1860s Day Dress

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