Felicity’s Dress…. Take 2!

I guess since I’m the one making Felicity’s dress I have the right to change my mind if I want to. But I don’t think you’ll care. I believe it is an improvement. When I last left you, I had made a bum roll and a lace fichu for Felicity’s dress… they looked like this…

If you click on any picture it will enlarge.

W-E-L-L…after I googled fichu’s and saw how pretty some of them were… I thought I could do better…and then I thought, ICK… I don’t like that bum roll either…it’s too skimpy and looks like a pair of floaties on Felicity’s hips. SO…I redid both pieces…

I made the bum roll more like the typical style that would have been worn in Colonial times. While the 1770’s may have been stuffed with cork, mine has batting inside…it makes the skirt more Colonial looking. It definitely gives the skirt that Colonial “bump.”

I thought my lace fichu looked too “polyester-ish” and wanting something more “Colonial-ish,” I used the same vintage lace as on the sleeves. I cut a piece of netting and carefully pulled the threads up on my lace, slightly gathering it. It was a bit tricky to stitch and pull the treads at the same time, but I like the way it turned out. I made 2 rows of ruffles and think it makes a much nicer fichu than the first one. I satin stitched the edge a few times to give it a sort of rolled hem look.

I just crossed it over Felicity’s chest…

It can also be worn where it’s opened up more in the middle…

The ruffles can be fiddled with and tucked inside or fluffed up if you like…

Which brings me to another change… Notice all the handwork on the front of Felicity’s dress? I did that! Yes, I did! I was just going to do a few highlights here and there, but I guess I got carried away, because after a few hours I was still stitching and adding some beads… Here’s a little bit closer shot…

I even added a little something to her sleeves…

Oh…and then there’s that reticule… Linda suggested it and I went with it…

So here are a couple of full length shots of Felicity…

Which brings me to “what should go on her head…??” I made a pinner cap out of a piece of ivory cotton lace and edged it. I don’t have a bow tied in the back but here’s what it looks like…

I also have a very nice straw hat…and it looks like this… of course it’s not decorated yet…

Here it is with the velvet cape…

I searched in all my books, looked online, googled Colonial bonnets, and pretty much realized colored bonnets weren’t worn in the 1770’s. They wore those straw hats, with a round eared cap underneath… but I was hoping I could find at least one picture of a little girl in a bonnet…because I draped just a flat scrap of my velvet across Felicity’s head and she looked like this…

SO… I could use some advice… on what to make for her… any suggestions? Comments or emails?

See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne

18 thoughts on “Felicity’s Dress…. Take 2!”

  1. I’m going to re-post something I wrote late yesterday since I think most people will not have seen it:

    Well, this was interesting. I bought a Southwestern style coat for Julie, who likes to add ethnic touches to her wardrobe, and the seller asked me for feedback — not on the item I bought — I’d done the feedback for that, but in general. It took awhile to find your Dear Seller post (Nov. 17) but I found it and sent her the link and encouraged her to come to the blog and look around. I think it will help a lot.
    Reply

    Jeanne W says:
    January 15, 2017 at 6:28 pm

    Wow Marilyn,
    That’s pretty exciting…thanks. I picked up a new subscriber today…maybe it was her…:o)
    ~ Jeanne

    I couldn’t think of what category that post might fall into, so I was going back page by page, thinking it was more recent than it was, and when I finally found it and re-read it, I could see that I was brilliant for hunting it up for her. I’d like to suggest that you link to the article maybe twice a year for new readers — or for us all. The advice is good.

    My award for brilliant observation yesterday goes to Charlotte, who picked up on the embroidery on the dress bodice while all I saw was the reticule. The embroidery is lovely and subtle, but once remarked, it is hard to miss.

    As for a velvet hat, you sometimes make hats for your Regency outfits that are basically an oval shape with a ruffle around the edge and ribbons to tie it on. I think you might be able to make something similar with the velvet. I’m thinking of something a little wider and forward tilted with the ribbon tying in back — not at the nape of Felicity’s neck but going under her hair and tying in a bow behind one of her ears so that it wouldn’t interfere with the velvet bow on the cape. The forward tilted hat shows up in some of the Williamsburg pictures. You’d have to think of something to stiffen it, but you probably have something on hand. You’d have to forgo the ruffle — a velvet ruffle would probably be floppy.

