Civil War Seamstress

[debrand]

I love Regency clothing too.

[Avalondaughter]

I liked the ring, although I am not as fond of yellow gold. Still, it was a fun design.

She may be fundie, but some of those dresses I was browsing were a tad defrauding. Lots of visible collarbones. I even saw a glimpse or two of cleavage.

[ilovetchotchkes]

Oh, I know, right? I always wanted to wear a hoopskirt. But for everyday wear, the Regency dresses seem a lot more comfortable. And I could waft around waiting for Colin Firth Mr Darcy to show up dripping wet in his see-through white shirt after taking an impromptu swim in the pond at Pemberley. :dance:

LOL they have corsets too! Something like this:

koshka-the-cat.com/1830corset.html

- the lady who runs that site is a phenomenal costumer. Her work blows mine out of the water and will forever and ever and ever. She HANDSTITCHES like, EVERYTHING. and she's seriously , like a huge inspiration to my little piddly shit sewing projects.

[Loveday]

LOL they have corsets too! Something like this:

koshka-the-cat.com/1830corset.html

I'm going to pretend I didn't see that corset. :snooty: :lol: Although it doesn't look nearly as torturous as later ones. (And, looking down at myself I have to admit some kind of shapewear would be a very good idea! :oops: )

[ilovetchotchkes]

I'm going to pretend I didn't see that corset. :snooty: :lol: Although it doesn't look nearly as torturous as later ones. (And, looking down at myself I have to admit some kind of shapewear would be a very good idea! :oops: )

HONESTLY? if its made for you, its no more uncomfortable that a sports bra. Trust me, I'm very sensory sensitive, and would NOT be able to wear one if it wasn't comfortable. I had a few in the beginning that didn't fit right and yes, those WERE torture devices.

[Sweetpea1]

And I could waft around waiting for Colin Firth Mr Darcy to show up dripping wet in his see-through white shirt after taking an impromptu swim in the pond at Pemberley. :dance:[

Sean Bean (from the Sharpe series) would be totally worth a regency dress... .

[Loveday]

HONESTLY? if its made for you, its no more uncomfortable that a sports bra. Trust me, I'm very sensory sensitive, and would NOT be able to wear one if it wasn't comfortable. I had a few in the beginning that didn't fit right and yes, those WERE torture devices.

I just had a further look at that page and then the reproduction she did, and I can see now how well it works with the dresses. And of course, now I have to bookmark the site. I've got to find out what a busk is!

[mirele]

Well somebody has to play on the Confederate side or it would look really silly at re-enactments of just Union soldiers charging at nothing. :whistle:

According to my friend the reenactor, he and his group (they have a cannon) are in demand because they play Union soldiers. Apparently too many reenactors want to be Confederates, at least in Alabama.

He is also a seamstress (with a modern sewing machine) and a cooper (makes Civil War era barrels).

[ilovetchotchkes]

According to my friend the reenactor, he and his group (they have a cannon) are in demand because they play Union soldiers. Apparently too many reenactors want to be Confederates, at least in Alabama.

He is also a seamstress (with a modern sewing machine) and a cooper (makes Civil War era barrels).

And up here its the other way around. Since some of the confederate guys wore blue pants, if they need a canon on the confederate side, the guys in my husband's former unit would just take off their union jackets and leave em in camp.

[Noon]

I like the idea of it, but the gold looks...cheap and brassy. Also, it may be a bad photo of the ring itself, but the stones don't look to be of good quality either.

I think it would look much nicer if it were of a higher quality.

Actually, the fact the ring isn't bright, bright gold is likely a sign it's an true antique. The blindingly yellow gold of today is a much more modern alloy mixture, and frankly in my opinion, far more ugly in person. Just because the gold isn't OMG yellow does *not * mean it's cheap.

The gemstones however, I would have no idea how to judge via photograph. But they can always upgrade those later on if they really want.

[Someonetocall]

She may be fundie, but some of those dresses I was browsing were a tad defrauding. Lots of visible collarbones. I even saw a glimpse or two of cleavage.

