Green Shamrock Regency Dress

The embroidery pattern for this dress came from Denise Hendrick at Romantic Recollections – it is the August 1812 Clover Border.  I used the smaller sized design and it is stitched out in emerald green machine embroidery thread from Tire Silk.  Using 6D Embroidery software, I duplicated the design to do the center front motifs in one hooping.  The rest of the hem, front of the bib, and sleeves are doing as regular endless embroidery on the regular Husqvarna Viking Endless Embroidery Hoop.  This fabric is very thin and difficult to embroider!  I had to starch the fabric with spray starch, then stick it to 2 layers of light tear away stabilizer with temporary fabric adhesive spray.  The spray became un-tacky after the embroidery was done so I did not wash it or the starch out.

The pattern is Laughing Moon Mercantile Ladies’ Round or Trained Gown with a High Stomacher Front c.1800-1810, the spencer pattern is LMM Ladies’ Regency Wrapping Front Spencer with 4 Collar and 3 Back and the bodiced petticoat is LMM Ladies’ Bodiced Petticoat.

I wore this to the 2017 Pittsburgh Jane Austen Festival where our group, Pittsburgh Historical Costume Society, was a vendor.  The fabric is so thin, I made a white silk taffeta bodiced petticoat to wear under it.  For daytime, I wore it with a chemisette and cap.  It was too hot for the spencer jacket unfortunately, but I did get some photos with it on.  Then in the evening for the ball, I wore it without the chemisette and with lots of fancy jewelry.