1860s Turquoise Teen Dress

Before I found out about the new baby and slowed down on sewing this summer, I was doing quite a few dress commissions. 

This was a fun one - an 1860s young lady's sheer cotton dress in turquoise. Meant to be a nicer day or party dress - cute and pretty for dances at reenactments without being something you have to worry about ruining (like a silk ballgown!). It has a wide neckline, piped, short sleeves accented with tiny self fabric ruffles, a very full gauged skirt with a few decorative tucks around the hem. All visible seams are hand done - it fastens up the back with hooks and eyes. The fabric is a semi sheer cotton. The website I ordered the fabric from listed the cotton as 'voile' which normally is *very* sheer, this turned out to be less so than I had hoped, but still made up into a lovely dress. I really adore the design - the lightly gathered bodice and rounded is such a flattering style for teens. I very much regret that I didn't know enough about period fashions when I was a teenager reenacting to really take advantage of all the fun youthful styles that were age-appropriate then.

I've been collecting pictures of girls and teens dresses of the 19th century here if you are interested in seeing more of this style.

 

 

This original c. 1850 dress was our inspiration picture:

The young lady who commissioned the dress sent me some really fun pictures where she used the dress during her graduation photo shoot!

Blue Silk Victorian Ball Gown

 

I recently finished a mid-Victorian ball gown for my Etsy shop. It is a blue-pink shot silk taffeta. The fabric was originally ordered for a custom dress for a client, but when I got the bodice and skirt cut out, I realized that I wouldn't have enough fabric to complete the dress. So, I ordered one more yard, in the mean time got the bodice and skirt near completion. However, when the extra yard arrived, there was a horrible sinking feeling when I saw it. It was *technically* the same fabric - a blue/pink shot, but the weave was such that it looked much darker and had more pink tones - it just wasn't a match. So - unable to get any more of the exact shade of the first fabric, I had to completely re order for the custom dress, and I had a blue silk bodice and skirt that I had to do something with, and absolutely no matching fabric to work with. Yikes!

Finally I decided on a design, and I made it up into a differently designed ballgown. I think it turned out rather well - I'm pretty pleased with it! It's now for sale in my shop.

 

Since I had no extra fabric for sleeves and trim, I used sheer cotton voile to make little puffed sleeves, and for trim went with a gorgeous piece of netted lace that had been in my stash for a while. The ruched trim was the darker shot silk.

 

 

This was my inspiration for the fabric and trim - 

an original dress found on my 1850s-60s board on Pinterest.

 

 I love the creamy white with the bright blue tones! In fact, I was a bit sad to use this lovely piece of lace on a dress I was going to sell, as I would have loved to use it on a ball gown for myself (shame on me! lol), but it was just what the dress needed.

If you know anyone who is in the market for a new ball gown, do send them over!
This dress wants to dance!

The Homeplace (Tennessee Trip)

During my trip to Tennesee in June, we had several things planned to do. One of these we were most excited about was visiting 'The Homeplace'. Located at the Land Between the Lakes, it is a replica of a working 1850s farm. Many original structures, and without anything modern in view! There are volunteers on site every day doing the normal tasks of the 19th-century inhabitants - gardening, quilting, cooking, plowing, tending the animals, etc.

(read the link above to find out more about the site)

The houses are also fully furnished, and you can wonder through the entire site at your leisure. I thought this was just the best - not like being in some sort of stiff museum display, but instead you could really get the feel of a mid-century home.

It was just like a painting as we approached.

Enjoying the sitting room. (and of course both Jordan and I went in costume...)

I loved the pie safes and the woodstove in the kitchen!

Two volunteers at work in the kitchen.

Herbs grown on site were hanging up to dry in the kitchen, filling the air with a wonderful aroma!

It was so interesting to be able to poke around and even open up the cabinets to see what was inside! I felt a little like I had gone back in time and was snooping around in someone else's house! lol.

 It was fun, though.

Clothes hanging on pegs in the upstairs bedroom.

Feather mattresses and hand-sewn quilts were hanging out on the porch railings to air.

A view unspoiled by modern structures.

In one of the barns/workshops we encountered a friendly fellow who did much of the woodworking and blacksmithing for the place. When we came up he was sharpening a few saws.

They had chickens, pigs, a horse and mule, and oxen who all live on site.

Even the animal breeds are types chosen because they are period correct. Very neat!

This was my very favorite spot. Next to the smaller house was the most charming little fenced in herb and flower garden. I'd like to have one just like it someday!

We had a magnificent time, and gleaned much inspiration for our future log home!

Early 1860s Print Dress

You've seen this dress already in my engagement photos, but I really thought it deserved a post of it's own with a bit of construction explaination.

I knew back in March I wanted to make a new dress for Shiloh 150th. I had the material picked out, but what style to do was still undecided until the last minute, when I happened upon this picture on Pinterest:

A young married couple c. 1855

As I studied the dress more, the details were very intriguing. What appears to be a very fitted fan-front dress, (though on closer inspection I think it is a gathered yoke dress) high collar, and unique 2-part sleeves. They seem to have a drawstring at the wrist, a separate short pouf at the shoulder.

I was also inspired (again) by one of my old favorites.....This sheer day dress from 1860.

For the pattern of the front bodice, I modified Past Patterns #800. The back bodice is not gathered, but is in a normal fitted style. Back and lining were from Past Patterns #702. Sleeves were drafted by me.

I speculated from the first picture that the lower sleeves could have been removeable, they were certainly made with two separate pieces. So, I decided for my dress that would be quite handy. The upper sleeves are just lightly gathered and completely finished with a narrow band. The lower sleeves are also gathered and finish with a band that was just hand-sewn to the short sleeve on the inside, so that the stitches could be clipped and the lower sleeve removed at any time. The wrist is just a simple buttoned band.

The dress, without lower sleeves.

The cotton print fabric is from the collection 'Nottingham Village'

 by Judy Rothermel and Marcus Fabrics.

Buttons are antique black glass.

Even though short sleeves for adult women were not as common as long sleeves, they were seen.

Both for working and fashionable situations.

I deviated quite a bit from my orginal inspirations, but I just love the way the dress turned out, and hope to make more in similar style.



A Victorian Christmas Ballgown

A burgundy red 1850s-60s silk taffeta ball gown, destined to be worn to a Dickens Christmas ball!

The latest request from an Etsy client. (lucky me!! this was a fun project!)

There was no specific inspiration for the dress, but a simple, unadorned style was chosen, the only ornamentation being the creamy lace netting on the short, open sleeves.

Neckline finished with piping.

The silk is actually a bright red/black shot silk, which gives it such a striking shimmer in different lights!

Hand-sewn eyelets and matching ribbon lacing up the back.

Makes me rather long for a Christmas dance myself! :)

If you are interested in having a custom silk ball gown made,

 you may want to take a look at my new Etsy listing....