A lovely colonial dress is a necessity for any theatre production or reenacting for 18th century accuracy. While displaying elegance and the everyday style, this dress features a hand embroidered bodice to give a touch of uniqueness without adding too much extravaganza for the refined lady. Size: Bust - 34" (Measure at the fullest part of bust) Waist - 26" (Measure at the smallest part of the waist) Length of skirt/petticoat - 41 1/2" (please note that the petticoat rests an inch above the belly button) If you have any questions about additional measurements, feel to send me a message. Please note that the model is wearing a period correct corset, chemise and bum roll. If you plan on wearing the correct underthings, please take your measurements accordingly. Without the correct assembly underneath, the look of the dress will change dramatically. Thank you for looking, - Cassaundra (The Tailorette)

Quick links to 18th century gown projects and research. Sukey Copley's Blue Silk Gown Red Wool Gown, for sale on Etsy (November 2015) Blue Striped linen gown, for sale on Etsy (November 2015) 1760s Open Front Plaid Silk Gown The Crazy Brown Gown Fixing the Pucker Problem 1795 Work Gown That Lovely Lampas Part One & Part Two The "Chintzy" Gown Chintzy Part Two MoL Gown Part One & Part Two Green Gown Part One, Part One Again & Part Two Blue Chintz Blue Worsted Gown

A week ago on Saturday I packed my bag again and travelled to Tampere to attend le Petit Bal au Petit Palais, a little ball in the Little Palace, that the local re-enactment and dance group L'Amusette had organised. The venue was amazing - if a little futuristic for us 18th century gentry - a neo-renaissance/art nouveau house in the middle of Tampere, restored beautifully to its late nineteenth century glory. The house created a wonderful atmosphere for the party and it was nice to have several rooms instead of just one big hall. At the ball there was dancing, of course, accompanied again by the old music group Muskotti. We were also entertained by a solo dance performance, and a reading of the scandalous adventures of Fanny Hill. A soprano sang some popular songs and I played the harp. All in all it was a lovely evening and truly a succesful event. Photo: Teemu Laukkarinen Music room waiting for dancers The Red Drawing room In the hallway The dance master surveying the venue Gorgeous wallpapers and paintings in the red drawing room The first dance was Hole in the Wall Merja and Sanna looking fantastic L'Amusette being photographed Gaming table Baron and Baroness von Mannheim being photographed Sanna, Maija and Merja displaying different 18th century styles to perfection Our singer Pia performing Ida dancing a solo variation Something very interesting going on at the gaming table Pia shocking/entertaining the society by reading excerpts of Fanny Hill This is maybe my favourite photo of the evening; I love how the chandelier light makes it look like a painting and there are several things happening at the same time. The artist at work Ida in the Blue Salon At it again; more historical harp playing, photo by Markku Arvonen Admiring my surprisingly succesful hairdo. I managed to produce a passable Georgian do all by myself! What the artist drew during the evening Photo: Teemu Laukkarinen I was pretty happy with my anglaise and it was comfortable. The chinoiserie stays performed well and the hair never ceases to amaze me. I did it, even though I first felt that It would never work out :) Photo: Teemu Laukkarinen Stripy ladies; we did another group shot too, with all the ladies in stripes that evening. Photo: Teemu Laukkarinen The dance master giving a welcome speech. Photo: Teemu Laukkarinen Photo: Teemu Laukkarinen Photo: Teemu Laukkarinen It was lovely to meet up with Merja and Sanna again! This time we really had time to talk, which was great. Photo: Teemu Laukkarinen Photo: Teemu Laukkarinen

Everyone's favorite doll comes to life in this feature based on the best-selling books about a nine-year-old, pre-American Revolution Virginian girl whose love for the outdoors leads to the friendship of a lifetime. Felicity (Shailene Woodley) loves horses, and though her parents plead with her to remain indoors, she years to ride the open plains. When Felicity comes into contact with a beautiful mare which has suffered at the hands of its callous owner, she takes it upon herself to care for the creature, and in the process learns a series of important life lessons.

