Stitching Up History: Dresses I Have Made In The Past

colonial work dress

These are just a few of the dresses I have made over the last several years to wear and work in in our kitchen.

The biggest challenge is been putting in 16 hour days in fully boned outfits. If I was sitting behind a desk, it would be one thing, but I am regularly hauling water, food supplies, pouring off pots and cooking in these garments, all the time wondering how our earlier ancestors survived the ordeal.

Most of my dresses were revamped from period costume patterns that I converted into time appropriate garments, my Mom was an expert seamstress and as such, taught me how to properly sew any garment, and adapt it to my purposes.

All of these garments are fully boned.

Another Colonial Work Dress

Yet Another

polonaise

Since we attend time line Events, we are expected to be dressed appropriately 24 hours a day during any type of weather. This has been a challenge, since most reenactors just throw on a cloak and get warm quick.

I've had to work as I froze, so i had to do some research and come up with various combinations of quadrupled petticoats, long underwear and many layers of shawls tied back to keep them from igniting on the burners of the many stoves I cook on.

polonaise back

Most of these garments, (other than the Capote) would not withstand the scrutiny of an expert seamstress, they are not hand sewn and have little Cheats, to get the job done. Minor things like safety pins here and there and metal grommets down the back, but for the most part, they have been very close to what was actually worn. (Don't get me wrong, most of the uppers on these dresses had to be hand stitched, there just is no other way to get a decent shape! Also all my hems are hand sewn, never found a machine that could do it as well.)

I sewed evryones clothes here!

My next projects this year is to stick with machine sewing on the main parts but to do more hand stitching, and use strictly historic patterns with a definite historical reference.