1840s Silk Dress

I had a stash of brown iridescent silk taffeta that I picked up in the LA Fabric District years ago that I wanted to make a nice dress that could be worn to a number of occasions without feeling overdressed.  I found this image online:

From Old Sacramento Museum Collection

 And this original:

Original 1840s Satin Dress

I altered the 1840s Round Dress from Laughing Moon Patterns to make a dinner/reception dress that I based off of these two images.  I liked the buttons on the silk dress and I made sheer undersleeves like those in the dag.  The bodice is boned in the front and has wood-disc core fabric covered buttons.  The undersleeves are more sheer in real life than the picture.  Sadly, this dress is now enormous on me after I've lost 25 pounds since I made it in 2007.  I guess it's a good excuse to make another silk dress!

At the Dickens Fair

Full length view of my 1840s Silk Dress