American Duchess Historic Shoes Blog
1790s Wrap-Front Gown - More Progress
The front crossing. The ties will meet with as-yet-existent ties on the sides. I love the adjustability of the drawstring, too...one can go from modest lady to regency floozy in...
How To Make an 18th Century Wig from an Affordable "Costume" Wig
Earlier this week I espied on HalloweenCostumes.com a "Marie Antoinette" wig that looked surprisingly good. My criteria for judging this goodness were the overall shape, color of the hair (it...
A Sudden Wrap-Front Gown of the 1790s
I say "sudden" because one afternoon I had no such thing, and by that evening I did, or at least half of one. But there's been much planning and some...
American Duchess 18th century Fabric Collection (1750-1800) on Spoonflower
A couple weeks ago I went on a fabric-designing binge, fueled by my desire for 18th century historic prints. I designed a small collection based on my favorite sprigged muslins,...
1780s Half-Boned Stays
Finished - they close edge-to-edge across my bust, but I also like them open like this - more thrust! See the difference in shape between these and Olympe's? In my...
Olympe's Stays - Complete! Finito! Done!
I finally finished Olympe's lovely cream, goldenrod, and powder blue stays. Finally. FINALLY. It's only taken me FOREVER. They are too small for the smallest setting on my dress form,...
Pet en l'Air, now on Etsy
My pretty Pet, now listed in the boutique, and on I go to the next one!
CLICK HERE for the listing.
The Pet at the "Winter Whites" Exhibition, Nevada Historical Society
This past Friday a contingent of costumed ladies and one whole gentleman attended the Nevada Historical Society's "Winter Whites" exhibition, a small display of gowns ranging from the 1890s through...
How To Make An 18th Century Petticoat
/Update: This tutorial is getting quite old! While it's still a goodie, for a more in-depth look at how to make an 18th century petticoat stitch-by-stitch in the historically accurate...
My Pet (en l'air) Project - Progress
After fiddlage and fussling (technical terms), I think I've got this pet en l'air working. I apologize for the lack of in-progress photos (new camera comes tomorrow!), but I will...
My First Pet ... en l'Air - Toiling Around.
For some reason I decided a little while ago that I actually like Pet en l'Air jackets. I never cared much for them before, but I suppose that little green...
Extant 18th c. Stays from the Marjorie Russell Clothing and Textile Museum, Nevada
A little while ago I attended a fascinating lecture on underwear through the ages, presented by Jan the Costume Anthropologist at the Marjorie Russell Clothing and Textile Research Center. While...