New Pink Spencer!

This is something I've wanted to make for a while.  I had *just* enough pink silk taffeta to make a decent early 1820's spencer.  I also have this lovely -albeit not period- dupoini silk my Dad got me in Singapore.  It's cream colored but with green and pink embroidery.  It is VERY me and I love it - but he only got 3 yards.  It's enough for a skirt.

So, I've had the concept of this outfit planned out for at least two years.  I'm so happy I finally finished it.

Here are some of the inspirations for the spencer:

• At Augusta Auctions and the main spencer I was looking at
• A fun yellow one
• One I like only because it's the only example I can find where it's not self trim or the same colored trim
• One of the three at the Met I kept staring at

I used the Sense and Sensibility pattern as a base and edited to fit what I wanted it to look like.  Yeah, I know - the mock up fabric looks like Scooby Doo and the Mystery Van crashed into it.  That is why it's mock up fabric.

 Basically,  I did two things: I made the neckline higher and close right in the middle, rather than be a double breasted spencer.  Since I wanted a collar, I just drew the collar I wanted on the side I wasn't going to use as a pattern and cut the collar out.  I then traced that on to another piece to make it look more smooth and....

Voila!  Collar pattern.

I didn't have enough time to roll the bias ribbon trim I made to decorate the front of the spencer, S I folded it over as best I could.  It doesn't look bad - just not as thin as I would like.  

 It did take hours to hand sew this down and make sure it matched the other side well.  Most of the inside stitches are machine sewn - it's only the stitches that I knew would be seen that are hand sewn.

 Back of the spencer.  It's largely unchanged from the original pattern.

 Cuff of the sleeve.

 Top of the sleeve.

The full outfit!   I probably should get a close up of the skirt fabric.  It may be a rather slubby dupioni, but it is really pretty.

I'm so glad I finally got this outfit DONE.  I might redo the skirt a bit but the spencer doesn't need anymore work.