FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Claire Fraser
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
Claire Fraser, or as she begins "Outlander", Claire Randall, is a World War 2 combat nurse who visits scotland at the end of the war with her husband as a way to get to know eachother again after years of seperation due to both serving in the war. While there, she vists Craigh na Dun, a stone circle near Inverness, and gets transported back through time to the 18th century. There, she is rescued from the unwanted advances of her husbands ancestor, a redcoat captain, by a band of MacKenzies. She is later forced to marry Jamie Fraser, but ends up falling in love with him and staying with him in the 18th century despite being given a chance to return to her own time. I bought a copy of Outlander when I was on my own holiday in the Scottish highlands, and read most of it whilst wild camping on the side of a mountain near Ullapool. It was a very windy night and I couldn't sleep, so I spent most of the night reading, with visions of Scottish clans, tartan, and castles whizzing around my head. I developed the design for this dress in my mind soon after that night, however it got pushed to the back of my mind as life took over. This competition seemed the perfect time to make this 'dream dress' into a reality.
Outline the construction…
The fabric used for the outer of this dress is 100% worsted wool, bought as deadstock off ebay. The lining and undergarments are all made from a synthetic-linen blend, that is at least mostly linen. I used "18th century fashion in detail" to inform some of this project, and the american duchess guide to the Isabella McTavish Fraser wedding dress to inform most of the pattern making process. The bodice was draped on the dress form, with the skirt being pleated to fit. The bodice has lacing strips attatched to the lining, and pins shut at centre front. The shift is entirely hand sewn, and is self drafted although using Bernadette Banner's shift making video for guidance. The stays were made from the simplicity 8162 pattern on my hand turned Frister and Rossmann machine. I found understanding the pleating of the back bodice really tricky, but I looked at the diagrams a few times and got there eventually. It is a really effective style with the Back of the skirt falling as one piece with the back bodice. The outfit in total took about six weeks work, alongside a full time job. All together this is not totally historically accurate, however I was not aiming for total accuracy, and I am very pleased with the outcome. I am not a beginner sewer, having been making my own clothes since I was 8 or 9, but this is my first attempt at both staymaking, and historical sewing.
Well done and fits the character well too!
The seams of the back are so beautiful
This gown looks great on you! And I loooove the fabric♡
So flattering! Is it as comfortable as it looks?
It’s really comfortable! I especially enjoy wearing the stays
I really like the shape of the dress and the colour is wonderful!
Lovely. Feels very Claire to me. Practical but also romantic.