Sisters Share

My sister made me a gift of this lovely Emma James skirt (right). The fit and flare of it makes me want to dance! Amy is wearing a stretch denim skirt I bought at Dress Barn.

Inspiring Images (& A Skirt Tale)

Seeking old-fashioned inspiration for your wardrobe? The Baker Lane Inspiring Image Archives offer a wealth of it! Now viewable on Flickr, the gallery includes images of most of the custom projects I created while dressmaking at Baker Lane. Enjoy!

Psst! Notice the broomstick skirt I'm wearing. I didn't make it, but it was a favorite for years. Only when it was in shreds was I convinced to retire it to the rag bag. Then, o happy day, I found its twin at a thrift store, in red!

Skirt Tales

Elizabeth in Alaska wears a far-from-dowdy hand-me-down from Grandmother.

A move accross campus prompted me to take inventory of my wardrobe. I had hoped to find some clothes I could toss out, or at least pass along to the Free Box (the place for student shoppers) because I'm taking up more than half the closet my roommate and I share. However, what I discovered surprised me; I have more than 20 skirts and I don't want to part with any of them. I guess you could say I collect skirts.

Since it's obvious my closet won't hold all the skirts I see and love, and because not every skirt I like will fit, I thought I'd expand my collection to include other people's skirts. When I see a pretty skirt, I'll ask its wearer for permission to photograph it! Or if I spot your skirt photo on the web, I may just ask you if I may post it here. These photographs, along with shots of favorite skirts in my collection, will appear in "Skirt Tales," a series celebrating feminity.

Pink Gingham

Another Regency gown from the Sense and Sensibility Girl's Regency Gown pattern for a little woman...a very little woman!

Back view

Changing Seasons

Inspired by a Sense and Sensibility Clothing catalogue offering from several years ago, Baker Lane is pleased to announce the release of "Changing Seasons", a pattern for Motherhood in sizes 6-26. It affords numerous options for neckline, sleeves, and skirt, and is flattering for all seasons of motherhood: pregnancy, breastfeeding, and beyond!

Visit Baker Lane for information on ordering.

Regency Gowns for a Little Woman

Ladies have long loved Jennie Chancey's easy, elegant Regency gown pattern. Now, with the release of her little girls' pattern, Empire gowns are becoming quite popular among a younger set! Miss Lizzie models one of her new dresses, fashioned in a cotton print with pearly white buttons. More pictures of Lizzie and her dresses can be seen at her family's blog.

Maryhill Museum

This regal beauty was the coronation gown of Queen Marie of Roumania, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. It is part of the permanent Queen Marie collection at the Maryhill Museum in Washington state.

Another collection of interest to the fashion enthusiast is the Theatre de la Mode French fashion mannequins and design sets on temporary loan to the museum. More information is available on the Maryhill museum website. I snapped a few pictures during my visit in May, but they only hint at the marvelous couture detail of these miniature ensembles; my photography does not do them justice!

This summery frock from Changing Seasons, the soon to be released motherhood pattern from Baker Lane, is fashioned from a cheerful cotton print with a coordinating peter pan collar and flower buttons.

It was a ball!

Should Hillary Clinton Wear Skirts?

Fashion designers can dictate what women wear but woe unto the men of God who ask the women of the church to dress like ladies. Double standard?

Should Hillary Clinton Wear Skirts?

Modern Victorian

Mum just emailed me the link to Modern Victorian. Had I seen their website? Nope, and boy, does this make me happy! Even though the prices are so far out of my range at this stage of my life that they might as well be on the moon, it's thrilling to see designers drawing on the elegance of the past. Kudos, MV!

Back to the Ball

As the idea of building four original costumes for the Centennial Ball grew increasingly overwhelming, I grew less inclined to tackle the project. My friends and I are still planning to attend the event February 24th, however, we will be wearing gowns from my existing costume trunk. The four of us are going as the daughters of a missions-minded minister in 1907. Rachael and Laura are donning Edwardian afternoon gowns of ivory linen; Andrea is to appear in an embroidered Empire gown that we shall pretend is our great-grandmother's wedding gown from 1807. I am the eldest of the group and something of an old maid. My costume consists of a brown walking skirt, which I shall pair with a frothy ivory blouse and an "antique" brooch. To unify our costumes, we will all wear blue sashes in shades suited to our complexions. Our excitement is mounting; I am certainly relieved my sewing responsibilities will be limited to making sashes and taking a tuck here and there.

Denim Hoop Skirts?

Josh predicts the next trend among fashionable women will be denim hoop skirts. If I don't get it started, someone else will! It sounds good to me, except I have difficulty imagining European women squeezing onto the Metro in them! It could work in the midwest US, however; maybe I should try introducing the trend at C of O...

I had good intentions of working on costumes for the ball while home over Christmas holidays. Instead, I painted my room and unpacked my books. Ah well... I'm now contemplating some handsewing projects that I can take back to school.

My friends, Rachael, Laura, and Andrea, and I have decided to portray four sisters from 1907 for the Ball. I'm the eldest, and a bit prim; Rachael is the free spirited Bohemian; Laura is a tomboy; Andrea is a persistent little flirt. Of course, our costumes must reflect our personalities! I've been commissioned to work on the girls' gowns over Christmas break, and I'm wondering "What have I got myself into?!" I don't even own a sewing machine.

For my costume, I'd like to do a waist along the lines of this pattern from Past Patterns. It's ten years out of style for 1907, but I'm an old maid, so it will work.

Butterick has pattern along similar lines. See Butterick 3417. Depending on how good a deal I can get on fabric, I may even make a skirt to match from Butterick 3418. Otherwise, I shall have to wear my Folkwear Walking Skirt.

For the other girls' costumes, I think I will use the same skirt pattern with variations. Rachael's waist should have a V neckline with an high-collared inset; Laura wants a square neckline, and Andrea wants something off the shoulder. I'm hoping to find some vintage evening gowns to tweak. I haven't found existing patterns for the girls' and I don't have time to draft draft patterns for each girl's dress.

Laura Ashley Returns

I knew it. The Laura Ashley company would, eventually come to its senses, and reproduce some of the winsome styles that were once so popular. I've been a Laura Ashley imitator all my life, and since I've decided not to pursue fashion design as my vocation, it is a happy thing indeed to see other companies producing pretty things for ladies. It's about time.


(On a side, I never realized Mrs. Ashley was Welsh.)

http://www.styledash.com/2006/12/03/laura-ashley-the-remix/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/sites/fashion/pages/laura_ashley.shtml

My Quandry

College of the Ozarks is celebrating 100 years of Hard Work. In February, there will be a gala Heritage Costume Ball. Donning Edwardian costume for an evening of fine dining, music, and historic dance sounds delightful! I'm having some trouble locating examples of evening attire from the period, either pictures of extant garments or fashion plates. As I glean inspiration on the web, I will post it here, a blog just for fashion and costuming!