I just wanted to mention a few things before I did today’s post.
I am so grateful to all my wonderful subscribers and how you have welcomed me to the “blog” world. I sometimes still think I don’t know what I’m doing, but I do love to share pictures and stories so hopefully those two things will carry me through. Many of your comments have just made my day!!
~ If you ever find yourself on a single blog post of mine and want to see the ones before it, all you have to do is click on the BLOG tab up in the header and it will bring them all up. It’s easy to just scroll backwards and find the ones you are interested in. I started on August 1st; just 50 days ago, so “if” you wanted to read from the beginning, it wouldn’t take you long at all.
~ Don’t forget, when I get to 50 subscribers (I’m at 41 now), I’m going to have another GIVEAWAY! You’ll like this one! So tell your friends to subscribe and we’ll get this giveaway going!
Okay… let’s begin. If you click on the pictures they will enlarge.
Rebecca knows it’s her turn to model, so she’s patiently waiting on the cutting table for the fun to begin…
Somewhere in all this mess, there’s a Civil War dress that I hope to bring to life. I have a Lincoln Mold pattern picked out and decided on the fabric, but the rest is all up in the air. I thought I’d walk you through the process of how the dress came to be through pictures…
I got the bodice started but had a hard time trying to figure out what to do with the neckline… this lace?
This one?
This one?
This is how I ended up using the eyelet…
Next up… the sleeves got their ruffles added…
Okay…now do I add the wide eyelet to the skirt or not?
I decided to…
Now onto the bodice… how to decorate it? I laid out the buttons in various ways…
This is what won out in the end…
Now onto the “brooch”…I pinned them in place and stood back and looked.
Decisions, decisions….
This was the brooch winner… it looks too bright in my pictures, but in person, I think it’s just right!
Sew the snaps and the mother of pearl buttons on the back…
…and we are almost finished…
One final pressing and it’s ready to be listed on Ebay… You can click the dress on the right side bar and it will take you to the auction.
That’s the quick version of how I make a Civil War dress… wasn’t that fun?
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Your Civil War dress turned out so pretty, Jeanne. Is the brooch a button? It adds just the right bit of sparkle, good choice you made.
It looks so much easier sewing for the American Girl dolls because you can pin right to their bodies and see how things look. I enjoyed seeing your design process. Thank you. (I need to take more pictures…)
Hi Cindy,
Thanks so much for taking a look. Yes, the brooch is a button… In my pictures it looks a bit off, but in person, the coppery edges really tone it down. I think it’s pretty and hope the winner does too.
I’m sure the American Girl doll dresses must seem like monsters compared to the tiny little things you make.
Oh… I LOVE the purple sweater set you showed pictures of… IT IS GORGEOUS!!!
Blessings, Jeanne
Thank you, Jeanne! 🙂
I love this posting. The dress is perfectly done. This post comes at a particularly good time for me as I am dealing with my “designers block”. Just reading how you have gone about choosing the fabric and other elements for this dress is an excellent guide for me to just begin!! A special personal thanks from me to you!!!
Jeannie B. in TX
Hi Jeannie,
Hopefully the designer’s block has passed…mine usually does! When you sew a lot, sometimes it does seem like you run out of ideas. Hope you’re back up and sewing real soon!
…and a BIG “you’re welcome!” from me!
Blessings, Jeanne