Buns and Baskets

They Really Did Like Their Fashion, Too!

2011-12-15T10:40:00.001-07:00

When I first started learning about historical clothing, I didn't realize people, particularly women, were as attached to their clothes as we are to ours. I finished listening to this podcast on "Retrenchment" from the Mormon Channel yesterday when Brigham Young encouraged women to not be so frilly and fancy. It was interesting hearing some of the reactions of the women and even men to his plea. It really brings people to life hearing what they thought about simplifying.

Printable Bias Tape Maker by The Scientific Seamstress

2011-10-27T21:36:00.003-06:00

OK - this is one of the best ideas I've EVER seen. Carla should be making money off this idea; it is FANTASTIC!

See her full post here. But if you just want the download for the cardstock template, she has it here (.5") or here (1").

Past Patterns #807: Mid-Nineteenth Century Wrapper

2011-10-20T22:37:00.000-06:00

Here's what I came up with for my wrapper. I don't know what happened to the color in the picture (well, my 8 y.o. took the picture, maybe that had something to do with it?). It's kind of a blue and yellow dress, but it comes out kind of brownish/gray. I had some other fabric on hand that was prettier, but I think I'll save it for a dress I'm really excited about.

Because I was so short on time, I didn't get to do anything too cute with this dress. I wanted to do something cool with the sleeves, but maybe I can do that later. I also thought a belt would be fun, but again, maybe later. Wouldn't a collar be fun, too? I called my mom to see if she could make me one for Christmas.

To save time, I considered just machine gathering the back, but I really, really love the look of gauging (we practiced it in our Sewing Academy), but took the less time consuming route and went with shirring (zig-zag over two heavy strings, then pull it in).

I've put 24 buttons on this dress, but it needs one more. I sewed them on by hand, but totally cheated and did my buttonholes by machine.

I did my first hem by hand, but realized after trying it on (in the picture) that it's too short! Can you believe it?? I did lengthen it around an inch and a half, but my fingers hurt too much to hem it again by hand, so I just did it by machine.

It took around 8 hours, I think -- I kind of lost track after 4-5, though.

How the draw-cord looks on the inside. I'm having troubles with it slipping, so I just stuck a safety pin in the cord to hold it in place. You can see I didn't line the dress.

I love, love, this back.

Pregnancy, Maternity Dresses, & Wrappers

2011-10-20T22:13:00.003-06:00

Yes, I'm pregnant, expecting, with child. Here we go again. I wasn't planning on needing to dress up anytime soon, but have had the opportunity. I kind of like this dress the way it is:

and don't want to switch it back to this:

I think it would drown me right now anyway.

So, I thought I'd make something new -- in 3 days. Yup. I'm crazy.

I promised myself I wouldn't make another dress until I made myself some proper undergarments -- i.e. a corset! But, I'm really not wanting a maternity corset:

From A Day in 1862

However, I had Past Patterns Wrapper pattern

and knew that wrappers could be appropriate for maternity wear, but knew they were also known as an "undress" (something you don't wear out in public). From what I understand, it's basically a dressing gown or a robe.

Rather than research it all myself, I e-mailed dear Liz Clark and she gave me some fast tips. I hope she doesn't mind me posting them here so they don't get lost in all my e-mails -- plus, they may benefit you!

"Wrappers for wrapper-use are generally done in wools, with wool or silk facings [doesn't this make you think of a fancy robe?]. But wrappers for maternity use are done in normal dress fabrics (including cotton prints), and look pretty much like dresses, only with a loose, designed-to-be-belted front. So, they're two different creatures."

and Liz also explained 2 other maternity options:

1. ". . .making a normal dress with a larger waist, and running some drawing cords inside the waistband in front. . ."

2. "You could also do a modified dress: use the fitted back and full back skirts, and the upper part of your bodice pattern to create a fitted yoke. Then cut the lower half of the front armscye into a long rectangle of fabric, and gather the rest of the upper edge to fit the yokes, then finish off the front with a placket that goes down into the skirt area. Add a self-fabric belt in the side seams (with multiple hooks for expansion), sew the side seams, and you have a yoked-front, loose-front gown with a fitted, full-skirted back and endless bump expansion. Works best with slighter busts, but it makes a dress that's very versatile all through pregnancy, still looks nice from the back, and accommodates nursing, too."

I really, really liked that 2nd option, but just didn't have time to figure it all out.

As I was sewing I ran across some fun pictures of work from others.

These looked more like robe/dressing-gown wrappers to me:

From The Victorian Parlor 2

(the inspiration for the above dress:)

From Romantic History

From Why Not Then

From the Philadelphia Museum of Art

And these looked more maternity-ish:

From Sarah Elizabeth Gallery

This one is my very, very favorite.

From Maggie May's Dress Diaries

and

So, with that, I was off to build my own.

Pioneer Day Parade

2011-08-19T14:17:00.002-06:00

Yeah, so this is a bit late in coming, but I wanted to stick it somewhere and thought this would be a good place. We were in one of our local parades this year (again!) and I got my picture in the Deseret News online. I'm looking a little dreamy, I think. The photographer took a bunch of pictures of the kids, so I thought they'd get in, but no, it was me!

Millinery Workshop!

2011-08-10T08:54:00.002-06:00

My friend Eden will be hosting a millinery workshop in the Salt Lake City area on August 19th from 2-4. The class will be taught by Maryanne from Hats with Attitude. The cost of the class should be $20 or less. Bring a hat to work on, needle, thread, scissors, and any embellishments/ribbon/fabric for your hat. Leave me a comment with an e-mail to contact you with further details, or e-mail Eden at thegarden80 at gmail.

The Sewing Academy with Liz Clark

2011-06-15T08:13:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to document what a fun Sewing Academy we had with Liz Clark! I've been e-mailing her for years now and finally got the chance to hear her voice and SEE her! We had a good turnout, and I loved meeting everyone! We had a few TITP-ers, some CW re-enactors and a Native American re-enactor, a woman from the Museum of Church History and Art, and a couple more. I should have taken a picture to post.

My favorite classes were the draping one and the sewing techniques one. It was also fun to see all the period pictures Liz brought to share. Although some of the information was review for me after studying for a few years, I still learned PLENTY! I learned so much, my head had had it by the end of the day!

Thanks, Liz, for coming to do these workshops! We had so much fun!

How to Re-Create Pioneer Looks

2011-06-08T21:15:00.003-06:00

Here's how I've been re-creating the pioneer look lately:

1. Look at period pictures.

2. Look at period fabrics so you can choose the right kind, whether you purchase on-line or in a local store.

Reproduction Fabrics.com
Mormon Trek fabric swatch gallery

3. Get/make a pattern.

Liz Clark's guide for choosing all types of pioneer patterns
or, draft your own pattern using tips in Liz's Dressmaker's Guide

A Day Cap in "a Pretty Shape for Almost Any Purpose" Tutorial

2011-06-07T22:40:00.001-06:00

I had yet another fun sewing adventure yesterday. Today was our volunteer day at TITP, and since my hair is so short, I really needed a day cap. As you know, I've made a few out of muslin, but that is just too hot. At the Pioneer Extravaganza the other day I saw a closeup of Dianna's which inspired me.

I thought I'd better get to work. I went to the fabric store and apparently they don't have lawn or batiste, so cotton-poly voile was the closest I could get. Luckily, I'd already done some of my research in The Workwoman's Guide, so once I got started it only took about 2 hours to come up with this hand-sewn day cap. This is a really easy pattern -- a good one to start with.

I still need to add my ties, and I'm not sure I'll add a ruffle. I probably should add the ruffles, but I'm just not a ruffly girl.

Here's how I did it:

1. The instructions begin on page 67-68 of The Workwoman's Guide and images are found on Plate 9, Figures 27 & 28.

2. Once you translate the directions, you see that your fabric should be approximately 18" wide by 12.5" high. My selvage edge was the 12.5". Fold the fabric in half so that it is 9" wide by 12.5" high -- the fold should be on the right side. The diagram is more square than the actual measured piece.

3. I wish the diagram was more clear, but I'll try and tell you how much to cut out. From the top left corner, measure down 3.5". Then mark in 2.25". That little rectangular piece will come out. From the bottom right corner of that little rectangle, mark down 4.5". From that low point draw your curved line up to the top as shown in the picture. I could have done a little better job.

The opened view.

4. Stitch, right sides together (not that I could tell which side was the right side) the two short ends as shown below. I made about a 1/4" seam. Depending on how frey-ey your fabric is, you'll probably want to whip stitch the raw edges together.

5. Run a gathering stitch along the curved edge and gather evenly to fit the width of the slit/two short stumpy pieces.

6. With right sides together, sew the gathered edge to the smooth edge. I again hand-stitched a 1/4" seam and whip stitched my edges together.

7. Hem the bottom and front -- my bottom hem was probably 3/8" - 1/2"; my front was around 1/4".

8. Secure a string a couple inches in from the front corners of the cap (I don't tie a knot, I just sew a couple loops over each other to anchor), run the string through the hem using a long needle, and pop the thread out the center back of the cap. I had my strings coming inward, but I think outward is good, too. I don't know if there's a "right" way.

9. Try on the cap, pull the strings to fit, and tie.

I suppose I could have a little more room in the back...?

Looking kinda sleepy...

Liz Clark in the SLC area!!

2011-06-05T23:21:00.000-06:00

Liz is coming to SL & I can't believe I forgot to put it on here! I put it on facebook! We'll have a grand time, Monday the 13th. The total cost for all the workshops is only $65 and will run from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. If you come for the whole time, you get a copy of her book, The Dressmaker's Guide ($30 value!!!!). Sounds like a deal to me! If you don't want to come all day, you can attend individual classes and get her book at a discount. Be sure and register by Thursday!

Pioneer Heritage Company

2011-06-05T23:14:00.001-06:00

At the trek training on Saturday I met some nice people from Pioneer Heritage Company. They sure were sharp. When I met Dianna, I thought, now why am I giving this presentation on clothing, and not her!? Anyway, PHC is very up on historic accuracy, and thought you might like a link to their site. Maybe I can get involved with them sometime!

Pioneer Extravaganza Trek Preparations

2011-06-05T23:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had the very unique opportunity of presenting "how to dress like a (trek) pioneer" to some of the descendants of the Martin Handcart Company. It was quite a pleasure! I went through my nervous stage beforehand, but mostly I just was excited as it got closer! I thought I'd jot down here some of what I said for those who missed it, or for those who didn't want to write down the info I had printed on my table signs!

In addition to my blog, my favorite resources for trek:

Mormon Trek (Elizabeth Stewart Clark)

http://mormontrek.net

Clothing the Saints (Elizabeth Stewart Clark’s beta)

http://www.clothingthesaints.com

The Sewing Academy (Elizabeth Stewart Clark’s business)

http://thesewingacademy.com

What I Said:

I got involved with dressing like a pioneer 4 years ago when my kids and I started volunteering at This Is the Place. One of the first things I did when we started up there was get on line and Google “how to dress like a pioneer.” I anxiously awaited my 40,000 results. Do you know what popped up? Not a lot. I was rather annoyed. You mean I’d have to actually do some research? Someone hasn’t done this for me? I was disgusted that this might not be as easy as I thought it would be. So, my blog was born. I wanted to make it easier for others to know how to dress like a pioneer, and I wanted a way to store my research and share my projects.

As time went on, I became familiar with Elizabeth Stewart Clark. I’d say is probably the leading gal on recreating women’s and children’s fashion in the mid-1800s. She’s got lots of free information as well as patterns for purchase. Much of my blog is just me making her patterns and linking to her stuff. You ask, why didn't I find her when I did my original searches? Well I should have, but the main reason is probably because some of her information is in PDF format and is not as easily searchable. Lucky for you, though, now there is my blog, and I just link to her.

Anyway, before I volunteered at TITP, I loved history, and I loved pioneers. We have many pioneers in our history. In fact, we had indirect ancestors (an uncle or 2) in the rescue party! Because we loved our heritage so much, we joined up with the Sesquicentennial Wagon Train in 1997 near Independence Rock. We had a great time!

Of course we needed authentic-ish clothing for the trek, but being the cool college kid that I was, I didn’t want to go all-out pioneer. Who wants to be seen in a bonnet and an ankle-length skirt, I thought. My mom let me pick out some nice fabric from Mormon Handicraft and she made me a nice 2-piece dress. She made the bodice long enough so that I could let it hang over my skirt. There was no way I was going to tuck in my shirt -- especially in a skirt that landed at my true waist! Who would ever wear clothing at their true waist? I thought my interpretation of a pioneer was pretty good.

However, when we got on the trail, I noticed my clothing wasn’t quite the same as some of the other people’s -- particularly those who dressed really well -- meaning authentically. I didn’t quite fit in! My 1997 interpretation wasn’t quite right for the 1850s. Hmm. Imagine that? I started wishing I’d been more authentic in my clothing so that I could be more stylish. I couldn’t believe it.

The way you dress on this trek will take you back in time. It can make you feel differently about yourself and others. Women: you will get a feel for what your female ancestors went through in a dress. Wearing a long dress is not as easy as pants or shorts, or even shorter skirts and dresses, and this is something they dealt with every day, and were used to it. You will appreciate their inconveniences. Men: Your clothing is still rather similar to what it was in the 1850s, but they didn’t wear jeans, t-shirts, or base-ball caps. You will feel more formal than you probably do now. I encourage all of you to go all out (well, as much as you are comfortable with and what is practical for the trail) in your pioneer clothing so you can feel more of what your ancestors felt -- so that you can literally walk in their shoes -- at least in their clothes since you’ll be wearing modern shoes. Don’t worry about our styles today -- aim for the styles of the past and you’ll be surprised at how you feel!

OK, so what are we going to wear on this trek? Let’s talk some general guidelines:

Hats - wide brim - not a baseball hat!! Straw hat, bonnet - free patterns & links on my blog
Sunblock
NO denim (cotton, khaki, wool) for men/women
NO t-shirts/sweatshirts for men/women
Modern shoes
Light colors

How about some examples? We’ll go from easy to more difficult.

