Sewing Guild References

Artist's rendering of the proceedings.
(Or the frontispiece to the Workwoman's Guide.)

Here are links to some of the titles and fabric stores that came up during the Fort Nisqually Sewing Guild meeting on January 16.

Books
The Dressmaker's Guide by Elizabeth Stewart Clark (for sale here) is the book that was being passed around and constantly referenced.  The sewing support forum is found at http://thesewingacademy.org/. [Added: In the February meeting we discussed buttonholes.  Liz also has a tutorial on those here.]

Nancy and Tracy also had a lovely presentation of workbaskets and sewing tools.  Virginia Mescher's article "The Case of the Lost Thimble" has additional information on this topic, including pictures of period tools and notions.  The sewing accessory book that was mentioned is Anna Worden Bauersmith's Fanciful Utility.

The Workwoman's Guide (1838) is the period book that was brought up several times.  A reprinted edition is for sale in the Fort's gift shop or your preferred book retailer; electronic versions are available free on Internet Archives and Google Books (the 1838 version has the pattern "plates" set into the text, while the 1840 version has them all at the end).

Some other period needlework books which I have found interesting include:

The Ladies' self instructor in millinery and mantua making, embroidery and appliqué, canvas-work, knitting, netting, and crochet-work (1853) includes all the aforementioned subjects and then some. Unfortunately for us, the author devotes most of her descriptions to what materials to use rather than giving details on how to execute the stitches.  Images primarily are of embroidery designs, as well as a few fancy stitches.

The Ladies' Work Table Book (1850) is another cornucopia of needlework techniques; I believe much of the plain sewing section was lifted verbatim from this book for the above.  Of the two, I find this one easier to navigate, somehow.

The Girl's Own Toymaker (1860) features period instructions for doll clothes.  The author of The Ladies' Work Table Book opines that sewing doll clothes is the best training for sewing human clothing.

The Sampler by Lady Elizabeth Finch (1855) is a guidebook for school sewing instruction; it walks through cutting and stitching various basic garments.  It's an interesting peek into sewing and pedagogical methods of the time.

Method for Teaching Plain Needlework in Schools (1861) has fewer garment instructions than The Sampler, but does provide illustrations of the different exercises and "plain sewing" samplers.  It also aimed at the public school teacher, and discusses how to arrange and a conduct a sewing class.

Miss Leslie's Lady's House Book (1850) covers many topics, including some very readable sewing advice and instructions for a few basic garments like shirts and chemises.

Fabric Sources
There are some "local" shops carry useful fabrics--I like Nancy's Sewing Basket in Seattle for silks and fine cottons; Portland's Fabric Depot has a nice selection of reproduction cotton prints; the Pendleton Outlet near Oregon City has lovely wools.  Here are some on-line retailers as well:

Reproduction Fabrics. The website is divided by era, which makes it easier to find good prints.  To be foolproof, call the store: they can direct you to good fabrics for your year and project.

Hancock's of Paducah. Also has a large selection of reproduction prints, but they are all mixed together (18th-20th century). Be sure to check the dates on the fabric before ordering (or compare it to original samples).  They also currently have the best price I've found on white pimatex cotton (a really good fabric for undergarments).

Originals by Kay carries garment-appropriate fabrics intended for historical reproductions, including gorgeous silks and hard-to-source items like cotton and silk net.  The proprietress is also a historic costumer and pattern-maker, so if you explain your project, she may be able to suggest fabrics for it.

Fabric.com carries white pima and occasionally has other fabrics suitable for period attire (I once found a fun sheer silk in the home dec department).

Fashion Fabrics Club has a variety of silk, wool, and fine cottons (some in period patterns, some not); their sales can be very good.

Dharma Trading Co caters to the dye market, and carries lots of beautiful materials like silk gauze and longstaple cottons.  Most of it is white, however.

Puresilks has gorgeous silk taffeta, which is an absolute dream to sew, and makes lovely evening gowns, fashionable day-wear, and accessories.  Satin, and brocade silks can also be period appropriate, though harder to work with, in my opinion. Do not buy silk dupioni for period use.

