Sewing Costumes

A friend of mine from Evanston asked me to make her a Regency Era dress because she bought tickets to go to a Regency Ball.  I had a ton of fun making the dress, and she bought real silk fabric (both of them) and they were just so lovely to work with.  Nothing really hangs/handles/looks they same way as real silk.  She showed me some ideas from fashion plates and I went to town.  I already had the pattern, I used Laughing Moon Pattern #126 Ladies' Round or Trained Gown with a High Stomacher Front c. 1800-1810.   It went together beautifully and as with all Regency dresses, was super simple.  And for *once in my life* it actually fit her perfectly.  

I loved the back the most. 

Period accurate closure.  Yay!  Also makes it super adaptable for changing sizes. 

My mom let me make her a dress for her mission too.  I think she thinks it's too bulky and would rather it was less period accurate. Sigh.  I should just make it how people want it, but it hurts my heart to make non-period accurate clothing.  It's the Folkwear 201 American Prairie Dress.  

I made Dad a shirt too, it's from Laughing Moon 107 Men's Victorian Shirt.  I made it with very lightweight shirting fabric because it's so hot at Fort Bluff during the summer, but again, I don't think the historical accuracy with the excessively long shirt was much liked.  Sigh.  I did cut it shorter but I wasn't sure how much to cut off.  Anyway, another beautiful Laughing Moon pattern.  I love that company.

And this was a period accurate 1880's dress, which is the time period the fort is from, only I made it too small.  Making things too small is my downfall.  Ugh.  It's from the pattern Kay's Housekeeping Dress from Marna Jean Davis.  I love her clothing that I've seen her make, but mine did not live up, and her pattern wasn't my favorite to work with.  Anyway, the whole thing was way too small and I hate the green trim I choose to go with it.  What was I thinking?!?!

The back turned out cute anyway.  

These are the dresses the Kay Dress pattern was made from.  Ugh, putting them next to the one I made for my mom definitely makes me cringe.  But also you'd need a corset and petticoats for them to look right too.  But still so sad.  I made my mom that half apron and then an actual apron from the 1880's but I think everyone at the fort believes they should be in some sort of pioneer clothes from the 1840's like the first pioneers to Utah, and so again, accuracy to the 1880s, not so highly favored.  

And using another Marna Jean Davis pattern, I made the 1880s Sawtooth Slat bonnet.  It was cute, but I get not wanting to wear it.  It is definitely a very utilitarian design.  I'm not blaming my parents for not wanting historically accurate clothing, just kind of smacking myself because I KNOW this, that people don't really want that, and I sew it accurately anyway, and it's stupid of me.  

I don't have a better picture than this of it.

And this was just another bit of random sewing I did.  Isabel and Sebastian weren't allowed to use their backpacks at their middle school, because kids were hiding stuff that was illegal to bring to school, so I guess the school thought a simpler drawstring bag wouldn't hide things as well, and only allowed kids to carry those.  So anyway, Sebas and Isabel went through several drawstring bags we had at home that developed holes quickly, and they both complained that the strings dug into their shoulders.  So I used stuff I had on hand to make drawstring bags with thick straps and a cordura base to stop them from wearing out.  I even made an extra for Isabel's friend.