Angels Camp Gold Rush Days 2012

This year I gave three presentations on Women's clothing of the 1840s and 1850s.  My twin sister was gracious enough to let me dress her up and flash her underclothes to complete strangers.  At each presentation there was a collective gasp when she took off her wrapper to reveal her petticoats and corset, which I thought was entertaining.  She got lunch and dinner out of it, so no complaints! On the tables in the background are a number of dresses that I reproduced over the years and I printed out the inspiration images (dags) that I based their design on.  I even brought out my wedding dress and accessories, which people really seemed to enjoy. Jesse (far left) wore her 1850s dress, which worked out nicely to show the evolution of sleeve width, bodice length, and other elements of dress that were transitioning between the two decades. At the end of my talk and I welcomed people to look at the dresses up close and handle them and I received some very nice complements from the public.

Demonstrating the layers that go under the dress for the 1840s silhouette

For my hair I was adventurous and did Spaniel curls on a whim the night before the presentation. I used this tutorial for the curls and I think they turned out pretty well for my first attempt. In the image below, Heather is wearing my McCalls pattern bonnet that I worked on the weekend before. I redid the bavolet and added blackberries, strawberries, and paper flowers to the interior of the bonnet to frame the face. I've been meaning to work on this bonnet since I made it in 2005, and I think it looks great now with the new updates.

1844 Truly Victorian Dress

Ian and I (Past Patterns Fan Front dress)

In closing, here is a picture of Ian and I at the end of the day.  He was demonstrating mining techniques in the creek all day.  And yes, it's a real mustache.

1845-1849 Dress from LACMA

Here is another option for the Auburn Ravine dress. This example is from the "Fashioning Fashion" exhibit at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which I was able to visit last year.

1845-1849 Dress

Dress: England, 1845-49 
Silk plain weave with warp-float patterning, printed, silk lace, and silk passementerie

"By the mid-1840s, dresses with sloped shoulders, tight bodices with fitted sleeves, and fuller skirts mirrored the similarly constricting social norms of the early Victorian woman. Bodices often included rows of pleat extending over the shoulder to the waist in a pronounced V-shape that pointed to the wide, cartridge-pleated skirt."
 
Here a link to a close-up of the bodice.

Using the Truly Victorian TV 454 pattern as a base, the V-shaped pleats would be laid over where the brettelles would go.  It's another option I can play around with!

In Auburn Ravine continued

Just as a quick refresher, here is the next dress I want to recreate.

Circa 1852

I have been thinking about how the pleats at the shoulders are handled with this dress and have two options.  Like the dress below, I could add a separate pleated bertha and attach it the the shoulder and center front seams.

Or I the piece is darted at the waist and pleated into the shoulder seam, as illustrated below.

Personally, I am leaning towards the bertha because I have so many fan front dressed with gathering and pleating at the front waist, that this would be an opportunity to have a darted front dress with a nice tight fit around the waist and added volume to the top (where I need it the most).  

In Auburn Ravine c.1852

Seeing that I am giving a talk on women's fashion at a museum, why not recreate clothing from an original image taken during the Gold Rush? I have always loved the image "In Auburn Ravine."

1852

Close-up

My husband has yards and yards of dark blue wool that he ordered that is too light weight for what he wanted, so guess what color this dress will be...?

1847 Dress

New project perhaps? I have always loved the use of trims to make the waist look smaller.  It almost has a military feel to it.

Victorian Christmas

This is our first holiday season in our 1893 house and we have always wanted to host a Victorian Christmas party.  Since I just completed my masters degree in Public History, it was the perfect opportunity to have a party and get the house decorated.  We brought nature inside and decorated with cypress garland, boughs, red berries, etc. 

I want to keep the garland up all year round!

Boughs on the frames

Edmond and Nellie-Bly wish you a Happy Christmas.

Two Eastlake frames I picked up at the antique fair last weekend.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday this year and as our Christmas cards say, "Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man." --Benjamin Franklin

Dickens Fair 2011

As of Friday I turned in my thesis and have officially earned my M.A. in Public History!  No more school forever!  Yay!

As a reward, the whole gang went to the Dickens Fair this year after having to skip out last year due to school obligations. Ian knows Prince Albert, so we got complimentary ticket this year, which meant we could buy more drinks inside.  It was a win-win for everyone!

1860s and 1840s collide.

We were presented to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Albert and I forgot to bow.  FAIL.  I was so nervous!  We didn't get a chance to see the Saucy French Postcard show, but we might be going back in a few weeks. I disappointed Prince Albert by not dancing with him before we left, so I guess I have to learn to waltz before then.