If I Had My Own Blue Box:

It is Sunday night. You’ve just made it home from a long weekend of living history. You are exhausted. But, you just can’t get out of your head that one thing; that one thing that you discovered just wasn’t quite right. The question is …. Can I fix it by the next event? Can I fix it by Friday?

We’ve all had this happen at one point or another. Okay, some of us have had it happen over and over several events in a row. Needless to say, it can be a bit stressful. You started this past weekend confident, happy with what you are wearing. Then you learned something. Now you are stuck with the question of what to do about it. Generally, it comes down to these answers:

1 – Change it Now.

2 – Set it aside to change later.

3 – Scrap-it and start over.

Most of us are anxious to have everything together and jump into number 1, have to much of a pile of number 2 and dread the thought of the time and money involved in number 3. Hmm, I wonder why we get stressed.

Lets take a breath and look at our options. Then decide which way is going to work best.

Option 1 generally involves items we absolutly have to have or items that are easier and less timely to change. In this case, honestly look at what time you have in the week or two before the next event. Deside what time you have available, as what materials you have on hand. If there are purchases you need to make locally, make them on Monday or Tuesday so you have them available when you have time to sit down and work. Leave the item out where you can see it and remember to work on it. All to often if we put it away, we will forget about it.

 Option 2 usually includes items which we want but can live without for another event, or items that will take more time then is immediatly available. For these items, I suggest a similar plan to that in option 1, just spread out over a little more time. Again, remember to purchase or order materials you need early and leave the item where you remember to work on it.

 Option 3 comes into play when something is significantly wrong or the cost of changing it out weighs the cost of replacing it. This last option can be a strain for many reasons. We may have already invested a good deal of time and money into its making or purchase. It is also possible that there is an emotional attachement to it. If the first is the case, consider options for different use or a new home such as a theater department. If the later is the case, I highly suggest find a new use in your home.

Now, lets take a look at some of the common items that tend to bug us on our drive home from an event and determine what we can do about them.

1 – You figured out your hairnet isn’t correct. If you really feel you need a hairnet, this is an easy and inexpensive change. If you can find a hair supply store, they carry fine hair nets that work great. If not, department stores carry something that is close and acceptable. You can wear this kind of net plain or with a decorative silk ribbon attached. To attach a ribbon, first pleat the ribbon decoratively, then attach it to the net. Wear your net with the top edge sitting on an imaginary line running from ear to ear over the top of your head.

2 – You discovered a piece of jewelry was not popular in the mid-19th century.  This is one where you will need to consider replacing the item. Most pieces you can do without until you find a replacement. If this is a broach you wear at your neckline, chances are you will want something for the next event. If you are able to do a little research and shop for a new piece before the next event, that is a great option. If time, money or shopping distance is a factor, consider a silk neck bow instead. Make a 2 to 3 inch bow of silk ribbon, securing it with thread. Pin this in place at your neckline instead of a broach.  

3 – You’ve been wearing an apron with straps and find you should be wearing a pinner or half-apron instead. This is an easy fix, assuming your fabric is correct. If the pinner section of your apron is the right shape, simply unstitch the straps. If not, you can either reshape the top to be a pinner or remove it. If you find your fabric isn’t quite right, this is a simple sewing project you can do with a minimal about of cotton fabric. I suggest making a new one.

4 – You have found you need or need different  collar and/or cuffs. Many of us start out without a collar and cuffs or go for pretty crochet collars when we start. Luckily, collars and cuffs take a minimal about of fabric and time. To make a collar, lay your dress/bodice so one side of the collar is flat. Trace the inside of the collar line marking the  front and back. Draw a perpendicular line out from the center back. Measure 1 to 1.5″ out from the tracing line all the way around. Connect this line with a graceful curve. Measure a 1/4″ to 1/2″ inside the tracing line. At the center front draw a line from the tracing line to the outer line which will give you an open V or a V that will best reflect the front of the collar for the years you need. Trace your pattern on a light weight cotton, and cut out. Hem with a tiny rolled hem around the outside. Bind the inside with bias. Baste the collar to your dress starting in the back.  To do cuffs, measure the circumference of your dress’s cuffs. Add a half inch to this measurement. Cut 2 strips this length and 4″ wide. Hem all the way around a 1/4″ hem. Fold in half. Place one half inside the dress cuff. Baste in place.

