The Christmas ball is one week away, and we want to make sure everyone’s outfits get completely finished!

Hemming and sewing scallops on Ashlee’s over skirt.

Leah’s bodice is looking beautiful – and just a year ago she declared she couldn’t sew!

Putting finishing touches on Ashlee’s bodice.

We ended up staying at our friends’ and sewing for the whole day. I guess you could say we were on a roll! We just want to make sure that we won’t be doing any sewing the actual date of the ball.

Hope to see you there!

-Kasie

P.S. I trust everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving!

I.define:boudoir
a. A lady’s bedroom or private sitting room (citing from the illustrious pen of Master Google Internet, Sr., and with regards to him deferentially and with good will to shoulder the responsibility of solving this, somewhat troubling to some, but elegant epithet for takes place in my boudoir )
b. Small, elegant, feminine sitting- room where the lady would retire to read, write, or entertain some intimate friends (Angie’s acquired notion, confirmed by experience and knowledge through real life, [heh heh, that would mean trials and testings for those of you who want to know] effectially alters every aspect of my normal existance! Which means…relating to the girls of the past and hopeful of our future, also lumps of lace, ribbons, bows, rich satins and taffeta sashes draped over every single stand-alone structure we own )

I’m continually ruminating as the culmination of this week at the grand ball is right thereover the horizon (Just matter of hours so to speak!),  this what it was like for life in the old days for girls, maidens, the joyous wonder of the design of the Lord for womanhood. I’m experiencing a taste of it and it is more than covering my quiet moments alone with awe. Spending the bulk of the day preparing for the ball…girlish dreams… hope for the present and future…love continually pouring out from on high and turning around and pouring around to those around me… this is the theme that has been rippling through my mind, as I busily hum away trimming the dresses this entire week. I’m feeling “splendifourous” and I can’t ever think enough on, or sing praises enough for all God’s blessings to me.
So I’m off to finish up! Things to do….places to sew…hmm…strike that!

~Angie
———
Oh she spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I’m sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders

It’s been a long day
And there’s still work to do
She’s pulling at me
Saying “Dad, I need you

There’s a ball at the castle
And I’ve been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?”

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t want to miss even one song
‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone
-Steven Curtis Chapman
…………………………………

I wanted to write a short post honoring St. Patrick, but I also wanted to post some pictures of my sewing progress. There’s not enough time for both – what to do!

Then I came up with this amazing plan: combine the two! Many people associate St. Patrick’s Day with green, my ballgown is greenish, so… vuala! Brilliant! isn’t it? I’m a genius, I know. “I flatter myself…”

Here are a couple of teaser pictures of my dress, which is almost done! All that’s left is to trim the bodice and put on sleeves. YES!!

~skirt bottom

To find out how to make the cutest rosettes ever, go here

~button details…

It’s all getting there! Perhaps later on this week I’ll post pictures of our other projects; the guys’ vests, Angie’s gown, and Mom’s.

Concerning St. Patrick, if all you know about this guy is Ireland and lucky clover, check out his incredible story! It’s amazing to see God’s hand of Providence on his life. Wow!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day y’all! There’s the end of yet another random post. Cheerio!

-Kasie

For those of you who didn’t read my previous sewing post, we’ve be getting together every week with our homeschooling friends to sew in preparation for our Civil War Ball (I’m telling you, that’s going to be loads of fun!). Angie and I and a few other ladies will be teaching those who don’t know how to sew; we’ll share patterns, ideas and such.

Here are a few pictures from our last get together;

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That’s all for now folks. God bless your day!

-Kasie

…a hum from the sewing machine fills the room…

…all of this careful construction in preparation and anticipation of our Civil War Ball!

Some may argue that March 29th is ‘still a long ways off,’ but knowing myself and my procrastinating ways, I need to get this done now.

In the upcoming months Angie and I will be teaching/aiding friends and other homeschoolers with sewing their ball gowns. Since I don’t know for sure how much time we’ll have to work on our own costumes, we’re using this time while we can!

Isn’t my fabric so pretty?

-Kasie

P.S. Angie said to tell anyone who may wonder about her recent disappearance from our family blog that she’s gone sewing…

I thought I share with you what I’ve been doing in my spare time (besides picking blackberries;-))

I call it an “everyday colonial dress”.

It wasn’t at all planned on my sewing schedule. It wasn’t even extensively labeled and packed with appropriate trims and notions, like my other future projects. I just discovered some colonial-looking striped fabric while sorting through our bins last month. A large sky blue piece (also from a fabric bin) made a perfect match.

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I still have to hem the sleeves and bottom, sew a hook or two, and somehow resew the zipper so it doesn’t bulge and wrinkle. But it shant be long before it proudly hangs in the costume closet.

