I'm working on our practice dress before I make the real [first communion dress]. This is out of a table cloth my son decided to use scissors on. :)

Hello, Jennie, My daughter made the 1780’s Girl’s Portrait Dress and loves it. She’ll be wearing it to her piano recital later this year. (Her name is Waverley, and she’s 10.)  I just realized you have a Show and Tell section. That’s really neat to see others who worked on the same pattern and to

Hello from Wiltshire, UK. I have sewn mostly soft furnishings for the past 10+ years, but despite this I really wanted to make my daughter’s First Holy Communion dress. I first found the Portrait Dress via Pinterest and then tracked down Sense & Sensibility patterns. Reading the blog and seeing other people’s creations on ‘Show

When I decided to make the flower girl dress for my daughter for an upcoming wedding, I had a definite vision in mind. It didn't need to be period specific, but I wanted to coordinate the style with that of all the bridesmaids. After searching oodles of patterns, the Girl's 1780's Portrait Dress best fit my vision.

Out of all the patterns I've designed in the past 18 years, the Girls' 1780s Portrait Dress pattern is, hands down, my own daughters' very favorite. I've made them so many dress-up dresses from this pattern in toiles and stripes and prints, and they want new ones as soon as they outgrow them! But this year, both girls asked if I could make dresses that looked more like something "Felicity" (the now retired--sigh--American Girl doll) would wear.

Learn how to correctly set 18th-century sleeves with this video tutorial.

My niece, Neko, loves dresses and has fairly expensive taste. It is a good thing her auntie can sew. I had lucked out last year and found 10 yards of green taffeta for just $1.00 a yard. I bought all of it just waiting for the right pattern to come along, so when I came

Dear Jennie,For my new gown I have used your new 1780's pattern and I was very pleased with it. It was a joy to work with as all your patterns! I have adopted it a bit as I wanted a round gown, so I have changed the front into an apron front. I used silk taffetta and lined it with cotton.

This dress was made from Sense and Sensibility's 1780's portrait dress pattern with some fitting alterations. I added buttonholes and daisy buttons to close the back. When it came time to mark the tucks and hem

These are the pictures of Ana-Gloria's Easter Dress and my second time with the 1780 Portrait Dress. This time I made the gathered bodice and it went together beautifully and was so much fun to make.

My daughter Olivia wanted to look like a princess, and I wanted to find something classic-looking for her First Communion. The portrait dress looked like a perfect fit. Not being a particularly advanced seamstress

First, the toile dress is my recent version of the 17080s Girl's Portrait Dress pattern. Olivia is a good sport and enjoys all the new dresses her mum makes for her. She enjoys wearing her hats and is pleased

We took pictures Friday of gowns made from two new patterns. The Girls’ 1780s Portrait Dress pattern will be ready to ship soon — we are waiting on the final cover art, which will be ready in a matter of days if all goes well. Once everything is at the printer, we will go ahead