I don't know if you still remember but earlier I mentioned an outfit that I couldn't finish on time for the Isokyrö event in August. Well, now it's done, but I only finished it a couple of days ago - so it was more than three months late for the original deadline. The dress would propably still be unfinished by now if I hadn't set a new deadline for it for this year's Christmas ball. Originally I had planned to wear the same dress as last year and make the naval riding habit for a parade preceding the ball but obviously it didn't happen as I'm behind on pretty much everything regarding to sewing (and blogging, too...). Alright, on to the new dress! I've always loved the white floral print gowns from the 1770s/1780s but they are so very common so wanted something a bit different for myself. After discovering some floral gowns in darker fabrics through museums collections I knew I had to have one like them some day. It took a couple of years but then earlier this year I managed to find a Moda print fabric through Herzwerk-Freiburg that was even more lovely than I had hoped for. The fabric was nearly out of print everywhere so I ended up ordering from three different sources to have enough of it. For the bodice and sleeves I used a robe à l'Anglaise pattern from The Cut of Women's Clothes by Norah Waugh (see diagram XXII). Working the same way as I always do, I enlarged the scale pattern on the computer and printed it out. However, this pattern turned not to work easily for me and the fact that I had to make quite a few mock-ups with so many alterations delayed the completion of this gown. Also, it didn't help that the fabric stretched a bit more than I had imagined and the stretch of the mock-up fabric was also different... I swear I've never had so much trouble fitting sleeves as with this dress (I guess I only now truly understand the meaning of sleevils ;) ). Not having made sleeves like this earlier I wasn't even sure how they were supposed fit/look but I think they turned out to be alright in the end. To upgrade the look of a brown day gown into a dress suitable for a ball I added some red accessories, using the same ear rings as last year and the belt that I have worn with pretty much every fitted back gown that I have. I also intended to make a matching petticoat from the same fabric for this dress but decided to use a sheer white petticoat this time to further enhance the evening gown look and leave the self fabric petticoat for day wear occasions. I'm probably going to wear this dress at the 18th century fair of Isokyrö next year so the brown color of the matching petticoat should be much better for outdoors than the delicate white. The skirt of the dress will also be draped up to avoid the slight train from dragging in ground. The dress has a tight fitting quarter back but the floral pattern of the fabric conceals the seamlines so you can't see much of them here. I'm actually really happy with the fit of the back since the back of this gown fits more smoothly than the back of my earlier quarter back gown that had wrinkles all over it. There's also a slight train but I made a cutting mistake and it ended up being shorter than I had intented. Looking at the photos, I notice that the train isn't even either - it is longer at the sides of the center back than in the very center. But right now I don't care. Especially because I want to make a divided bum pad like Aubry of A Fractured Fairytale did or at least a bum pad with a dip at the center back, which should fix that problem. My hairdo was created by Mia, a new friend who traveled with me to the ball for her first time. I feel so lucky that I now have a friend who understands sewing and lives permanently in my hometown! Meeting her has been one of the best things in the past few months and the fact that I met her through my blog helped me to get over my blogging anxieties that have partly kept me away from posting for a while. It reminded me again that there are quite a few lovely people that I might have never met if I didn't have this blog... All of these photos are also taken by Mia, at the Ehrensvärd museum that you might have already recognized from last year's Christmas ball posts. For some reason (read: because we were too busy doing last minute sewing) we forgot to check the museum opening hours and the museum was just closing as we arrived there. But the museum guide was kind enough to let us take a few photos before leaving. :) Here's Augustin Ehrensvärd himself up in the middle with Noora and I posing next to him. And last but certainly not least, Mia wearing Noora's floral robe à l'Anglaise.