5 – Your dress is in need of adjustments. Depending on the adjustments and your sewing skills, this may or may not be one you can complete by the next event. If you are unsure of your skill or time, I suggest not stressing over the adjustment if you don’t need it. If the adjustment is absolutely needed and you don’t have any other options, ask some one to help if you are not 100% confident.

6 – You have found a piece of furniture you have isn’t right. Due to the cost and other factors involved in furniture, I highly suggest option 2 here. Set what you are using aside, spend some time researching and take your time looking for the right purchase. If this is a table or an essential piece of furniture you must have, consider your options for borrowing from someone or what our original counterparts would have done when they were in need of this piece. 

6b – You found a piece of furniture needs a change such as the hardware. This may be an easy fix if you or someone you know has the skills. If you just need to change out screws, take an example of what you have to the hardware store and find the appropriate replacement. (I’ll admit, I am accustom to hardware stores that are used to locals needing 19th century appropriate hardware.)

I’ll be adding more in the next few days. Suggestions welcome.

As we observe our cohorts at events or in photographs, there are those little things that can make or break what we see. These are those visual ques that make us think “yes” or “eaguha”. While we are observing others, others are observing us as well. So, lets honestly ask ourselves, what are those little things that stand out as not so little things? And in the case of those break it things that make us squirm, what can we do to fix them?

Make It

Fit – Fit, corset and skirt support go hand-in hand as they each compliment the other. Even with great silhouette support, a dress can still hit or miss when it comes to fit. Each of us has different body types with different proportions. Some of us are curvy, some slim, some short waisted, some wide shouldered. Combine this endless variety of body shapes with the fashion characteristics of the 1850s and 60s (or really almost any era) and there are bound to be some dresses that just do not go with some body variations. While we are looking for a dropped shoulder seam and armscye, these attention points will fall differently on women of the same size if one woman is narrow shouldered and the other wide shouldered. The same comparison can be said of women who have variations in torso length such as being long vs short waisted or long vs short shouldered. If the same dress is tried on by a woman who is long waisted and by a woman who is short waisted we will see a difference in where the waist falls. Ideally, the waist would fall just above the natural waist. But, on the short waisted woman it may fall at or below the natural waist, while on the long waisted woman it may fall well above the natural waist. There are some instances of impression where variation of fit is necessary. Suggested Reading:

Corset – A properly fitting corset not only effects the entire silhouette of a dress, it also effects how a woman carries herself and her comfortablity. The reality is we can all tell who is or isn’t wearing a corset. The position and shape of our chest is different. I’ll admit my bust height is easily a difference of 4 inches with vs with out a corset. That make a drastic difference in the silhouette of a dress. Beyond the look of the dress is how we stand and sit while wearing a corset. Most of us are much more aware of our posture while wearing a corset. In this modern world where we spend hours working at a desk and computer we tend to slump and roll our shoulders. In the 19th century, women worked at kitchen tables preparing food, in gardens or fields and in chairs sewing. Their corsets helped relieve some of the back strain they experienced while working. This is only part of the comfortablity. A corset helps support the weigh of our skirts and skirt supports. The corset holds the waistbands rather than our skin. Suggested Reading:

Skirt Support – Good skirt support creates a beautiful skirt silhouette. This is a combination of volume, poof off of the waist, curve of the skirts and drop to the ground. The only way to decide if you have good skirt support is to compare your look with the look of women from the years you are portraying. Take photos of yourself in full dress from the front, back and sides. Compare them side by side to CDV images. Suggested Reading:

Collar – A collar is an essential item for keeping the collar of your dress clean. It also finishes the look of a dress nicely. A nice, simple white cotton collar can say allot. The great thing is, personal linens such as a collar and cuffs, cost very little to make. Keep in mind, they should be an inch to an inch and a half wide made of light weight cotton. Some variation in width and angle of the front does exist from year to year. If you are wearing a wash dress, consider a kerchief of other personal linen for the neck of that dress.  Suggested Reading:

