Just Dance!

I can't help it. Lady GaGa and Civil War Balls go so well together!

1865 Dress Competition

I am a member of an amazing community of historic clothing seamstresses (and 'seamsters') online called www. yourwardrobeunlockd.com. It requires a subscription, but there is so much information on this site that can't be found anywhere else that it's worth a try, at least for a few months. They are currently hosting a competition to recreate an historical garment, and the dress I have pictured is what they finally decided on. You are allowed to recreate as much or as little of the dress as you choose, and there are different categories you can enter it into - I would really like to enter the 'most historically correct' or if that doesn't work 'most inventive'. I have an idea in my head for what I would like to do, and since I must make a couple dresses this summer from this same time period, I might as well give it a try!

The dress has two bodices - an evening and day bodice. I really don't care much for the evening bodice, though it might be simpler to make, so I think I will try to make the bolero jacket. I also love how the day bodice underneath the bolero is a slightly darker shade to enhance the small waist.

I would love to use a fabric in a similar colour, but sometimes that's just not possible because of availability and price. If I don't use tan I think I might settle for a white or off-white/ivory. One can never go wrong with ivory. It was always fashionable and always will be fashionable. And the contrast of a darker trim would be exquisite! And though I would love to use silk, I think it's going to have to be cotton.

nine months later...

I thought I would post some more pictures from the August Ball to make up for my lack of anything new. These are just a few random ones that I liked.