Another reenactment, at Jackson!

I finally finished a gown for Anna! I gauged the skirt, and currently do not have any pictures close of that. I'm happy with how pretty and even the gauging turned out!

The other four of us girls are all dressed in shades of blue, but Anna needed something different because she is so different from the rest of us. Something unique. :D So she got a coral color for her gown. It has an infant bodice that is pleated. I'm not at all happy with the cotton I got for her dress. It's the same company as the stuff I got for myself which I really really like. It's quite heavy for a gown, but it has very little wrinkle and the color has stayed well. Anna's on the other hand, when I washed it before cutting it out faded along the wrinkle lines. Quite badly. I really don't think this one will last very long, which is a real shame!

I'm not too happy with my infant bodice either. I was doing it last minute and didn't take the time I normally would have, so the pleats are crooked and it just doesn't look quite right. I'm going to take the whole thing apart and redo it. I like the sleeves, but that's about it.

The boys came along with us, and just dressed as they usually do, only they added hats. They even look semi-right!

Dressed at last!

Finally got most of us gowned for a Memorial day event at Greenfield village. I planned to cloth seven of our ten, and only ended up clothing four, but those un-civil-war clothed enjoyed the day even without costume from another time.
The back of Lauren's hat. Didn't really get any good pictures of it.
more of a closeup on the crochet collar: this was the end of the day, I'd been up till three the night before and up at seven thirty, so I was tired, a little pink and quite hot. Not at my prettiest, I'm afraid, but still cheerful, which is really what counts in the end.
Katherine in a dress made entirely of my own pattern. Not difficult in and of itself, seeing as the pattern is almost entirely constructed of rectangles, but still gives me a sense of accomplishment.
a closeup of Lauren's hat, though I need to get pics of the inside and back as well. It dips down in front and back.
Lovely Leah in the first gown I made after finding the Sewing Academy. This one has been almost done for about four months, and I finally put the collar on Saturday night. It's only whipped on, and I shall take it off to wash it. I'm not done with the ribbon trim: it still is not even enough to suit me.
The backs of both the dresses. I think I am actually supposed to gather the back of Leah's as it is gathered in the front...Next time, I guess. It's actually shaped to her, though I hadn't known about the side seams being further back than the side, and they actually ended up directly in line with her shoulders instead of being closer to the back of her waist.
Lauren with hoop...
And without, in her work petticoat and pinner which she made herself, so she could cook over the open fire.
With some acquaintances: The lady in the purple plaid asked us (indirectly, through a mutual friend) to model Civil War Gowns for a talk she was giving on fashion at a local cultural center last year, and we really enjoyed wearing the gowns. She was tickled that we were there in our own costume this year, and that we came to say hello.
And all four in costume, grouped for a picture. I've never had so many perfect strangers ask for my picture; it was quite flattering. :D

Nana just gave me some more pictures which she and Papa took:



-Elizabeth

My first corset project

More hair!

These two pictures/diagrams are the 'inspiration' so to speak for our cousin Amanda's short hairdo. She got her hair wacked off accidentally, and this was what we found to do with it. It turned out a little more like a 40s do with the high bun, but we're happy with it!

Hair, glorious hair!

Rita's hair: I parted her hair in half and braided both halves high above the ear


If you pick up the braid there is a hollow between the head and the beginning of the braid.


If you flip the braid up and push it gently into the hollow, without pushing the ends up and out into the sunlight...


You can secure the braid to itself with a ribbon and get:


Cute little Kirsten braids!



Leigh: I parted her hair horizontally at the crown


Took the front quarter and twisted it up and out of the way, took another piece from the back, very thin, both sides



Braided the little pieces on both sides and secured them with a discarded hair from Leigh's head, wound around and around the end: I read about this on The Sewing Academy's website; one of the lady's great-grandmother used to do this, and I thought it was a great idea!


Length of braid...


Rolled the back into a bun.


crossed the little braids over the horizontal part and secured them with an X of small pins at the crown. I think I need to get some pins that are closer to Leigh's hair color!


reverse rolled the front hair and twisted it around the bun, over the braids. More pins....


view of the back, from up high. I think next time I'll use one fatter braid instead of two thinner ones.


And Leigh's sweet face...awww ;) Poor Leigh was not feeling well, and I couldn't get any good pictures of her.


Hope's hair: length


Parted it down the center and then from behind ear to behind ear. :D Wound the back hair into a bun


braided the front hair high above the ear, and close to the front of the head, secured the braid with self-hair as with Leigh.


Braids over tops of ears and wound around the bun from the bottom - I didn't notice the assymetry of the braid loops at the bottom of the bun until Hope put her head down!


Side, to show part


And front, not as wide as I wanted to make it, but oh well. If I make the braids looser they fall out and make frizzies much more easily.



That's all for now, folks! I'll be doing more hair later.

-Elizabeth