Road Trip With Pookie

(Topic: Travel, history) Dear Friends, I recently had the fortune to go on a road trip with hubby, one of my sisters, and her dog. We made a few stops in either direction – the final destination being a family event. Here are a few of the neat things we discovered in either direction: Much

Plaid Ball Gown

Dear Friends, I have recently had the pleasure to have a ball gown made by Sarah Crow, of The Preacher Wife’s Gowns and Carr Antiquities (Facebook)! She and I discussed options, the primary limiting factor being that we would work only with fabric I already owned, with minimal purchases for trim. I had a lovely

1860s Maternity Dress

Hello Friends, Recently I decided to try to make a maternity-style dress, with the challenges of being able to accommodate different sizes and shapes that a body does during pregnancy. Since different people also carry differently (like high vs. low), the dress does end up being somewhat personalized (such as shoulder-to-waist length), but is much

1860s-Style Mourning Dress

Hi Friends, As some of you know, we recently experienced a loss in our family. This led me (of course!) to looking into historical customs of mourning, specifically for the American Civil War era (1861-65). Garment Data:– Type: Dress, specifically for mourning or half mourning, depending on the accessories– Date made: August 2016– Pattern: My

Blue Apron

Guess what?? I finally finished the apron I’ve been meaning to make for ages! Garment Data:– Type: 1860s-style apron– Date made: spring 2014– Pattern: Elizabeth Stewart Clark’s apron pattern– Fabric/Materials: blue plaid 100% cotton “homespun” from JoAnn’s – so, nothing fancy, and it has a “dishrag” soft texture– Trim: none– Time to finish: a few

Gettysburg: 150th anniversary, June 2013.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for bearing with me on the brief hiatus of posts…. Relaxing in camp on a hot day.      I’d mentioned in a few previous posts that exactly a year ago at the end of June of 2013 I went to Gettysburg. This was the first Civil War-era overnight camping event

Red Memorial Day Daydress

Dear Ladies and Gents,you may have noticed an item of wear recurring in mention multiple times: a basic red cotton daydress, which, when worn without hoops, can serve well enough as a camp or work dress. Garment Data:– Type: Civil War style daydress– Date made: Just before Memorial Day, 2013– Pattern: Simplicity 4551, plus alterations.

Ohio Regimental Military Ball – 2014

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, This weekend I enjoyed a most charming dance in Canton, Ohio! This was my second time attending, and once again had a fabulous time.The ball is held once a year in Canton, at the McKinley Grand hotel, usually some time right around Valentine’s Day.I went to the LINK: National First Ladies’

Remembrance Day, Gettysburg

Well, Ladies and Gents! This week was most auspicious. On November 19th, 1863, President Lincoln spoke a few words (after the main speaker had given a speech of nearly 2 hours, I believe!). His very short address became famous, and one of the weekends near the anniversary of his speech has become a recurring event,

Late summer/fall reenactments

 Dear Readers,  There have been a few more reenactments this summer I’d like to catch up on! However, I didn’t get a lot of photos at each one, so I’m posting about several reenactments at once, this time. Zoar There was a reenactment at Zoar village in September this year. This reenactment happens every other