American Duchess Historic Shoes Blog
Mad Miss L
Today, a fellow member of the Great Basin Costume Society, Stacy Ferguson-Standstedt, GAVE me a handmade, home-made vintage dress her grandmother made waaaay back in I'm guessing the 1950s, by...
17th c. Jacket - Light at the End of the Tunnel
Ha HA! I see light at the end of the tunnel! It wants buttons and buttonholes, and to turn up the hem. Then I shall lovingly place her into a...
SideCar: The Gatsby Picnic at Lake Tahoe
1931 Buick, in front of the Pope Mansion What a lovely Sunday it was, at Tallac, on the lawn of the Pope Mansion, surrounded by 1920s and 30s automobiles, listening...
SideProject: The Worst Little 1920s Slip Around
This Sunday is the highly anticipated Gatsby picnic at Lake Tahoe, and I've got a GREAT vintage dress to wear. Of course, it's transparent, so I had to make a...
Gussets, Godets, and Gores ... and progress on the 17th c. Jacket
First, the progress - the bodice is sewn together, the sleeves assembled, wings on, and sleeves set in. They still pull the tiniest bit at the shoulders, causing the shoulder...
17th c. Jacket - Progress on the Final
With my client's 17th c. jacket toile back, unpicked, and the pattern altered, I cut into the lovely burgundy wool, and began putting the final piece together, starting with the...
17th c. Jacket: Finished Toile, Round 1
Ah, how lovely it is to have a finished, fitting toile. My client is afraid the toile won't fit her, but as it's in the mail today, we will wait...
17th c. Jacket: Toile-ifications, Round 1
With my dress form "batted" and corseted to my client's measurements, I started working on her pattern. I drafted this pattern with help from a little scribble I made in...
A Dress Form, of the 1 7th Century
Okay, this post isn't very exciting, but I'm excited about, because my brilliant plan is working. My client is all the way across the country, so we will not be...
A Day in Virginia City, Nevada - The Girls of 1879
On the back stairs of the extremely haunted Old Washoe Club. These stairs were used to usher prostitutes into the upper levels of this building, known as The Millionaire's Club....
Happy Independence Day ... Yesterday
Happy 4th of July - Independence Day - America-is-so-cool-and-I-love-it! Day, from American Duchess :-) We had a bbq, not in costume, but there were dogs (no photos, though!). Now get...