There has been a lot of debate about using plastic boning - such as Baleen (synthetic whalebone), and cable ties - vs steel. If you haven't read the article, here's the link published by Foundations Revealed. I found it thought provoking! http://foundationsrevealed.com/index-of-articles/corsetry/fabricsmaterials/557-why-plastic-is-better-than-steel Let me segue for a moment and talk about "historically accurate stays." By the fourth quarter of the 19th century (late 1800s) baleen (whale bone) was growing increasingly more expensive and more difficult to acquire; due excessive whaling. Whale fat was used in mass quantities for oil, and of course the bones were turned into corset stays and busks. The unavailability of baleen encouraged experimentation with other types of materials used for boning. Some of the most popular alternatives were cork strips, cording, watchspring steel, Coraline, and Featherbone. Coraline was manufactured from the straight, stiff fibers of the Mexican ixtle plant, bound together by two strands of thread wrapped in opposite directions. Featherbone was manufactured from the quills of feathers. More historical costumers, and reknowned historical corsetiers, are slowly beginning to rethink their previous judgments about metal as an "accurate"and more desirable alternative to plastic for 16th, 17th, and 18th Century stays. To be precise, as I mentioned above, metal stays were not historically accurate until the late 19th Century. So if your goal is for "historical accuracy," metal stays would be out for an 18th Century corset - as well as for an Elizabethan and 17th Century. So, if you're using metal thinking it's "period" then you might as well use another type of boning, because INDUSTRIAL CABLE TIES for a 16th, 17th, or 18th Century corset/stays/pair of bodies is just as historically accurate as metal -- So why not be comfortable? Many costumers or reenactors have had negative experiences with plastic boning - but in those cases it is often the "type" of plastic boning used. The pre-covered plastic boning you purchase at JoAnns, for instance, has a tendency to warp from body heat, but in my experience, a corset crafted using all-metal stays - while considered to be the ONLY option for the more corpulent figure - is uncomfortable! - - That's my personal opinion and personal experience. It may not be yours. :) Another thing to consider is that an Elizabethan and 18th Century corset or stays were not made for tight lacing or reduction. I've been a reenactor since 2001. Far too many of you ladies out there at Renfaire and historical reenactments are buying or constructing corsets 3, 4, or 5 inches too small and tight-lacing yourself into them. Of course you would need metal stays to accomplish that! - but the true, historical purpose for a pair of bodies in the 16th Century or Stays in the the 17th and 18th century, were to smooth out the torso, flatten and lift the breasts; but not to make your waist or torso appear smaller! You should not be so tightly laced up that you can't breathe or are in pain! I see this year after year! For one thing, it makes it very difficult to get accurate measurements when I'm draping a pattern for a gown. Depending upon the person who laced you up, your measurements will fluctuate! I need exact measurements. Your stays should only be snug enough so that your breasts don't slip down. As a general rule, I only leave about 2 to 2.5 inches of allowance for my corsets and bodices to ensure that every time you put it on, your measurements will be the same. My point is that, there are options to using all metal for stays, and if your corset is properly fitted and constructed there isn't a need to be laced into a steel cage! I personally use a mixture of plastic and metal. I am a pragmatist rather than a strict purist. It all boils down to what my clients prefer, what they find individually comfortable, and what they can afford! I try always to lead with kindness and be polite; therefore, I just don't make a habit of criticizing anyone's choices, or involve myself in debating or imperiously announcing what is and is not historically accurate about someone's choices. My opinion is this: frankly, no one will see it but you! - So wear what is comfortable! Whether it's metal, Baleen, cable ties, or Reeds, use whatever works for you personally! I tell my clients, and anyone who will listen, not to get caught up in stressing over what is or is not considered "acceptable" by other costumers. Make it your personal choice, not a choice you make in an effort to feel or be "accepted" by a hand full of people. Take Your Measurements. When taking the measurements, wear a tight-fitting T-shirt with straight side seams. It replaces the shift, which will have to fit underneath the stays, and also gives you a guideline as to where your side line is. Because there aren't any "cups" in this style of corset, and you won't need waist reduction, it isn't necessary for some measurements. To avoid confusion let's just focus on what you DO need: Circumferential: OB = Overbust - Just above the bustline. BF = Bust at it's fullest. UB = Under bust or ribcage circumference. WW = Waist Width Vertical measurements: CF = Navel to top of corset. FL = Front Length - Press and compress breasts up how they would sit in the corset. Measure from just above where the nipple sits to your waist. SL = Side Length - Taken at the side from your waist to the under arm - about 2.5 inches below the flesh part of your arm pit. BL = Back Length - Taken waist to top of the corset - below the bottom of the shoulder blade. Now, fit the pattern pieces together and pin them. Compare your measurements to the pattern. If the circumference measurements differ only a bit, you can add/subtract that in the side seams when altering the pattern. If your bust is larger, then you will need to add to the "FRONT" piece - but not both front and back pieces; otherwise, it will be too lose. This blog explains sizing in great detail: http://www.marquise.de/en/1700/howto/frauen/18coranp.shtml However, this video is another good resource to show how to take your measurements for a pair of stays: CUTTING ON LENGTHWISE GRAIN vs CROSSWISE: Before you cut out your pieces, let me give you some more tips I've learned! On polyblend fabrics such as crepes, or satin, or stretch lace, they have a tendency to ripple or pucker on the seams if you cut them on the lengthwise grain. You can find the lengthwise and crosswise grain of your fabric by looking at the diagram to the right. While most patterns tell you to cut on the lengthwise grain, for poly blends this can spell disaster! Have you ever noticed when using poly blend fabrics how when you sew your seams they ripple and gather and no amount of pressing with a steam iron will smooth them? Even if you pull or tug on your fabric as it feeds through your machine it will still ripple and pucker! You try changing your machine needle, adjusting the thread tension, and nothing helps! The reason this happens is because you've cut out your pattern pieces on the lengthwise grain and your seams are following that grain as well. Instead, cut them on the crosswise grain. My crude little diagram shows you what I'm talking about. The top diagram is cut on the crosswise grain so that your seams will also be on the crosswise grain. When you stitch down the seams there WILL be some rippling with the type of fabrics mentioned above, but once you press your seams with the steam iron they will press flat! On silk, like the red Dupioni I am using, you will want to make sure your pieces are cut on the crosswise grain like the top diagram.