Wm Booth, Draper caters to the Revolutionary war crowd, but some of the fabrics can be used for mid-19th century as well.  Silks, wool, linen, and cottons--including that cotton velvet in my basque.

Lacis carries finer grades of cotton and silk fabric, as well as coutil for corsets.  Incidentally, this a good place to look for esoteric fiber craft supplies.

Reform Literature

Abolition Meeting Held at Willis' Rooms in Honor of Harriet Beecher Stowe (1853)

Here are a few titles available on-line for American (and some British) radical left-wing causes of the 1840s-60s.

Abolition
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass (1852)
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852)
An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South by Angelina Grimke (1836) Also here.
Autobiography of a Female Slave by Martha Griffith Browne (1856)
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs (1861)
Annual Report of the American Anti-Slavery Society (1861)
The Constitutional Duty of the Federal Government to Abolish American Slavery (1855)
The Abolition of Slavery by William Lloyd Garrison (1861)
Colonization and Abolition by J. H. B. Latrobe (1852)
The Philosophy of the Abolition Movement by Wendel Philips (1860)
A Dissertation on Slavery; With a Proposal for the Gradual Abolition of it, in the State of Virginia (1861)
Slavery: Letters and Speeches by Horace Mann (1855)
The Unconstitutionality of Slavery by Lysander Spooner (1860)
Miscellaneous Writings on Slavery by William Jay (1853)
The Slavery Question by John Lawrence (1854)
The Anti-Slavery Movement: A Lecture by Frederick Douglass (1855)
The Anti-Slavery Alphabet by Hannah and Mary Townsend (1847)
Slavery vs. Abolition (1860) [An opposing view, see also Anti-Abolition Tracts (1863) and Abolition and Secession (1862)]

Women's Rights (Property and Suffrage)
The Responsibilities of Woman by Clarina Nichols (1851)
Woman's Rights Tracts by Wendell Phillips, et al. (1841)
Proceedings of the National Women's Rights Convention (1854)
Proceedings of the Women's Rights Convention Held at West Chester, PA (1852)
A Scriptural View of Women's Rights and Duties (1849)
The Condition, Influence, Rights, and Appeal of Women (1845)
A Treaty on the Legal and Equitable Rights of Married Women by William H. Cord (1861)
A Book For The Times: Lucy Boston; Or Women's Rights and Spritualism (1855) [An opposing view; for more, see Punch]

Dress Reform ("Bloomer", "Reform Dress", "American Costume")
Dress Reform by Ellen Beard Harman (1862)
"Female Dress in 1857" in The Foreign Quarterly Review
Report of the Proceedings of the Third Annual Meeting of the National Dress Reform Association (1858)
"More Testimony for the Bloomer" in Heath: A Home Magazine (1853)
"Dress for the Garden, etc." in The American Agriculturalist (1863)
"The American and French Fashion Contrasted" in The Water-Cure Journal (1851)

Temperance
Ten Nights in a Barroom and What I Saw There by T. S. Arthur (1855)
Temperance Pamphlets (1841)
The Triumphs of Temperance: A Discourse (1855)
First Words on Temperance: A Lecture by Rev. Robert Maguire (1861)
The Temperance Cause: Past, Present and Future (1865)
Illustrated Temperance Tales by T. S. Arthur (1850)
The Youth's Temperance Lecturer by Dr. Charles Jewett (1861)
The National Temperance Magazine (1850)
Temperance and Total Abstinence by Spencer Thomson (1850)
Temperance: A Sermon by W. P. Tilden (1856)
Tracts: Prize Tracts from the Scottish Temperance League (1850) are all 4 pages long, and easy to print out in pamphlet form (they were also re-printed in 1861).  There's also the Edinburgh (1854) and Ipswich (1865) temperance tracts

Health Fads (Water Cures, Diets)
The Water-Cure Journal (1852, 1853, 1854, 1863)
The Water Cure; Applied to Every Known Disease by J. H. Rausse (1850)
Hydrotherapy, or The Water Cure by Joel Shrew (1851)
The Water Cure Manual by Joel Shew (1852)
"The Science of Diet" in The People's Review (1850)
Vegetable Diet by William Alcott (1859)
"Graham's Lectures on the Science of Human Life" in The Eclectic Journal of Medicine  (185)
The Vegetarian Advocate (1848)
The American Vegetarian & Health Advocate (1850)
The Vegetarian Messenger (1851)
Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the American Vegetarian Society (1860)
Principles and Practice of Vegetarian Cookery by John Smith (1860)

