American Duchess Historic Shoes Blog
1860s Purple People Eater - Finished, Just Barely! and the Magic of Gored Skirts
This past Tuesday I was in a mad rush to finish the day version of my 1860s purple gown, just in time for the tree lighting ceremony downtown. This was...
Review: "Creating Historical Clothes: Pattern Cutting From Tudor to Victorian Times"
Title: Creating Historical Clothes: Pattern cutting from Tudor to Victorian times by Elizabeth Friendship (c) Batsford 2013 ISBN: 0896762858 $21.00 - $26.00 Every once in awhile there comes a book...
Weddingote: Draping and Testing
Now that Costume College has come and gone, it's time to focus seriously on my wedding gown, which is to be worn in two months time. I'm going to share...
In Progress: Late 16th Century Doublet
Every once in awhile I go meandering off into other centuries. My love of costuming started with Elizabethan, and it is still a period I adore, though I seldom costume...
1959 Derby Day Dress - Simplicity 3063
Yesterday was our Great Basin Costume Society's "Fancy Fillies Derby Day Tea," where bunches of eccentric people got together, wore weird clothes, and watched some horse race... Hehe <3 The...
Starting a "Simple" 1912 Day Dress
I've got a case of Costume ADD! My squirrely brain has landed on this "quick and easy" 1912 daytime tea dress. I thought I would just throw it together...ha...haha...HAHAHA. I...
V225: Starting the 1790s "Robe Royaliste"
Before Costume College, I was making plans for a new 1790s gown in purple taffeta, called the "Robe Royaliste." I decided on a chemise style like the lovely green/gold gown...
V189: Beginning a Robe a l'Anglaise a la Polonaise
I've been procrastinating on, well, everything costume-related, and with Costume College a mere month away, it's time to get down to business with this striped gown. My material - I...
V185: The Polonaise Jacket of Doom and Hell
Du...Du Hast...Du Hast Mich You know those projects that just don't want to be made, and give you trouble all the way through to the violent end? This is one...
V156: A Start to The Billinghurst Stays, 17??
Rather awhile ago I shared with you some photos of a very interesting, atypical pair of 18th century stays held in our local costume and textile collection. There was much...
V122: Beginnings of a Polonaise Jacket
Gallerie des Modes, 1780. Dames a la Mode on Tumblr I've finally settled on a design for one of my Colonial Williamsburg pieces - a polonaise jacket, inspired by a...
V87: Period Piecery - Elizabethan Cabbage
I started on a new Elizabethan ladies' doublet the other night, and to make a long story short, it didn't fit. I thought I had traced the pattern - Margo...