American Duchess Historic Shoes Blog
V126: A Colonial Williamsburg Pocket for Colonial Williamsburg
I'm about to leave on a West Coast cruise for eight days and I thought I'd take along some embroidery. I'm not much of an embroiderer, but it interests me,...
V125: Costume Painting, Week 4, Tudor Peasant Girl
Here is my painting from last night's historical costume painting class. We had a lovely model dressed as a Tudor peasant. The white shirt and head wrap gave me a...
V124: How to Measure Your Footsies and Find Your Correct Shoe Size
Hi all! I made a video to show you how to measure your foot and find your proper shoe size. This includes both the length and the width measurements associated...
V123: Instant 1930s Shirt
Back in 1930, in Hollywood, the Hays Code determined what was and was not acceptable to show in a motion picture. Things like profanity, drug trafficking, and childbirth couldn't be...
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...
V120: 1912 Titanic Ball, Hair Stylings
I just got back from The Other Side of the Mountains (Californialand), and my trip down to Gaskells Victorian Ball. It was an amazing evening, full of beautiful 1912 gowns...
V121: "The Unsinkables" at Gaskells Titanic Ball
As promised, here are a few photos from Gaskells Ball last Saturday, with our "Unsinkables" group of lovely-attired ladies. I had a fabulous time, and got to see so many...
V119: Are Sequins Period Accurate?
The Met: toque (hat), 1915 The short answer is YES! I've heard this question come up a couple of times, in regard to using sequins on our Titanic gowns. Sequins...
V118: Costume Painting 3 -Scantily Clad Carolyn
Last night was class #3 of Costume Painting at the Nevada Museum of Art. Carolyn modeled for us, in her Victorian skivvies. I'm not totally happy with this painting, except...
V117: Book Review: "Couture Sewing Techniques" by Claire B. Schaeffer
Couture Sewing Techniques Claire B. Shaeffer (c) 2011 by Claire B. Shaeffer ISBN 978-1-60085-335-7 A great many of us are self-taught seamstresses. We come equipped with a suite of sewing...
V116: Finally, My Almost-Complete Titanic Ball Gown
Okay, so it's *still* not done, despite the event coming up on Saturday, but hey ... it's a costumer's life, right? At any rate, it is "very almost" done. Both...
V115: Update on "Astoria" Edwardian Shoes
You have all been waiting ever so patiently for the replacement shipment of Astorias to be manufactured and shipped, and for that I am eternally grateful. Now I have an...