Original Inspiration

Wow. This cotton 18th century round gown is amazing. Thankfully it's both extremely expensive and wouldn't fit me! But this is good inspiration. I've been thinking of making a round gown in linen for camp wear during the hot summer months. Honestly it's also because I'm in love with the round gown look & just want one to wear.

clipped from www.vintagetextile.com Cotton block print gown, c.1780 While most late 18th century gowns were in the open robe style, others—like this one—were closed in front. The skirt front has an adjustable drop panel that allows the wearer to step into the gown—see the detail picture below. The condition is almost excellent. The minor flaws include two small (1/4") holes on the skirt and a few faded spots in the same vicinity. There is no underarm damage. The waistline seam has been reset several times, but the original pleating pattern of the skirt was not altered. Everything else is all original.

Had a Ball, at the Ball

A quick wrap up of the ONW, Colonial Ball, which until I arrived last night, I had no idea were the same event. It was a nice surprise though, to see friends I wasn't expecting & to meet some new people.

Prior to the ball J, W, L & I headed over to the college to take advantage of their settings for some photographs. This is part of my new project of getting really good photos of all my clothing. Part of my goal is to have a large portfolio of photos for jurying into events, part is for posterity; 40 years from now I'll be able to look back & say "this is what I did etc" and part is for current sharing rights with my on-line friends.











The last one is one of my favorites. I really liked all the ones we took inside but most of them weren't focused very well. Part trouble with the camera, part trouble with the lighting. The secret to that last picture is that I'm glaring at L for trying to make me laugh. I was having a very hard time keeping a straight face. There is something that's just not right about grinning like a Cheshire Cat while in 18th century clothes!