The Romantic Picnic

Dress: Romantic Period clothing from 1825 - 1840

Price: Free!

Starch your corded petticoat and fluff up those sleeve plumpers, DFWCG is going 1830s! Join us for an afternoon of food, games, and socializing in the Farmers Branch Historic Park and Rose Garden. Bring a dish for your party or to share, and a blanket to sit on. We'll picnic until about 1:30, and then explore the rest of the park and rose gardens. There are tours of the historical buildings, a butterfly and bird sanctuary, and a walking path that winds through all the different rose gardens, so there is a lot to see and do inside the park.

Admission is free, and registration to our event is not required. Parking near the historical park is also free.

We are currently investigating the perfect spot within this large park to meet up, so be sure to Subscribe to Updates to get the latest news.

Costume Links: 

First and foremost, Workwoman's Guide by A Lady published in 1838, is the best primary source for 1830s fashions and patterns. The book is full of instructions, diagrams, patterns, and drafting instructions which will help you create an entire outfit from the inside out. The book has been uploaded online, and is available for free through Google Books! 

The American Duchess "Sewing is Hard" YouTube series has several videos about 1830s costume:

• Stays
• Sleeve Puffers
• Corded bustle
• Corded Petticoat
• Skirts
• Gigot Sleeves

Patterns and Tutorials:

• Laughing Moon has a pattern for Regency and Romantic era stays
• Black Snail Patterns also has a pattern packet for 1830s undies that includes stays, chemise, corded petticoat, and sleeve plumpers.
• Redthreaded makes beautiful 1830s stays if you don't feel like tackling them yourself.
• Truly Victorian's 1830s dress pattern has rave reviews and produces beautiful results.
• Past Patterns has a wide selection of Romantic Era patterns for both men and women.
• Historical Sewing has a workbook available for making Corded Petticoats.
• Amazon Dry Goods carries several patterns for the period. The patterns aren't sorted by year, though, so you'll have to look through each page on their site. 
• Butterick B5832 is a decent late-1830s/early-1840s look. The bodice pleating is weirdly asymmetrical, which would need to be altered to achieve a more correct period look.
• McCall's new M7988 from Angela Clayton is a fun 1840s dress, which could be adapted for early styles. 

Other Bloggers:

It's always helpful to read about what other costumers have done in constructing their own ensembles. Here's a compilation of the blog posts we've found most helpful.

• Jenny La Fleur's Romantic Era Stays
• The Sewing Room: Creating an 1830s Bonnet
• The Sewing Room: Building an 1830s Dress (altered Butterick B5832 pattern)
• Fresh Frippery: 1830s Romantic Era Plaid Silk Day Dress (Plus Tips on How to Put Together Your Own 1830s Outfit)
• Fresh Frippery: Romantic Dress Part 2: Sleeve Support Poufs
• Historical Sewing: Reproducing a late-1830s pleated sleeve
• American Duchess: All About 1830s Corsets and Fan Lacing
• American Duchess: My 1830s Bonnet
• Angela Clayton Costumery: 1840s tag (includes all the posts about her making the dress that her new pattern is based on)
• Angela Clayton Costumery: Late 1830s pleated day dress (with links to the construction posts)
• Mimi Matthews: The 1830s in Fashionable Gowns: A visual guide to the decade 
• The Pragmatic Costumer: My Sister's Long Overdue 1840s Camo Dress (includes fit notes about Butterick B5832)
• The Laced Angel: Making a corded petticoat
• The Laced Angel: Romantic Redux (include tips about hair)