    1. Thanks Marilyn,
      You have lots of information today and I thank you for all your kind comments. The lady you spoke of isn’t the one you emailed me about… so now maybe I’ll get two for one!
      I was thinking of little bonnet like what I sometimes make…simple, sweet and little girlish if I can pull it off!
      I’m so happy you are enjoying Julie! I’m SURE she’s loving all the attention you are giving her!
      Blessings, Jeanne

  2. I have watched your doll clothes for years but have not really been an American Girl doll fan. With this dress, I AM. So, I am now looking for the exactly perfect Felicity on eBay!

    1. HI Linda Marie,
      I hope you find a wonderful Felicity doll. You have to be patient to find the right doll, but they ARE out there. Mine is a Pleasant Company, early edition doll. Just be careful of the eyes… I personally think that was my number one thing I was concerned with. I had 2 previous “wonky” eyed Felicity’s and when you find one with even, pretty eyes, it makes all the difference in the world. I think hair is next… one of mine had straw like hair and could really only be pulled back in a pony tail. Not much styling to that…
      Thanks for telling me you liked her dress enough to want to buy a doll! Again, I hope you find your dream doll.
      Blessings, Jeanne

  3. The whole outfit is just amazing. Thanks for the fichu redo as it looks great, especially with the necklace. I’ve sent along an email with a picture of a flat, oval-shaped head covering I made for a dress based on one you made. It is like the design suggested above by Jeanne W. The bum roll looks very authentic and well made now. The beading is a wonderful touch.

    Linda Marie might look up your post on Felicity’s eyes as it was very helpful when I was looking for my Felicity on eBay. Maybe she’s seen it already. Felicity is really a beautiful doll. Congrats again, Jeanne, on another wonderful ensemble.

    1. HI Susette,
      Your picture of the Regency dress bonnet is exactly the style I was thinking of. I don’t have enough velvet to do much more than that. Your dress is adorable… and looks so pretty on Caroline…
      Thanks so much Susette…I am really enjoying this set… I should do Colonial things more often… :o)
      Blessings, Jeanne

  4. I don’t have any suggestions, Jeanne, but want to congratulate you on everything you’ve done so far for Felicity. It’s a very masterful ensemble…especially like your added touches of embroidery, fichu, bum roll, on and on!

    Blessings.

    1. HI Becky,
      Thank you very much for your kind words Becky… a “masterful ensemble”… I like those words put together! Glad you enjoyed it…
      Have a wonderful day,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  5. What an improvement on the bum roll. I knew they were more oval shaped. This one is far more accurate in design. The fichu is just lovely now. The ruffles really make it far prettier.
    The embroidery is beautiful as well as the beading and makes the bodice stand out. I like the pinner better than the straw hat. The straw hat seems more appropriate for summer than with velvet. I wonder if you could make something out of the velvet similar to the hood on Felicity’s cardinal cloak. The hood would just be separate from the cape instead of attached to it.
    Linda Marie should definitely look for a first release or very early 1992-1993 Lissie made in Germany. IMO those Felicitys with the soft muted green eyes, soft red eyelashes and striking copper red hair are the most beautiful doll PC/AG ever made.
    I culled my clothing/accessory collection slightly over Christmas due to some house/pet expenses and got rid of a few of Josefina and Kit items I could live without. They were inherited things that I wasn’t really using, just storing, but I would never get rid of a piece of my Felicity collection or Samantha’s either. Just wondering Jeanne, how have you resisted not having any of Felicity’s PC accessories to use as props even? When I first saw her collection way back in 1991 I was enamored with everything in it.

    1. HI Laura,
      I am glad you approve of the new bum roll and the fichu. I knew when I saw them in my pictures, they’d be changed… silly woman…trying to get by with something I knew wasn’t right!
      I actually thought about doing a separate hood kind of a thing. I saw a picture of one that had boning all in it…I think it was called something like a “Calash” or something like that… I might have enough velvet to do one of those.

