The Anne of Avonlea Costume Completed!

Posted by Edelweiss Patterns on February 18, 2012

An Anne of Avonlea Film Costume

At last I have found time to put up the pictures of my “Diana Barry” gown inspired by the 1987 classic film, “Anne of Avonlea”. This breathtaking movie with the pensive music, bouffant hairstyles, and splendid costumes thoroughly captured my imagination when I first saw it as a fourteen-year-old. Now, many years later, I have done my best to recreate the lovely gown that Diana Barry wore as her going away outfit after her wedding.

If you’ve been following along with my progress on the gown, you will have seen the up-close details on the bodice already. Since these photos usually show the gown from a distance, you might want to go back and read the first few weeks of sewing progress to see the exact laces I used and how to put this gown together using several different patterns.

With that being said, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves!

: Anne Shirley would be proud of those puffed sleeves.

: Every “accomplished woman” would have known how to play the piano…

: What would we do without mirrors?

I almost like this dress from the back as much as the front view!

: I love walking in elegant, trained skirts!

: This reminded me so much of an Edwardian film set!

: Here I am looking at an antique Edwardian tea gown!

In the photo above, you see an antique Edwardian gown from the early 1900s which would have probably post-dated the dress I’m wearing by several years. My best guess is that this afternoon dress (known back then as a “lingerie dress” due to the lace insertion and tucks), would have been worn between 1909 and perhaps 1914. So since this gown I recreated was from a film set in 1902, you could say I was either outdated fashionwise for this picture, or was looking at a dress well ahead of my time. : ) I love looking at Edwardian costumes! (When I spent my first few minutes in the Victoria & Albert Museum, I decided I would like to get lost in there and never come out.)

Now I’ll do a quick comparison of my version versus the film version, keeping in mind that I have detailed notes about nearly every piece of the garment in my last several posts.

Diana Barry’s Going Away Dress had lace at the collar and bodice which had a more homespun, crocheted feel to it. By tragic necessity, I had to use lace that was daintier (and actually prettier, I think), simply because it was the closest thing in my collection that was from the Edwardian era.

The film costume had flat lace down the front of the gown’s bodice, whereas the only lace I had which was remotely similar was actually a curved piece. Hence when I stitched my lace piece on the front of it flared and ruffled in a lovely flouncy fashion. However, the curved nature of this lace was actually perfect for the back of the gown, where it is a near replica of the film costume.

A nearby pillar is to blame for the reflection in this photo. : )

Finally, the belt is not the exact shape of the one Schuyler Grant (“Diana Barry”) wore, if only because I hadn’t actually tested the pattern for it. This belt was thrown together at 1:00 am the morning before this photo shoot occurred, and as I absolutely could not find the right shade of pink matte satin, I used an ivory satin fabric instead. Had I had more time to re-draft the pattern piece, I could have arrived at something closer to the original belt shape, but it still has that definite Edwardian look to it!

And if you’re very picky, you’ll notice that I was not able to locate any such back closure for the belt as Martha Mann chose for the movie costume. Though I hunted far and wide, I had to settle for a nickel-plated hook closure which I decorated with lavender ribbon rosebuds. The original closure was a mixture between a buckle and a butterfly clip, but at least I came close.

I gave detailed instructions over the last months on how to sew this dress, but the main patterns I used were: The Beatrix Skirt (which I added a waistband to), the Edwardian Shirtwaist (which I greatly altered to fit this design), and the upper sleeves came from the “Liesl’s Dancing Dress” pattern which easily fit into a cuff pattern I drafted myself. As mentioned above, the belt pattern was drafted for this project as well. I absolutely loved wearing this costume! With the puffed sleeves, pearl buttons up the cuffs, fitted waist, pouter pigeon bodice, and trained skirt, I felt like I’d just stepped back in time at least one hundred years. I was fully decked out in Edwardian garb, right down to an embroidered petticoat, corset, and old fashioned boots. I’ve put more pictures over on the Edelweiss Patterns Facebook page, and I would love to hear your thoughts on this outfit!

Happy sewing!

Katrina

(Please note: All Anne of Avonlea movie stills are copyright by Sullivan Entertainment. All other photographs belong solely to Edelweiss Patterns and may not be used in any form without written permission from the author. )

Filed Under: Evening Wear, Film Costumes, Historical Costume, Sewing, Victorian Comments: 39 Comments to Read

Tags: Anne of Avonlea costumes, Edwardian Dresses, film costumes, historical costume

Isis said,

It’s beautiful and so are you! Lovely work!
heather said,

Oh, it’s beautiful! You did a fantastic job. Love all the little detail and the lace. The photos are great too! You have such a talent
Sarah said,

I started coming to your blog when you started this beautiful dress!
I too love the “Anne” movies, and the costumes!
And your replica looks amazingly like the one from the movie!
And I like the lace you chose even better!
I am just a beginner at sewing, and “The Sound of Music” is my favorite movie!
And I also belive in modesty!
And the 1860′s and 1950′s are my favorite fashion periods,so I love your blog and store!!
Annabelle said,

