lovetriangle | Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Finally! (Reply)

Ok, I owe several people pictures so they're going behind the cuts. This will be a fairly large post to load...

So sorry it took so long! I eventually had to resort to taking a photo of the pic in the book, so it's not super clear but it definitely shows the wrapper style gown. The book reference again is:
"A Picture History of English Costume" by C. Willett and Phillis Cunnington. Published by the Macmillan Co. in New York, 1960. Printed in Great Britan by Taylor Garnett Evans & Co. Ltd., Watford, Herts.
The portrait info listed in the book is:
"1740-50. Mary Pettus in a "wrapping-gown" over an "oblong hoop", the latter being wide from side to side. Lace ruffles to the sleeves. A "modesty piece" fills in the V of the decolletage which is edged with a lace frill ("tucker"). Coiffure in the Dutch mode. Norwich Castle Museum."

Despite having to refit the bust gussets a few times, which left nasty extra needle marks in my luscious silk taffeta, it came out pretty well and fits comfortably. The only thing I want to change is the side bone - I used a cable tie but it rotates a little from the seam curve and digs in to my ribs under the 1879 dress a little. I need to get a spiral bone for it. Pix during construction: I flatlined it with a vintage linen napkin - I had a set of 13 and it's that thick but soft linen like a fine hotel uses. I really like the way it feels and looks, but I'm not sure I'm willing to sacrifice any more of my fine monogrammed antique napkins in the future! I kept the monogram on the inside of the hip gusset for fun. :-)