Men and Boys - Eli, Brayden, Kelton, Chad, Evan
Clothing very much the same - even similar to today

Wide brim hat
Long pants - Probably no need to convert these.
Belts/Suspenders - Yes suspenders; belts ok, but no belt loops, but no one is going to really see how you keep your pants up anyway
Long sleeved shirts - Why do you think you want a long sleeved shirt?

Convert a shirt - get one at the DI - on the blog, change buttons, collar, pocket
Free pattern for a shirt - neck is in the wrong place. I have a tutorial on my blog, but I really don’t like the fit, you could try moving the neck forward.

Buy patterns - look for a list on my blog - I think I link to Liz’s list, too.
Extra mile: Vest (Waistcoat) - your shirt was your underwear. Officially it had the collar, but I didn’t know that when I made these.
Modern shoes.

Girls - Avery, Sarah, Teenager

Girls basically the same no matter what age, just longer hemline.
Hat
Dress - little girls’ dresses - easy to find patterns at the fabric store
Drawers/pantaloons - show, modesty, clean / petticoat (puffy slip) appropriate, but optional
Pinafore - very important to keep your dress clean!
Shoes - modern

Babies, small children - Abby, Cameron

Which one is the boy, which one is the girl?
Did you know pioneers dressed their babies the same until they were potty trained?
If you want to go with the boys in dresses, just use plaids rather than flowers, or just dress little boys like older boys & men.
Use a pinafore! It will save the dress.
Drawers to cover diaper and protect legs
Hat - do your best to keep it on
Shoes

Women - Blouse/Skirt Woman, me, Mandy, Darlene

Bonnet - yes!
Blouse/Skirt - OK option - cheapest and easiest, but not correct. Directions on my blog on how to make a skirt, then just use a light colored blouse with it. If you want to get into reenactment later, use the skirt as a petticoat later under a dress.
Dress - best option - fabric store patterns are ok (Liz’s guide), reproduction patterns good, or you can make your own. Liz’s Dressmaker’s Guide.
Apron - yes, one per day. Keeps you clean. Easy to make, different styles, on my blog.
Petticoat/Drawers - yes, wear something under your dress so your dress won’t get stuck between your legs. A petticoat will also keep it cleaner. (Scrubs/long shorts)
Modern shoes.

Any Questions?

How much clothing allowed to bring - a shirt/day for men? An apron/lady/day, etc.
2 outfits recomended 1 Required
What are you encouraging for warmth?
Modern 21st Century Jacket, Coat, hat, gloves rainjacket etc. are fine, most of the daytime will be hot or comfortable without these.

Please feel free to leave me questions on my blog and I will reply. You can also ask Liz anything and she, too, will reply. In fact, if I don’t know, I usually just ask Liz!

Bias Tape and Piping

2011-05-19T22:41:00.002-06:00

Image from Prudent Baby

In my sewing I tend to use a lot of bias tape and piping, particularly to bind a neck. I'm really liking the bias tape roll technique shown on Prudent Baby because I can start with a 10 - 12" square and end up with plenty of bias tape. MADE also shows some additional helpful techniques and gives a review of the Simplicity Bias Tape Maker. I'd love one of those!

To make piping, you cut your bias tape as shown in any of the links above, but rather than folding and ironing it as shown, I just fold mine in half, slide some yarn* in the center and top stitch a row using my zipper foot next to the yarn. For neck bindings I usually use 1" strips, and for bias tape that I'll pipe, I use 1 1/8 - 1 1/4" strips.

I asked Elizabeth Stewart Clark the guidelines on piping mid-century clothing. I really just wanted a few guidelines, but she sent this wonderful information (with a few slight edits from me):

The purpose of piping:

[Piping] acts as a "buffer zone" in high-wear portions of the garment, and also to distribute wearing stress (such as around an armscye [arm-hole]).

How to use/make piping:

It is almost invariably done in the same fabric as the dress, and it is *small*... the pre-made stuff you can buy in packets is more than twice as large as you'll see on most mid-century dresses! I use a single strand of crochet cotton, or very fine kitchen string, or even perle cotton. If you're stitching by hand, it's easy to feel the cording; if working by machine, use a zipper foot to get right next to the cord a bit easier. Though it takes a bit more time to do, hand-basting piping in the armscye does make it easier to sew.

Accurate spots for self-fabric, tiny bias piping include:
1: Armscyes. It's used to distribute wearing stress from the back of the arm, more evenly around the entire armscye, and does help prevent the back of sleeves ripping out with movement. If you have a lot of problems with ripping, though, you need a wider back in your dress as well as piping.

2: Neckline finishes. Very tidy, and it takes up the abrasion nicely.

3: Wrist edges on coat or narrow sleeves; cuff edges on some full-gathered sleeves. Again, this is to absorb abrasion from wear. It's far easier to scrounge scraps and re-do some piping when the wrist edge wears, than to try and re-cut or re-piece an entire lower sleeve.

4: Top and bottom edges of a waistband, or bottom edge only of a waistband. (Ditto as with sleeve edges.)

5: Lower edge of non-waistband bodices, for the same reasons, plus a really nice finish to the bodice.

The place you do not see piping by the 1850s and 1860s include down the front edge of a bodice, in the side seams, in the shoulder seam joining front and back bodice, and in the tuck detail or curved seam in the back bodice.

*According to Liz, I should NOT be using YARN in my mid-century piping, I should be using something smaller! Oops! Something to work on next time! Thanks, Liz! :)

I know I've seen seen some dresses (or an occasional one) with contrast piping, but I guess it wasn't that common in the day. I got my inspiration from modern sources, I guess.

So, this would not be a good example (see the contrast):

Whereas, this would be better (same fabric for the piping), but, still too just a little too large.

Oh well, not many will know that it's wrong, but I'll do better next time!

Three looks in one!

2011-04-26T09:52:00.002-06:00

I'd read in Liz Clark's Dressmaker's Guide how to make a pattern for a bodice. Now this was a FUN project!! It didn't take nearly as long or was as hard as I thought it would be!

If you want to do it right, though, you make your corset first, and draft your pattern over that. Since this is my work dress, and I'm not about to wear a corset to work in a garden, I just wore my normal under clothing. When my body is done changing sizes all the time, I'll draft a nice corset, a new bodice, and make a lovely NEW dress.

The finished product, without petticoats.

It's a little short because this bodice does not have a waistband.

I'm not sure if I'm going to lengthen it for now, though.

I didn't add the princess lines or tucks in the back just to give me more wiggle room.

I couldn't get a good picture here with my petticoats on, but you can see that the shape

is much better with the petticoats than without!

Here are a few pictures from all our fun!

Not my most modest picture, but here you can see the idea of how making the pattern works.

My super-mom who did the wrapping and marking.

This fabric has gone a long way! This is now my 4th top and second skirt in this fabric. I sold one complete dress a couple years ago when I realized I'd just made it too big for me. Great options for my changing sizes!

Liz Clark in SLC?

2011-04-13T21:50:00.000-06:00

If there are any TITPers who follow this blog or any other historic-clothing minded people in the SLC area who are interested, Liz Clark posted on her site that she could come to SL to teach us some awesomeness, Monday, June 13. Leave her a comment on her site if you are interested! I did!

Toddler Dress

2011-04-04T15:17:00.001-06:00

I just finished this toddler dress using Liz Clark's Infant Gowns pattern. It's the size C/D pattern in the yoked bodice. I love, love, love it. Maybe it will be a better fit by the end of the summer, too!

I got the inspiration mainly from this picture from the Earthly Angels blog.

I actually had this one mostly done before I even started sewing on the blue one I posted previously, I just wasn't sure how I was going to do the sleeves, so I had to stall.

I considered making an upside down tulip/flower shaped sleeve, but in the end, went with the pleated sleeve.

I think I'm creating a tradition of making a baby/girl's dress with leftover fabric from a lady's dress!

Because of the growth tucks in the skirt, it really puffs out all on its own! Now to make some little petticoats to puff the skirt out evenly!

Man's/Boy's Shirt Tutorial (Simplified)

2011-03-28T23:32:00.001-06:00

I found a Pioneer Man's Workshirt on line several years ago from The Mountain Man's Sketch Book and have made it in different sizes over the years. I don't really need this size yet, but thought I'd make it so I could create a man's (or boy's) shirt tutorial. I don't know if The Mountain Man's Sketch Book is a credible source. I haven't done my research.

From the get-go, you should know:

I found in trying it on myself that if I button it, it is rather choking! If I unbutton it, and let the shirt fall to to the back, it fits more comfortably. I'm surprised my little boy has never complained of the neck! Maybe, though, the shirts he has worn were big enough on him that he didn't notice the ill fit.
I found this version of the pattern that seems to have more instructions and more of a neck cutting guide -- so it might be better than the version I used. I'd like to try something from The Workwoman's Guide also, but thought I'd stick with something I was familiar with for now. Perhaps I'll actually buy a pattern some day, but this will suffice for now.
The original pattern calls for a facing for the neck opening. I've made it that way in the past, as well as tried some other methods, but this time I totally cheated -- you'll see. I didn't even use a facing.
You're also supposed to cut a slit in the sleeve for the wrist opening, but again I cheated for simplicity's sake and just left the arm seam open a few inches near the wrist.

The dimensions for this pattern at full size are on the downloads, but if you want to reduce the size, here are the dimensions:

75% (this is the size that almost fits me -- I'm about 5'4")
Body          22.5" x 49", with the center 17" being reserved for attaching the sleeve (leaves 16" at either end)
Neck          7.5" wide maximum x 3" high maximum*
Neck slit    7.5" deep from the bottom of the neck curve
Sleeve        18" high x 20.5" wide -- the 20.5" is the part you gather)
Sleeve slit 5.25" in from the right edge of the sleeve when laid flat, cut 3.75" deep
Collar        17" x 3"*
Cuff           8.5" x 3"*
Facing

65% (boys' 7/8)
Body          20" x 42", with the center 15" being reserved for attaching the sleeve (leaves 14" at either end)
Neck          6.5" wide maximum x 3" high maximum*
Neck slit    6.5" deep from the bottom of the neck curve
Sleeve        15.5" high x 18" wide -- the 18" is the part you gather
Sleeve slit 4.5" in from the right edge of the sleeve when laid flat, cut 3.25" deep
Collar        15" x 2.5"*
Cuff           7.5" x 2.5"*
Facing       3.25" x 8.25", with a slit cut 6.5" deep from the top

55% (5T)
Body          16.5" x 36", with the center 12.5" being reserved for attaching the sleeve (leaves approximately 12" at either end)
Neck          5.5" wide maximum x 2.5" high maximum*
Neck slit    5.5" deep from the bottom of the neck curve
Sleeve        13" high x 15" wide -- the 15" is the part you gather
Sleeve slit 4" in from the right edge of the sleeve when laid flat, cut 3" deep
Collar        12" x 2"*
Cuff           6" x 2"*
Facing       3" x 7", with a slit cut 5.5" deep from the top

* I'm sure you could keep your collar and cuffs bigger (keep the width the same, but increase the depth so that you have a bigger collar or cuff). You could also leave your neck hole bigger, rather than reducing it. Kids' heads are still really big in proportion to their bodies!

Here's how I did it:

1. Cut or tear the fabric out according to the desired size. Next time, I may try shifting my neck hole a couple inches to the front to see if that helps alleviate the choking neck line. Any other suggestions?

2. Run two gathering stitches (long straight stitches) along the edge of the sleeve (at 1/2" & 1/4"). Gather the sleeves down to fit the appropriate area on the shirt body (according to the pattern dimensions). Attach the sleeve to the body, right sides together, with a straight stitch 1/2" from the edge of the fabric. You can zig-zag the edge, or to be a little more authentic, just stitch a second straight stitch 1/8" again closer to the edge.

3. Fold the shirt in half and sew your side and underarm seams. I did not sew completely to the wrist, but stopped a few inches short to leave an opening in the seam for a wrist opening (I didn't want to have to bind wrist openings). Again, you may also zig-zag your seam, or do a second row of straight stitching.

Here are the few inches I left open in the seam:

I folded the raw edges under 1/4" and again 1/4" and pressed and stitched around the opening:

From the inside:

4. Run two gathering stitches along the edge of the sleeve. Pull threads to gather the edge of the sleeve down to fit just inside the wrist band (leave 1/4-1/2" of the wristband sticking out on either side of the gathered sleeve.).

Stitch at 1/2".

Press the wristband away from the sleeve. Press the short side edges toward the wrong side and then press the long edge also toward the wrong side.

Fold the wristband in half and carefully press and pin.

Stitch along one short side of the wristband, along the long, open side, then along the other short side to close.

I made a loop with a button for the closure.

Repeat on the other sleeve.

5. Now it's time to finish the neck. Instead of cutting a facing for the head/neck opening, I just cut away horizontally from the bottom of my vertical slice about 1/2" to either side. (Looks like the bottom of an "I.")

I folded the fabric to the wrong side 1/4" and again 1/4" and pressed.

Then, I pulled the left side of the shirt directly over the right side of the shirt.

Then I secured the "pleat" with some backstitching. I also stitched closed the fabric that was pulled to the inside so there wouldn't be a little tube on the inside of the shirt. I've never done it this way, nor have I ever seen it done this way, but it was easy, and it will be interesting to see how it holds up. When my little boy wears this shirt he is self-conscious of the shirt being open in the front. This overlapping at least closes up the front of the shirt.

6. Then I attached the collar just as I did the wristbands. I used a button for the closure. I've also used a tie on one shirt as well as a loop and a button on another.

