American Duchess Historic Shoes Blog
My First 1830s Dress - Complete!
I managed to finish something! It feels so good, considering the *pile* of started, half-finished, nearly-finished, and will-never-be-finished costume bits & bobs I have cluttering up my desk and all...
Options for 1830s Headgear
This coming weekend is the first time I'll take the red 1830s dress out for a spin (assuming I :::cough::: finish it :::cough:::), and while I had grand plans to...
Adventures in the 1830s - For Real This Time
The Met, 1835 I've been wanting to make an 1830s dress for a long time now, but haven't actually, y'know, done it. Until now. I can't really account for how...
My Annual Sewing Rut
Once again, I have absolutely no motivation to make a single stitch of anything lately. I've learned that this is quite normal, and that if I force the issue I'll...
Happy Valentine's Day!
...here's a pink dress... LACMA, 1830 It's a dress I'm madly in love with. It's the kind of painful sort of love that makes me want to attempt to make...
Extant Victorian Side-Lacing Gaiters
Darlings, I realize I've been going on and on about "Gettysburg" boots without showing you the real deal! So here are lots of examples of pretty gaiters from the 1830s...
Pre-Order: "Gettysburg" Victorian Side-Lace Boots
Today I'm happy to open the pre-order for "Gettysburg" Victorian Side-Lace Boots. Pre-Order January 10 - 30, 2014 SALE $135 ($155) www.AmericanDuchess.com Gettysburg boots are typical of footwear found between...
Romantic Era Gowns - c. 1820s-1830s
I have a bit of an itch to make something late 1820s, 1830s. Crazy, I know. Crazy GIGOT SLEEVES! Crazy! But...but...some are quite pretty. And it's a most unloved era....