A Summer Work Gown for Widow Ferguson!

I portray a widow, Elizabeth Ferguson, who assumed her husband's stay making business upon his death in 1770.  She has a nice crossbarred wool gown and a wool sateen mourning gown.  I figured that a July event called for the good widow to have a summer work gown.  The Ferguson's are assumed to be Scots immigrants so I decided on a crossbarred lightweight linen for her gown.  I decided to use the pattern I drafted for a 1760s gown with folded robings.  

I also made a heavy white common apron bound with hand woven tape.  Widow Ferguson is an upper middle class woman with resources so she looks nice but she dresses practically for her job as a stay maker.  

As usual, Luna was anxious to help me:

I added lacing strips to this gown.  I started doing this with silk gowns to cut down on the number of pins I use.  I find that the lacing strips help distribute the stress on the gown.

Here is how they work:

The strips are sewn under the robings.  They go from the waist to just below the top of the stomacher.

Put on the petticoats and your handkerchief if you want it tucked into the front and lace up the gown:

Pin the stomacher to the lacing strips.  I used a single pin at the top of each side.  You do have to size your stomacher to fit in this space.

Pin the robings in place securing the stomacher.  I used 3 pins on each side.

I didn't have time to make the petticoat to go with this gown.  I have a buttery yellow medium weight linen for it.  I hope to make it more of a working length.  I ended up wearing this over a 1760s shift, a linen dimity petticoat with a linen voile handkerchief and white linen work apron.

I really like this gown.  The 1760s styles are comfortable due to the looser sleeves.  Here are some pics of it in action.

It's always nice to have a new common gown!