7. Hem the bottom. I folded my hem to the wrong side probably 1/2", then again 1/2", pressed, then straight stitched.

18-month Baby Dress

2011-03-27T17:46:00.003-06:00

I ordered Liz Clark's Infant Gowns patten recently and have been having too much fun. You know me, I can't just make one of something, I have to try everything! The inspiration for the first came from Earthly Angels:

I should have made the waistband a little narrower, and it's still a little long, and we could wear a few petticoats underneath, but I'm really pleased! Maybe it was just the cute little girl that drew me toward this one, maybe it was the dress.

She actually stood still for the picture!

Yes, those are wooden buttons, which were probably not too common on little girls' dresses, but I just have so many wooden buttons and I need to use them up! Metal buttons, hooks & eyes, or fabric covered buttons would have been a better option.

A Stop at Sutter's Fort

2011-03-24T15:30:00.003-06:00

My husband I took a very quick trip to Sacramento and Chico a couple days ago (so he could defend his project/thesis). We had a great time visiting Sutter's Fort, and even though it's not sewing, I thought I'd post a few pictures of our adventure. I was impressed by the program they have for 4th graders every Tuesday and Thursday.

The 4th graders all have to come up with their own clothing for the event. They can't put modern coats over, only layer under when they are cold. The kids participated in such activities as basket weaving, making yarn, cloth weaving, washing, working with leather, and other jobs. We also saw some learning about guns. The kids earn "money" for the jobs they do and can buy things at the "store." The kids even stay the night! Some kids stay up as guards. We heard someone was scheduled to "break in" to the fort and the kids have to catch him and put him in the jail.

Parents, who also dress up, volunteer throughout the day; everyone, including the parents, does jobs, such as make dinner for the feast that night. Parents also have to stay the night with the kids!

These moms were making butter for dinner. The dads were roasting the turkey (and some other meat) for turkey stew.

One accidental treat we also had on this trip was to go to Sacramento City Dry Goods in "Old Sac." We were walking around "Old Sac" and my husband turned and saw some mid-century clothing and said, "You've got to see this!" I had so much fun looking at corset kits, corsets, hats, and other items. I was so tempted to buy some boning and a busk for a corset, but I didn't know what size I'd need. So sad since it was so accessible!

How should I fix my little girls' hair?

2011-03-17T21:30:00.001-06:00

Well, from what I can tell, it's actually easier than you think! I've always tried little braids and pigtails for my daughter, but since we're not endowed with much hair in this family, it doesn't work so well.

I believe it was in one of Liz Clark's many documents on dressing children that she mentioned just parting the hair down the middle and slicking it down, cut short.

I was looking through Earthly Angels for some new toddler dress ideas and noticed so many of the girls wear their hair this way.

An example from the site:

Now wait a second... is that three little girls or two little girls and a boy on the left? Well, I'm beginning to notice that all the little girls' hair is parted in the center (or no part at all -- just combed back); whereas, the little boys' hair is parted on the side, even though they may be in dresses! The little boys in dresses just signifies that they are not yet potty-trained! Getting pants must have been a rite of passage!

To Snood or Not to Snood?

2011-03-17T21:13:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to figure out what to do with my very short hair this year for This Is the Place. I wondered if a snood might be my answer. I wanted to be sure, though, before I did anything dumb, so I sent Liz Clark my question.

Of course she replied in very good time; and not only that, she put a full post regarding snoods on her site!!

http://www.thesewingacademy.com/2011/03/getting-snoody/

Basically -- in a very brief nutshell, the "snood" part is really the ribbon, not the net, and a snood is something that would really be worn by the upper classes, not the working classes.

So, in my case, a snood probably wouldn't be my best option.

Toddler Pinafore

2011-03-16T23:13:00.001-06:00

Baby needed a new pinafore this year. I used Elizabeth Stewart Clark's FREE 1-2-3 Pinafore insturctions. I used a full strip of 45" fabric. I was so good to line up my plaid at the side seams, then forgot to on the pockets!! Now that's going to bug me since I could have actually done a very good job.

Baby was asleep when I needed to measure the neckline, so I guessed WAY too big. Rather than taking the neckline all out, I fixed it by using a long needle with a large eye (my needle isn't very blunt, but a blunt needle would be good), secured a string at one end of the neck binding (on the inside) by making a few loops over each other, ran the string through the neck binding, pulled a little to scrunch the fabric (like gathering), and secured at the other end with a few more loops to tighten it up.

This project took around 2 hours.

Baby with the way to big neckline!

She won't stand still for a picture. Got a good back shot of her running away!

Caught her off guard when she turned around!

1840 Girl's Chemise (Slip) Try 2

2011-02-24T12:53:00.001-07:00

I took another try at a variation of a girl's chemise last night. The Workwoman's Guide (1840) mentions this technique for a lady's shift (chemise) on page 45, so I thought I'd try it for a little girl.

I cut this one out the same as the other chemise according to the child's chemise dimensions. Well, I did steepen my slope giving me more fabric to work with at the pointy end, but that, in the end makes the back slightly bigger than the front, but still workable (that probably doesn't make sense, but I don't think I'll take the time to figure out how to explain it).

So the body (big trapezoid) is basically 18" on the top and 25" on the bottom and 21" tall.

The shoulder straps are 4" x 11". The instructions just mention shoulder straps but never say dimensions, so I just made that up.

The sleeves are 4" x 16" with little triangles cut off the ends to mimic the shape of a gusseted sleeve. See, here I am cutting corners again!

First, I finished the edges of the sleeves as well as the tops of the body (just folded over 1/4" twice and pressed) and straight stitched along the edge.

Then, I folded the shoulder straps in half lengthwise and pressed and attached them to the inside of the body with a straight stitch. I made sure the folded edge was toward the center -- this makes it so you don't have any edges to finish later!

Next, I marked the centers of my shoulder straps as well as my sleeves, matched them up and stitched them together.

Then, I folded the whole thing in half, matching the side seams and the sleeves and stitched closed. Typically I finish my seams with a second straight stitch close to the first. If I remember correctly, that is period appropriate. You could zig-zag, but they didn't have that back then! I actually didn't do my second straight stitch on this garment, so I really need to go back and hand overcast my seams together.

Here's the garment right side out. Obviously it's too wide. If the arms were bigger, it would fit me!

A technique mentioned in the Workwoman is to run a string through the hem/casing of the neckline. It doesn't say to do it in these instructions, but I can't imagine NOT doing it.

So, I got my super long needle, some embroidery floss, secured one end on the inside by sewing a 1/2" loop over itself a few times, fed the needle through my little hem to the other side, pulled out the needle, secured the end, then did the same to the other side of the chemise. You can't really tell in the picture below, but I'm trying to show how I secured the ends of the floss.

It's a little big on her, so I had her hold her arms up for the picture so it wouldn't fall down too low. I believe the Workwoman said this size should work for age 5 on up; but, my daughter is only 4, well, for a couple days anyway ;-). It should fit next year. Had it not been 11:00 last night when I started this project, I would have had her try it on so I'd know how long those shoulder straps should have been! If I took about an inch off the total length of the strap (4" x 10"), it probably would have been perfect. I'll probably just sew a 3" piece folded in half along the inside of the front just for modesty's sake and ease of wear this year!

We all think it's really cute! How am I ever going to get her to wear the first chemise I tried yesterday that fits better?

Girl's Chemise (Slip)

2011-02-23T21:46:00.001-07:00

I had another sewing adventure today with The Workwoman. The elder of my daughters needed a chemise to wear under her dress. I considered drafting one as suggested by Elizabeth Stewart Clark, but thought I might just follow the measurements and diagram in The Workwoman's Guide (1840). The only problem is those instructions! So much guesswork as I'm only going off little sketches! Oh well, here's how I did it.

Liz Clark suggests in her document on dressing girls that a girl's chemise can be basically like a woman's. She suggests the length be about to the knee, but this one is rather short.

The woman's shift (chemise) in The Workwoman's Guide looks like this (Plate 6, corresponding with pages 46-49):

The child's shift (chemise) looks like this:

I'm not sure what the deal is with that flappy thing hanging down in front, so I went with a rounded neck (which the Workwoman says is an option, too, at least for a woman's chemise, don't know about a kid's).

Once converted from nails (2.25"), the measurements are approximately:

Top of the trapezoid: 18"
Bottom of the trapezoid: 25"
Height 21"
Arm depth: 6.25" (however, I had to make it deeper because of the gusset in the sleeve)
Shoulder seam (distance from edge to short line in Fig. 10): 3.5"
Lowest point of rounded neck, center front: 4.5" (I wouldn't make it this deep in the future)

I used 45" wide muslin. I tore a 21" strip across the entire width. Then I tore my main body down to 25" wide. I folded my main body in half, measured out 9" from the center top and marked a slanted line down to the bottom corner and cut (see picture).

Then I took the cut off pieces and stitched them to the sides of the remnant I discarded earlier. It makes a perfect back. (Although, I could have steepened my slope, which would have given me a little more fabric to work with at the pointy end).

I cut out my neck, then stitched my side seams and shoulder seams. I should have definitely made the back neck opening not as deep as the front -- and made the whole thing more shallow.

For the sleeves I used 2 strips: 12.5" x 4". The little triangular gussets are just a 4" square cut diagonally, then sewn to the short ends of the long rectangles.

I hemmed sleeves before setting them into the chemise. You can hem the bottom of the chemise any time.

A modern construction where you sew the sleeves to the body before sewing the side seams would have worked really well with this shape.

Because the neck was so huge, I put some pleats in both center front and back, so it is just big enough to fit over my daughter's head. For some reason the neck gets weighed down funny in front. Good thing it's going UNDER her dress! So, not my best work, but hey, look what I'm working with!

View of the gusset:

Tiny Underclothes

2011-02-17T21:32:00.002-07:00

I had so much fun today making a little undershirt/chemise and drawers for the baby; well, she's not so much a baby anymore, more of a tiny toddler.

Amy over at A Day in 1862 had posted a few patterns (multi-sized!) that I've wanted to try out for a while.

She saw these little drawers and came up with her own FREE pattern.

It worked very nicely. I noticed that the shape of Amy's pattern is basically the same as that in the 1840 Workwoman's Guide!

Plate 7 Figures 3 & 4.

Amy saw this little 1850-59 undershirt/chemise on the Wisconsin Historical Society's Online Children's Collection.

And again, came up with a lovely little pattern.

Big thanks to Amy for sharing her patterns!

I haven't put growth tucks in the legs yet. I'll wait and see how tall baby gets in a few months to see if I need to. She's so skinny I may need to run a string through the drawer waistband to tighten them up a bit (or move my button, see below). Hopefully she'll grow though, and they'll fit just right this summer.

The neck on the chemise is pretty big. I made a few gathers in both front and back, but could have pulled it in a bit more. I did not create an opening in the neck because it is so big; so it's just a pull over. I tried baby's dress on over the underclothing and the chemise does not peek out. If it does slide too much, though, I can, again, run a string through the neck binding to tighten it up.

I did a button with a loop on the drawers for the closure. I'm still working at getting the placket right. Need more practice! If you've seen a good tutorial online for this, send me a link! :)

Sewing Season Is upon Us

2011-01-24T23:11:00.001-07:00

It's time for a new post... it's been a while! Sorry nothing mind blowing, just cute.

I pulled out the Pioneer clothes to see what we need to make for next season at TITP. I tried baby's outfit on her, who's more toddler now, and she didn't want to take them off! We went outside for a walk and she was just a doll! Amazing that I can adjust the dress to fit well enough. N-I-C-E. I'll be making new drawers, a chemise, and a pinafore.

This was my coat, oh, more than 30 years ago! Not Pioneer, but wool & cute! (My mom made it.)

Elizabeth Stewart Clark Links

2010-11-06T21:55:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! Liz Clark changed her web site and I have not yet updated my links. So sorry! So, when you click my links to her site, you'll probably get a page not found. Just go to her main site and do a search for what I've referred to for the time being. Most patterns will be found in the "Compendium."

Economy & Frugality

2010-10-14T21:25:00.000-06:00

Here's a Yahoo group for trading/selling out-grown kids' re-enactment clothes.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/econonmyfrugality/

DIY Dress Form Tutorial Link

2010-10-13T20:27:00.001-06:00

This could be very helpful...

http://samstermommy.blogspot.com/2009/08/duct-tape-dress-form-tutorial.html

If you're re-enacting, though, be sure and wear the proper undergarments to get the right fit.

If I remember correctly, this is similar to the method Liz Clark uses to design and build your own corset.

Silly Chicken

2010-09-04T12:15:00.000-06:00

This chicken lives in our house at This Is the Place. It used to lay an egg every day. Now it just sits on the fake eggs and protects them. I think she's afraid we are going to eat them.

Is it a chemise, a chemisette, a corset, a stay, or a shift?

2010-08-16T14:12:00.003-06:00

These above five words are ones I'd heard, but I just didn't really know the difference. Here's a brief rundown.

Corset - I think we all have a preconceived notion of this one: undergarment that is uncomfortable, confining, and makes you hold your posture; however, if made well, it shouldn't be this way. It should smooth out your torso and provide the fashionable shape of the period. Elizabeth Stewart Clark mentions that in period sources, a stay is the same thing. In modern living history, however, "we often use the term 'corset' to describe a steel-boned, fashion-shaping undergarment, and the term 'stays' to describe a more gently-fitted undergarment with shaping provided from a few bones, or cording and quilting" (The Dressmaker's Guide, 117).

The Workwoman's Guide (1840) gives directions on how to make one starting on page 81 & Plate 11, Figure 22.

Liz also tells how to draft your own in The Dressmaker's Guide page 117.

While reading through The Workwoman's Guide, I ran into the word "shift" on page 46. The corresponding figures found on Plate 6 looked something like a baggy shirt-dress. Liz Clark refers to this as a chemise. A shift/chemise is basically a slip (modern term) worn next to the skin and under the corset. The Workwoman's Guide teaches how to make a few variations, Liz has an entire chapter on them in The Dressmaker's Guide (chapter 4) as well as a FREE Chemise Pattern.