The Scandalous Lady W (2015) is a one-off TV movie that tells the story of Seymour Dorothy Fleming, Lady Worsley (1758-1818), whose marriage (to a real peach) crumbled in the 1780s. It stars Natali…

The fashion-free-for-all that was the 1770s mixed stripes, florals, bows, ruffles and pretty much whatever else you felt like throwing in.

I have a house full of people here for The Wedding, so forgive me for being quite absent. It's all a bit mad here! So in honor of the Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge #21, and my light green wedding gown, here are some gorgeous 18th century

This post is coming really, really late but at least I'm trying to catch up on blogging because I've been gone for too long. Instead of writing about all aspects of this lovely weekend in August I'm simply going to give you a short tour around our little booth at the 18th century fair of Isokyrö since - apart from meeting friends from far - it was the focus of my trip. Below: Maija of Couture Mayah on the left and Noora of The Shadow of My Hand on the right welcoming you at the booth. Here's Hanna preparing for the weekend at our booth on Friday after arriving in Isokyrö. As you will be able to tell from my photos, we had all sorts of historical and contemporary fashion items for sale. Noora arranging her things on Saturday... A couple of bum pads were hung from the ceiling. ;) Noora had also made some cute garters and mitts for sale. You could also buy L'Amusette's calendar for 2015 at the booth. It has got breathtakingly amazing photos inspired by some famous 18th century paintings. More people from our booth group: Emilia and Ida. Our booth sign, made by Maija and Hanna. Isn't it just adorable? :) Here's one portion of the market place on Friday. Also, you could see glimpses of the Old Church of Isokyrö in my last post and here it is again in the background. And then the same place again on Saturday (photo taken looking from the church towards the opposite direction than the photo above)... The church made a wonderful background for photos so of course we took many pictures in front of it. Here's a favorite. Also, I got a punishment for being so indecently dressed. On Sunday Noora lent her jacket to me. (You can't go to a church mass in your underwear, right?!) We had not realized that we were almost the same size until this... so at the moment I'm borrowing her pattern for this jacket as I had been planning to make one as well. In case you want to read more about this event (and see more photos) head over to The Shadow of My Hand.

Explore m@ggie_photography's 82569 photos on Flickr!

