1911 WHITE LACE EDWARDIAN DRESS

Back in 2023 I started a series of three dresses using the Truly Victorian #TVE 45 for the 1911 bodice. I had a blue cotton, a white cotton voile, and a pink linen blend I wanted to make them from. The fun part was finding ideas for different trims for each of them.  More details on them can be found in my earlier post.  This pattern can be used for a lot of great ideas.  

https://timetravelingincostume.blogspot.com/2023/05/regrouping-and-designing-some-1910-1912.html  

The first one I finished last year was the blue embroidered cotton that I wore to a fashion show I specifically finished it for.

But while making it I discovered the bodice wouldn’t sit on my shoulders properly and kept sliding off. So I had to do some altering to make it work. That involved cutting the center panel narrower by about two inches on each side and narrowing it down more by the waist. The original probably works for a larger bust. Once that was done, it fit much better. Details on how I did that were in my previously mentioned blog post.

After our fashion show, I was inspired by one of the all-white dresses and it made me go back to my white version and finish it. I used some vintage lace I’d been saving for it and sewed it down the front, across the neckline and around the sleeve edges. I was afraid to do more until I decided what I would be doing on the skirt with it and how much of the lace that would take. I’d like to do another row around the sleeve edges.  

So this one sat for about a year until an idea of dressing for an Edwardian tea came up with my friends. I didn’t like the coordinating straight narrow panel skirt pattern that was suggested for the blouse and instead wanted one with an A-line so there was more movement. I used the skirt from Laughing Moon pattern #104 for that.

From there I got it sewn up fast but also had to cut out a white lining for it because it was VERY sew-through. And I got to sew the lace down both sides of it.

Once that was done I looked for ideas for the ribbon belt I would tie around the waist, and what hats I had to go with them. These two photos are dresses that gave me ideas for the color ribbon and my hats. Having an all-white dress gives you so many options for different colors to use.

 

 

 

 

 

But this one with the black belt turned out to be the winner for my first wearing. And I can wear my black hat I trimmed out for an earlier 1912 Black Ascot dress I’d made. It hasn’t been seen out for many years.

 

I have a very wide roll of black satin ribbon I’m using for my belt. I love the sharp contrast of it along with my hat.

I also dug around in my jewelry and besides the long pearl necklace I’ll be wearing I’m going to wear my antique expansion bracelet that will also get its first outing. I haven’t decided on my earrings yet but will probably be a matching gold.

I still have ten days until our Edwardian tea so now I can play with a little more lace on my blouse, and possibly some decorative white buttons down the front. I'm still trying to decide if I want to wear my long white gloves with it or black.