So is a chemisette the same? No. I e-mailed Liz to clarify this one for me. Here's what she said:

A chemisette is a little different; it's a white accessory piece that can either be shaped like a modern "dickie" or is sometimes a complete white underbodice, sleeves included. Either way, a chemisette is made of very fine, sometimes sheer white cotton or linen. The chemisette is worn to fill in the neckline of a low-bodiced or half-high bodiced dress for daywear. Full underbody styles also fill in a short or open dress sleeve. Chemisettes can be extremely decorative, with tucks, insertions of lace or white embroidery, braidwork, complex embroidery patterns (usually white thread on the fine white cloth.)

Any questions?

Are they Petticoats or Pettiskirts?

2010-08-16T13:43:00.001-06:00

At training this year at TITP I heard the term pettiskirt. I assumed it was supposed to be the same as a petticoat. I checked with Elizabeth Stewart Clark and it's not a term she's run across in period sources. More common terms for a petticoat, according to Liz, would be underskirts, or even just skirts (The Dressmaker's Guide, 153). Perhaps "pettiskirt" is just a combination of "petticoat" and "underskirt"?

For additional concise details on petticoats, see Liz's FREE Basic Petticoat Pattern as well as my Petticoat post.

Just for fun...

2010-08-15T21:19:00.000-06:00

Just like family...

7 birthday spanks.

Is this thing sanitary?

Wow. All 3 girls in matching blue!

Whitework

2010-08-08T14:25:00.006-06:00

I crocheted this edge on the bottom of these drawers to dress them up and to maybe mimic whitework. Since the original post where I was wondering what whitework really was, Liz Clark gave me the primer (rhymes with swimmer). My edging is NOT whitework. See her comment below. Liz also provided some links to pictures (below).

Real whitework looks like this:

http://www.vintagetextile.com/new_page_99.htm

Holy moley, isn't it gorgeous! Don't think I'll be attempting that one anytime soon.

Another one:

http://www.gownrestoration.com/IMGA0041.JPG

...
(Confession: I crocheted on the wrong side of my second leg! I noticed after I was a couple inches into it, but still, didn't want to take it out. Oh well. From a distance you can't tell!)

New Sleeves

2010-08-08T14:22:00.001-06:00

I was getting a little tired of my open sleeves on my blue dress getting in the way, so I thought I'd re-make them. If I remember correctly, Elizabeth Stewart Clark had mentioned that kind of sleeve wasn't very popular/fashionable in my era (or maybe she was speaking of the bodice, I'll have to check), and even Saundra Ros Altman, who made the pattern, also mentioned it would also be appropriate to add a cuff to that type of sleeve (although she could have been talking about the wrapper, but the sleeves are similar, so I suppose it could go for both).

After further thought, I decided not to re-make the entire sleeve, just add a cuff. Rather than stay up the night before our day at TITP, I thought I'd wait and do it sometime the next week; however, when I got up in the morning and the kiddos were still asleep, I thought I'd try and cuff my sleeves. Bad idea. Don't ever do an alteration the day of your event!

OK, it really didn't turn out that bad, but I was stressed worrying that the kids would wake up and I'd have a couple, or just one, unfinished sleeve.

I did a closed cuff that just slips over my hand. I worried it would be hot, but it was just fine.

My New Thoughts on a Corset

2010-08-08T14:08:00.002-06:00

The nice thing about a corset is that it smooths out all those fat rolls on your back. I might actually consider making myself one now.

Godey's Lady's Book 1857 Sun-Bonnet Tutorial (another Pioneer Bonnet Pattern)

2010-07-24T21:44:00.008-06:00

I'm sure this is what you've all been waiting for . . . I'm just certain it will change your life . . . how about an authentic, free, SIMPLE sun-bonnet pattern from Godey's Lady's Book? Aren't you just giddy? (Let me tell ya, I was just giddy when I think I figured out what "filling it in" meant.)

The bonnet calls for some gathering, but you can actually make it without gathering for about the same look. It also calls for "cotton wick yarn" cords to stiffen it, but I just used interfacing. Here's how you can make a simplified version:

1. Download the pattern, print it, tape it together, and cut it out. (I drew this out in Excel, so when you cut it out, just curve the lines best you can. I'm sure there's good pattern drafting software out there, but this is all I have!)

2. Cut out:

Front (brim): 1 fashion fabric, 1 heavy interfacing, 1 lining (can match fashion fabric or use white or another light color). If you want to add the "runnings" to the front, see my "adventures" below on how to do it.
Crown (back)
Cape
Ties: 2" x 18" for back ties, 2" x 20" for front ties

3. Finish the front. Use 1/2" seams, except for ties use 1/4" seams.

Press/sew the interfacing to the back of the front fashion fabric.
Press the top edge of the lining to the wrong side 1/2".
With right sides together, sew the side and bottom edges of the front together, trim edges, clip corners.

4. Finish the bottom of the crown by folding it to the wrong side 1/4" and again 1/4" and stitching. The original instructions say to gather and bind the bottom. I'm making these instructions as easy as possible, so I'm skipping that part and just finishing the bottom of the crown. Trust me, it will still work.

5. Make your ties. Fold in half lengthwise, stitch one short end and along the long end 1/4". Clip corner, turn, press.

6. Attach the crown to the front. Start pinning the bottom of the crown to the bottom of the front, right sides together. Work your way up equally to the center. You see you have a bunch of excess fabric at the top. Just flatten it out evenly on either side of your center. You're creating a pleat at the top center back of the bonnet. I think this is what they mean by "filling it in," well at least it's got to be close.

7. Before you stitch your seam, place your back ties with the seam toward the bottom 1/2" up from the bottom of the bonnet. Stitch your seam (re-enforcing a little over the ties).

8. Turn right side out, tuck your raw edges into your front and hand-stitch your lining down.

9. Finish your cape.

Because the cape is so curvy, hand-stitching is the way to go. Finish all edges of the cape.
You could cheat and make a facing for the cape (just cut two capes of the same size, sew them right sides together, clip curves, turn, press).
After making so many bonnets, I began semi-cheating. I hand-stitched the curvy parts, then machine-stitched the straighter parts.
The written instructions do say "The cape can be of any size desired," so I guess you could modify the shape to be more square, then you could just fold under your raw-edges and machine stitch. See below for this option.

10. Attach your cape.

Match the center top of your cape to the inside center bottom of your crown. Pin the rest of the cape evenly to either side of the bonnet. If the cape does not extend far enough to the sides of the bonnet, remove cape and make a little pleat at the back, bottom, center of the crown. This will shrink the overall width of the bonnet allowing the cape to extend more around the sides/front.
I attached the cape by hand so I wouldn't have a big, ugly machine stitch at the bottom of my bonnet.

11. Attach your front/inner ties. I placed them about at the back of my jaw. If you put them much further back, you feel like you are going to choke.

Finished project with gathers on the crown.

Finished project without gathers on the crown and without "runnings" on the front.

With this one I put the ties a little further back.

-----
Just for fun, here are my "sewing adventures" with this one. Somehow, the diagram, written instructions, and picture don't match up.

Here's what happens when you cut out the pattern according to the diagram and the written instructions: "Measure from just below the ear across the head, and allow your cloth to be twice the length." If you do it this way, the front is waaaaay too long and looks nothing like the finished drawing. I think maybe it meant twice the depth to allow for runners (see below), or maybe it was twice the length so you could cut it in half for the facing.

I also tried to "measure from just below the ear across the head" (but not double it), but then the finished product looks a little small. The diagram indicates 23" wide for the front, but my grid paper would only work to 21", which I think looks great.

If you want to cut your front out bigger to allow for runners, you can do it like this:

Cut the fabric the 21" wide, then double the 10 1/2" depth to 21".

Sew in your runners as desired (these were 1/2", but 3/4" may have turned out a bit closer to what is seen in the original drawing). You can see I had a little excess that I ripped off. Assemble the same as is shown above.

If you sew your "runners" or tucks or pleats or whatever you want to call them on the front pattern piece as it is drawn out, you reduce the front size considerably as is shown below. So, I think when the pattern said to "allow your cloth to be twice the length," maybe it really means twice the depth to allow for all those runners.

Look how cute this mistake one looks on, though!

Have you noticed, too, that the original drawing has more of a square front, whereas the bonnets I made following the diagram end up with more of a rounded side-front? I guess it's your preference. The more rounded edge is easier to see out of; I like it better.

Front cut out according to the diagram.


Front cut out just rounded at the corners (following the written instructions and the original image)	.

On my first try, I figured I would gather the crown just like every other bonnet pattern, however, after I re-read the instructions, I realized they did not say to gather. That's when I had to figure out what "filling it in" meant. Gathering could be an option, though (see the green bonnet above).

Now I hate to admit it, but when I saw that the crown pattern-piece was quite a bit longer than the 23" front (or 21" in my case), I cut off the bottom part of the crown to make it shorter. However, this is what happens:

You lose the back length of the crown! Duh! I know this one. It's just like a sleeve, you know how they are rounded at the top? You need the excess fabric up at the top to push the fabric down so it ends up where it should be at the bottom! If I had any knowledge in pattern drafting, I would have caught this one.

The original pattern says to "gather [the crown] in a little at the neck and bind it." In some of my versions I did this. If you don't want to gather, though, you can just run a piece of embroidery floss (or other thick thread), through your finished bottom edge by anchoring it at one end, feeding the needle through your hem, then pulling it out and anchoring it again. When you gather the bottom of your crown a little, the small cape fits just right. In the directions I give above, I've eliminated this gathering step to make it easier. Because you're not gathering, you need to modify the cape -- which I have done in this pattern.

Playing with the cape.
Here's how I modified the original cape pattern to fit this simplified bonnet tutorial (without gathering at the neck).

I made this red bonnet for a girl who's going on trek. She didn't want the cape so long, so I made a shorter, square-cornered cape.

Looks fine on.

So how many of these bonnets did I make initially? Well, the 4 you see here, then I ran out of interfacing, so I had to start unpicking versions. I did that twice. So you could say it took me 6 tries to get it right. Well, maybe not right, but the best I could do with the knowledge I have!

Bonnet for the Member of the Society of Friends

2010-07-19T07:29:00.002-06:00

The Workwoman's Guide, 160.

These bonnets are made of black, white, grey, or fawn coloured silk. They are cut out as follows:—

For the pattern of the poke, Fig. 6, let your paper be doubled at D, which part must be four nails and

a half long; from A to B is three nails and three quarters; slope off the front at the corner. For the

crown, Fig. 5, let the doubled part, D, be eight nails long, and from C to E is four nails and a half; it is

gradually sloped from F, as in the Plate.

In making up, run the pieces cut for the outside and lining together at the edge, on the wrong side, and having turned them, slip in the pasteboard; plait the front of the crown into the poke in very small exact folds, leaving it quite plain for some distance above the ears; make a narrow runner behind of one nail and a half in depth, to form a curtain, and put on ribbon strings the same colour as the bonnet .

Godey's 1857 Google Books

2010-07-18T22:25:00.003-06:00

Sunbonnet on page 264

http://books.google.com/books?id=Y8hMAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=related:OXFORD600025777&lr=#v=thumbnail&q&f=false

Days of '47 Childrens Parade

2010-07-18T17:41:00.002-06:00

We got to be in the parade on Saturday. We were supposed to be Western: Cowboy, Indian, or Pioneer. We had 2 cowgirls and a Pioneer.

As cute as can be

2010-07-13T23:05:00.001-06:00

http://books.google.com/books?id=xeuuWNy8JL8C&pg=PT77&dq=Godey%27s+lady%27s+book+1860&hl=en&ei=MEU9TJOYK4O78gb1kPiZBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

Another Bonnet

2010-07-07T22:10:00.003-06:00

I got this pattern from a neighbor who helped people in the ward make bonnets for trek a few years ago. I like the shape, and the construction is fine, but when I tried it on, it's just kinda weird (you can see the brim is HUGE).

The pattern would be really easy to convert to PDF, but I don't know from where it originated, so I'd better not post it.

You would think the bonnet would be considered more authentic because it uses ties instead of elastic. However, read Liz's comment on this post about the pattern. She clears it up nicely :).

The back ties are more for looks because they don't really adjust anything. I'm liking the fit/adjustability more and more of the authentic slat bonnet.

**** "likeabrokenumbrella" suggested this would be a good Acadian/Cajun style bonnet, so here's the pattern. The scanner's being a bit dumb, so I couldn't scan to PDF, so hopefully you can enlarge the images enough to fit on a 8.5 x 11.

Elizabeth Stewart Clark Slat Bonnet

2010-07-06T22:30:00.004-06:00

I keep telling myself that SEWING SEASON IS OVER!!! However, I can't seem to quite tear myself away. (I, of course, need to finish all my unfinished projects!) I also don't know why I feel like I have to try EVERY pattern for bonnets that I can get my hands on.

I finally tried Liz Clark's Slatted Sunbonnet Pattern. It's a very simple pattern (and authentic), but does have a lot of stitching (for all those slats and a very big hem). Of course I also had to cheat (don't know why I can't follow instructions) and I did just put heavy interfacing in the brim area rather than actual slats. I cut my interfacing big enough to cover the space that slats would cover, then just stitched lines over the interfacing. I can still put slats in, too, if I want to make it stiffer.

You'll be proud of me, though; I did hand stitch my hem! Can you believe it? Me, the anti-hand-stitcher. The hem is curvy enough that it would have been a pain to machine sew.

The nice thing about this bonnet is that it is adjustable because of the ties inside and outside. You can make the brim go out as far in front of your face as you want (see images).

This probably took me around 2 hours.

I'm now working on, yes, another bonnet. I don't know where the pattern originated, so I don't know that I'll be able to post the pattern, but I'll see what I can do.

Drafting Drawers

2010-06-17T22:56:00.004-06:00

I've had a few people ask me for help with their pantaloons (or more correctly, drawers) for trek. Since I didn't have any of my own to loan out, I thought I'd better come up with something that I could sell them (because I don't want a whole bunch lying around here to be loaners). Since I didn't want to violate any copyrights on patterns, I thought I'd better figure out how to draft a pattern. Oh boy. This is new territory for me.

