Judy, Mi, and I were planning a visit to Colonial Williamsburg and I wanted an easy-to-pack, comfortable-to-wear dress. Using IKEA duvet covers and curtains for dresses has been a thing for a couple of years in the historical costuming community. I’ve loved looking at what other people have done, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to make a dress for myself.
I purchased a king sized IKEA Stenört duvet cover. The duvet cover and pillow cases were just enough fabric to make a gown, but I had to be super careful cutting. I’m not very fond of white so I decided to dye my fabric. I did a bunch of dye tests and decided to go with a pale grey/blue.
The dress is flat lined in linen and I decided not to put in a liner. Instead I put in a facing around the neckline. I know I know… it’s not remotely historically accurate, but I was more worried about being comfortable. It was really hot the day we visited Williamsburg, and I was very glad to have a hat (a modified straw hat from Michaels) and a breathable cotton dress.
There are also some photos of the inside of the dress on my blog too.
First Worn: Colonial Williamsburg 2017