Lovely, just lovely Katrina! The pictures look like they come straight out of a movie, or like stepping back in time. What a gorgeous location for the pictures. I want to say more, but I am speechless
Sarah said,

Hi Katrina,
I’ve been waiting and waiting for this post and it was well worth it!!! This outfit is just amazing. I think you did a meticulous job of recreating this costume, especially since you worked off of photos and didn’t have the original to study. Yours is even prettier than the movie version, in my mind! It does not in the least look like one of those “inspired-by” attempts that often bear, well, little resemblance to the original. Can you tell us about the location where you get your photos taken? Is it a home, a museum, or something else? And is there a chance we can see the rest of your Edwardian finery…the petticoat and boots?! On the rare occasion that I can deck myself out in costume I enjoy doing it from the inside out, too.
I always enjoy your website and sewing projects. YOu do a marvelous job of recreating these film costumes! I really do have to watch Sound Of Music again. And I am in the middle of watching the ANNE series, so your post was perfectly timed!
Have a great day, and am looking forward to hearing about this whirlwind wedding you mentioned last week! Hope all went well.

SARAH
Kerry said,

This is absolutely lovely! I’ve certainly enjoyed reading about the creation of this gorgeous dress.
Michelle said,

What a lovely Diana Barry you make, and what a splendid location! Your costume is just perfection. I love the S shape silhouette and the train. Also the ivory belt is very complementary to the lace (the back closure is also very elegant). Thank you for sharing.
AmelieNoMori said,

Beautiful dress! It’s impressive.
Would it be possible to see pictures of the undergarments too? I’m especially interested by the petticoat. Did you make it yourself? I’m currently making a 1890s inspired dress, and I’m trying to find out what kind of petticoat I should wear underneath. I’m really curious to see what yours look like, and how you made it if you did.
Kaiser said,

You work is magnificent ! I can’t find right words to describe, how beautiful this dress is !
Rebekah said,

I absolutely love this costume! I actually like your version better than the one in the movie. Is this pattern going to go up for sale on the website eventually?
Great job! The colors are gorgeous, and it looks very authentic. And your hairstyle set it off perfectly! I think this costume becomes you best of all the ones you’ve posted so far.
Lauren said,

Fantastic! You’ve captured the dress perfectly and you look beautiful! Love the photographs!
Brielle said,

Greetings,
This is soo lovely! I just showed it to mom and we both thought it was stunning. Very “Anne” like. Nice work!
I love the dress form picture (with you and the dress form) so cute! Thanks for sharing your pictures.
Really lovely.
Edelweiss Patterns said,

You ladies are all too kind! : ) Thank you for the comments, and I’ll try to answer all the questions here! First of all, I noticed a couple questions about the petticoat, and I will actually be posting pictures of that in the near future – look for the lacy peach blouse where I wore the petticoat as a modern day skirt. I also wore the boots for that photo shoot, so you will all get a chance to see the rest of the Diana Barry ensemble. As far as the pattern goes, I would have to get a huge number of requests before I could invest in actually producing the patterns in all the sizes, but I will definitely keep it in mind for the future (perhaps after a few more Sound of Music dresses). Lastly, I get my pictures taken in a large number of locations all over the Northwest, and I’m afraid I often spend more in gas money than in fabric for the costumes! All the locations are in Oregon or Washington, and for this photo shoot I had pictures taken at a home and a museum.

Thank you all for the comments! I am so glad to hear from “kindred spirits” who have the same love of film costumes and Anne Shirley!
leviacarmina said,

Hello Katrina !
You truly are the ultimage Anne fan. Your dress is awesome.
You did a really great job to sew that dress and you look lovely in it.
The perfect Anne Shirley feel
Issy said,

It is absolutely gorgeous!! I love the Anne films and adore the costumes. You are a really talented seamstress!!
WendyBee said,

Splendid! Stunning!
What a triumph your Diana Barry is! I am delighted by your skill and I am in awe of your “eye” in choosing the project, re-creating (and improving upon it?), and then styling it in gorgeous locations (and lighting). It is gilding the lily that you are so beautiful, with a lovely slender figure, and style your hair and makeup to advantage. Sigh… I am so glad you have shared with me a world I cannot create for myself. I have been an “Anne” fan for over 40 years. I think she was my first literary friend.
Antonia said,

I have sewn period clothing for many years. You did a wonderful job! You fitted everything very well. God bless +JMJ+ amr
Edelweiss Patterns said,

Thank you, ladies! I so much appreciate all the encouragement! Wendy, you are too kind. : ) I am so thankful to the Lord for helping me learn to sew these types of things, because when I first started I would have never dreamed of recreating something like this.

Happy sewing!