"We went down for the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival and for the Filmmakers Academy. The Academy was for 3 days at the beginning of the week - and it was fantastic. We got to hear so many wonderful speakers, including Doug Phillips, Geoff Bodkin, John Fornof, Kirk Cameron, Stephen Kendrick, and many others!" (storyofaseamstress.blogspot.com/2012/03/saicff-trip-2012.html)

It's not her collarbones I worry about. It's her thought processes and rational thinking faculties.

[ladypuglover]

LOL they have corsets too! Something like this:

koshka-the-cat.com/1830corset.html

- the lady who runs that site is a phenomenal costumer. Her work blows mine out of the water and will forever and ever and ever. She HANDSTITCHES like, EVERYTHING. and she's seriously , like a huge inspiration to my little piddly shit sewing projects.

Shame on you ilovetchotchkes, shame on you! You gave out that link and now I'm going to waste my entire weekend looking at it and every link she provides to other bloggers. You have fed my desire of history but I will be needing more to feel truly full. I need to know everything about what they wore, from the tip of their toes to the top of the head. I'm looking for 1830's to the 1900's. Men women and children of both sexes and of course babies. Also wanted anything else concerning these people. Shame on you for awakening my hunger and then only giving a glimsp of the wonderful buffet of your world.

[Glass Cowcatcher]

Her sewing is fantastic. I've only ever made a couple of historical garments and they're very difficult and labor-intensive to make. She seems very fundy, but at least she seems to be reasonable self-employed.

I think she might live in my neck of the woods. I even want to say I've seen her somewhere in costuming circles.

[Lostie]

She's fairly fundie, but because she usually just posts about her sewing you don't notice it as much. I found her through Feelin' Feminine a few months ago and have been following her since.

[Wolfie]

How do people learn to sew so well? I suck at sewing.

I was really lucky to have shown an interest as a child, and I had a mom and grandma who were both good seamstresses, and supported and taught me. I did a lot of sewing and ripping and fixing as a child. No reason you can't learn as an adult, it just takes practice.

[Wolfie]

HONESTLY? if its made for you, its no more uncomfortable that a sports bra. Trust me, I'm very sensory sensitive, and would NOT be able to wear one if it wasn't comfortable. I had a few in the beginning that didn't fit right and yes, those WERE torture devices.

This.

At the end of some days, I'm happy to get my corset off, but not to any more of an extent than I am to get my bra off at night. (Unless I've been sneezing, I sneeze with my entire body.)

And the thing to remember, if you started wearing a corset at a young age, you'd be very uncomfortable without one, just like most people now are uncomfortable without their usual underwear.

[Wolfie]

I can't do quilts. I'd eat the fabric first. *twitch twitch*

Not a quilter here either. Nope, don't need another hobby.

Last week I made myself 3 t-shirts. With $1.99 fabric, cheaper than I could buy a t-shirt, just a little investment of time.

[Wolfie]

I just had a further look at that page and then the reproduction she did, and I can see now how well it works with the dresses. And of course, now I have to bookmark the site. I've got to find out what a busk is!

It depends on what style of corset it is. In earlier corsets it is a flat piece of wood or bone that holds the front of the corset flat. As time went on it became a metal piece with hooks and eyes that also holds the front of the corset flat, but also acts as a closure, so you don't have to adjust the lacing every time you put it on and take it off.

[Elle]

I don't see the hotness in the boyfriend. However, I really do like that photo of them sitting on a log. And she has a sweet looking engagement ring.

How do people learn to sew so well? I suck at sewing.

I'm surprised they're allowed to touch and get in the water together. But I also like that photo and think she has a pretty ring.

You'll learn to sew well if you're willing to keep at it even when you suck. No one who can sew well started out sewing well right out the gate. I can sew anything you can think of (without patterns, screw patterns), and do so professionally, but it took years to reach the point of being able to do it really well, and a decade post-business-start-up (some years are good, some aren't, things are swinging up right now), it still means learning. I still pour through books and magazines, reading stuff I already know to find the tiny gems I didn't already know. Persist through the tough spots, learn from what you're doing wrong, and you are learning to sew. The mistakes are a part of learning.

[Elle]

I like the idea of it, but the gold looks...cheap and brassy. Also, it may be a bad photo of the ring itself, but the stones don't look to be of good quality either.

