English Gown 18th Century Sewing Pattern

Product Description

This English Gown 18th Century Sewing Pattern is drafted from an original in the Sumter County Museum dating to 1771-1785. The common style of this gown will serve as an excellent basic gown pattern for creating your 18th century wardrobe. Make a gown from linen or wool for day and work wear, or in silks and printed cottons for fancier dress. Instructions are included on how to adapt the pattern to a round gown or 1790s gown for late 18th century impressions.

Features

• 18th century dress pattern based on an original garment
• Printed in color on large format printer with 20 lb paper - no paper piecing required
• Historical notes, fitting tips, and full instruction booklet with pictures included
• Choose from size 8-18 or 18-28
• Made in the USA by Fig Leaf Patterns

Please note: This gown is designed to be worn over period stays and will not fit correctly without the appropriate foundation garment. If you do not have stays, may we suggest purchasing a pattern or ready-made stays from Red Threaded or try the Underbust stays sold in our shop.

Size Charts

Historical Notes

The original open robe gown was worn by Mrs. Elizabeth Allen Deas (1742-1802). Born in 1742 as the only child of William and Mary Keating Allen, Elizabeth grew up on a plantation in the greater Charleston, South Carolina area. She married John Deas in 1759. They had eleven children, ten boys and one girl. During the years from 1769 to 1771, the Deas family traveled to Europe and England. This dress may be of British origin. Elizabeth died in 1802 and is buried near Charleston, South Carolina.

The gown is hand sewn of lightweight ivory-striped "lutestring" or figured silk. The bodice and sleeves are lined with linen. The bodice is closely fitted and was originally stiffened with two whalebone stays set at center back. A regular pattern of pin holes along the center front edges suggests that the dress originally was pinned or stitched closed. The separately cut skirt is set into the bodice with half inch box pleats. The sleeves are three-quarter length with a vertical dart at the back of the elbow and a horizontal dart on the front of the sleeve at the crook of the arm. The sleeves are finished at the elbow with box-pleated self-trims.

About Fig Leaf Patterns

The mission of Fig Leaf Patterns is to produce commercial patterns based faithfully on the style and construction of surviving garments in museum collections and private collections.