I started out with The Workwoman's Guide (Plate 7). Surprisingly the overall pattern shape/size was somewhat similar to my Butterick one. However, the curves were different (non-existent in the Workwoman), so the fit was just weird to me (plus, I didn't take into account that there would be some overlapping of the center seam, so they were extra baggy...). I knew Liz Clark has a pattern for split drawers, but I shouldn't sell what I make using her patterns, and I can't imagine trek people would be too interested in split drawers anyway.

So, I went to Google for pajama bottoms. I first found Leena.

Then I found Craft and Fabric Links for PJ bottoms.

Then I found a free shorts pattern that happened to be on graph paper.

Then I found more graph paper.

I learned a ton of stuff; it was great!

I was able to draw out different measurements on the graph paper and still have one shorts pattern helping me know I was on track!

It really turned out well. If you have graph paper and measurements, it's quite a breeze (but only if you're in split drawers. Hehe.)!

Just remember, these drawers are NOT AUTHENTIC! But hopefully no one will be looking up your dress to check!

I was able to help a young woman in our ward today sew her own drawers. It was so much fun. She sewed down the basement and I'd instruct her on each step. Next we'll make her a Not-So-Pioneer Skirt. It's neat helping her learn better how to sew!

The Not-So-Pioneer Skirt Tutorial

2010-06-17T09:32:00.001-06:00

I've had a few people ask me to make them a Pioneer skirt for trek this year and each time they ask, I have to cringe just a little. I never thought I'd get squirmy over Pioneer clothing inaccuracies (cuz I'm full of them!), but I did. Anyway, I was wondering where we got this misconception because I used to picture it, too.

Last night the kids had just finished watching the Brady Bunch and then on came Little House on the Prairie and there was Caroline right there wearing her light colored blouse and colored skirt! Could our beloved Little House be at fault?

I wanted to research it myself, but took, of course, my favorite shortcut: e-mail Liz Clark.

Liz promptly responded confirming my hunch about the inaccuracies of the Pioneer "skirt." She said that a silk skirt/sheer blouse combo did come about around the 1840s and lasted through the century, but it was fancy-wear: nothing one would wear to emigrate West (especially in winter). After the Mormon Pioneer era, around the 1880s, a skirt/blouse combo for working classes did come about. I looked up when the Laura Ingals lived (1867 -1957), so maybe Little House wasn't as bad as I'd suspected, considering they were a bit later in the century.

Now that we've got that straight, yes, I will make you (ok, not you, I probably don't even know you) a Pioneer "skirt" for trek if you don't have anything else and you don't have the time or money for anything else :). Just remember it's really a petticoat (big slip to be worn with additional petticoats (ok, even I don't go that far currently, I just wear one petticoat. Now some of you are cringing at me!)).

Liz suggested for those who get more into reenactment after a first-time trek, use the "skirt" for a petticoat under your dress later. Liz gives good, authentic, FREE instructions on how to make a petticoat ("skirt") on her site. She also suggests that if you make your skirt to appropriate fullness (so you won't trip and it would also be more accurate), an elastic waistband will not hold it up, so do make it with a waistband.

Since I'm going for speed at the moment, though, here's how I made mine:

1. I tore two widths of 45" fabric to my desired length. Off of one width, I tore a 4" strip off the side (parallel to the selvage) for my waistband. Thus, I have two equal-length pieces of fabric, one is just wider than the other.

2. Match up two of your selvage edges, mark about 8" down from the top with a pin (this area will become your placket), sew a 1/2" seam down from your mark. Press your seam open the whole length of the skirt, then stitch around your newly formed placket, re-enforcing at the bottom of the opening.

3. Make a seam down the other side of the skirt: Match up your edges, stitch a 1/2" seam all the way down. Because you tore your waistband off of this side, you now have a frayed edge that you need to take care of. Trim your edge to just over 1/4" and run a zig-zag all the way down (not period appropriate). I had to zig-zag both my seams in this skirt because my selvages were really fraying.

4. Hem the skirt to the desired length. I like to turn mine under 1/4" then again 1", then add growth tucks to shorten it a little, if needed.

5. Then run gathering stitches (big, straight stitches, no backstitching) at the top of the skirt at about 6/8" and 7/8".

6. Determine how many inches you want your waistband. I made this one big on me so that others can use the skirt. Press the short ends of the waistband under about 1/2".

7. Mark the half-way point and the quarter points on both the waistband and the skirt. Gather the skirt. Place the waistband behind the skirt, right sides of both pieces facing you. Match up the marks, adjust gathers, and pin.

8. Stitch the waistband to the skirt at 1" being careful not to catch any fabric underneath.

9. Flip the waistband up and press it.

10. Fold the waistband down until it meets the top of the skirt. Fold it over again so it sandwiches the skirt (there will be 4 thicknesses of waistband with skirt in the middle). Top stitch the short ends and the bottom of the waistband.

11. Create a closure with buttons and button holes as desired. I put buttons at multiple locations to allow this skirt to be shared by people of varying sizes.

Hope that made sense!

Aren't they just cute?

2010-06-11T20:58:00.004-06:00

I let my friend borrow some of my practice dresses that I haven't been able to part with to take to Martin's Cove for a ward activity. Aren't these girls just precious?! They look like quadruplets, but actually range from 3 to 8.

Pioneer Apron Tips

2010-06-11T09:29:00.026-06:00

Like the Workwoman said, there's a lot of variation to aprons. As I've made a few lately, here are some things I've learned.

Do as much of your ironing as you can at the same time: Press your pockets, your straps, the sides of your apron before you start sewing.

Do as much of your stitching at the same time as you can. Stitch the sides of your apron, the straps, the pockets, and run your gathering stitches across the top at the same time.

This is a front apron (and, yes, is a little long for this dress). When I saw this fabric, I hoped there would be enough for an apron! I had only a 45" square (1 1/4 yd.). Usually when you sew, you cut out your pattern so the grain runs up and down; however, I thought since this print didn't need to be torn out that way, I'd try letting the grain run side to side (raw edges at the sides rather than the top and bottom).

The apron body is 35" x 45". The pockets are 8" x 10". The straps are 29" x 2". The waistband is 22" x 3" (could have been 20").

I made this apron to go about all the way around, in which typically I'd need 2 widths of fabric torn to my desired length for the body. However, since the print didn't need to go a certain direction, I thought I'd save myself 2 seams and tear it opposite the grain (raw edges at the sides rather than the top and bottom).

The apron body is 40" x 72" (35" would have been better because I had to take some off later). The pockets are 8" x 10", and the waistband is 4" x 80". This apron needed 2 1/4 yards, but there is a bit of fabric waste when you do it this way.

Straps

With a 2" strip, I tried double-folding over the top of my strap, and folding up the bottom of the strap to slide under the top folds and then stitch down (see the picture). I don't really like how it turned out, I'll just sew my strap right sides together next time and turn and press like normal.

Pockets
I like cutting (tearing) out my pockets 8" x 10". This allows me to turn under my sides 1/4" - 1/2" and the top 1" - 1 1/4".

You can either press your sides, your bottom, then your top to the back, then just stitch the top down (you'll stitch the sides down when you attach your pocket to the apron), or

you can press the top of your pocket to the front (right sides together) 1" - 1 1/4" and stitch your sides (just the 1" - 1 1/4").

Then, flip it the correct way and press your sides in as well as the bottom 1/4" - 1/2".

To place your pockets, if you have one of those big clear plastic things (sorry, I don't even know what it's called), just mark your center at the top of the apron with a pin, then place the plastic thing matched up with the top and however far you want your pocket out from the center. I placed these pockets 9" down and 5" out from my center. Seemed to be good placement. 8" down would have been fine, too. This was so much easier than using my tape measure and measuring down from the top and out from the center!

Waistband

Since this was for a front-only apron (not all the way around), I made my waistband strip 22" long x 3". Next time I might make it just 20" (or even less) long. I ran my gathering stitches at 1/4" & 1/2".

In the past I've put the waistband and the apron right sides together, stitched them, then flipped the waistband to the back, folded it under 1/4" - 1/2", then hand stitched the inside of the waistband down.

A faster way to do this is to put your waistband right side up with your apron on top, right side up also (scruntching the apron 1/2" smaller than your waistband), and stitch the two pieces together at 3/4".

Flip the waistband up and press it all flat. Press each short end in 1/2" (to match up with the width of your apron). Then press the top edge of the waistband down so it meets the top of the apron.

Then fold the waistband over again so the raw edges are all to the inside, the top of the apron is sandwiched in the waistband, touching the top of the waistband.

Insert your straps, pin everything down, and securely top-stitch your straps in and the bottom of your waistband.

I like this method of folding the waistband into 4 equal parts with the center fold touching the top of the apron because it provides a uniformly thick waistband -- meaning the bottom of your waistband is not thicker than the to of your waistband. It always bugs me when my waistband gets perma-creases in in it from bending over.

If you're in the mood for wasting fabric, you can also just tear a really long strip (mine was 4" x 80") that will become both you waistband and your straps together. I really liked the 4" wide band. If I were to run gathering stitches on my apron at 6/8" and 7/8", then I could sew the waistband and apron together at 1".

To place your waistband and apron together, just mark the center of your waistband, figure out how big you want the apron to be around and measure from your center out.

Again, flip the waistband up after the two pieces are stitched together, press, fold the top edge down to the top of the apron, then fold over and press again to sandwich the top of the apron. Press what has become your straps to match how you've pressed your apron. Top stitch the short ends of your strap, along the bottom of your strap, which turns into the bottom of your waistband, all the way to the other end.

I made this apron mostly using Elizabeth Stewart Clark's free apron pattern.

Elizabeth Stewart Clark Girls' Dress Size 4

2010-06-11T09:06:00.009-06:00

I'm really excited about this dress. I made it with Elizabeth Stewart Clark's Girls' Dress patterns, size 4, and it fits me! Too bad I'm not a Pioneer girl. I kind of want to wear it around the house. I'm about 5'4".

When one of our old neighbor's daugters wanted to come up to TITP with us this year, I thought I'd better come up with some girl clothing for her to borrow. I'm also going to loan it to one of the girls going on trek -- so I didn't make it fancy at all (not that I make anything real fancy).

I was actually going to make it with long sleeves, but ran out of fabric! I'd gotten the fabric from my aunt who is selling her house and getting rid of things, so I couldn't choose the yardage :).

I did bring the neckline (sides/top of the shoulder) in 1.5" because I knew the girls borrowing it won't want to be pushing their straps under the whole time they're wearing it.

Not that you're counting, but I wanted to space the buttons very close, like you're supposed to. I measured it all out and was one button short, so I spaced the buttons a little further apart.

When I started sewing on the buttons, I realized I had one extra. Apparently it was too much before 7:00 this morning when I counted my buttons. I thought I needed 9 when I only needed 8, which is what I had! Oh well. Now I have one extra button.

Zipper to Button Fly

2010-06-11T09:01:00.007-06:00

I got these pants at the DI for my son for $2-3. I removed the belt loops and added buttons for his poor boy suspenders. I know the pants have pleats, which Pioneer men didn't have, but I really didn't feel like trying to fix that.

I realized the zipper was broken, so I decided to add a button fly. And, yes, I know those buttons are plastic inside, but I figured no one would be looking!

Aprons

2010-06-10T22:01:00.008-06:00

So the youth in our ward are going on trek this year. When I heard they all needed two of everything I thought those poor saps need some help! So I volunteered my limited experience (and time) to help them by loaning my stuff, making a few things, or teaching them to make items themselves.

I needed to add a couple aprons to may collection anyway, so in addition to reading over Liz Clark's info on aprons, I turned to The Workwoman's Guide to freshen up my knowledge.

The Workwoman says (page 76, and Plate 11, Images 1-16):

If for common use, aprons are made of white, brown, blue, black, or checked linen, of black stuff, calico, Holland, leather, nankeen, print, or long cloth; if for better purposes, of cambric muslin, clear, mulled, or jaconet muslin, silk, satinette, satin, &c. The length of the apron is, of course, generally determined by the height of the wearer, and the width, by that of the material, and by the purpose for which it is intended. For working aprons, the width is generally one breadth of a yard wide; for dress aprons, two breadths, one of which is cut in half, and these halfs put one on each side of the whole breadth. If the material should be wide enough, one breadth, of from fourteen to twenty nails [31.5 - 45"], will answer very well.

So, sounds like about anything goes!

A few basics from Plate 11:
A Simple Shape

This is a simple shape, and the one most in use. It is either plaited [pleated] or gathered into the band, which is about a nail deep [2.25"]. These aprons are usually worn by all servants and women while at work. Blue, check, and brown linen are most used for scouring and cleaning; white linen, Holland, and print, for less dirty employments. Ladies wear them of silk or muslin, with or without pockets.

Girls' Apron

This is a pretty apron, often worn by girls from eight to sixteen or eighteen years of age. The bib is made of the proper size to fit in front, between the shoulders of the wearer, coming down in a slope to the waist. These bibs may be plain, or they are ornamented with tucks or folds, either upright or length-wise. The shoulder-strap may be of the same material, or of tape or ribbon. The apron is gathered evenly, or plaited so as to reach to A on each side, which is situated exactly between the bottom of the bib and the shoulder-strap behind.

A Cooking Apron

This is a neat pattern for a housekeeper, cook, or kitchen-maid. The bib is quite plain, and pins to the gown at the corners. The size given in the Plate is suitable for a girl, but the bib should be cut to suit the wearer at once, and not made by guess. The apron is made of check or strong linen.

Pockets

These vary very much, some being laid on the apron as in Fig. 3, 4, and 6; others put on at the back, a slit being made in the apron to correspond with the place of the pockets. These last are made as in Fig. P, from a long double piece, which, being sewed up, is cut diagonally or crosswise, from A to B, and forms two pockets, the part cut being sewed to the slit of the apron. The whole length of the narrow piece, before it is cut, is six nails [13.5"], and the width, when double, two nails [4.5"]. The slit in the apron is neatly hemmed, and a trimming of ribbon or silk put round it, with a bow at the bottom, or a fringe and tassels.

