All posts filed under: 19th Century

Rate the dress: Tiers of rectangles in 1855

I’m always reluctant to post ‘Rate the Dress’ images which feature very well known people as I’m afraid that our pre-concieved attitudes towards historical notables sometimes colour our assessment of their clothes. I’m not sure how much of that played into the rating of Marie Antoinette in hunting attire last week, because the most overwhelming response was the one I didn’t expect: total and utter boredom. Sure, it rated a 7.3 out of 10, but most of you couldn’t even be bothered to rate the dress. I do think I should start subtracting a point from any Rate the Dress that collects less than 25 votes, because 6.3 is probably a better reflection of total indifference! Anyway, onwards, and upwards, hopefully to much more interesting frocks! This dress has fascinated me ever since I first came across it, and I thought that the Historical Sew Fortnightly ‘Squares, Rectangles, & Triangles‘ challenge was the perfect opportunity to rate it. For all its elaborateness, the tiers of ruffles in the skirt are just rectangles, and the stripes …

Polly / Oliver Waistcoat, buttons

Published by The Dreamstress

The Historical Sew Fortnightly ‘Literature’ challenge is due today. I do not know if it will be done today. As I write this I’m curled up under a pile of blankets, with a cup of lemon echinacea tea, the heater blasting, and a box of tissues. Yep. I’m out with a cold. Instead of sewing, I spent most of yesterday sleeping. I’m feeling a bit better today, and am hoping to get the bodice done today, but taking care of myself is going to have to come first. So what have I got done? Cut and sewed the false waistcoat front: The front, neck and bottom front edges are finished with narrow piping. I forgot to add in allowance for an overlap for buttons and buttonholes when I cut the waistcoat pieces, so my front edges are sewn with the narrowest possible seam allowances. I’ll also sew the side seams with teeny seam allowances, and lace my corset a bit tighter. Will it actually fit me when sewn together? I hope so! Before finding that …

Dressing Polly / Oliver. Inspiration, and a teeny bit of progress

Published by The Dreamstress

This week is Polly / Oliver week (also Tax week, T-Shirt week, get-that-darn-car-sorted week, and plan-next-semester’s-schedule-week), and I’m working on it like mad. As a bit of a Hudson-Bay start after my little meltdown/epiphany over the weekend, (or really, a Hudson-Bay Start after a 5 year delay in getting this enterprise off the ground), I took stock of what I had, re-looked for inspiration, and have finally sorted out what I’m actually going to do, and what is actually going to work. I started with late 18th century female dress borrowed from male hunting attire and military uniforms, some real, some rather satirical: This print shows an outfit almost identical to the one on the cover of Monstrous Regiment, but for women: I’ve already shown you this image: And, of course, the MA portrait in hunting attire: Finally, the ubiquitous Reynold’s portrait of Lady Worsley: From these, I really love the white single-breasted waistcoat on Lady Worsley and the “Officer in the Light Infantry”, and their black feathered hats. I’m also borrowing the gold binding/ …