      I hope Linda Marie can find a nice Felicity too… and I agree with you the early ones seemed to be the prettiest. I guess, Laura, I was just so much into sewing for the dolls, that I just focused on the dresses and not so much the accessories. In my early Felicity pictures, I always had Felicity with a basket or a spray of flowers. Now that I’ve fallen in love with this Felicity, maybe I’ll look for some props to use for her…
      Blessings, Jeanne

      1. Well, Jeanne, when your in the market for some props I can certainly “help” you out with some ones not to miss. * laughs mischievously* Her reading and writing lesson would be very versatile. The inkwell is adorable and the silver sander is really silver plated and the top comes off.

        1. Thanks Laura,
          I’ll keep you in mind for my Props Expert when the time comes! :o)
          Blessings, Jeanne

  6. I’m sure you are wondering where I am Jeanne, by this time, but I have been here all along, trying to get on. Every time I write a comment, and then try to post it, I get a page telling me your blog isn’t available! Then it is gone! It’s happened before, and I am trying again.

    Well, yes, the newer fichu looks very pretty and shows off the necklace so much better. The bum roll also makes the skirt go out along the waistline on the sides, like most Williamsburg dresses did. Di you ever see the AG movie “Felicity”? AG did wonderful and very thorough research on costumes and scenery for the movie. I’ll have to watch the movie again!

    The beading looks so pretty and gives the flowers a 3-D dimension. And for the head covering, I think the little pinner with an added burgundy ribbon bow would be best for inside. I love the scrap of velvet on her head also, and the one like Susette mentioned also would work when she had the cape on and was going out. For some reason, the women had to have some kind of head covering on all the time! We have to remember that Felicity was a young girl, not a grown woman, and she would not have had elaborate hats like the older women did. However, they are dolls after all, and anyone can dress them any way they want!

    1. HI Linda,
      I was wondering about you and thought maybe the power outages got the best of you! Glad that wasn’t the case. I’m not sure what might be going on… You might just do like Marilyn does…she goes to her search engine box and just starts to type in idreamofjeannemarie.com but she says when she hits the “i” it pops up my website so she just clicks on it. That might work for you too.
      I did see the Felicity movie but I should watch it again… taking notes of course!
      I think I will do some kind of little bonnet in the velvet. I only have a few scraps and what else am I going to do with it… Plus keep the pinner cap too…
      Thanks Linda,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  7. Kinda late today.
    With this amazing ensemble, I would go with the velvet for some kind of hat. The straw just seems more for summer, but I’m no expert for sure. I do like the embroidery/beading and the detail on the sleeves. Just adds even more beauty.
    Think my new/old Felicity is coming next week, and I am hoping for the best eye wise as well as everything in general. Pretty hard to tell from photos.

    1. HI Joy,
      I think there will some kind of a velvet hat… I wanted to make one, but just thought I’d ask first. I think the straw looks too summery too.
      I looked at the completed sales of Felicity to see if I could spot your Felicity, but I didn’t know which one she might be so I gave up. I hope she’s a nice one and that you fall in love immediately with her!
      Thanks Joy,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  8. I really like the embellishment on the bodice front. That’s one of my favorite things that you add to some of your dresses, and I know how time consuming it is. But it is so worth the extra time! I do like the fiche and bum roll improvements. As for hats, I definitely like the velvet better than the straw, but don’t know what would be an appropriate style, unless you could do a small tricorn-type hat. Just a thought! I usually just do a “pinner” hat for the colonial dresses because they are pretty easy to do and don’t take much time. I’m usually ready to be done by the time I get to that stage. I don’t have your perseverance!

    1. HI Carolyn,
      Well, sometimes by the time to get to the “finish line,” I too, am ready to move onto to the next doll. I have made another pinner cap… the first one was once again on the skimpy side, although I might include it, so the winner can lots to choose from when she dresses her doll. I’m working on a velvet cap right now… I hope it comes together in time for me to write about it tonight… for tomorrow’s post.
      Thanks so much for your compliments on the dress.
      Blessings, Jeanne

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