How I clean my garments

I clean my laundry a very special way, to prevent shrinking in the waist.

My chemise, drawers, petticoat, and stockings (when I get them):
Are washed in warm water on the deep water wash cycle with 1/8 to 1/2 of a cup of white vinegar (depending on smell and how big of a load) and soap nuts (soap berries). I get my soap nuts from and the vinegar is store brand.

Then dried on  Regular Timed Dry for 40 minutes. If still wet I put them on fluff-no heat Time Dried setting for 20 minutes intill dry. Or when we get a clothesline I will dry them out in the sun in the summer. I use Seventh Generation scent free dryer sheets.

For my cotton dress and purple cotton? (I think it is Cotton) shawl, I do the same thing as I do for my chemise, drawers, petticoats, and stockings.

For my gloves, bum pad, and corset I use a spray that I made of water and essential oils. I spray it on the bum pad and corset. For the corset I then Pat it down with a Kleenex. I then hang up my corset and bum pad. I then spray the Kleenex lightly with the spray and pat my gloves down

Spray

Pink gloves

Bone Gloves

Bum pad

Hanging the Bum pad to dry

Hanging the corset to dry

For my orange and brown plaid sunbonnett. I will not put it in the washer machine because it bleeds terribly even on cold.


Paige

Bum Pad

When I first tried on my finished hoopskirt I realized I need a bit more support in the back. So I quickly made this out of scrap fabric and some poly-fil.

The shaped filled out to a nice pillow.

I quickly sewed on some ties and was done.

What it is: A bum pad

Challenge: None

Material: Cotton check of blue and tan

Pattern: My own, shaped the one part around my back and a general shape to the back of the pad.

Year: 1800s, not sure about the time period though

Notions: Thread

Hours to complete: Probably 30 minutes

First Worn: 7/15/17 for an event

Total Cost: Free the fabric was scrap

1860s Blue & Tan Checked Cotton Working Dress

Well I have really like working on this, It went together really well. It is made of a Blue & Tan checked cotton homespun from Jo Anns. And made from The Sewing Academy Girl's Dresses Pattern. I choose the Natural Waist Bodice, Short loose sleeves, and a Lined Bodice. I aslo chose to pleat my skirt instead of gather.

The bodice went together really well and I mostly hand sewed it.

I then hemmed the sleeve

Then gathered the sleeves

And finished the skirt the same way I did the petticoat attached the Bodice and skirt to the outer waistband

What it is: A 1863 styled dress

Challenge: None

Material: Cotton check of blue and tan

Pattern: Elizabeth Clark (The Sewing Academy) Girls Dress pattern. Natural Waist, Short Loose sleeves, and a bateau neckline, I also added 2 darts.

Year: 1863

Notions: Thread, hook and eyes

Hours to complete: I don't know

First Worn: 7/15/17 for an event

Total Cost: Fabric or lining I don't remember.

Cage Crinoline

I was going to do this for my Historical Sew Monthly #5 Literature, but, I decided not to. I have something else that will be good for HSM. I promise my blog will not turn into a mostly historical sewing blog. There will still be other things to.

I made the waistband to fit my corseted waist which is the same as my normal waist. I do have the waistband overlap some bit, so when my waist gets wider, I can get move the hook and eyes.

I hated with passion sewing the tapes. I had to iron them in half to find the middle. Then, I folded the raw edges in an ironed and the sewed them down. Then I made the tapes by taking to strips the wrong sides together and sewed the top and bottom edges. This gave me 7 2" tapes. I should have just ironed to find the center. Fold in half, ironed again and put the 2 pieces together. It would have been a lot quicker.

By this time I realized I did not sew the raw edges down of the waistband before sewing them together. Oh well. I took a blue water soluable pencil and marked were the waistband edges overlapped. I pinned the strips in place. and then pinned the waistband of cage together, so I can see how they looked were they were at. By this time it was 10 pm, and I was exhausted. So I unpinned everything and picked it up. I wasn't going to sew for the most part next week, except I did make my hairnet for HSM

Then I procrastinated for almost the entire month of May and June. I finished my petticoat and about half of my dress before coming back to work on this. So far this has been my least favorite project. Just because it is all repetitive sewing.