In Fig. 3 the pocket is a piece of two nails and a half deep and five nails wide. This piece is plaited in regular folds at the top to a lining of only two nails and a half deep, and the same width. The bottom is fulled nearly to a point in small folds, and the lining, being turned in to the same shape, is sewed to it with a piping. The pocket is then stitched firmly on to the apron, and trimmed according to fancy. One or three small bows are put on the pocket.

In Fig. 4 the pocket is cut in the shape of a heart, and put plainly on the apron. It is about two nails and three-quarters wide, and two nails and a half deep. The pocket is piped or trimmed with edging.

In Fig. 6 the pocket is particularly neat and pretty, being made of folds of the same material as the apron, with a coloured piping all round it, and three bows the same colour as the piping.

My next post: Ideas on making aprons fast using modern methods.

Pioneer Bonnet Tutorial

2010-05-27T22:40:00.017-06:00

Here's a bonnet pattern (guidelines/instructions/tutorial) that I made up after making several bonnets using patterns. What I really wanted was instructions on how to craft my own bonnet without needing a physical pattern. So, if you want an authentic pattern, look elsewhere, but if you want something that will work, and where you don't need to go buy a pattern, give this a try.

If you are going for authentic, here's a tutorial for a simplified version of Godey's Lady's Book 1857 Sun Bonnet, or you could try Elizabeth Stewart Clark's slat bonnet.

I do actually prefer bonnet patterns that have a separate neck piece, but this pattern is pretty simple as the neck piece is attached to the actual bonnet piece.

Materials
1. Fabric: Up to a yard of 45” fabric (see sizing and layout below)
2. Elastic: 7 – 9” of ¼”
3. Interfacing: equal size of one brim piece (see layout below)

Sizing and Layout
. I'm finding that if you measure your head and subtract an inch or two for the measurement for your main square, that measurement is a good size for your bonnet.
. For 16" bonnets, use 6" elastic.
. For 17-19" bonnets, use 7" elastic.
. For 20" bonnets, use 8" elastic.

. A 19" square seems to work well for 19.5" - 20.5" heads.
. My friend's girl has a 19" head and she looked great in an 18" bonnet.
. My baby has a 17" head, and a 16" bonnet is just a tiny bit big.
. My head is 22", and a 20" square looked good.
· For a baby doll a 9” starting square works well (see layout below).

1. Cut a square of fabric. In this example, we’ll use a 20" square.
2. For the brim depth, use ¼ (or slightly less) the bonnet length plus the bonnet length for the length of the brim: 5” x 20”.
3. For the ties, cut 2 strips 3” x 30”. (The length may be a little long (especially for kids), so hold the strip up to your jaw to see how long it falls and shorten as necessary.)

Cutting

1. Fold the bonnet piece in half, and then in quarters (to make a 10” x 10” square). Press to mark a plus sign in the fabric. Unfold the fabric one time so it is still in half (see drawing).

a. Cut a quarter circle off the top half of the folded fabric. Look at the pictures below to see how you can fold the fabric to make a nice cut. I learned that from The Workwoman's Guide!

(Don't mind the bottom of these pictures, for some reason, when I upload, it looks like the picture has gone through a bad photo-copier.)

b. Cut a ½” deep mark 1/5 the way up from the bottom of the fabric: in this case, 4”. Cut another small mark ¼” deep 1” above the first mark. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of this!

(You will be folding the top mark down to meet the bottom mark to form casing for the elastic. You actually may need to cut 1 ¼” above the lower mark to create enough room for feeding your elastic – depending on how big your safety pin is.)

c. Mark the top center of the bonnet piece with either a pin or a ¼” snip.

2. Take one brim piece and fold in half two times to end up with a 5” x 5” square. Press to create lines. Unfold once.

a. Cut a quarter circle off the top half. Cut the second brim piece to match.

b. Cut a piece of interfacing to match your brim.

Sewing

1. Below the bottom slit marks on both sides of the bonnet, fold the fabric in ¼”, then again ¼”. Press. Stitch.

a. Fold up the bottom edge ¼”, then again ¼”. Press. Stitch.

b. To make casing, fold top slits down to meet bottom slits in a “Z” shaped fashion. Press. Stitch bottom and top of casing (leaving ends open).

c. Cut a 7” piece of elastic and feed through casing. Be sure and stitch ends down.

2. Take one brim piece and fuse or sew interfacing to wrong side.

a. Take other brim piece and fold straight edge ½” to the back (wrong side). Press.
b. Stitch the two brim pieces right sides together along the curved edge with a 1/2 “ seam. Trim to ¼”. Clip and notch curves. Turn. Press.

(Sorry! I put my interfacing on the wrong side in the picture!)

c. Mark with a ¼” deep clip the center of the straight edge of the brim (or use a pin).

3. Fold ties in half lengthwise. Stitch a ½” seam from one short edge then across the long edge, leaving one small end open for turning. Clip corner. Turn. Press. (Another option is to press both long sides of the tie in 1/4-1/2" as well as one end. Fold the whole thing in half the long way and press. Top stitch the short, pressed-under edge as well as the long edge. This is a good way to go if you don't want to turn your ties!)

a. Baste ties to inside (wrong side) of bonnet by matching small, open end to notched corner (on top of casing, not below it). (Also, if the tie seems too wide where you baste it on, put a little pleat in the tie -- like a little "z" fold right in the center of the narrow part of the tie -- to narrow it down to the desired size; then just baste over the tie as previously indicated (shown in picture).)

4. Run two rows of gathering stitches from one side just above the tie around to the other side just above the tie. Gather bonnet all the way around.

5. Pin straight edge of brim (unfolded piece) to bonnet, right sides together matching centers and brim ends with notched ends of bonnet. Baste with a ½ inch seam, being careful not to catch the second piece of brim (the one that was turned ½” down). Stitch, ½”.

6. Turn bonnet inside out and hand stitch folded brim piece to inside of bonnet to finish, making sure unfinished edge is tucked inside the brim. (You may also machine stitch this if you are very careful! I find I do better hand stitching this part.)

For a (printable) PDF of this tutorial, click here.

The Idea Door also has a few links to patterns. One link doesn't work anymore, another goes to Mother Earth News (but there are no pictures), and I did try the last link entitled Women's Pioneer Bonnet (.pdf), but can't remember why I never finished that one.

I tried this pattern also, but it turned out kind of funny.

You know, had I known that on-line patterns were called tutorials when I made this pattern, I would have just Googled for a bonnet tutorial like this one from Given Moments in the first place. Here's another tutorial from Pickup Some Creativity.

10/2/10: http://tipnut.com/sunbonnet-pattern/

4/5/11: http://romantichistoryclothing.blogspot.com/2009/12/little-house-on-prairie-sunbonnet.html

Hey! If you try my pattern, let me know how it goes! I'd love to know what sizes of fabric work for what size of head.

Corded Hoopish Skirt

2010-05-25T22:44:00.007-06:00

Yesterday we had the occasion to dress up as Pioneers for a care center. My parents came with, and my mom wore her old Pioneer dress from 1997 with my sister's puffy wedding slip underneath. It looked great! Since my petticoat is a little too long, I thought I could sew another tuck into it to pull it up a bit. Then I had a better idea. Why don't I sew some "runners" (isn't that what they're called? You know some narrow tucks) into it and feed some flexible, but somewhat stiff something through it?

So, the kids and I swung by the hardware store, saw some electrical wire, vinyl tubing, other tubing, then I wondered, what about that weed-whacker string stuff? So, that is what I got! There's a little bit of twist in it that I could do without, but maybe it will relax.

Too bad I just have to take out the wire/string now, since I really don't need a fuller skirt for my duties at TITP.

Now I just need to figure out a good way to tighten the waistband of my dress!

If you want to do make a corded or hooped petticoat the the real way, see Elizabeth Stewart Clark's, The Dressmaker's Guide!

Dress Rehearsal at TITP

2010-05-22T14:20:00.007-06:00

Of all people you'd think I'd be ready for "dress rehearsal" day at TITP. But no, I found daughter needed shoes, my petticoat was too long, my skirt too short, the baby needed something warm, I needed a shawl. Good thing we had a dress rehearsal! Now I can finish up our outfits.

Today was fun because I got to meet the other employees and volunteers at the Andrus Halfway House. We got to talk about and review our facts about the house, eat lunch, and ride the train.

In addition to the materials from TITP on the house, I found the Andrus Family Website to be delightful. TITP has verified the info they've given to us, so hopefully they can also validate some of the family info sometime. I've found the wives info and the family newsletter most beneficial. (The Feb. 1983 newsletter has info on the house & March 1970 has biographies on Lucy.) Also, Milo's autobiography was fun to read -- very similar to the TITP info.

If you think this looks fun, come be a volunteer with us! Contact Holly at holly.curtis@thisistheplace.org.

My Bun

2010-05-22T14:13:00.004-06:00

So I had fun on e-bay a bit ago and ordered this awesome bun from China (yeah, it's a little big for my head). It was only $3.99, I think. I specified "light brown" in my message, but received "dark brown" I'm sure. I finally figured out how to make the bun stay in my fine, thin hair (used a butterfly clip), but the color is just too dark for my coloring. We'll see if it will work in Amy's short, fine hair!

So if you need a bun, give e-bay a try!

You gotta get yourself one of these!

2010-05-22T13:49:00.008-06:00

(If you have a baby of course!)

There was a gal in our ward (Melinda) who would carry her baby around in a home-made wrap. When I knew I'd have a baby this year at TITP, I thought that could be quite beneficial. I just didn't know how to do it (you can't carry a Pioneer baby around in a Baby Bjorn now can you?). Amazingly, one day in my blog feeds popped up directions from the Ten Cow Chick on how to do a fabric baby wrap! Whoopee!

Why look, here is a picture of Melinda with her baby at TITP! She should be a volunteer!

Here we are. Worked great.

My fabric is just some muslin. It's a little long - probably more like 6 yards (so I can shorten it if it starts to bug me), and slightly narrow, probably about 23" wide (I just ripped a big piece of muslin down the middle, then stitched my short ends together -- I haven't even hemmed it yet, maybe I won't! I was a little nervous about ripping all that fabric considering I've never put baby in this type of implement).

The Ten Cow Chick says 5 yards by 30", which would probably be just about right, I just didn't take time or have the supplies to get it right quickly (I did this at about 7 a.m. this morning before going to TITP).

I also tied mine opposite of the way she does it as to have my knot in front.

Confederate Haversack

2010-05-08T22:29:00.006-06:00

Found this, too. http://www.theyoungcampaigner.com/2007/11/make-your-own-c.html

Why is it that I find these things AFTER I go to the effort to make my own??

Make Your Own Cap

2010-05-08T22:25:00.003-06:00

I was browsing Elizabeth Stewart Clark's forum and stumbled upon this: http://www.theyoungcampaigner.com/2007/10/make-your-own-m.html

Maybe I can try it sometime.

Haversack Tutorial

2010-05-03T14:48:00.001-06:00

So I don't know what the difference is between a haversack and a possibles bag, but after researching haversack, here's what I came up with.

I used some cheapo cotton muslin. This was a BAD IDEA. The strap is going to rip right out the second my boy drops a couple rocks in the bag. One source I read mentioned using "heavy cotton muslin," but perhaps a comparable choice would be white/natural canvas.

How I did it:

Body
1. I cut a piece 13" x 33".

2. I pressed under both my 13" edges 1/2" and stitched them down. (If you are not using a selvage edge on the upper edge of your body, I'd turn that edge down twice to hide your unfinished edge. I just folded my flap edge down one time because it will later be folded to the inside of the bag and stitched down.)

3. Then, I folded one end up 12" and stitched and re-enforced either side. I used a zig-zag to re-enforce (hint: NOT PERIOD).

4. While still inside out, I folded the flap down to meet the upper finished edge of the body.

5. Then I stitched either side of the flap.

6. Then I turned everything right side out. I did some top-stitching along all four edges of my flap.

Strap
7. I cut another piece 6" x 44" (I didn't need it quite that long, but I'll shorten the strap later with a knot or something). I used 6" wide so I'd be able to self-strengthen my strap. I pressed it lengthwise down the middle, pressed in my short ends 1/2", then pressed the top half and the bottom half into the center.

8. Then I stitched around all four sides.

9. Then I fastened the strap to the back of my bag.

All done! You could add a button or two or three on your flap. Maybe I'll do that later, or maybe I'll just leave it.

I think this took about 30 minutes.

"Poor Boy Suspenders" Tutorial

2010-05-01T22:12:00.008-06:00

After reading up a bit on "Poor Boy Suspenders," I thought I'd give it a try.

I used some cotton broadcloth (if you want to be more accurate, though, Liz Clark mentions in her book, The Dressmaker's Guide, that historic broadcloth was most likely wool).

How I did it:

1. I measured my little boy to see how long I wanted the suspenders to be. The finished length needed to be 31". I wanted the finished width to be 1.5".

2. So, I cut two pieces 32" x 6".

3. I always like to use my iron to mark lines in my fabric, so I folded my fabric in half lengthwise, pressed it; folded my short ends in about 1/2", pressed them; then, folded each long half down to the mid-mark, pressed them; then lastly, folded it in half lengthwise and pressed. (I could have made my whole piece 32" x 2 1/2", but I wanted to bulk up my fabric.)

4. Then I top-stitched the three open sides (two short sides and the one long side). (One source said top stitching was done on just 3 sides of the fabric.)

5. Then I put two button-holes on each front and one button-hole on each back (yes, I know I used my machine!!).

I'm going to see how well they stay on my son (uh, once he gets some pants). If they slip, I may attach the two back pieces, or make a "slider" on the inside as one of the sources mentioned.

