I can't remember any more how I stumbled across the moy gown, but I immediately fell in love with the design and decided that I just -had- to make it.
I drafted a pattern, basing it off a standard t-tunic with a few shaping adjustments based off the extant example.
Truth be told, there's one piece that is missing from the original--the gores at the front of the sleeve. If I really wanted to add that piece, I could shave down the width of the sleeve at the armhole and taper to about the elbow.
Being a novice seamstress (and an impatient one at that), I use modern construction techniques. Currently I use a Brother PE-400 machine and a Bernina serger.
I sewed the sides together and did the initial fit. Unfortunately, it hung off of me like a tent.
After a few fittings, it now looks like this:
The sleeves aren't finished yet--I'm curious to see how they'll turn out. The buttons were made with a DIY metal kit; I cut out forty (give or take) one-inch circular pieces of fabric while Olaf assembled the buttons for me.
If I could change construction, I'd do a few things differently:
- First, as the fabric is pretty thin, I'd strengthen each piece of the neck, torso, and sleeve with black linen underneath. I may yet do this once I can dye some linen.
- Second, I would find a way to stabilize the neckline-- I staystitched the neckline and then topstitched over it, but the front is still a little too spacious and the back waffles somewhat. I've been able to get some of it out with a good steam iron, but it still feels pretty flimsy on the whole.
- Third, I would do the buttonholes differently. They're already beginning to fray a bit on the inside edge. I was thinking that after I attach the linen underneath, I could slit the buttonholes in said fabric, then create a fabric-bound buttonhole. That way, all the alignment work is already done, there's plenty of strength in the pre-existing modern buttonholes, and it'll look nicer than shiny cotton-coated polyester thread.
- Fourth, I would contour the front seam to match to my body better. I have a flat panel for the buttons and buttonholes, but I find that once I clear the widest point of my bustline, I have an increasing "gaposis" at the neckline. Because I've already put in the buttonholes and buttons, though, it looks like I'll have to add a couple darts to offset the extra room.
- Fifth, as a final stabilization factor, I would topstitch on one side of the seamlines.
If I were making this gown out of wool, things would be quite different (naturally). I love this fabric, though! It's a light/dark green herringbone in linen:
(picture pending)
It's really not that shiny--the smallness of the weave and the coloration almost give it an iridescent look with flash, though, as shown in the picture of the fitting.
