A Fractured Fairytale

When I decided to take my first Burnley and Trowbridge workshop last year, I knew I wanted a new pair of stays. M my older stays didn’t fit my body as nicely as before, and I knew I would need something more comfortable to wear during the three days of fittings. Also, I wanted to experiment with a later style of stay. Inspired by several extant examples of pale pink and beige stays from this period, I decided to make a mid to late 1780s pair with front lacing and wide curved front piece using some lovely linen from my stash. Read more...

Now that I’ve shared some photos and some of the images that inspired it, here are some construction details for my early 1780s riding habit. Read more...

When I was trying to decide what to wear to Colonial Williamsburg last fall, I couldn’t get the idea of a riding habit out of my head. I’ve always envisioned wearing a habit surrounded by gorgeous fall foliage, and I figured this was the perfect opportunity. My blue-green habit no longer fits very well, so I decided to pick up my long-abandoned pink and grey habit project. I already had the shirt from my first habit, the grey wool petticoat and pink silk waistcoat assembled, and a pattern for the jacket started. Of course, once I tried everything on again, I quickly realized the pattern I made three years ago would not work and the waistcoat needed completely remade. So much for a quick project! Thankfully, I loved the way my aqua striped waistcoat looked with the grey wool, so I could focus patterning and constructing a new jacket to go with them. Read more...

For me, a trip to Williamsburg isn’t complete without spending at least one day exploring the historic district in 18^th century costume. I have so few opportunities to wear the costumes I make in such a perfect setting, that it feels like a waste not to take advantage of the opportunity. So, when I traveled down for the Burnley and Trowbridge jacket workshop last November, I planned in an extra day just to play dress up in town. Read more...

My obsession with the 1790s and transitional drawstring dresses continues! It’s my go-to style when I need something comfortable, quick to make, and easy to wear, so of course it’s what I made this summer for the Louisville Jane Austen Festival. I shared photos of the finished dress in my early post on the 2017 Jane Austen Festival, but I wanted to talk more about the actual construction process. Read more...