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Plannings For A 1740s Scottish Ensemble

Plannings For A 1740s Scottish Ensemble

I do love me some OL and the show's been inspiring some Scottish-themed ideas, especially since I "rediscovered" a gorgeous tartan skirt that's been lurking in my closet the last...
American Duchess
Civil War Gown Inspiration and Plannings

Civil War Gown Inspiration and Plannings

...oh yes, *plannings* !I have terrible Costume A-D-D at the moment. Terrible. One of the many things I want to make *right now* is a new Civil War gown. I...
American Duchess
V338: Green Acres Bustle Gown Skirt Progress

V338: Green Acres Bustle Gown Skirt Progress

It's slow going over here in Green Acres, partially due to laziness, and partially due to the omg-howmuchyardage!?-for-trims that comes along with many bustle projects. My original plan for the...
American Duchess
V332: New Project: Giant "Green Acres" Bustle Gown

V332: New Project: Giant "Green Acres" Bustle Gown

I am suffering from severe CADD (Costume A.D.D.) lately. My '30s plaid Christmas dress sits on the mannequin, nearly complete, but with the arrival of a giant roll of green...
American Duchess
V329: Inspiring 1930s Frocks

V329: Inspiring 1930s Frocks

I admit, I haven't been very good about my "Vintage365" blog-a-day. I've been fallin' down on the job (but only because I'm so dang busy with everything else!). Anywho, I'm...
American Duchess
V203: New Dress Design: Robe Royaliste

V203: New Dress Design: Robe Royaliste

I don't have enough 18th century gowns. I have jackets and things, and I do love jackets, but when it comes to full gowns, I have, like, one (soon to...
American Duchess
V97: New Elizabethan Doublet Progress

V97: New Elizabethan Doublet Progress

Remember Franken-Doublet? What was supposed to be a quick project has turned into the long-and-tedious- project, full of difficult hand sewing and problem solving, yay. It's time like these that...
American Duchess
V82: How To Decorate Pemberley Regency Shoes Like It's 1789

V82: How To Decorate Pemberley Regency Shoes Like It's 1789

As of late I've been inspired by that interesting transitional period in women's dress, around the end of the 1780s and into the 1790s. Many things changed - the waistline...
American Duchess
V60: 1770s Hair Notes

V60: 1770s Hair Notes

Today's post is a page out of my dress journal. I went through a great many images, a lot of them fashion plates, and broke down the various parts of...
American Duchess
V39: 1920s Beaded Flapper Dress Design

V39: 1920s Beaded Flapper Dress Design

Today Lady Carolyn invited me to participate in a presentation on 1920s fashion coming up at Reno's National Automobile Museum at the end of March. How could I resist! I...
American Duchess
V29: Fabrics for Colonial Williamsburg...Again.

V29: Fabrics for Colonial Williamsburg...Again.

Oh, the best laid plans of seamstresses.... I went shopping for fabrics today and came across the perfect stripe silk for my future Colonial Williamsburg polonaise. It looked at me...
American Duchess
V10: Designing Your Costumes Using Adobe Photoshop, Part 1

V10: Designing Your Costumes Using Adobe Photoshop, Part 1

Gettin' jiggy with Photoshop Hi all! I've had several questions lately about how I do my costume concepts, so I thought I would answer them here. Read on to learn...
American Duchess