Project Progress Report: Sherbet Striped English Dress - Fabric cut

I finally made an effort last night to cut my dress and skirt. Nothing exciting to see yet, but I’ll still show you!

Sherbet Striped English Dress - Bodice Pieces

Sherbet Striped English Dress - Sleeve Pieces

Sherbet Striped English Dress - Front Over Skirt Piece

Sherbet Striped English Dress - Back Over Skirt Piece

Unfortunately, when I started to cut the skirt, I realized I did not buy enough fabric. I don’t know what I was thinking! My favourite 18th century skirt pattern is based on Butterick 3640: quite simply, you cut two 115 cm long rectangles of fabric for the back and two for the front, one of which you cut in half length wise; these become the side front panels so that you have the same width, but no seam on the center front. Now if you’ve been following, that means I need 4.6 metres. But for some reason, I thought I would be fine with 3 metres at the time I bought it.

So tonight, I’ll go back to the fabric store and hope they still have enough left of this fabric to save my skirt (I got it from the bargain section and there wasn’t that much left on the roll to begin with, so I’m really crossing my fingers). If they don’t I’m not quite sure what I’ll do.

Maybe combine it with the 80cm I bought to make my daughter a Medieval t-tunic and cut it on weft instead warp? (Do I have enough to make it work? Hmmm).

Edit: I stopped by the fabric store and I found the last piece of my pink fabric in the bargain bin. It’s only 80 cm long, but combined with my two other pieces, I’ll be able to make something decent. I will have to cut the skirt on weft, but as it is a woven linen blend and the intended result is a very full skirt, so pull is not an issue and it will do fine. I do feel a little bad using a piece I had promised to my daughter, even if she is much too young to understand or remember. I’ll have to make it up to her. I think I have some lighter pink linen in my leftovers which I can use for her T-Tunic.