The Industrious Lady

Period Impression 419 Paletot: Part 2 Part of the fun of any project is the research and the eye candy. Here are some of the originals that I am drawing inspiration from for the paletot trim. I'm headed down the research rabbit hole and I'm taking you all with me mwahahaha.  Enjoy! \\ Cotton wrapper from the Met museum. It is labeled as a morning dress, but the princess seams and button front speak more to it being a wrapper than anything.  Another Dress from the Met collection. This one is a later, maybe 1864 as it is starting to migrate the majority of the fullness of the skirt to the back. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/80004406?rpp=60&pg=15&ft=1862+dress&when=A.D.+1800-1900&what=Costume&img=1 Another Met dress, this trim is a bit more simplistic and more doable. I actually love this, especially how the trim is used on the bottom to give an almost wavy effect.  https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...

Period Impression 419 Paletot Part 1 So my old paletot is getting old and kinda takes the whole big, black, and ugly to a whole 'nother level. A new paletot was in order and this beautiful fabric was just asking to be made. Winter wear for the era could range from tight fitting to cloaks with no sleeves. A paletot specifically is semi fitted and French in origin. It could range from hip length to nearly to the floor. There are hundreds of originals and styles, but I found the two below that served as inspiration for the type that I wanted to make. Michigan winters are freezing and I needed something long and warm. I chose the PI 419 pattern due to its similarity to the one on the left.  So I left this unlined as many from the period were, and it is made out of wool coating, for closure I went with a frog clasp. I found a few originals that had these closures, and since my other paletot has buttons, I wanted this one to be different.  It turned out pretty ...

Online Primary Research Ever heard the saying that a picture says a thousand words? A picture of an original dress gives a thousand words and then some! A budding seamstress  can look at as many tutorials and websites they want talking about historical clothing, but there is no better teacher in the world than the original seamstresses themselves and the garments they made. When looking at research there are two types, primary and secondary. Words written by researchers, bloggers, and anything that was written about the era afterwards is considered secondary. While that can be nice its not as good as primary research,: items, books, and visual/written sources from the period itself. While secondary research is a dime a dozen, primary is harder to find. Here are some great links to help you out and have fun doing it! Extant Dresses http://www.extantgowns.com/ This is a wonderful blog that offers and array of original dresses! Ran by the lovely and mysterious Isa...

A visual image of mid crinoline era Undergarments Undergarments and underwear. The Crinoline era is perhaps most well known for its crazy and very structured underwear. The skirt had reached such ridiculous proportions that no amount of petticoats would be able to sustain the shape. This led to the invention of the hoop skirt, which was a true Godsend, it freed the legs, put less pressure and weight on the waist, and allowed for a women to be both fashionable and comfortable. Prior to this, the big skirt silhouette was created using petticoats with as many as seven petticoats used at one time.  Petticoats have been left out to show the layers used under and over the pettis that are normally not able to be seen. The outermost layer seen is the hoop skirt. It was made of light steel hoops attatched to vertical bands. This hoop in the picture weighs less than two pounds, and is very light and springy.   The next layer is the corset. Used much in the same mann...

Cartridge Pleated Striped Dress This is an oldie that was actually completed last year but never really worn, simply collecting dust in the bottomless pit of my closet. When I pulled it out for moving back to the dorms, it definitely needed some love and a chance to be worn. And what better way to unveil this beautiful dress than to wear it exploring the campus college where I will have to look these people in the face tomorrow. Oh well, I'm sure most have figured out my historical nerdiness by now. Especially when Erica and I streaked down the hallway in our victorian underwear (long story).  As part of the wonderful music program at this college, there is a piano room with three beautiful pianos! How could I resist? Oh how I yearn for my union soldier, he has not sent a letter in months since he left to fight for Lincoln and the Union. (JK, I'm single as a pringle, but a girl can still stare dreamily off in the distance)  Even the trees were not safe...

Hygiene In the 1860's: Part 1 Teeth Amy Lola private collection,  mid to late 1850's .    This is going to be a series of posts about hygiene in the 1860's. There are so many inconsistencies and rumors as to how people of the period actually cared for their selves. Granted, all we have are the suggestions of period sources, what an individual decided to do was their own prerogative.  We will be looking at certain period books and magazines and seeing what was suggested in them to encourage good hygiene practices. bone teeth toothbrushes, Philadelphia Museum.  1. 1860's people encouraged brushing teeth every day or even after every meal. They thought plaque and food between teeth were just as disgusting as we do today! As well as protecting their "pear Godey's 1864 included in their Reciepts for the month of  "Horace Walpole says, use a bit of aluni twice or thrice in a week, no bigger than half your nail, till ...

Halloween Sew Along: Part 3 OH dear, where to start, where to start. Well. This is one of those projects where I get to be pushed to be a better seamstress, especially in the hand sewing department. This dress easily has 10+ hours of just hand sewing. My mom would be so proud!  From In the Swan's Shadow, attributed to 1860.  From the New York Public Library, Attributed to 1860 as well and a good example of how short fancy dress costumes could get. I think the plates of fancy dress ballgowns also show how the myth of seeing an ankle was so scandalous that one would have to marry the lady if he caught even a glimpse of it. The white dress might even reveal the knee if the lady turns just right. This plate also gave me the idea of where I wanted the dress to hit. I needed to shoot for somewhere between below the knee, but above mid calf. And for such a length, one of my poor loaner hoops was going to have to be sacrificed and mutilated, but its all in the name o...