A project from 2016

As well as a costumer, I’m also a novelist, and back in 2016 when starting my latest book, The Clothier’s Daughter, I began planning the cover as I knew I would be independently publishing it, and therefore had control over all the choices. Stock images of reasonably accurate Regency dress are rather hard to find, and I wanted at least some level of accuracy to signal the historically-informed nature of the book.

My niece agreed to be a cover model, so I made a dress to fit her that she could also wear to the Jane Austen Festival that we attend each year.

The dress is based on styles of around 1805-1815, and I used a mix of the Sense and Sensibility Elegant Lady’s Closet pattern (I knew the bodice pattern fitted her) and the Laughing Moon 126 pattern for a gown with a high stomacher front.

For reasons of economy, (and partly because shiny is no detriment for book covers!), I used Spotlight’s satin deluxe, which is a definitely-not-historically-accurate polyester. Silk satin would have been preferable but was way beyond my budget. However, the satin deluxe is more drapey than cheaper polyester satins and the shine level falls between them and proper silk.

My brother-in-law is a professional photographer (and my sister skilled at assisting with lighting) so that helped make for an inexpensive photoshoot. The resulting book cover, with graphic design by my niece, works well and has received much positive feedback: