1852 Diggins Dress

I finally decided on a dress design for the 2013 Columbia Diggins event (even though it's a bit outdated for 1852)!

This dress:

American Textile History Museum, 1845-1845

with this fabric:

Cheddar and Illuminations Dargate reproduction print. 

and modifying the Truly Victorian 1845 German Day Dress pattern. I'll have to drape the bodice gathering detail, but everything else should be pretty straight forward. The pattern also may need some adjustment around the armscye.  I actually ripped the armscye of my favorite work shirt now that my chest, shoulders, arms, and delts are a lot bigger and stronger from weight lifting.  I do have plenty of sheer white fabric that I can work with to make a nice chemisette to fill in the lowered neckline if I have the time/inclination. I own a beautiful original chemistte with whitework but it's far too delicate for wear, but is a great inspiration piece. 

The best laid plans...

Not too much sewing going on at my house for the time being.  I have next Monday through New Years off and I planned to work on my 1810 quilt project, but my dear grandmother (Tood) passed away last week and my family has been dealing with everything that comes with the death of a loved one.  I volunteered to help go through her house the week after Christmas to sort through all her paperwork, belongings to donate  etc. While doing some work there yesterday I found a letter she wrote to the whole family in July of this year that she intended to have read after her death, so she knew she didn't have much time left with us.  I'm positively devastated and I've lost my mojo in sewing, work, all of it.  We are still getting together as a family on Christmas, but it won't be the same without her.

Ian, Me, and Tood (June 2012)

Circa 1810 Quilt Project

Even though I have been sewing reproduction clothing for a few years, I have never attempted a quilt...until now.  Lindy Miller, quilter extraordinaire, historic fabric enthusiast, and owner of Timeless Calico Designs, was kind enough to put together a quilt kit from her wonderful collection of historic reproduction fabrics.  She has an online storefront and an etsy store so check her out!  

The quilt below will be my first attempt. Lindy recommended it for a beginner quilter like me and I love how colorful and busy the fabrics are!

My version replaces the feather border and center sashing with this pillar fabric, but with a mustard background, which will make the quilt predominately yellow.  It will look smashing with my walnut bedroom furniture!

Has anyone else made a quilt and would like to bestow and few words of wisdom?

Libations of the 1840s

Now that summer is here I have been going to our weekly farmer's market and enjoying the bounty of the season: peaches, plums, cherries, squash, strawberries, blackberries, etc., etc.

I made a batch of Brandy Peaches and Cherry Brandy this weekend and will be sharing my culinary adventures with you over the next few weeks / months.  

California Brandy from Korbel.  I used two of these!

 I followed the recipe below from Mrs. Ellis's Housekeeping Made Easy, Or Complete Instructor in All Branches of Cookery and Domestic Economy (1843)

Brandy Peaches (1843)

Eight whole peaches.  I added a vanilla bean for extra flavor.

The Cherry Brandy (New Method) recipe from French Domestic Cookery (1846) was much more time consuming to prepare to stone all the fruit, boil it down with sugar until is reduced, etc., especially compared with the recipe I used last year, which was merely throwing in the cherries, some sugar, and some spices into a jar with brandy and letting them mingle for awhile! 

Reduced cherries and their juice in the bottle and crock behind. 

I won't be able to follow the recipe exactly, since I was supposed to start the cherries weeks ago when the first batch came into season, and then strain them out and add another later season variety of cherries.  I'll probably strain out the cherries after three weeks and check the flavor.  If it could stand a few more weeks to age with the cherries I'll go for it.  And not wanting anything to go to waste, I'll cook the strained cherries in some sugar and reduce them down farther to make a nice ice cream topping.

Housewife from The Workwoman's Guide (1838)

p. 212-213

Figures 19, 20, 21

Straight out of the pages of the Workwoman's Guide, this is the perfect project to use up scrap material.  The main outer fabric is from a vest I made Ian, the pink is from a hand-quilted bonnet my sister made, the scissor area fabric is from a v-neck fan front, and the wool for the needles is from one of Ian's Civil War projects. The pink center has three rows of stitching to keep lengths of different thread separated, as illustrated in the plate above. There is a nice large pocket under the wool flap for buttons, wax, and other small odds and ends.

Housewife

At 28 inches long, this housewife is a lot longer that the Civil War-era housewife's that soldiers carried. This example measures 11 inches long.

1840s Skirt Variations

I have never attempted to play around with different skirt designs in my 1840s wardrobe, but after finding this image I am seriously thinking about it for my next project.

"The Hypnotist"

I bought this fabric from Mill Ends in Reno a few years ago and know I wanted to really play up the stripes, so I think I will pieces the skirt with the wavy stripes going horizontal at the bottom and the rest vertical. 

Another skirt variation

1845-1848 Dress

I love this dress beyond words. The little V-neck with lace insert, the lovely draped bodice, the tight sleeves with wrist trim.  SIGH.  This is what I love about the 1840s: Loud and fitted!

American Textile History Museum