kathrynd

Kathryn Dunger

Sydney Australia

I am a school teacher in Sydney. I have been interested in Jane Austen since high school, although I have always been interested in history and the fashion of each time period. I am yet to get to the Jane Austen festival in Canberra and hope 2013 will be the year. I love the Regency Era and in particular the Austen novels.

I hope to recreate an evening dress, stays, chemise, chemisette, reticule, bonnet/hat, day dress, pelise or spencer (or both) and of course petticoat. I am drawing inspiration from various paintings. 

JULY 2012

The july project is a bit slower, and i am sorry for not updating in time, but we have both started on corsets - Mantua Maker pattern for 1800 - 1820. the pattern was traced off and fabric cut. Jan has sewn the inter layer of both and this week end we hope to fit them and complete as much as possible. the next task is a petticoat each and a dress for me - ambitious for a month but we will try. the pattern for the petticoats and dress has been traced from the sense and sensibility lady's wardrobe. i have also started to make garters for us both. i have knitted a pair and am currently trying to embroider some fabric ones - using springs instead of elastic (researched from a website that carried information on the garters worn by marie antoinette.)

AUGUST 2012

I am still currently working on making garters using springs - although finding spring small and long enough is difficult. Since I am hand sewing them, they are taking a little while. I am also trying to work them out and decide on the best way to make them - also taking a while, after a few attempts that failed. I have nearlY finished my reticule - which I am hand sewing as well so I will email pictures when it is finished. I must admit aside from stabbing myself regularly (and yes I need to buy a thimble) I am enjoying the hand sewing and getting better! I am also working on a dress which is cut out and partly sewn (machine sewn I am afraid - I dont think my fingers could cope with the hand sewing particularly the blood loss!)

Attached are the pictures so far - sleeves, bodice and skirt as well as the cover of the pattern I am using.

I am hoping to have all of these finished by end of september and to have started the chemise and/or spencer.