Cranberry Red 1837 Christmas Dress

Ok, I lied.  Weeeeeeellll...I didn't really liiiiieee.  It was actually a rather "Squirrel!!" moment.  You know...the kind that Doug from UP! had! 

This moment....

I was calmly going along, taking a break from sewing, when all of a sudden I was sucked back into the tormenting whirwind of the sewing machine.  You see, I was at the birth of an event that my church will be having this coming Saturday.  My Brother in Law, Chris,  is going to be reading Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" during the event and I volunteered my costuming group to come dressed up in our Dickens' best!  Well, it has sort of grown and taken on a life all its own, which is so fabulous!!  My Greg is going to be Ebenezer Scrooge, there will be a young Ebenezer and his love Belle, villagers who are out and about shopping for the Christmas holiday!!!  It is going to be a super wonderful event and I cannot wait for the day!  

I got some ladies from the church to volunteer to dress up as well, wearing two of my 1863 dresses.  The reason for my sewing a new dress is this...my one hoop is being lent out, so I will be wearing my corded petticoat and 1830s petti.  I need a dress to go over it.  Well, I just made the 1830 Cranford dress and that's just fine but it is very Autumn-y and not at all Christmas-y, like I really want it to be.  To that end, I have decided to make a new dress for the event.  I had a HUGE drapery panel of cranberry dupioni silk (yes I know they didn't use dupioni in the 1830s, but I am sticking with the stash!!!!) in my stash that I thought would be perfect.  I had already made the Past Patterns 1830s Full Round Gown and it went together so smoothly, so that was a cinch.  I have chosen to use the sleeves from the Past Patterns Lowell Mill Dress pattern as the sleeves are more appropriate for the era that "A Christmas Carol" is written.  Plus, I really wanted a dress from the year the young Queen Victoria took the throne.  So, killing two birds with one stone!  Huzzah!!!

The inspiration for my 1837 dress is this faaaaaabulous one from The Litchfield Historical Society.  It makes me so stupidly happy!  Hello Popeye arms!!!

This is what I have done so far.  All I need to do now is the sleeves and the pereline!

The only buckle I have on this short notice is this silver one that was also in my stash.

Bodice and skirt pattern Past Patterns 003

Sleeve and Pelerine pattern Past Patterns 806

Since I could find noooooooooo trace of anyone who had made this sleeve pattern, I shall do my best to document the construction of the sleeve in case anyone else is interested!!!

Until next post, I will leave you with the "commercial" for the event on Saturday!!!  It is so funny!!!

Ye Olde Fashioned Family Christmas Promo Part 1

Blessings to you all!

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