This blue day dress was one of my later ones in my Civil War reenacting time. I really like how the shape of it turned out and it fit me surprisingly well (except for that right shoulder maybe) considering I didn't have a dress form or anything.
The 150th Gettysburg is coming up next year and it's been on my mind. The last time I went to the 135th Gettysburg at 16 I lived in Indiana and it was quite the drive! Now, 15 years later I live only an hour away. Even though I don't reenact anymore, the hobby has been calling to me. 15 years ago I committed to going to the 150th anniversary event and now that I live so close, I really have no excuse and I would regret it if I didn't go. And if I didn't go in costume, well I would regret that even more.
So, I thought it wouldn't hurt to finally add the trim I'd been planning to add all this time. Just in case... 2 kids later, I actually don't know if it even still fits. So, I might need to make a new dress anyway.
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| Here you see the dress with the blue trim only on the sleeves. |
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| A long time ago, I hand stitched these buttonholes myself! There were a lot... |
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| I added on the blue velvet trim to the cap sleeve like I've been wanting to do all these years. |
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| An inside look at the skirt gathered and hand-stitched pleat by pleat to the bodice. |
I'm thinking that I now want to cover the buttons buttons in blue velvet and add a blue velvet collar. I actually have a blue velvet hat that goes with this dress. Would that be blue velvet overkill?
The only thing that's holding me back is that if I go in costume, I'd want my family to go in costume. That means I'd need to make an entire outfit (including period underwear) for 2 children and my husband. That is very intimidating! The funny thing is that a long time ago, as a teenager, I bought fabric for a boy's shirt and a girl's dress; looking forward to the day when I had my own children because of
course we would be a reenacting family. haha! And it's also funny that I happen to have a boy and a girl.
Another challenge, though, is that I don't even have a civilian unit I can attach myself to yet!
I guess we'll see how it all works out.
