Jennifer's Titanic Gown
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Greetings from Texas!My husband and I had the privilege of attending a recreation of the 1st Class Dinner 100th anniversary commemoration of the Titanic on April 14th. As soon as we learned of the event, I knew I wanted to create a gown using your 1910 Tea Dress pattern. Not only did the pattern have clean lines that would enable me to get creative with the embellishments, but it had sleeves (!) and a neckline that could be adapted for both daytime and evening use. After some consideration, I decided to create a base dress of dark green satin with a black lace overlay. I treated both satin and lace as one layer on the bodice but kept the lace and satin skirts separate, though I opted to not split up the middle of the lace layer. Also, knowing this was going to be a 10 course meal, I opted to not wear a corset and so the gown was fitted with that in mind!Inspired by two dresses featured in Nancy Bradford's "Costume in Detail," I created a lace "caplet" embroidered with sequins and caviar beads which draped over the shoulders and was secured in the back by an embroidered lace rosette. I also created rosettes for the waistband and the fronts of my shoes.My I also venture that I hand sewed the entire ensemble--although I know sewing machines were standard in 1912, I enjoyed sitting on the couch watching "Downton Abbey" and other BBC favorites as I worked away on this project (when my toddler napped) over the course of two months.I've included photographs of myself wearing the dress at our 1911 farmhouse, in a hat I created, the dress showing the rosettes in the back, and a photo showing the embroidery and sequin design. Also included are a couple of pictures from the event including the menu, a photo of my husband and myself at the dinner--he wore tails, the Hospitaller Order of Saint John and a beaver top hat that dates from the 1890s! We had a lovely time and created many wonderful memories.Thanks for allowing me to share my sewing adventure!Jennifer J.
This is absolutely stunning, Jennifer! I admire your handiwork so much, and I know the dinner was all the more amazing because you dressed the part (I had fun at our Titanic 100, too!). Thank you so much for sharing!