I had costumes in the back of my mind, but was so surprised with what God blessed me with! Two dresses and one robe thing, and neither of them need much altering at all! I am so amazed and just wanted to share them with y’all.

The first and my favorite I’ll just call the Crimson Medieval. It has belled sleeves, circle neckline, and makes me feel like royalty . The tubular slitted skirt was no problem to remedy. I wore a my full skirt underneath and hiked up the dress enough to lay gracefully over the skirt.

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The second needs to be altered a little, but the color and the fabric is just amazing! It is very easy to dress up or dress down. I want to raise the waist till it’s more empire, and then I can use for either Regency, or Medieval/Renaissance by attaching full sleeves (Thanks Em for your ideas!)

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The third I don’t have any pictures of, (packed it away already) but is very easy to describe. It is an overdress like Kasie’s from her Regency costume. However, mine is red velvet, shorter, and edged with metallic gold thread. It would look very stunning and Napoleonic to wear over a white regency gown. It can also serve as a short cape with no difficulties

I am so happy and grateful for the new additions to my costume wardrobe!

We received an invitation a couple weeks ago to a “Vintage Family Ball”, held and taught by home schoolers in Bedford. Since our friend E.M. from church wanted to attend as well, she got to come over as we finished last minute preparations! Kasie and I had finished our gowns a week or so before, but I had forgotten about Walter’s cravat, and was cutting it out the day of the ball! Walter dressed as half Mr. Bingley, and half Captain John Smith, but everyone thought he was the coolest looking gentleman of them all. I quite agree .

I wish we took some video of the ball to show y’all! Alas, we had were too busy talking and dancing to really think about that . The fellowship was so amazing!

As far as the dances went, I was expecting more of the slow Pride and Prejudice dances (English Country Dancing) that we’re familiar with, but Kasie and I were both surprised. Most everyone was dressed in Antebellum style, (hoop skirts and all) and the dancing was very aerobic, faster than most square dancing. (Though not as crazy as this dance that we did once). Kasie and I were thankful for our lady-like fans, and we employed them vigorously!

There were simple dances such as Virginia Reel and the Grand March, and rather funny ones like the Polka and the Broomstick Waltz. In the Broomstick Waltz, there is one extra gentleman on the floor who begins dancing with a broom. As soon as the music stopped, all the gentlemen had to switch partners as fast as they could, so they wouldn’t end up dancing with a broom!

Also I liked “Strip the Willow” and “The Snowball Reel” which included lots of weaving arm turns, twirling, sashaying and arching! All the dances were delightful, and so much fun to sway my skirt to! Thankfully I didn’t trip on my dress, but I did sympathize with Cinderella when I lost my shoes! I was twirling and skipping round so fast, that they were flying off. Eventually, I decided to join everybody else and dance barefoot . The ball reluctantly ended at 11:00, yet we were all happy to rest in the car and sleep like logs when we came home!

“Oh I do love a ball!” – Lydia Bennet

As usual, I have written far to much! It’s so nice to easily blog again (Past couple weeks have difficult, with our mouse malfunctioning). Enjoy the pictures!

P.S. Sorry they came out blurry…. Our built in flash was just not doing the job, so we had to resort to longer exposure times.

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B.C
We all have a general idea of what people wore in the Old and New Testaments so I won’t go in depth here. Surprisingly, the Bible has quite a lot to say about clothing. My family has been reading through Leviticus and I confess I do enjoy imagining how the splendid the priests garments looked! I give my hand to those expert seamstresses back then I still can’t comprehend how they wove an entire garment in one piece with no seams!

Greek/Roman:

These garments were generally loose robes, and made of one or two lengths of fabric. I’m putting these ancient empires together because they are very similar in their style and make (to me anyway) . The middle-upper class male citizens of Rome were entitled to Togas, which they wore over a short tunic. The Greek and Roman armor varied more in the non-essentials such as the shape of their shields or type of helmet. Nonetheless I have a photo of both Greek and Roman soldiers.

A.D

Moving on to the Middle Ages. Men’s clothing obviously varied with the type of social class, occupation, and nationality. My study here is regionally centered in Western Europe.

With the birth of the church, bishops and leaders began dressing simply or ornately to distinguish their position. Knights wore either heavy armor, or leather jerkins with chain mail on top for battle. Peasants wore simple tunics and breeches, usually accompanied by long elf-like hats. Yeomen such as Robin of Locksley wore the legendary “Lincoln Green”, snug breeches with a loose shirt/vest and belt. (If any body can tell me what Lincoln Green is I would be most appreciative)

Because the movies Two Towers, Return of the King, and the Chronicles of Narnia borrowed immensely from the Medieval style, those said movie pictures are in this category.

