Search Results for: 1840s

Posted in Musings

Blog award- Thank You!

    Last year, Labluebonnet over at Teacups Among the Fabric listed my blog as one of her top five favorites. A very big belated thank you! As part of the award, she requested answers to a few questions. Here they are:
    1.What is your favorite part of costuming? The creativity it requires. I begin with an initial sketch or idea but do not like to be too rigid in my designs. I love when garments evolve as I am working on them.

sketches

    2. What inspires you most about costuming? The next project. Making the same thing over and over again is torture.
    3. What is your favorite costuming resource? Just one? Here are my top three! The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Tasha Tudor Costume Collection, and Costume In Detail by Nancy Bradfield.
    4.  What is your favorite costume that you made? Not really a costume but last year I made mommy and me dresses for our anniversary party.

anniversaryparty

    5. What is your favorite era? Initially, the 1890s. Now the 1840s.
    6. Why is that your favorite era? When I was younger, I was passionate about Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series. I loved the intricate tucking and lace insertions of the 1890s-1900s. Now I love the clean uncomplicated lines of the 1840s.

lucy-maud-montgomery-11  1840slatedaguerreotype

    7. What advice would you give to a beginning costumer? Don’t compare yourself to others. Tap into your own creativity and never- ever- ever take yourself too seriously.

8. What is one historical garment would you like to learn that you do not yet know how to make? Men’s jackets. Tailoring boggles my mind.

    9. What one word best describes your fabric stash? Excessive.

fabricstash

    10. How did you get involved in costuming? Childhood imagination. I guess I just haven’t grown up yet.
    11. Do you have a favorite yearly costuming event? I work with our local National Park Service on special events. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of opportunity for costumed events in our area.

christmascravens

    To view Lahbluebonnet’s blog, please hop on over to http://teacupsamongthefabric.blogspot.com/
Posted in 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, Children's Fashions, Costume Design, Historical Sewing, Research

New historical patterns from Butterick

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Butterick has released some gorgeous (and pretty darn authentic) new patterns by Nancy Farris-Thee this season! While Simplicity seems to have had the upper hand on market for the past few years, it looks like Butterick might be giving them some competition.

B5901
B5901-1

B5901

Butterick Pattern #5901

Over the past few years, Simplicity has been catering to Victorian era sewers and I am excited to see Butterick picking up on an era well overlooked amongst almost all pattern makers:

The ROMANTIC Period!

B5832-1 B5832-2  B5832  B5832

Butterick Pattern #5832

With all the hoopla about the upcoming 150th anniversaries of the American Civil War, the market has been flooded with tons of Victorian era stuff. Now Simplicity seems to be moving on to the Steam-Punk market. However, Butterick’s release of this beautiful Romantic era gown makes me wonder if the next big thing is going to be the 1830s and 1840s!

I do hope so!

Happy sewing everyone!

Posted in Atelier

New historical fabric!

I am excited to announce we now have over 40 new styles of authentic reproduction cotton prints in stock!

reproduction fabrics

These prints are from textiles collections of the American Textile History Museum, the New England Quilt Museum, and Julie Rothermel’s Civil War Chronicles. Here’s a more detailed look!

19th century favorites:
The Civil War Chronicles  Limited edition reproduction print  Blue Hill authentic printThe Trinion Collection:
Marie Antoinette fabric  Marie Antoinette fabric  Trinion inspired fabric

Bold and Beautiful:
19th century fabric  1840s fabric  18th century fabric

Posted in 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, Children's Fashions, Commissions, Musings

Mid 19th century children’s clothing/film commission

Maggie May’s Historic Clothing has been commissioned to create children’s clothing for the independent film Dreadful Sorry being filmed in South Carolina in March 2011. Here are a few quick snapshots of the first three garments just before they were packed for shipment.

girl's 1850s era dress  girl's 1860s era dress  girl's 1840s era dress
Girl’s mid 19th century day dress without period crinoline. The little decorative pearl buttons are vintage.

Dress for toddler with removable collar and Boy’s 1850s style trousers and waistcoat over a homespun shirt

1860s toddler dress   boy's 1860s suit
This dress is only a size 3T, but is shown on a larger size form

Without giving too much away about the story line, the toddler girl’s dress and boy’s suit are going to be worn by “ghostly” apparitions- thus the pale blue and grey muted overtones. The pink dress is intended for an older surviving child and is meant to evoke sense of sweet innocence.

I am in the process of completing the last garment this week- an 1860s era zouave suit in muted purple and lavender. I will post images as soon as it is finished as well!

Posted in Exhibits, Symposiums, and Workshops, Opportunities

Exciting Opportunity for 2011

Image copyright
Colonial Williamsburg

Hello Everyone!
Hope you had a wonderful holiday. Get your sewing machines primed and your sewing needles sharpened because 2011 is already here!


There is much going on this year in the costume world. The Costume Society of America in conjunction with Colonial Williamsburg is holding a Pre 1840s costume symposium March 13-16th on site. It will focus on costume accessories and “scholars from the United States, Canada, and England will present 10 lectures over two and one-half days; a day of hands-on workshops and related behind-the-scenes tours will follow.”


Directly after this conference, Colonial Williamsburg will also be hosting A Reconstructed Visitable Past: Recreated Period Attire at Heritage Sites which is drawing in those associated with living history museums as well.


Pretty exciting! From all the blogger buzz, seems like several professional costumers and historic clothing enthusiasts have already booked their tickets! Be sure to check out the links for more information about this great opportunity!