1840s green fan front dress (construction details)

I went ahead and did it.  I made a short(er) sleeved dress for work.  After going home one day with heat exhaustion due to EXTREME weather conditions and very non-summery clothing, I said enough was enough.  I still maintain, despite a lack of concrete evidence at the moment, that women in Columbia did not necessarily adhere to the standards of European society  or the upper class women of the East Coast.

So I got to thinking, what can I make this outfit out of?  I went to JoAnn's and found a very nice green plaid homespun.  It wasn't what I went in for, but it worked well enough.  I wanted a semi-sheer print, but I guess that will have to wait.  Upon getting home, I went to work on it.

This first dress was probably the primary inspiration for my new dress:

Woman’s dress made in America between 1840-45.  Constructed in cotton.  Gift of The New York Historical Society, 1979, Accession Number: 1979.346.35.  From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, http://www.metmuseum.org.

Woman's Dress made in the United States c.1840, attributed to an American maker.  Constructed in Gold China silk crepe with silk embroidery in satin stitch.  Gift of Howard H. Lewis, John F. Lewis III, and Mrs. Anne L. Stoudt, 1979.  From the Philadelphia Museum of Art, http://www.philamuseum.org.

Dress showing the lining and center front closures.  Uploaded by Anette Bethke, http://pinterest.com/netnet81/.

“D01-87.    AWESOME EYES!”  c.1851, American (possibly Ohio).  From Dennis A. Waters Fine Daguereotypes, http://finedags.com. 

Afternoon dress.  Constructed in cotton c.1843 in America.  Purchased from The German Fur Federation Gift, 1981.  Accession number 1981.14.5.  From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, http://www.metmuseum.org.

Armed with these images, I set to work on drafting up some patterns from Patterns of Fashion for the 1852 day dress (again).  I altered the actual bodice a bit in the neckline and the sleeves on mine are much more practical for what I believe a working woman could have worn.

The lining and a trial version of the skirt

back view of the lining

I love how scooped the lining is

Trial of the pleats

Here's what we're aiming for, more or less

Close up and flashed

I raised the hemline of the corded petticoat I made last year after reading an article on skirt supports at historicalsewing.com.  It works WONDERFULLY now

Just about done, sorry for the blurriness

 

does it make your eyes hurt yet

Major thanks also to Katherine at The Fashionable Past for her article: An Easy, Authentic Eighteenth Century Petticoat that I used for making the skirt.

Since Columbia SHP will be having an 1861 themed back to school night on Sep. 15th, I'm planning a nice little Swiss waist to wear with a cute white shirt I made (also with elbow length sleeves ;) )

Final photos to follow soon...

2011 Costume Wrap-up

Well the year is done and overall I'd say it was a success.   Here are the majority of things I finished this year, minus the outfits  I made for other people and don't have pictures of yet.

There were also some other projects this year too: a suit of clothes for my boss, a skirt/bodice and petticoat for a coworker, a pair of bloomers and a corset for another coworker, and a variety of skirts for a friend.


For next year I have a few ideas already.
1. Garbaldi blouses in red, white, and black
2. a maroon skirt with blue wool trim
3. a blue wool bodice
4. a black striped bustle dress c. 1869
5. a green skirt with box pleated ruffle
6. the green striped dress with matching Swiss waist
7. redo the pink dress and add trim
8. fix the purple jacket

Happy New Year's!  I'm a little drunky right now on Moet et Chandon so apologies for any spelling errors that might have insued.  Cheers

a detailed view (if slightly blurry) of the pleating for the fan front.  I'm super happy with the results.

front view of hte bodice without trim

laundry day at my house hehehe

Apologies for the blurry progress pictures, but I had to share and had no photographer around when I was working on it.  All I have left now is to stitch the skirt to the bodice, do the center front seam of the skirt and add a ton of lace trim.  I'm so excited to wear this dress to work.

The corded petticoat and the horrible workdress

First, my brand new corded petticoat.  It's ~94 inches in circumference. 

 Made from cotton with cotton crochet cord.

Next, the work dress.  The lady who makes the dresses charges $150 for a dress with no back stitching anywhere on the whole thing.  My sleeve has come undone, but I really don't feel like fixing it.

 Complete with odd wrinkles in the back because it doesn't fit properly, not to mention the back is about two inches lower at the waistline than the front.

 The front, with really ugly darts to "shape" the bodice.

 The super flimsy skirt with no petticoats or anything

 The skirt with my new petticoat under it.

 And a third version with a flounced petticoat over the corded one

Below you can see the weird tilt of the waistline that makes the dress rather unflattering.  Just imagine it with the apron we're all required to wear.  Ugh.

Sacky looking I think.

And now you've all shared the horrors that are the dresses made for the state park.  The best part, the woman's little page on the the official park website states that they are "1870s Pioneer Dresses."  Last I checked the heyday of the "pioneer" age was more 18302-40s.  Fortunately I have started patterning my dress and and will be doing a bodice mock up soon.  Really makes me sad that this woman makes so much money making such shoddy examples of women's clothing.