Living History

1860s Day Dress for Mama Jenn

Dear Sis,

If you can’t find enough re-enactors with kids, then you make your friends re-enactors… right?! If they are crazy like you, they even say yes:)

We found this lovely yellow windowpane, 80/20 cotton/linen woven fabric, at Hobby Lobby and the fitted bodice with coat sleeves from this Past Patterns pattern. I lengthened the bodice and added a few more pleats in the back. The bodice turned out great!

All the darts and pleats are top stitched, the neckline, armscyes, cuffs, and waist are piped, and the closure is completed with hook and eye tape.

Next, I added a gaged (cartridge pleated) skirt with a 3 1/2 inch deep rem and 3 (1/2 inch) pin tucks. 

When the dress was complete, I made am apron to protect the dress from kiddo hands. They are forever using mom as a napkin. We found this lovely reproduction print at Valley Quilts.

All that is left is the addition of a collar and a slated bonnet!

Love,

b

I Made Stuff

Hi Sis,

It has been about a million years (okay, maybe a year) since I last did a blog post. But, I am a little excited about my latest crafting. I haven’t had much time to craft. However, the kids are getting to a stage where I can actually do things again. Grant naps and Evelyn plays on her own, it is fantastic.

When we went to Spring Gove Cemetery, I wore a tropical weight dress. It was perfect for the weather, but with most living history events out your way and in the summer, I knew I wanted a sheer. I once had a sheer dress. Remember this beauty? It may have been one of my favorite dresses ever. Sadly, I outgrew (gained weight) since I was twenty-one. lol 

I really wanted to make a dress that I liked just as much as this pink sheer. But, first I had to find the fabric. Finding sheer fabric was difficult. Would you like a solid? Maybe a plaid? Prints aren’t always the easiest to find, or at least ones that look passable for reproduction. 

I decided, on an Indian Border print. So, I checked out cotton saree fabric. There are a few sellers on Etsy… if anyone else is looking. I purchased 7 yards from RaajMa.

After, picking my fabric I looked for some inspiration. 

Going to be honest, this is probably more 1850 than 1860 sheer. But, oh the flounces and those sleeves!!! I really wanted those sleeves. Naturally, I didn’t have any pattern remotely like that, but heck I would figure it out. 

And I did. I just modified a progada sleeve about six times and got it. The rest of the dress was pretty easy, as I already had a dress that fit me and a decent pattern. But, I already see areas on the bodice to improve next time around.

That is it! I still have a little tweaking to do to the bodice to get it to lay completely flat at the closure. I think a few more hook and eyes will solve that problem. 

I also had a lot of fun with the accessories.

  • I made the belt from silk taffeta, and threaded a buckle from Ensembles of the Past through it.
  • The bonnet… I did NOT make. Making one bonnet was enough for me, and I have since then decided millenary isn’t a strong point. The bonnet is from Timely Tresses and is a Marie Stewart Style. 
  • The miser purse was handmade by me. After all the silk reticules I have made, sold and given away I actually didn’t have one for myself. So, I decided I was going to make one. Hopefully, I will get the pattern up sometime. 

 The originals/inspiration

I was pretty proud of this little reticule. It was my first time doing really getting into the beading on the edges. I have made plenty of tassels, but I never managed to get the beads on the top. (wrap them around with one strand, and sew them on with another piece of thread and a needle).

That’s it! More crafty to come… I can’t wait.

Jamiegoof

Our 1860s Memorial Day

Dear Sis,

Thanks for joining us today for an 1860s picnic at Spring Grove Cemetery! 

This photo and a few of the others were taken by my friend Mekaela. She has become a living history pro in just a handful of years. I feel lucky to be friends with someone so wonderful at turning everyday events into living history. 

We brought rice pudding and fresh berries. I found the recipe on The American Table.

You did such a wonderful job trimming your wool gown and retrimming your bonnet. You always look so lovely in period garb!!!

Grant was adorable in William’s old hand-me-downs.

Evelyn looked precious in here new sheer gown!

William looks so grown up now that he has been breeched! It was my first attempt at anything beyond boys frocks, but I think it turned out perfect!

I still need to put some flowers inside my bonnet so the netting doesn’t make me feel so elderly! Charlotte was darling in Evelyn’s old hand-me-downs.

I look forward to more events with you and the kids! Thanks for a wonderful day!!!

Love,

b

Blast to the Past – My first reenacting dresses

Dear Sis,

Here is a post with some of my older dresses. I sold all of these, as they sadly weren’t a great fit as I matured into adulthood. I learned so much about sewing from these dresses!

The Silk Dress – My very first homemade civil war gown. I never attended a ball, or any fancy gathering that I could wear this to. I’m not sure why I thought I would, I don’t even like dancing and our unit never left the campfire. All well, it was a good learning experience. lol 

The Wool Gown – I was so proud of this dress! After struggling with patterns, I drafted this one myself. This was also when I started really researching how to make things.

Sheer Dress– My very first summer sheer! I think this was the second dress I made? You thought the fabric was going to make a ugly dress, and then we both ended up loving it when it was done!  I didn’t know the bodice hook and eye was supposed to overlap then. lol

The Maple Syrup Festival

Yesterday, my good friend and I attended the Maple Syrup Festival with the 63rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.  We where dishearten to see that some of our fellow civilians where not able to come, but had a wonderful time meeting new people, knitting, strolling around the vendors, and taking a hike in the woods. 
 
Because it wasn’t exactly appropriate for young ladies to hang around a military camp, we always try to bring something to look our part.  So, we loaded up a basket with some home baked bread, hard boiled eggs (from my own hard working biddies), and fruit for the soldiers.
 
I don’t have many civil war recipes, so I was happy to find this one on the blog “The World Turned Upside Down.”
 
The rolls where a little bland, but I was pleased with the taste and texture.  It seemed to go well with the soup the camp cook made, as there was little left.  I will be sticking with making rolls in the future, as I have noticed people seem hesitate to cut into a loaf of bread, and rolls do not go stale as quickly. 
 
While there, I finally finished an orange wool sontog for my friend…just in time for summer. LOL.  It is the overly represented basket weave pattern.
 
Here it is on my friend and model Kaela.  She is very handy with a sewing needle, and made her entire outfit herself including her all her undergarments, work dress, apron, and bonnet.
 
Front
 
Back
 
What I would change:  The front panels should be wider.  This can be fixed with blocking.  I also think the back would look better shorter, with a band to keep the back from moving.
 
The day was very windy, so we had to pay a lot of attention to our fly away clothing.  A good gust untied my bonnet, and sent it souring.  And some of the ladies had their skirts flip up a bit.  Thankfully, my hoop kept everything hidden, but it sure did make walking a challenge here and there. LOL. 
 
Me
 
Originally published: here
 
Written by: Jamiegoof