armed with much inspiration and courage from my friend mary (one of several dear mary friends) and her 1840s sewing expertise, i have completed my first really big 1840s sewing endeavor: a gown for tashi. i cut it out and started on it in may or june, but set it aside as the summer became busier. and i questioned my fabric choice that i had originally belabored - although i loved it, it didn't really seem to match tashi and here serene personality. then a few weeks ago our artist friend michael bedard asked tashi to pose as sarah granger kimball for a painting, or series of paintings he is planning based on the beginnings of the relief society in nauvoo. sarah was well educated and cultured and married one of the wealthiest men in nauvoo - and i had the inspiration for finishing the gown that fit her (sarah's) personality. it's as authentic as i could make it without time to sew entirely by hand. it came together smoothly and was a joy to work on. serpentine stripes were the height of fashion in the 1840s. the fabrics were sophisticated and colorful, and intricately detailed then, not plain and drab as we are prone to imagine.
this was my first experience with cartridge pleating a skirt and stitching each little pleat to the waistband, stiffened with horsehair braid, by hand. the bodice is fully lined and full of boning.
these photos were taken during the practice photo shoot, there have been two more since. her ringlets weren't holding (we were copying the hairstyle from a portrait of sarah granger kimball.) we got better at managing the ringlets in subsequent shoots.
the photos were taken at the sarah granger kimball home. this first painting is planned to be sarah enjoying the flowers in her beautiful gardens.
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Oh my goodness, the dress is gorgeous! Your daughter looks so lovely. Why can't we still wear dresses like that today? How exciting to pose for a painting too!
Posted by: Chocolate on my Cranium | September 09, 2009 at 09:42 PM
I love everything about It! You did great. (as always) I love how the gather in the sleeve almost has the look of Ric rac- so neat. I also love how the cartridge pleating looks in the first photo of Tashi. You can really see how it holds the skirt of the dress out if you look by her right arm and her waist line. You are so good! I can't believe it is your first dress.
Posted by: mary | September 11, 2009 at 05:39 AM
I love this! So pretty!
Posted by: Jill Mulder | September 12, 2009 at 09:06 AM
I lOVE love love the 3rd pic (hence the 3 loves)
Posted by: glor | September 12, 2009 at 09:45 AM
the dress is amazing. RAchel has been begging to get a pride and prejudice dress. I will have to show her these pics. love it.
Posted by: heather | September 23, 2009 at 08:22 AM
Hello! I came across this post after doing a Google Images search for 1840's dresses. A friend and I are attempting our own reproduction dresses and I was wondering if you would mind telling me how you worked out your pattern. I really love the silhouette you ended up with.
Posted by: Maureen E | October 10, 2010 at 08:35 PM
Those dresses are gorgeous!! So I have a question...did you make up the pattern yourself???? That's amazing, either way. Would you mind pointing me in the direction of some 1840's dress patterns (if it was a pattern)...I'd really appreciate it. Thanks, Kami
Posted by: Kami | December 09, 2010 at 02:38 PM
Gorgeous!
Posted by: Emily | June 21, 2011 at 09:16 PM