Then I went on Vacation which was cut short by the camper catching on fire. And it is very rare for campers to catch on fire. But my mom said she would help so I set her to work on this. So I could work on my dress.

I'm very thankful for my mom finishing Sewing this. My dad helped me cut out the metal pieces. I still need 3 rungs. I have 10 pieces each in a length of 45", 50", 55", 60", 65", 75", 85", 90.5", 100", & 104.5". I still want ones in 70", 80", and 95 inches.

And under my dress

What it is: A 1863 styled hoopskirt/ caged crinoline

Challenge: None

Material: Cotton Muslin, Steel Hope Boning

Pattern: My own. Based off Romantic History's Cage Crinoline from May 2013

Year: 1863

Notions: Thread, Hook and eyes, plastic tubing connecters

Hours to complete: I procrastinated a lot.

First Worn: 7/15/17

Total Cost: Fabric came from the fabric bought for my corset and Chemise, I think the plastic tubing and hoopsteel was a total of $50. And I want to buy another roll to get my last 3 hoops.

GCV&M Reenactment and Encampment 2017

So I have went to my first Reenactment in period dress😀. I didn't get many pictures I got 2 on Saturday.

Saturday we lost the first battle and protected the town from the Union.

Confederate calvery

Confederate soliders

Sunday we won the first battle and lost the town. I only got pics of the battle on the field though.

Paige

What I have been working on this week

Monday I adjusted my corset so the bust fits better.

Tuesday we really got to work I hand sewed my sleeves of my dress and my mom helped me finish my hoopskirt. My dad also help me cut out the rungs.

Wednesday I finished my Bodice.

Thursday I adjusted my hairnet. Created pockets off of original ones, cut 4 rungs out, created a bum pad, and almost finished my skirt.

Friday I finished my dress.😀

My hoop has gone wonky

Saturday I had an event and broke the button off my drawers. So I fixed that too.  I also got a really bad sunburn on my back. I'm in a Confederate group and we brought home a prisoner.

Confederate soliders marching through

Sunday we headed back to GCV&M again. Saturday and Sunday they had 2 battles. The first battle was on the field and the Union won. The second battle was a town maneuver set in the village. This battle actually happened in Tennessee. Along with soilder casualities there were Civilian too. The Union tried to storm the town, but, we preserved and won the battle😀. Except on Sunday Confederates won the first battle and lost the second. And I got an even worse sunburn.

What I want to get done in the next to weeks.

Week 1

• Buy another stay and fabric (Sun)
• Clean my room (Mon & Tues)
• Make my room into a sewing room (Tues)
• Sunbonnet (Wed)
• bind my corset, adjusting my chemise, and add bows to my Hairnet (Thurs - Sat)

Week 2 

• Adjust my Hoopskirt and Dress (Sun & Mon)
• 2 sets of Drawers ( waistband a tad longer on these) (Tues)
• 2 sets of an adjusted chemise  (Wed & Thurs)
• Apron (if I have time) (Fri, morning)

Petticoats for an 1860s Silhouette

Hello everyone,
Yes I know. Where have been my posts? Uhh. Well life has been very busy with my newish job. I currently work 2 jobs plus school. Life has just been hectic. To tell you the truth, I have had my petticoat done for a while now. Since middle of May. I just didn't get the hooks on it til last week, I think. It was either last week or the week before.

But it is done. I still need to finish my hoop. Ugh. I really don't want to. But I need to. So I can have something to support my skirts. And after I have this up, I am going online fabric shopping :).

Petticoats are very important to your silouette, they help hide the rungs of your hoopskirt and/or add a little umph to your skirts. More pictures

The hook and eyes

It hits the topof my foot with no hoop under it

The band I sorta messed up on it

The hem, I am absolutly in love with the hem.

What it is: A petticoat for my Civil War warbrobe.

Material: Cotton Muslin

Pattern: The Sewing Academy Basic Petticoat

Year: 1863

Notions: Thread

Hours to complete: Don't remember

First Worn: After getting hooks on

Total Cost: Will have to get back to you on that for fabric, Thread $1