Cuffs or Undersleeves – Just like a collar, cuffs or undersleeves protect your dress and finishes the look. These can each be very simple or very elaborate depending on the over-all look of your dress. Suggested Reading:

Hair – We all struggle with our hair in both centuries from time-to time, or all the time. But, we all know when someone really “got it”. Their hair looks not only great but just like they stepped out of a CDV. Suggested Reading: “False Hair” by Elizabeth Topping, May 2010 CC

Jewelry – I’ll admit I am not a jewelry follower. But, I know when a woman’s jewelry completes a look. Well chosen jewelry not only encompasses research and taste, it shows completeness in thought. It shows just how much a woman has thought about who she is portraying and what she would have worn. Suggested Reading: “Hands, Hearts and Hair: Motifs and Symbolism of Victorian Jewelry” May 2010 CC

Break It

The “S” word – Nothing can ruin a look like a saggy, baggy, nylon snood. Whether it hangs there like a laundry sack holding piles of loose hair or droops off of what might actually be a nicely fixed chignon, it just screams. This item did not exist in this heavy form in the mid-19th century. This is one area where there is very good news… If you must have a net, the simplest way to go is also a very cost effect way to go. Yes, cheaper then that snood. I know, in this expensive hobby, cheaper can always be appreciated.  A simple faux hair net can be purchase at beauty supply stores. This can be worn plain. Or, you can add a simple silk ribbon. Suggested Reading: “To Net or Not To Net”

Pony-tail cameo – This is one of those little things we notice when we are having a conversation with someone. After all, we do have to stand fairly close to see the detail of a cameo. But, for some reason, that long dangly pony-tail on the silhouetted woman just stands out. These cameos from the second quarter of the 20th century are everywhere and easy to pick up. It is even possible that a woman is wearing a well-loved keepsake from a grandmother. The fix for this is simply self-control while shopping. No matter how pretty or how great the price, if the woman in the cameo has a pony-tail save her for someone else or for modern wear. Suggested Reading: “Victorian Cameos” (I’m trying to find the title of this amazing time-line cameo book I had from the library once. It amazed me.)

Flop – This goes along with the skirt support suggestion above. An absolutely beautiful dress can lose all it self-esteem when left drooping over poor skirt supports. Flopping and drooping just kills a look. This goes for any dress worn day or evening, for work or visiting. Skirts were not meant to fall from the waist in the mid-century. They want life and body. The answer is properly full and starched petticoats.

Bones – Along with the above flop comes bones, when we can see the bones of a cage showing through a skirt. This happens when a skirt lays directly over a cage rather then being softened and shaped by layers of petticoats. The solution is the same as above, properly full and starched petticoats.  

Leather belts – Many of us have a heightened awareness of our waist and want to wear a belt. While women did wear belts, it was infrequent and far from fashionable to wear a leather belt. Depending on the dress, a self fabric or silk ribbon belt is preferable.

I’ll admit, I faded as I put this together tonight. There will likely be additions, expansions and more reading suggestions. If you have a suggestion for one of those “little things” please let us know in the comment section.

Article link:

Flow Blue Ceramics

I had planned on developing a full article on working support garments. But, I have been utterly swamped (yes after being bored) with a new home style, two major projects, and a new job. So, rather than have the information from the survey just sit around, I am posting it. I ended up with exactly 100 respondants. I had hoped for double that to get a good sample. 100 isn’t bad though. I need to figure out how to properly post the 123 comments people took the time to make in the survey. There are a variety of different views and reasonings in them. This was just the look at how this is interpreted by the living history community. The other, and larger, componant of the original article plan was a look at what literature and photographic evidence tells us about what women worn in different work situations. I will try to get some of that information up over the next several weeks as well.

Question 1. What undergarment do you wear while doing light domestic work such as preparing food, washing dishes or sweeping?

Question 2. What undergarment do you wear while doing heavy domestic work such as cooking in a hearth, on a stove or over a fire or doing laundry?

Question 3. What undergarments do you wear while doing moderate outside work such as collecting firewood or gardening?