"Her Grace the Duchess of Devonshire appears every day at the head of the beauteous Amazons on Coxheath, who are all dressed en militaire; in the regimentals that distinguish the several regiments in which their Lords, etc. serve, and charms every beholder with their beauty and affability." Morning Post July 1778, Hallie Rubenhold, Lady Worsley's Whim "The only tonish undress at present among the ladies of all ranks is a scarlet riding habit, faced of the colour that distinguishes the regiment of militia in which their husbands, their lovers, or their keepers now serve, at the different encampments." General Evening Post June 13 1778, Diary of a Mantua Maker I have adored the portrait of Lady Worsley painted by Reynolds ever since I first saw it. This spring was the perfect time to make it. I didn't want the pressure of making an exact copy, but I tried to get a close resemblance. It is made of red and black worsted wool, silk taffeta and duchess silk satin. Horsehair interlining was used in the jacket and the waistcoat. Waistcoat has linen back and lining. It is hand sewn with linen and silk thread and decorated with metallic military lace, metal buttons and silver bullion and purl. It is worn over a shift, stays, a very small rump, two linen petticoats, a riding habit shirt, neck cloth and the stockings and shoes I made last year. The hat is a wide brimmed wool felt hat that I decorated with ostrich feathers after I reshaped the brim. I made a pair of kidskin gloves to complete the outfit but I'm not sure I like the buff color with the outfit, so I tried wearing it with cream vintage gloves I had with me as well. The habit shirt: I powdered my hair lightly. The hairdo without the hat. Construction: I used my first riding habit pattern (which was pretty much the Janet Arnold pattern unaltered) as a base and made some necessary changes to bring it up to date. As it's supposed to be a tailor made jacket, I followed the construction of a man's coat in Costume Close-Up as well as the Janet Arnold jacket. First I sewed together the bodice and sleeves and did the same thing to the lining, that was made, in true 18th century spirit, using two different kinds of scrap silks. I faced the jacket skirts with third silk, the leftovers of the waistcoat. Then I attached the jacket skirts. Then I made the collar, lapels and cuffs. Because I wanted to avoid any droopiness, I pad stitched a layer of horsehair interlining to all 5 pieces. I'm so glad I did that. The stiffness of the lapels keeps the cut away front in perfect shape and all the jacket needs to close is one hook and eye. No pinning the fronts to keep the jacket close fitting and in shape. Then I edge stitched the black wool on top, made holes for buttons and added the metallic lace. And I have to say I'm so happy I bought the little more expensive metallic wire lace and not the synthetic stuff. Years ago I sewed a military jacket for a re-enactor using the synthetic lace and I was afraid it would be the same agony and hurting fingers all over again, but compared to that, this real metallic lace was a dream to work with. Finished lapels and collar: The underside of collar: Then I attached the cuffs, collar and lapels and whip stitched the lining around all edges. Then it was just sewing on the buttons and a hook in the front. I tried zooming on the Lady Worsley portrait to see what kind of epaulettes she is wearing and to me they looked like dainty and simple, so I made a simple design and stuck with that. I know nothing of 18th century epaulettes, but I looked at what pictures I could find and gathered what ever little information I could find on the internet, so I'm happy with them. I used the black wool as a base on which I made about a two inch fringe of silver bullion. Then I made the top with two different kinds of metallic lace. Then I turned under the edges of the wool and edge stitched them together. I added a piece of silver purl at the fringe edge and they were done. When I first got interested in 18th century riding habits in the beginning of 2006, I just assumed they wore a boy sized man's shirt under their waistcoats. Not long after Katherine made her fabulous turn of the century riding habit and a light bulb turned on on the top of my head. What a fabulous thing, the riding habit shirt for women. I googled the thing and found a few images of surviving examples (that I can't find anymore) and made a version of my own to be worn under my black riding habit. The habit and the habit shirt are lost in the turmoils of life, so for this project I had to start over. My riding habit shirt is a slimmed down and cropped version of man's shirt. I used the Costume Close-Up -shirt for construction reference, and since the few extant 18th century riding habit shirts I had seen seemed also to be made short, I left mine short too like Katherine's. A great way to reduce waist bulk, and, what's the point in the whole tie around the body -system, if the shirt is long enough to reach waist and could be tied in place with petticoat tapes. Since constructing a shirt is such a basic thing that many are already familiar with, I didn't bother to take many pictures. It's made of light weight linen, hand sewn with linen. The first picture shows the shirt base with the neckline gussets and the collar attached. Then I sewed on the sleeves and the sleeve gussets and closed the side seams and gathered the back in to a tape. In this picture the basic construction is done and the only things missing are the neck and sleeve ruffles. The dark dress form shows the shoulder reinforcements as well. They are quite wide and reach the neck gussets. The neck cloth is just a piece of cotton voile roll hemmed all around. The skirt is made in the usual way, sewing together rectangular skirt panels, leaving pocket slits, pleating front and back separately and binding top edge with linen tape that is long enough to tie around the waist. In waistcoat construction I followed the 1790's man's waistcoat from Costume Close-Up with the exception of back lacing and bust darts. I didn't use any pattern for the waistcoat back, and the fronts were vaguely based on the Janet Arnold riding habit pattern with a lot of extra around the pieces to be pinned in shape on me. After I pinned the silk satin fronts of the waistcoat to shape I sewed the bust darts and trimmed the edges accordingly. Then I cut small interlining pieces of horsehair fabric and pad stitched them to the linen layer to stiffen the fronts a little. Then I made facings of the same silk. I whip stitched it to the linen lining on the inside edge and finished the front edges with running stitches through all the layers. I usually hate making hand sewn buttonholes but these were a dream to make in the stiffened fronts.

