Bridgerton Meets Bridge Street

“Dear Reader,

This author was most delighted to learn that a new fabric shop had opened in her home town…”

I’m Nicky, also known as LunahBobbin on Instagram & Facebook. I’m a corset maker and I’m gradually creating myself a historical wardrobe.

When I heard The Rag Shop had opened in my hometown of Warrington in Cheshire, I contacted Steph to ask if she would let me write a blog for her on my historical costuming journey! She liked my initial idea so I set about planning and preparing.

Inspiration

Like a lot of people, I’ve found myself captivated by the costuming world for many years. I particularly love to watch period dramas and fantasise about running across the hills of Hampshire in true Elizabeth Bennet style, bosoms heaving and trailing my petticoats through the mud.

I’ve been a Janeite for many years and have been wanting to make myself a regency wardrobe in forever. During lockdown 2.0 and 3.0 I’ve been dabbling in making regency stays and made a mock-up of a dress too (I really should get round to finishing that one day) which I dyed and block printed the fabric for too.

When Bridgerton (Netflix) came to our screens, it totally blew my mind on the costume front. Which brings me to my inspiration! Marina Thompson’s yellow dress. The costume designer (Ellen Mirojnick) was inspired by Dior prints and patterns and mixed it up with the classic regency empire line gowns to create something so striking. I had to give it a go!

My version is an ode to my hometown. I wanted to make a Bridgerton to Bridge Street dress – something that could grace the halls in a period drama, but also pass as a modern day maxi for a day or evening out. I originally planned to make it for myself but once my friend, Sarah (Bee Hive Bakes) saw the fabric, she fell in love and asked if she could model. I couldn’t exactly make her a regency gown without all the underpinnings now, could I? One bright pink set of regency stays, chemise and petticoat later, and we have the silhouette ready for the gown! (But that, dear reader, is a blog for another time!)

The Finished Article

And here she is in all her glory. We had planned to get some pictures of the gown at afternoon tea in Chester, and on Bridge Street in our hometown, but things didn’t pan out. Instead we decided on a trip to Dunham Massey in Altrincham and took a turn through the gardens! 

Whilst we were there, we had many people asking us about our costumes which was lovely! And a photographer also wanted to take some pictures for his portfolio; we were more than happy to oblige. This is one of his photographs, isn’t it stunning!

I couldn’t exactly wear modern day clothes whilst my friend trots about in costume, so I whipped myself up an embroidered cotton voile dress using the exact same pattern. I love how different they look even though it’s the exact same pattern.

Fabric selection

The Rag Shop has some beautiful fabrics, and Steph kindly gifted me 3.5 metres of the stunning and perfectly Bridgerton sunflower yellow floral viscose. Sadly, the fabric I used has sold out now (cause making regency stays takes sooooooo long) but I reckon you could use the Abstract Summer Floral Viscose Challis to make your own version of my Bridgerton to Bridge Street Dress. (Steph also has some lovely cotton dobbies and embroidered fabrics in the shop which would be perfect for recreating my white dress!)

I chose the yellow fabric because as soon as I saw it I could visualise the dress for my Bridgerton theme. It just screams “Featherington” to me! The print was nice and detailed and the colours were so vibrant. I have never sewn with viscose before but a lot of my wardrobe of modern day clothing seems to be made with it so I had an idea what it would be like. It is very soft with a good drape and irons really well. I also prewashed it prior to cutting and it came out beautifully.

The shop itself is so beautifully laid out; it’s like a fabric boutique, making it even easier to see all of the gorgeous things for sale. I picked up a few other bits from the shop whilst I was there and made a mental note of the fabrics I’ll be coming back for in the near future! If you’re local to Warrington and you haven’t visited yet, it’s a must. Steph has transformed an iconic former pub and given it a fabulous new lease of life and the town was definitely in need of more fabrics.

The Pattern

I used the Black Snail 0119 Empire Regency Dress & Spencer Pattern.  My main reason for choosing this pattern was the fact that the designer had a sale on at the time!! Bonus!! And also, because unlike other regency dresses it had a fairly low yardage of 3 metres for the gown, and 0.5 metres for the lining so wasn’t super fabric hungry.

To be honest, I really liked the simplicity of the styling. The sleeve wasn’t too puffy, the gown was very simply gathered, no pleats to get my head around, and no crazy apron fronts – so definitely more passable as a modern dress (as long as you’ve got a good friend or lady’s maid to lace you in!)

I didn’t love the instructions if I’m being brutal. I found the illustrations a bit unhelpful but that may just be my issue. I went my own way slightly on the construction for this reason. The pattern is designed to be hand sewn entirely, and let’s face it, who really has time for that? I machined as much of it as I could, with only the sleeve cuffs and inside waistband being hand sewn. 

As with all patterns (but especially with historical costumes) mock-ups are essential! We did a quick one of just the bodice to ensure the fit was right, and then had a few more once the dress was partly assembled. Thankfully, it came together nicely in the end with no major alterations!

Finishing Touches

To give the dress a bit of definition, and in keeping with Marina Thompson’s gown, I added a pink piping to the waistband and sleeve cuffs. I used a readymade piping in a complementary colour to the dress. I really think it sets the whole look off!

If you are interested in starting your own historical costume journey and you want any advice or pointers, feel free to contact me on Instagram (@LunahBobbin) and I’ll be happy to help if I can!

Nicky xx

Lunah Bobbin