I think it would look much nicer if it were of a higher quality. I love non-traditional engagement rings. I didn't get an engagement ring from my ex, but he did buy me a sapphire ring for our ten year and I love(d) it very much. I'm saving it for my daughter now.

You're right, but I'm doubting they have a lot of money to spend on rings. That guy's got to save up for a house and supporting a pack of kids. It's a cute design, and a different quality of gold ands tones would be an improvement, but it's definitely nicer than a lot of other fundy rings I've seen.

[Elle]

Also, this post storyofaseamstress.blogspot.com/2010/10/1860s-white-sheer-ballgown.html made me sad because the original is absolutely stunningly gorgeous and her creation falls completely flat. Seriously, that isn't even close to approximating that gown.

eta - I don't now, I guess I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to reenacting but if you're going to spend all that money and put forth all that skill and effort, do it right. That duplicate is like half as full in the skirts than the original and she needs bigger hoops.

I looked at that entry also and shook my head. I wouldn't even have thought it was supposed to be a recreation of the original if she hadn't said so. The skirt needs a lot more yardage and the rows of shirring need to be thicker. The hoop needs to be much bigger. The bodice...let's not go there.

Really, it takes one set of skills to sew, and another to replicate. Not everyone who can knock together a gown can replicate well. Replication takes an ability to notice the tiny details that others wouldn't notice, but would notice if they weren't there. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but something's wrong." I got a client earlier this year by telling her exactly why an item she was interested in that was being sold on ebay for half the price I was charging just didn't seem right to her, even though, as far as she noticed, it was the same. Once I pointed out the subtle details, they added up and she currently has a commission with me.

That girl can sew. She can't replicate. I've looked at a couple other things, and her heart is in the right place, but she's not oriented to the tiny details.

[Elle]

That's true. She's definitely fundie; she warns women against being a "stumbling block". http://storyofaseamstress.blogspot.com/ ... desty.html

"Now, were those girls intentionally wearing inappropriate clothing so that people would be annoyed? No. They just didn’t think. They simply wore whatever modern fashion decreed as ‘cute’ and thoughtlessly wore it. Don’t be a slave to ‘fashion’ and what everyone else is wearing. You never know how your actions will affect someone else. "

I wish fundies would realize that dressing in a way that sticks out isn't modest. In the regency era, and even a lot of the Civil War times, bodices we very low cut. Since it was expected and the men saw it all the time, it wasn't a big deal. But the young women who went to balls with fichus filling in their necklines or day-gown cut necklines for Civil War balls were the ones looked down upon for trying to draw too much attention to themselves.

[Elle]

I just had a further look at that page and then the reproduction she did, and I can see now how well it works with the dresses. And of course, now I have to bookmark the site. I've got to find out what a busk is!

A busk is the piece in the middle that provides support in the center of your body. In the older days, it would often be a piece of whalebone or wood about an inch wide, and now it's usually the piece with the clasps.

[fluttershies]

Tudor gowns were often INCREDIBLY low cut - sometimes to just above the nipple. It was not considered immodest at all. However, sleeves had to be full-length, and sleeves that were shorter were considered immodest, much more so than cleavage showing.

I think the whole thing about sticking out is what puzzles me about Plain dressers, especially ones who live in regular communities like Plain-dressing Quakers. Wearing bonnets and prairie dresses will make you stand out, which is surely not modest. A dark-coloured skirt and blouse in plain fabric, and maybe a headscarf or snood for headcovering purposes, would stand out less and be a lot more modest. It's not that I don't see the appeal of historical dress and prairie dresses look extremely comfortable, but in terms of modesty they fail unless you only see people in your own community.

[Loveday]

It depends on what style of corset it is. In earlier corsets it is a flat piece of wood or bone that holds the front of the corset flat. As time went on it became a metal piece with hooks and eyes that also holds the front of the corset flat, but also acts as a closure, so you don't have to adjust the lacing every time you put it on and take it off.

A busk is the piece in the middle that provides support in the center of your body. In the older days, it would often be a piece of whalebone or wood about an inch wide, and now it's usually the piece with the clasps.

Thanks for the explanation. :dance: I just googled it, too, and found a small article on wikipedia, with a few drawings. Never realised what all went into a corset before, fascinating stuff!