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.
In all its glory, here is the finished Moy Bog gown-- I love it!