Because there's nothing new to post about, it's time for a post about an old dress. I actually tried to make a half-polonaise but it failed miserably. The visual effect on the front side made my bust look as small as the waist so that my upper body looked like a straight tube. Or even worse, so that the waist actually looked bigger than my bust. I'm not even going to share any photos of it with you because it's so horrible. Not to mention all the wrinkles. My aim was to wear the demi-polonaise at a ball last April but as you can imagine, I didn't even finish the whole thing. After the lost case, I had only a couple of days to pull something together for the event. So I had a chance to finish an old dress that had been a work in progress for some time. It's a floral robe à l'Anglaise retroussée that I originally sewed back in 2009, being also the second dress that I ever made. It was also the first dress that I wore with stays underneath. Long story short, after a few years it no longer fit so it had to be taken apart and the fit had to be altered. The design remains basically the same as in the beginning but it's made with much more care than back then. To be honest, I have a sort of love-hate relationship with this dress. I got the printed cotton fabric as a gift from a dear friend and I've always loved the floral pattern of it. The combination of gold and blue (accompanied with red and white) has to be my favorite combination of colors ever. But. There's always a but. So there's a tiny voice in my head that tells me blue fabric with gold printed floral pattern isn't an historically appropriate choice anyway. It's actually a modern Christmas season fabric. If I remember correctly, the original pattern is based on a pattern in the book Period Costume for Stage and Screen by Jean Hunnisett. As many of you can tell, the trimming style is based on a polonaise dress c. 1770-85 from Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion 1. Because of having worn this dress to events before, I let the hem fall down instead of pulling the skirt up. The pose in the photo below is awkward but this is the only photo of the back of the dress worn like this. In the following photos I'm wearing a quick and simple mob cap that I made for 1780's costumes. It's my back-up plan in case of bad hair days. :) And this is how the dress looks from the back with the skirt pulled up with two strings. A few photos of the construction... I started by fitting the bodice lining by taking it in both at the sides and in the back. Then the en fourreau back was attached to the lining. After a few failed attempts to repleat the en fourreau pleats of the back I simply took the dress in at the back as seen in the photo below. Next, the front panels and the shoulder straps were added. Bones were put into channels at centre front in order to keep the front straight. By this point I got very lazy and didn't take any photos of the remaining parts of the construction. As usual, I'm going to be honest and admit I cheated at several points. Similarly to my purple robe à la Polonaise, the lace ruffles at the ends of the sleeves aren't separate and the lace along the neckline is stitched to the bodice and not to the shift. This dress was a practice project for fun rather than a very serious project anyway. Also, I'd like to thank Chelsea, Kendra, Kirstine and Katie Jacobs for nominating me with the very inspiring blogger and one lovely blog awards. I'd love to pass them on but it's so hard to keep up with who has already received the awards and who hasn't so I'm afraid I'm going to pass this time.

The third day in Williamsburg we actually spent in Yorktown, on account of the tall ship l'Hermione having put in there the night before, and it being an event not to be missed. I'm bad. I didn't know what the Hermione was when Maggie and Sammy

As promised, here are the photos of the purple gown I had a bit of a ‘sneak peak’ of in my Underthings post. Warning – this is a really image-heavy post! I originally called th…

Photo taken 2-5 December 2011 at Colonial Williamsburg.