Renaissance: Around this time biblical doctrine, the arts, literature, inventions, and yes costumes flourished. The costumes grew in ornate embroidery, gorgeous velvets, and produced a general “look” for their shirts that continued until the Jamestown era. The “tops” (for lack of a better word) generally consisted of 2 layers of mid-thigh length shirts with a belt around it, wide sleeves gathered at the wrist, sometimes accompanied by a short cloak of the same length. They wore breeches or very snug tights, and flat hat rather like a beret embellished with feathers.

Shakespearean/Elizebethian/Pirate. I put the Pirate section in here because (in my mind) most of the buccaneer period extended when Sir Francis Drake seeking out the Spanish Main. But I just noticed that some of my pirate pictures contain a few very Colonial elements. My apologies!

Collars for both rich men and woman began to stick out horizontally around this time. But since I found so many more sensible attire for this period, I didn’t chose any pics with those collars I think this is when pants began to widen and have that poofy look. A prime example is Captain John Smith, a hero remains a paragon of perseverance for us treasure hunters . Loose linen shirts became widely worn, and depending upon their funds, a velvet or leather doublet went upon that. When I designed Walter’s costume for Jamestown, I decided to skip the doublet because I surmised it would be rather hot! Good thing I did too.

Armor was surprisingly still in use among the gentlemen adventurers in the New World. Knee length full cloaks were a must during cold weather, and “flop-over” boots were used everywhere.

Cavalier/Musketeer: Some of the elements of this period are similar to the previous one, but I just had to make an entire category because it is my (so far) favorite! I can’t pin my finger on it but something about just looks well… dashing.

A little background for the history buffs…Most everyone knows that Musketeers were the personal guards for the French kings beginning in 1622. But few know about English counterpart, the Cavaliers. They were birthed in the early 1640s during the English Civil War when the country was split between the Loyalists and the Pariliameners. Cavalier was the name Parliament-ers gave to staunch highborn supporters of King Charles the I.

This look or style is characterized by the “Cavalier hat”, a felt or leather hat with one side flipped up with a plume sticking out of the gap. And of course, don’t forget that mustache and goat-tee! They wore white shirts which by this time began to show ruffles at the sleeve ends and on the collar. A belt was worn over the shirt, or a doublet or jacket. Their capes were knee to floor length, and they wore the same type of flop over boots. Depending on the occasion, Cavaliers and Musketeers wore leather or white gloves that “belled” out half way up the forearm. They were both known for their extravagance and attention to dress.

An then for duels which were so common in those days a Musketeer or Cavalier would always carry about their rapiers. The French style rapier looks rather flimsy to me, I prefer the English myself (like the one Walter has). But then again I’m biased.

Colonial: The ruffles got more ruffly, and the knee-length coat with the open front typifies this period. Top it off with a tri-cornered hat! Though I’m sure they wore boots when they were riding, they mostly wore knee-length breeches, white stockings, and buckle shoes. Men would wear powdered wigs to make them look older and wiser. Interesting thought – back then age was respected and valued.

The military style of this period basically stayed the same to the Napoleonic wars. So pardon me if some of these look the same as the next section.

Napoleon/Regency. (I’m calling the military costumes Napoleon, and the civilian dress Regency. Same time period)

Officer’s clothes especially in this period were studded with gold buttons, braids, and shoulder embellishments. Color of their uniforms and shape of their hats varied greatly with nationality, position or branch of service (i.e. army vs. navy) They wore swords or sabers as well as pistols.

The Regency gentlemen wore frock tail coats, waist coats/vests, top-hats, ruffled white shirts, breeches and riding boots, and a special type of white tie called a Cravat. Many Equestrians more or less dress this way for dressage or hunting events. All men (except those who were staying at home or dancing) wore English riding boots, which haven’t changed that much if you look at them today.

Civil War: The civilians continued the top hat and their coats generally began to look like Abraham Lincoln’s, except on formal occasions tail-coats were worn. Their casual coats might have been split in the back, but they certainly began to look more “suit-ish”.

The soldiers of both North and South had the same basic style. Their jackets had 2 rows of buttons and were reached about mid-thigh, with a sash or a belt went on top of that. The enlisted men were stuck with those short caps that we associate with the Civil War. One reenactor told me they did a horrible job of keeping the sun of your face and neck!

Frontier/Cowboy: This overlaps on the civil war and actually continued through the early 20th century. I’m sure everyone knows what a cowboy looks like and with good reason. They are popular chaps. Why even Teddy Roosevelt himself was a cowboy at one time! And since Mexico does has something to do with the Wild West, so I’m throwing El Matador in here as well.

Early 1900s: This period is typified by Tweed suits, or the “Sherlock Holmes” cape/cloak, along with boater or derby hats. This is as far as my study goes because I don’t really care for any of the styles after this period -they got a little strange! Fashion mainstays are still fashion mainstays: Suits. Jeans. Button down shirts.

Some more resources on gentlemen’s period costume are:

Gentlemen’s Emporium and Jas Townsend