These were super easy and took about 30 minutes.

Dutch Oven and Sourdough

2010-04-25T18:44:00.001-06:00

Does this make you want to TITP?

I'm hoping to make some of our lunches in the Dutch oven up there this year.

"I do not think it means what you think it means"

2010-04-24T21:49:00.002-06:00

As I've gotten a bit deeper into this historic clothing stuff, I've learned that I really don't know a whole lot about fabric. To make matters worse, some of the fabric terms they used 150 years ago have evolved to mean something different now! Here are some of the terms that have caught me off guard.

Jean: No, not denim, but "a different, lighter cotton textile" (http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Denim.htm). On the William Booth, Draper site, it is also called Kersey Wove Virginia Cloth.

I'm hoping the William Booth, Draper site info is still accurate for our time period as that site seems to be for a slightly earlier period.

It was a "strong twilled fabric" where "the cotton lays toward the wrong side of the fabric keeping the wool toward the outside and away from the body. In the 18th century this fabric is one of many types of Virginia cloth which was a homespun fabric usually made of cotton and woolen fibers. Kersey is both a fabric and weave and in the case of Virginia cloth indicates a twill weave. Virginia cloth of kersey weave was used to make durable cheep men's outer garments like breeches, jackets, coats, and waistcoats. Not all Virginia cloth had a kersey weave to it there were many other types of Virginia cloth" (http://www.wmboothdraper.com/index.html).

Image from: http://www.periodfabric.com/JeanCloth.htm

Image from http://www.wmboothdraper.com/Wool/wools_index.htm#jean

Muslin: When I started doing my own reproduction sewing a couple years ago, I read that they used muslin. Yippee, it's cheap! I was disappointed to find out, though, that "modern cotton muslin is much heavier than period muslin, which was a fine, long staple cotton fabric, and was most often quite sheer." A modern option might be "imported sheer batiste, organdy, barred voile, dimity, and other very delicate, sheer articles" Elizabeth Stewart Clark, The Dressmaker's Guide. Not that I know what all of those are . . . .

Voile image from http://www.alibaba.com/product/textile2000-10771620-10331077/Terrylene_Fabric_Sheer_Fabric_Voile_Fabric.html

Checked Muslin: A reader asked if gingham could be a replacement for checked muslin. My initial reaction was sure, they're both checked, right? Wrong again! Boy it sure is humbling to be wrong all the time!! ;-) Lovely Liz Clark clarified:

Unfortunately, no, gingham isn't at all like a checked muslin. . . . Checked muslin is white on white, with the "whiter" checks being made of more densely woven threads.

Flannel: When I was making the "Baby Frock" in The Workwoman's Guide, I kept running across the word flannel, as in "first flannel gown" and "child's day flannel." I wasn't sure what it meant. Were these flannel PJs or what?

Elizabeth Stewart Clark mentions in The Dressmaker's Guide that when flannel was used back then, it commonly meant wool flannel, not the cotton flannel we use today.

Additionally, she mentions that is the same for broadcloth (wool, not cotton). Hmmm. Looks like my cotton broadcloth is wrong.

Lawn: No, not the green stuff that grows in your yard. I think I heard that lawn can also be a modern substitute for historic muslin, I just didn't know what lawn was. According to Silk Road, modern "cotton lawn is a fabulously fine, sheer cotton fabric with a tight plain weave and a graceful drape. The finish may be soft or crisp. Not as stiff as cotton organdy. Lawn gets its name from Laon, France where it was first manufactured. Used to make baby clothes, lingerie, semi-fitted blouses and dresses. Sews easily, creases well."

Stuff: When I first read "stuff" in The Workwoman's Guide, I thought it was funny that she was using the term like we use it today and stuff. However, the more I read, I determined that it must be a real fabric. I have not yet figured out what kind, but I'll update here when I do!

Are they Pantaloons, Pantalettes, Drawers, or Bloomers?

2010-04-21T20:19:00.013-06:00

The last couple years at TITP I've heard the word pantaloon for the mid-calf pant-things the little girls wear under their dresses. This year, they're using the word pantalette. So are those the same as bloomers? Wait, but what about drawers, or even trousers? How are all these things the same and how are they all different?

I've been dying to put up a post about this (geeky, I know), but just haven't had the time to figure it out for myself. In fact, I really shouldn't be blogging right now, but it's nice to escape reality for a moment and delve into my compartmentalized Internet life.

Anyway, with the help of Elizabeth Clark (seriously, she will reply to your e-mails), her book The Dressmaker's Guide, and some other sources, I think I've kind of got it figured out. (Now if I'm mistaken, you tell me so I can fix it!)

Pantaloons: According to Liz (and I'm sure sources she's researched), "pantaloons are actually men's clothing"! They were "an earlier style of roomy men's trousers, no longer worn in the mid-19th century"! In fact, "it's a very old word -- 'pantaloons' shows up in literature and other primary sources as early as the 1620s! Those pictures of people like Sir Francis Drake, or Henry the 8th, in their bloomy short pants? Those are pantaloons. So are the skin-tight knee-length trousers worn by dandies like Beau Brummel in the very early 1800s -- so even as a man's garment term, the meaning evolves over time. They are not a woman's undergarment, though the terms gets used in modern circles because it sounds old-fashioned." Ha, ha -- maybe because it sounds like saloon! Wow, I've totally been using pantaloons incorrectly.

Pantalettes: We are right in that pantalettes are female clothing, "but they are a much earlier term for underdrawers (1800-1830-ish)" according to Liz. (I'm telling you, she e-mailed me a more detialed definition of pantalettes than even what is in her book!) Also, that "style of drawers is rather different that we'd recognize for the mid-century. Pantalettes are longer (as long as the ankle in some cases), and are two tubes, no crutch [crotch?] at all (they look rather like linen chaps, actually!). They stay up with a drawstring run through the upper, outer hip section of the leg tube, tied around the waist. They were worn by some adult women in the early Jacksonian era (roughly the Regency time-span), and then evolved into mainly a little girl's garment in the 1815 to 1835 range." OK, so that's not what we're talking, either.

Bloomers: "Bloomers are radically different [as] the term refers to a style of 'reform' dress worn by Mrs. Amelia Bloomer, rather than to undergarments. The Bloomer Costume consists of a short (knee to mid-calf) length dress, worn over corded or quilted stays and some petticoats, with long trousers of the same fabric beneath them. The trousers might be gathered to a band at the ankle (Turkish trousers), or might be straight-legged. Sometimes, if the dress is silk, the trousers will be wool. I've not yet seen any reference to a Bloomer costume being done in a cotton print, only silks or wools. A woman would still wear cotton or linen drawers under her trousers."

"In the late 19th century, and early 20th century, 'bloomers' come to mean underdrawers that have a generous leg, gathered to a comfortably fitted band near the knee. However, that terminology change happens a good 50 years after the mid-century, so I don't recommend the term when discussing mid-19th century clothing."

Drawers: Sorry to say it, but, yes, the most boring-sounding term seems to be the most accurate one for our time period. Liz says,"drawers are the term used at mid-century to describe a cotton or linen bifurcated undergarment for men, women, or children. It's by far my favorite term for that portion of undergarments, because it shows up so often in period sources, including in clothing diagrams and wardrobe notes from period magazines and workbooks, as well as in private letters and diaries, and advertisements. The frequency of the term 'drawers' leads me to believe it is the most common term at mid-century, and therefore, the one I feel living history people ought to use, for greater clarity in communication."

Liz also mentions knickers as a related term in The Dressmaker's Guide. This was a shorter, fuller, French garment "of the later 1800's" and "not appropriate for wear in the mid-century."

One last less-common, but related term I ran across was trowsers in The Workwoman's Guide. On page 50 and corresponding with Plate 7, The Workwoman says, "These are worn by men, women, and children of all classes, and almost all ages, under the different names of trowsers and drawers. They are made in a great variety of ways. Those mentioned here are the kinds most generally approved. Drawers for ladies and children are usually made of calico, twill, and cambric muslin. Those ladies who are invalids, or who ride much, frequently wear flannel or wash-leather drawers, with or without white calico leglets. For men, drawers are composed of very strong twill, calico, linen, flannel, and stockinet."

In this case, trousers or trowsers is referring to undergarments, not men's pants. All the drawings on Plate 7 are undergarments, NOT outerwear.

If you want to make drawers, you can find everything you need in The Dressmaker's Guide by Elizabeth Stewart Clark. She also has a FREE pattern for split drawers on her site.

Another free, online pattern is Vera's Quick and Dandy Drawers.

Well, this post ended up a lot longer than I'd planned, but I think it answers most of my questions. Huge thanks to Liz!

Poor Boy Suspenders

2010-04-17T22:24:00.007-06:00

Never in a million years would I have imagined that I'd be researching re-enactment suspenders! I read through 4 main pages (at the bottom) and here's a summary of what suspenders/braces can be.

My apologies for not documenting which detail came from which site!

Can be made of:

cotton shirting
linen
cotton blue jean
cotton jean
stout cotton
tapestry
velvet
woolen carpet
sail cloth
cotton webbing
canteen cotton webbing
twill tape
cotton tick ("heavy, sturdy fabric with a close, even weave" http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-ticking.htm)
leather
braided leather

Potential fabric looks:

brown/tan checkered
red striped ticking
plain
print
embroidered

Dimensions:

1-2" width (specifically mentioned 1 3/8" or 1 1/2")
52" long

Sewing:

hand sewn 7 stitches to the inch

Thread:

brown/blue linen thread on the cotton jean

Assembly:

2 separate straps crossed over in back either right over left or left over right
Can be stitched together in back to form an "X"
1 - 2 buttonholes in the front and the back (to allow for adjustments)
Rather than permanently stitching back together, can take a 6-8" long piece of fabric/webbing/tape and stitch either end of it on the inside of one of the straps about 4 - 5" above the back buttonhole. Then, slip the 2nd trap through that to hold he back together.

Buckles on suspenders came after the Civil War. The "X" was worn during the Civil War, while the "Y" back came probably in the 1870s.

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?1757-Poor-boy-suspenders

http://www.cwreenactors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7761&page=2

These two articles actually have references!!
http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?8278-Did-You-Know-They-Wore-Braces-in-the-1860-s-!-by-Aaron-Young

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?8272-Visible-Means-of-Support-by-Chris-Sullivan&highlight=suspenders

If the Pioneers Did It . . .

2010-04-11T09:26:00.008-06:00

I went to the first session of our seasonal training at TITP yesterday. They told us they'd like us to park as far away as we can so that the guests can get the better parking spots. Fine, but I'm a bit concerned because I'm going to have to carry a baby, lunches and waters for 4, toys, and blankets for probably 2 (my kids are very attached to their blankets). They can carry a little bit of the stuff, but they are still pretty small themselves.

Now I'm not a wimp, it's just a bit far when you're not a pack horse (and I don't wan to injure myself (done that before)). In fact, when I was very pregnant with our son, neighbors thought I was slightly crazy to be weeding the yard. My motto was, "If the Pioneers did it . . ." [so can I].

I am checking to see if TITP is granting permission to "handicapped" mothers like me with small children, but I'm also willing to walk with all that stuff if I can get some sort of a wagon (because "if the Pioneers did it . . .).

Making the box part doesn't seem so difficult, it's the wheels I'm concerned about. If you have anything that would work (either just wheels or a whole wagon), I'm willing to trade clothing items.

Any suggestions on how to build a mini-wagon/handcart for carrying a baby and lunches?

My great-something grandpa, Ben Driggs, had a mini-wagon. It would be fun to have one, too.

http://heritage.uen.org/companies/Wcc558845eddb9.htm

http://www.frontiercarriages.com/

http://www.thewoodcrafter.net/proj/p7.php

http://www.aokcorral.com/projects/how2may2007.htm

http://www.homeenvy.com/db/2/102.html

The Pioneer Spinster

2010-04-10T12:20:00.003-06:00

I just found a fellow TITP-er's blog!!

http://pioneerspinster.blogspot.com/

All about wool, yarn, dying, weaving, etc. Too bad I don't knit. I have always wanted to learn to make socks, though.

Rag-tied hair

2010-04-06T21:18:00.002-06:00

So the other night, for some reason, I thought it would be fun to rag tie my hair. I should have been going to bed, but I had to find out how to do it.

I shower at night, (I exercise and shower after the kids go to bed; it's too hard to do it before they get up; or heaven forbid, do it while they are awake) so I thought rag tying might work out nicely with my wet bed head.

I found a tutorial from Vixen Vintage that gave me the general idea.

My hair is really straight and short, so I couldn't wait to see what it would do.

Boing!

It was too hard to tie the under layer because it is so short and slippery, so I just curled that under with my curling iron in the morning. The top curls relaxed enough that it looked good. I should get a picture of it actually fixed.

I found that if I wound my hair with the rag tie around my tube of mascara (like it was a curler) that it didn't make the curls too tight. Of course I didn't leave the tube of mascara tied in my hair! I pulled it out before tying the rag.

Now I can reproduce some of those 1850s looks. I want to go buy a hairpiece, too! Why did I make that day cap anyway, now that I can have fake long hair?!

Goldrush Clothing

2010-04-01T21:35:00.003-06:00

I ran across this site regarding clothing during the gold rush, same time frame as TITP. http://www.directcon.net/wander/GR.htm.

I haven't been able to read much of it, but I'd like to get back to it some time. Seems to have some interesting stuff.

The Intermountain Living History wiki also has a brief summary of clothing and links to more info.

I also found the link to the Living History and Re-Enactors Conference.
I've been waiting for info on this, but I guess it's just not coming! I'd love to go this year, but it's just so hard being a nursing mom!

Westville (Georgia) "Women's Standards"

2010-03-26T21:07:00.002-06:00

I stumbled across this summary for accurate women's dress on the Westville site:
http://www.strugglesofsecession.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=17&layout=blog&Itemid=27

There's also a men's guide:
http://www.strugglesofsecession.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=1&Itemid=26

Westville is the same period as TITP, but this is the first I've heard of it. It's fun to see other living history locations out there!