Katrina
Sue said,

What stunning and inspiring work! I second everything said above and just wanted to chime in with my appreciation too.
Rochelle said,

I am new to your site and I feel very close here. I love historical clothing and sewing. I will go back and pick up the start of this dress. It is very beautiful! The train falls perfectly!Your lace is perfect! Wow!What a joy to see the finished dress!
Edelweiss Patterns said,

Thank you, Rochelle! I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures!

Happy sewing,

Katrina
An Elegant Lacy Peach Blouse - McCalls 6399 Pattern Review | Edelweiss Patterns Blog said,

[...] for those of you who asked to see the Victorian petticoat and boots that were hidden underneath the Anne of Avonlea costume – here they are! It was freezing [...]
Alexandria M. said,

Katrina,
For years and years, ever since I was young, my mother and I watched the movies and loved them. Now as an adult, I find myself watching them just as much for the costumes as for the wonderful story. You have done an excellent job recreating this gorgeous dress. I hope one day to recreate some of Anne’s daily outfits to wear around myself!

When you mentioned you live in the Pacific NW my first thought was, “Can I come study sewing?” Currently I throw things together from my mind and am happy with being able to do so without patterns, but the finishing and slight fit issues show where my education is lacking. Doing it without a dress form can be hard too! You are a wonderful model and great seamstress and I look forward to learning more from your projects!

Thank you again for sharing, I will be showing this to all my friends and family!
Lydia said,

I love this dress! I can’t wait to see when you make Anne’s dress….
Edelweiss Patterns said,

Thank you, Lydia! I am looking forward to making the Anne Shirley ballgown later on this year!

Happy sewing,

Katrina
Edelweiss Patterns said,

Oh, thank you, Alexandria! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, and I think the love of Anne Shirley costumes is really universal! There was something so elegant and refreshing about the fashions back then.

Oh yes, a dress form is really almost an essential sewing tool. I don’t remember how I used to get along without one! And there are a number of excellent sewing resources in the Pacific Northwest, so I’d be happy to discuss it with you more if you want. Just shoot me an email if you’d like more info and I would be more than happy to give you some tips. : )

Thanks for commenting!

Katrina
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[...] casual fabrics to dress it down. For this project I used simple shell buttons, left over from the Diana Barry ”Anne of Avonlea” project. (These were extras of the decorative buttons that went [...]
Sertyan said,

Wonderful! Do you know this baby blue dress with a nautical theme (and a sailor hat) on the day that Anne wore on the day she found out that she had won the ‘Rollings Reliable Baking Powder’ contest? That’s my most favourite dress of Anne of Avonlea. It has a modern twist to all the Edwardian dresses featured in the movie.
Edelweiss Patterns said,

Hello Sertyan!

Oh yes, I love the dress you’re referring to! Anne of Avonlea is one of my favorite films, and I’ve had all the costumes memorized for years! I really love the white straw hat she wore with that dress, and the sheer insert at the neckline is really lovely.

Thanks for the comment!

Happy sewing,

Katrina
Katrina’s “Diana” Ensemble | Sense & Sensibility Patterns said,

[...] I did a very detailed diary of this dress on my blog, and you can see more finished photos here. [...]
Lora said,

Wow! I love Victorian/Edwardian Era clothing, and the Anne movies have very beautiful examples. I’m always looking for good patterns too since I love to wear and sew the clothing myself.
Edelweiss Patterns said,

Thank you, Lora! I think the Anne films are some of the best Edwardian costume movies ever made, and I’m sincererly looking forward to re-creating the Anne Shirley ballgown in the next couple of months.

Happy sewinng!

Katrina
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[...] January of 2012 I began blogging my way through the process of recreating Diana Barry’s Honeymoon Gown from the timeless film, Anne of Avonlea. This costume was one of my favorite projects I’d [...]
Laura Morrigan said,

This dress is beautiful! I have never seen the sequel, but I adored the first one as a kid, and was in love with all Diana’s dresses! When I learn to sew properly, I can imagine having dresses like this! I feel nostalgic just looking at it!
Edelweiss Patterns said,

Why thank you, Laura! Oh, you must see the sequel! It is arguably as good or even better than the first one, and the costumes are five times more gorgeous since Diana and Anne are all grown up.

Have a lovely week!
Katrina
Simi said,

Absolutely amazing! So glad that I found this blog. I’ve shared your button on my blog! Love, love, love Anne of Green Gables and Sound of Music!
Clara said,

Hi, I am trying to find in your blog if you mention what patterns you used and how you made the dress.
Edelweiss Patterns said,

Hi, Clara!

For the skirt I used the Beatrix Skirt Pattern from http://www.sensibility.com, and for the bodice I used a mixture of the Beatrix Shirtwaist (from the first website mentioned), and the Liesl’s Dancing Dress pattern for the upper sleeve. Do note that I did some serious re-designing of the shirtwaist pattern to get the right “look” from the film, but if you do a search on this blog for “Diana Barry” or something like that you can see all the posts showing how I made this costume.

Hope this helps!

Katrina
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