New Clothes, Old Clothes

This weekend I started three new pieces for my slowly growing 1861 wardrobe, finishing two by last night.

On Saturday I made an apron out of some creme and navy plaid cotton. In preparation for the twelve total tucks on my drawers, I made three horizontal tucks on the hem of the apron, giving it a subtle decoration and me practice at making tucks (deceptively simple, just a lot of ironing!)

Here are the first three tucks on the drawers (I was so proud).

Below is the finished hem, with six tucks, pinned and ready to sew into a leg casing!

A video of me getting dressed in all the pieces of wardrobe I have so far is on youtube at this address.  It's a little embarrassing, but I'm hoping to get some constructive, instructive comments. Or none at all, considering that it will probably never be viewed!

This is a doll-sized prototype of the bonnet I made. It's out of card stock, affixed with tape! But I got the idea of how to piece a bonnet to fit the head and lie (mostly) flat.

 This is the final product, made of a stiff plasticky-felt interfacing I got on the cheap at Jo-Ann's, and sewn with dental floss. No, it's not exactly authentic, but once it's covered no one will know! After searching in vain for a pattern or instructions or anything on how to make a early 1860s bonnet, I finally gave up. No way was I prepared to spend upwards of $40 on a bonnet frame. So I drafted this one on my own, and I think it's turned out all right.

If anyone wants instructions or a basic pattern to follow, please leave a comment and I will try to help you! It's not perfect, but it cost me $1.20 and 45 minutes, so it just might be worth it to you ;)

More pictures to come later, after I've finished the drawers.

I'm getting a custom corset and dress. I am surprised at myself, having expected to make them both myself, especially the corset which is one of the most custom-made-necessary items one can put on one's body. However, I now have one month to get ready for Henkel Square, the civilian C.W. reenactment held in Round Top, Texas, and I am simply not a good enough seamstress to make a corset right now, or a dress. The corset is putting me back $100, which I didn't think was too bad, and the dress is going to be $185 (really good for the quality it is). I bought a ready-made dress from "Originals by Kay", but the bodice was not long enough for my extra-long torso, so I had to return it. Kay told me she had more of the fabric, and would make a custom dress for the same price as the ready made. I recommend her to anyone looking for a seamstress. She's really nice, and generous to make this dress for so little. It's a reproduction red calico, which I fell in love with instantly. Will post pictures when I have them!

Bye for now,

Victoria Rose