The Fashionable Past

2010-03-20T21:50:00.001-06:00

I just found The Fashionable Past and it is amazing! She has patterns/tutorials and so many gorgeous examples from many eras! She has more links to Godey's, too. I can't believe I've never stumbled on her before! Reminds me a bit of Sense and Sensibility Patterns that I've mentioned before.

Where to buy bonnets

2010-03-20T21:31:00.002-06:00

http://www.bonnets.com/

Blue Bonnet - McCalls 5129

2010-03-19T16:57:00.002-06:00

Let's just say, next time I'll just buy one!!!

(This was a horrible, horrible project! I learned about making bonnets at the Living History Conference at TITP last year -- didn't seem so bad. I don't know what I did wrong with this bonnet. Maybe I cut out the wrong pieces because they just didn't seem to fit correctly together. I can't really remember because I started this almost a year ago. You can see I've been procrastinating. You're only getting one picture because it's so bad. I started with the intent to do the whole thing by hand, but when the materials got so thick, I pulled out the hot glue gun. Hot glue just isn't very forgiving. So much work to end up with something I'm not that satisfied with! Oh well. Maybe I can make one again someday when the kids aren't so little.)

2/12/11: I just found someone who made this same bonnet out of cardboard and duct tape!! They give all the pros and cons aboutmaking it this way, too.

Haversack/Possibles Bag

2010-03-17T20:36:00.004-06:00

I was just browsing for a minute and saw this Mormon Battalion Trek website. It had a really basic elastic waist pioneer skirt pattern -- not authentic, but it would probably work for a petticoat.

It also mentioned a "haversack." That's one of those terms where I'm feeling like I should have heard that before, but don't recall it at all. Apparently it's one of those over the shoulder bags made out of "heavy cotton muslin."

"Size was one foot square with one or three closure buttons. The strap is about 1½” wide and long enough to let the haversack rest on your left hip."

Hmm, I feel a tutorial coming on. I'll have to research a bit more, though.

According to http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-haversack.htm, "At one point, haversacks were standard issue for many militaries. Soldiers carried a small amount of food in their haversacks, along with other vitally important supplies. Over time, haversacks were replaced by rucksacks and later backpacks."

That's my boy on their web page!

2010-03-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.thisistheplace.org/

Gathering

2010-03-10T13:36:00.004-07:00

Make It and Love It has some good tutorials on basic sewing techniques like gathering. Take a look. Also click her Sewing Tips link for more tips.

Girls' Pinafore

2010-03-10T12:57:00.009-07:00

Yesterday (and this morning) I made a new pinafore for my daughter. I already have a red one that I believe still fits, but I don't like the way it looks with her pink and white dress. I thought I'd use the dimensions from The Workwoman's Guide found on page 30, but put it together more like Elizabeth Stewart Clark recommends in her 1-2-3 Pinafore.

I made the size for a child of 6 years (although, my child is a 4-year old more the size of a 5-year old.

6 yrs.
Length 27"
Width 33.75"
Depth of arm-hole 6.18"
Piece left for shoulder 2.81"
Quantity hollowed out of neck .56"
Length of frill to each arm-hole 22.5"
Depth of frill 1.68"
Distance from top for 2nd tape 5.62"
Size of gussets 1.68" (didn't use)

I did make the neck a bit deeper at the front, 2", I believe, but left the back at the .56.

I cut my ties 1" x ??" (however long looked right). I ironed both long edges to the middle, as well as the raw short ends in 1/4", folded that in half the long way and stitched the open edge together. I like the ties in it (versus buttons) because it is very adjustable. The ties also bunch it up nicely as gathers would have (but without gathering).

I cut the pockets 4.25" wide by 5.25" high. I ironed each edge in 1/4", and pressed down the top another 1" and stitched it down. I positioned the pockets 8" down from the top, and each pocket is 1.5" out either direction from the center.

I think it took me about 3 hours, but looking at it, it looks like it should have taken 1 to 1 1/2. Must have been those ruffles. I could have just folded the fabric around the arm openings inward and stitched it down. That would have been much faster, but the ruffle is cute.

Day Cap Tutorial

2010-03-08T20:04:00.011-07:00

OK, ok, I know I'm crazy. How do I have enough time to sew this much lately? Well, for one, I'm pretty motivated: The yard is starting to call. Oh no! It needs a lot of help considering I was expecting the beginning of last summer and recovering the latter part. I also have a pretty content (but stubborn) 4-year old (plus, I let her push the pedal sometimes when I sew, and, uh, we do like PBS during baby nap time) and a sleepy 8-month old. Oh yeah, my husband is working on a master's, so that keeps him busy at night, and we really don't watch t.v. Lastly, I'm almost done with projects. I have only one more pinafore to finish (not critical because we already have one, it just doesn't match) and a bonnet for me that's been a year in the works (also not critical). I guess it would be good to figure out what my 6-year old boy will wear for pants, too. So, it's coming to an end, and I just know things are going to get busy.

Anyway, I figured out the day cap. Well, mostly, I guess. It looks like it even if it's not made the same way. I settled on "Another Cap. . .very suitable for a servant's day or bonnet-cap. . ." because it looked the easiest, but is different from the baby caps I've made. It is found on page 66 and corresponds with Plate 9, Figure 21 of The Workwoman's Guide. I really want to try "Another Shape" on page 64 as well as "Another Cap" on page 67.

It would take probably 1 to 1 1/2 hours to complete this. It took me about 8. You know, 20 minutes here, 5/10 minutes there.

I started with a 15.75" long by 13.5" wide rectangle according to the pattern. I marked the top two corners 4.5" in each way and cut them off in a rounded fashion (see picture below -- I got this dimension from the Woman's Day or Night Cap pattern on page 62).

I cut the band 18" long by 2.25" wide according to the pattern.

I cut "strings" (I'd call them ties or straps) 15.75" long by 1.125" wide (I also got these dimensions from the Woman's Day or Night Cap pattern on page 62).

Then I ran gathering stitches 4" (the directions say 3.93") from the bottom, up and around the top, and down the other side.

Then I turned the bottom to the inside 1/4", then again 1/2" and hemmed it. Oh yeah, I also added a little button-hole on the outside center back of the bottom hem (before I hemmed it) for some strings to exit for adjusting the bottom of the cap.

I gathered and adjusted the curved part of the cap into the band, leaving the band hanging 1/2" over on each end so I could fold that in when I finished the band later (you can see the hang-over in the below picture, bottom right).

Then I pressed the unattached long edge of the band in 1/4" and then folded it in half and pressed it. Then I finished it by hand.

Then I made and attached a ruffle as well as my "strings." I also ran some real strings through my hem in the bottom and out the back through my button-hole. The pattern says the ruffle is a "double border. . . sewn on in front," but I don't know what that is.

Finished! Pretty simple.

However, when I put it on, it looked like it was to cover my beehive.

I don't have a beehive, let alone much hair, so I grabbed a section in the back and stitched a line to pull it all in a bit. I'm sure there's a name for that.

So, now it fits my head better. Oh I'm looking old.

So, it looks a little funny in the back, but I'll take that over a really tall head that I don't really have. If I only had a bun!

Time to go do the dishes and exercise!

Figuring Out Day Caps

2010-03-08T08:58:00.008-07:00

So I want to make myself a real day cap. They look pretty simple in The Workwoman's Guide, but, again, the instructions make hardly any sense to me. They start on page 61 and correspond with Plate 9.

According to Westville, Georgia, day caps should be avoided post 1861. Since TITP is 1850/60s, one should still work.

Here are my options:

Day Caps

Woman's Day or Night Cap: "This is a favourite shape for a day-cap among the poor."

Another Cap: ". . .a pretty shape for almost any purpose. . ." (Tutorial here!)

A Favourite Cap for Ladies and Poor Women

Another Shape: "It answers well for a bonnet cap for ladies. . ."

Servants

Another Neat Cap for Servants

A Young Servants Neat Day-Cap

A Neat Comfortable Day or Night-Cap: ". . .particularly suitable for day-caps for young servants, or night-caps for any age or station."

Another Cap: ". . . very suitable for a servant's day or bonnet-cap. . ."

School Girls

A Neat School-Girl's Cap

Old Women

An Old Woman's Cap: ". . .as it sets comfortably over the ears. . . ."

Night Caps

A Poor Woman's Night-Cap

A Very Neat Night Cap

A Neat Comfortable Day or Night-Cap: ". . .particularly suitable for day-caps for young servants, or night-caps for any age or station."

Woman's Day or Night Cap: "This is a favourite shape for a day-cap among the poor."

Hmmm. Which one is the easiest?

Full Body Baby Frock Tutorial, Method 2

2010-03-06T20:45:00.014-07:00

You know me, I have the tendency of trying everything at least once (ok, not everything). So when The Workwoman said there was "another mode" of making up the Infants' Frock, I just had to give it a try! She even said this way is the "neatest in appearance," so I couldn't wait.

The second mode is found on page 34 and corresponds with Plate 4 Figure 2, but the image didn't help me, so I'm not going to paste it here.

Bodice:
Just as in the first method of making up the dress, you have to cut it out:

Measurements for a child of 1 year:
Depth of body down the selvage: 4.5" (I made mine 5")
Length of body width-way of the cloth: 36"
Depth of arm-hole: 2.812" Length of waistband, if wanted: 20.25"
Length of band for the hem at top, if wanted: 20.25"

Measurements are also given for: first size as well as children of 3, 5, and 8 years.

I made my arm-holes a little too big. They should have been more half-circle, rather than whatever shape that is!

Then, the 2nd method instructions say:

"The body is gathered at the top and set into a long narrow band, which forms the hem and the shoulder-straps."

"The bottom of the body is also firmly gathered, and sewn on. . ."

The instructions actually said to sew the body to the skirt, but since the scale gave measurements for a waistband, I sewed the body to a waistband. My gathers are a little messed up. I should have adjusted the bottom gathers toward the front of the bodice, not under my arm-holes. You can see how the gathers are going slanty.

I wanted to use draw-strings in the top and in the waistband, so I left the top band wide and the ends open.

Skirt:
The Workwoman says skirts should be 64 - 72" in circumference and 33(poor)"-40"(rich) in length for a first size. I meant to make mine 18" long (short coat length) like I had in the other baby frock, but my fabric was crooked and I had to take off at least another inch. Because I added a waistband, I think the length is okay. I like this length because it is similar to modern baby garments. I want the baby to be able to move around in these clothes.

I cut the skirt out in three panels as suggested by Elizabeth Stewart Clark in her Girl's Dresses patterns.

The Workwoman says to gather the skirt "so as to let the fulness lie principally in front."

After I sewed on the skirt, I added an inner waistband, with open ends for a drawstring.

My ties were 1.25" wide by 45" long (a few inches too long).

Sleeves:
I used the same idea for sleeves as in the first method, but The Workwoman said that Figure 14 "is the most favourite shape" so I had to try it. With this sleeve, you cut 2.25" off the corner and it forms a little cape.

Here are the original instructions:
"This sleeve is the most favourite shape, and is cut out exactly like Fig. 13 ; after which the part A B, is sloped off at 1 nail from the end, C. A triangular piece of worked muslin is hemmed round ; the sleeve is then neatly put into the arm-hole, with mantua-maker's hem, or run and felled, after which the rest of the sleeve is whipped and sewed on to the triangular piece. These sleeves are generally made with a little frill very much fulled, which forms a cape behind, and also in front; the frill is therefore sewed on the sleeve neatly at the edge of the triangular bit."

Honestly, I understood only about half of that, so I did my best and this is what I came up with. I think it's pretty cute even if it's not right.

For baby's first size (sleeve) from the scale chart:
Measure of largest depth: 4.5"
Length of sleeve when open: 15.75" (In the written area of the instructions, it says something about 7.87", so that is what I did mine for a flat sleeve.)
Measure of smallest depth: .75" (In the written area of the instructions, it said make this 2.25", so that's what I did.)

Measurements are also given for children of 2 and 4 years.

Since my pattern is from the first size measurements, but my dress is for a 1 year old, I cut the sleeve out slightly bigger. I should have made the sleeve even bigger since my arm-holes were so big!

Taking off the 2.25".

Then I rounded it my corners a little. I don't know if I should have rounded out the top slant (top of the sleeve). The angle may have been beneficial when I sewed the sleeve to the shoulder strap.

Open view. I had to mark the top, since the top and bottom were so similar.

Then I folded it in half and stitched the under-arm seam.

I don't have a picture of putting the arm in the dress, but it was a little strange. I had to finish the top of the sleeve, stitch that to the shoulder strap, then stitch the rest of the sleeve to the body of the dress. I did it by hand so I could be more precise.

I then added a ruffle around the bottom edge of the sleeve.

Back of the dress.

Now I just need to put in a growth tuck or two.

So, I like this dress as I do the blue one where I used the first method. They both have their pros and cons. This second method (this one) is more like Elizabeth Stewart Clark's infant bodice, but constructed differently (I think. . . maybe I'm just doing it wrong). I like the first bodice method's shoulder straps because it is more what I'm familiar with and the sleeve insertion was easier. I do, however, like the drawstrings in this one (which I don't even know if they're right), but of course, the extra gathering in the bodice takes longer.

If I make this again, maybe I'll:
1. Hem the ends of the bodice.
2. Gather the top front of the bodice and finish.
3. Hem the top back of the bodice for drawstrings (one on each side).
4. Add arm straps.
5. Gather the bottom of the bodice into a waistband.
6. Attach a skirt.
7. Add an inner waistband.

We'll see.

They really did dress little boys like little girls!

2010-03-04T09:52:00.004-07:00

I just had to share this picture from my mom's blog. This is my Swedish grandpa in probably 1915 -- 95 years ago! I know it's not Pioneer, but even in 1915, they still dressed little boys the same as little girls. I LOVE the shoes!