photographs so I could study the drawstring closure and short sleeve/undersleeve combination. I didn’t end up making the drawstring bodice in my Elegant Lady’s Closet as gathered as this one, but I absolutely love this look. You’ll note [...]

Hi Jennie, I just wanted to write to you to show you the dresses that came out of our costuming operation for the last show we worked on. My co-costumer Alyssa J. made both a dress from the Elegant Lady’s Closet and the draw-string neckline gown. I have to say, during the run of this [...]

Prefer to shop offline? We still have a few hundred copies of the 2005 catalog in stock–good while supplies last!

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My son has scanned a bunch of beautiful vintage magazines, pattern covers, and more. We’ll be putting one up this Friday for free before it turns into a Dollar Download. Leave a comment here and let us know what you’d like to see as this Friday’s freebie. Something late Victorian? Edwardian? 1940s? Thanks!

Dear Mrs. Chancey, Thank you so much for your wonderful patterns! I have been making Regency gowns from your pattern for some years now and I have so enjoyed them! I made this dress in January to wear to a wedding shower. It is now one of my favorite things to wear! Caroline F. Stunning [...]

Hi Jennie! I’ve enjoyed your patterns for seven or eight years now, but I’ve never been able to get my show and tell submissions to work (I’m not at all techie). I love the new site, and how easy everything is! Here are some pictures of the romantic era outfit I made about five years [...]

This year I went with my mother to a Jane Austen Ball & High Tea organised by the Jane Austen Society Holland. I loved it!!! We sewed both the Regency Gowns. Marijke What a fun event, and you did a wonderful job with the outfits, Marijke!

Regency fashion is beautiful and elegant. I have wanted to attempt a dress from that era for ages, but being a novice sewer, I never even considered it. After reading many blogs and visiting this site several times I gave it a go.

This breathtaking gown is in the collection of the wonderful Valentine Museum in Richmond, Virginia, which boasts one of the largest historical costume collections in the South. I photographed this during a visit in 1998 to file away.

We have a lovely consignment shop in our small town in Alabama that often sells vintage clothing. The owner said I could feel free to share her images with a link back to her site, so I thought I’d show off this wonderful 1950s party dress she recently sold on eBay. I wish I’d had [...]