Finished the muslin for the polonaise tunic and started sewing the polonaise itself. The pattern was a decent fit, but needed some tweaks. Modifying the fit was made more difficult by the three long, lengthwise darts in the front of the bodice. I had to reshape and expand them a bit. Also had to take in the shoulder seams a smidge as I’m a smidge short-waisted. Wasn’t originally planning to wear a corset with this outfit — it’s more hysterical than historical — but when I tried the muslin on over my wedding corset, it looked much better. So this will be a corseted costume.
This pattern is deceptively simple. It *looks* complicated, but I think a very patient beginner could do it, and it would be a great “first intermediate” pattern for someone who is stretching their sewing wings. The darts are tricky if you need to modify the fit, but that’s why we do a muslin. The coolest thing about the pattern is how the pleats on the side create the bustled effect. It’s actually quite easy to do, just requires a lot of pinning and checking before sewing. But the results are awesome! You get a lot of bang for your sewing buck out of this pattern. I am definitely going to use the pattern again!
For pictures, I put the in-progress polonaise over a black petticoat on my dressform. The final skirt will probably be worn over this petticoat, but it depends on how fluffy all those ruffles make the skirt.