Kristi's Faux Polonaise

I call it a "faux polonaise" because it was a mistake... the kind of mistake you make when you try to hand sew a gown by yourself in about four days. I only had 2.5 yards of the fabric which we figured was enough to make a short gown. But while a was burning the midnight oil, I forgot that tiny detail, and cut the skirt full length. This meant that the skirt would be awkwardly narrow. So I decided I could disguise the lack of fullness by decorating it in the 1780s style and pretending it was a polonaise with out the "polonaised" skirt. It worked well enough.

It was so much fun to fit the gown to a real person instead of a dress form!

I spent hours hand hemming and gathering white trim, but I love the way it looked!

It's also really fun to sew outside when the weather is nice!

And here she is wearing it in Williamsburg with a neckerchief:

Not my best work, but she wore it well, and I think the ruffles are darling!