My very newest and 1st sewn 1860's ballgown

Well, I decided I need to make a ballgown.. and it was my first I made!
I'm excited how the results turned out! I went along making this from a couple of original designs- the trim work I made similar to them! I took the Simplicity pattern of the ballgown and I completely did it to what I had in mine's
mind!




So these are some pics from when it was still in the process and worn at the Tillie Pierce Bed and Breakfast and at the Eisenhower Ball! Oh the girl in the photo is my friend, Michelle, and the man in the other photo is my best friend Ej :)

First 1860's Day dress - finished - and worn at Gettysburg (Remembrance Day)

So I finished my first 1860's day dress- it was taken off the Simplicity Pattern and well it still needs tweaking done to it in order for it not to drag on the ground and needs fixed on the pleated waist- and don't ever doubt a Mother who's been sewing for the majority of her life!

*When it comes to pleating - stick with their advice, and even a pattern to... and don't pleat around the WHOLE waist if it's not going to work!

Here's some photos of what it looks like - and worn at Gettysburg for Remembrance Day this year! I'll post pictures of Gettysburg later and of my new (and my FIRST) ballgown I made in 2 weeks!

Dyed Yarn

Here was the rest of the yarn I dyed from cranberries, onto fisherman's wool. One came out darker than the other, and this is to finish my Civil War Norwegian Morning Hood !! Enjoy!!

1943 Vogue Vintage Reproduction Dress

Front of the dress, it wasn't entirely sewn, I had to resew it because it was only basted! The side is still zipper-less.

Note - I'll have to put upload the rest later because apparently my stupid internet is acting up on and off today, and it's impossible to upload these!

Hope you enjoy the dress photos :D

Learning to dye yarn!

Ok, today I finally decided to learn to dye yarn! It started with using the legs of a chair to get that wrap around yarn and then tie it so it wouldn't fall off and to put it in the pot of dye! LOL.. wow my left arm hurt from going up and around the darn legs, lol! Ok, need to get skein winder do hicky for to do the looping wrap around stuff! Anyways, I dyed the 3/4 strands of fisherman's wool yarn with CRANBERRIES, above all things.. it worked!! Had the yarn soaked in warm water with some white distilled vinegar and had that in for about 20-30 minutes and had on at the same time the water with the cranberries and put a little bit of red food dye in that.. whatever food/flower/dye you use whether it's beets or onion skins or kool aid or blueberries.. make sure you keep that on for about an hour to settle in, and then put in your yarn and let that simmer and boil for about 40-45 minutes... it's so cool to watch that process from your plain white wool yarn turning to that pink/blue/ purple/brown color that you're aiming for!!! Then once you had that done boiling, you rinse in warm water and then set it on a drying rack (say for laundry) and put the yarn on a plastic bag just so it doesn't leak everywhere.. it needs to dry and keep some towels around if it's around in the kitchen. This is so easy of a project that anyone can do it!! I'll have pictures of the yarn before and after posted up tomorrow!! I'll be sure to be posting MORE blogs this month than in the past couple .. being scarce and few... and not having a lot of energy to pull together to get some knitting/crocheting projects done or any sewing projects... I'll be making sure to do so this time!! Alright, will be writing again soon! Happy Sewing!

Great site for original clothing from 1750's -1930's !!! Definitely take a look see!!

This site is soo wonderful, I found it off of TheSewingAcademy's post of things.... and the clothing is to die for!!! These dresses are rich and vibrant and so neat!! This has become one of my new favorite sites, and yes, it originally is in french, but the english part should be ok. Anyways, if anyone takes a look see at it, feel free to say what you think on it!

http://www.abitiantichi.it/collezione.html

Annie's People by Beverly Lewis - fantastic amish novels!

I know it's a bit off topic, but there's a series I just finished, by author Beverly Lewis, called Annie's People... it's a great series, and I cannot wait until I get to read the others she's written! Anyone ever read her novels? The books in a nutshell summary is that Annie Zook is forced by her father, the bishop, to choose between her forbidden art and joining the church, the only life she knows.

One of the best sites known to female Civil War reenactors!!!

Check out this site, it's just so good!


http://www.thesewingacademy.org/

Original 1950's Simplicity pattern halter top w/ cumberund dress - in progress

This is what I've got done so far... the skirt I accidentally did first, but now started the bodice and I'm doing it on my Great Grandmother's Singer Sewing machine (treadle foot) and my Mom used it too when she was a teenager and young girl so I've been using it for a good while. Anyways, enjoy!

Civil War teens dress.. a few cdv's for choices..

I decided to put a post of some photos (from TheSewingAcademy),cdv's and photos of original teen's dresses that I have in mind to start putting together a pattern to make one... hopefully by summer (keeping fingers crossed), and I don't know which ones to chose from! I do have a few others, but they'll need taken of and I'll put on here! The one I have sketched because it's so pretty and might be it! Colors and patterns have varied from pictures and I have a brown with white very small polka dot print that would just be the cutest on probably not a boat neck bodice but one that comes up to neck and the sleeve just is about a 1/4 down with "V" shaped zigzagged pieces laying under it, pieced with little beads at end of these "v" points, and a possible chemise sleeve under it, not sure. In the photograph it is a large plaid silk print, and maybe I should alter the pattern to make it suited to the polka dot print, not sure. I just wanted to see who might have to say about what dress,etc.! Anyways, if anyone has any suggestions or opinions, do feel free to put that in! Thanks! Sam

Godey's Knitted Hood & other projects ... pics.

I'm now halfway done with my knitted hood and will post a few pics of it, and am getting onto other projects I've completed within the past 5 years or so range :)

Hello there to anyone who shares the same interest in civil war reenacting, history, historical reproduction clothing, antiques, knitting, and antique clothing and research of that nature! Well, I do Civil War reenacting and living history and I do loads of historical clothing research and I too have a keen interest in the military battle aspect of it as well! I love to knit and crochet, and sew! I'm 18, soon to be 19 two weeks from tomorrow. I hope to post more things up, and updates on projects and get photos of those! Anyways, whomever follows my profile, or if I happen to find you, I hope that we can definitely become good friends and have lots of things to discuss! Alrighty then, I'm off to venture out the rest of civil war research time :) Samantha Jane