Jane Austen Inspired Sprigged Muslin--Project Run and Play Week 5

I am a sucker for period dramas and especially Regency Era ones like those inspired by the works of Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell.  My favorite Austen book is 'Northanger Abbey' and the 2007 adaptation of it is one of my all-time favorites.  This is my tribute to Mr. Henry Tilney, the hero of the book, who "Has an understanding of muslin."

 This week on Project Run and Play the task was to be something movie inspired.  I went with a sprigged muslin dress, inspired by those seen in the movies.  However, it really is a tribute to Mr. Tilney, my favorite Austen hero and who, since he has an understanding of muslin, must be a good guy.  

 I started with a simple, empire waste, white, muslin gown--not quite floor length, because I wanted my daughter to be able to wear it as a normal dress.  I gathered the bodice piece a little extra, before actually cutting out the bodice.  The dress (blogged about here, here and here as a top--this doesn't even count the times I've made this dress pre-blogging days and how many I've made without mentioning it) is based on my all time favorite pattern, one I've used countless times and one that I've used to teach many people to sew with.  However, I've done this pattern so many times and it only goes up to 4T, I just wing it now.  

 I then added some pin tucking at the bottom along with some little 1/2 inch pleats.  Then I had the crazy idea to make it sprigged muslin and taught myself to embroider with ribbon.

 I loved how it turned out.  The ribbon adds a three dimensional element to the design and if you twist the ribbon while you are doing a stitch, you get a different look than if you didn't.  I would love to try it with real silk ribbon, instead of the polyester stuff you can pick up at the craft store.  I imagine it would be completely different to work with.  As it is, I liked this look, but it was much harder to do (let's just say I had a Pride and Prejudice marathon working on this dress) and I have the calluses to prove it.

 And here is the finished look.  We had fun with this little photo shoot, fitting it in just as the sun was setting.

 The heroine of 'Nothanger Abbey', Katherine, loves to read Gothic novels and gets a little caught up in them, so I had to include some reading shots.