Songs and Plays
Seven Night in a Barroom [A Temperance Entertainment] (1863)
Temperance Song Book (1841)
The Temperance Melodeon (1850)
The National Temperance Songster (1853)
Thompson's Band of Hope Melodies (1860)
The Anti-Slavery Harp (1846)
Anti-Slavery Songs (1849)

Cross-post: Victorian Clothing Research and Help for New Reenactors

1861 Engraving from Der Bazaar

All self-promotion is purely coincidental. :)

The following are informational posts I've written for my Civil War group's public blog (link conveniently located on the side-bar to your left).

Mourning Attire

More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Hoopskirts

Victorian Make-Up

Color Schemes of the mid-19th Century

A Picture Dictionary of Corset Hardware

Examples of Women's, Men's, and Children's Shoes from the mid-19th Century

Sources for Early 1860s Men's Clothing

Sources for Early 1860s Women's Clothing: Part I and Part II

[I've already mention a lot of these resources in this blog, but if helps, here are my round-ups of primary sources available on-line: writings, paintings, and museum collections, as well as some good secondary sources.] 

More On-Line Resources: Daily Life

It's dangerous to go alone!  Take this.

Before the summer reenacting season starts, here are a few more favorite period resources.  I find reading original literature, periodicals, and manuals helpful in rounding out my persona: they help me find my 'voice' in terms of word usage and style, and provide topics of conversation, ideas for activities, and random minutiae that a nineteenth-century person would know. Answering unscripted questions in character gets easier with that background information.

For those not venturing into first person interpretation, the inclusion of authentic food, activities, music, etc., can still enhance one's impression.

My earlier entries in this series include period patterns for women's clothing, bonnet/hood patterns, original garments & material culture, school books, and nineteenth-century music & literature.

For American Civil War Reenactors, the Library of Congress Civil War Collections have a wealth of photographs and other documents.

Manners and Etiquette
The Behavior Book: A Manual for Ladies (1853-4) by Eliza Leslie (This is probably my favorite period resource, not only for the breadth of information covered, but also for the entertaining tone.)
Hints on Etiquette and the Usages of Society (1843-4) by Charles William Day
The Illustrated Manners Book (1855)

Preparing Period Food
Also featuring some good information on dining practices and servants' roles
Cook Books of the 19th Century
Feeding America: The Historic American Cookbook Project
Historic Food Fortnightly (cooking challenges across all eras: lots of inspiration served)
Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management (linked right to the index)

Games and Activities
The American Girl's Book by Eliza Leslie (1857)
The Girl's Own Book by Lydia Maria Child (1833)
The Book of Parlour Games (1853)
Cassel's Book of In-Door Amusements (1882)
The Sociable; or One Thousand and One Home Amusements (1858)
The Play-ground; Or, Out-door Amusements for Boys (1866)
School and Parlor Tableaux (1883)

Household Tasks & Laundry
The American Family Encyclopedia (1857)
Household Work, Or, The Duties of Female Servants (1850)
The Domestic Service Guide to Housekeeping (1865)
The Laundry Maid: Her Duties and How to Perform Them (1877)

General Advice & Correspondence 
Letters to Country Girls by Jane Grey Swisshelm (1853)
Inquire within upon everything (1856)
The art of letter-writing, illustrated by examples from the best authors (1858)
The hand-book of letter-writing (1861)
The Young Lady's Friend (1838)

Red's Regency Dress, #1

I've a floral print material for Red's dress.  It's about a shirting weight cotton--lighter than quilting calico, but more opaque than a semi-sheer.  She's interested in clean lines and minimal trim.

Cotton dress, American, 1809-10, in The Met.
One of the pieces I'm looking to for inspiration.

Some period inspiration:
Cotton evening dress c. 1809 This one has the longer "short" sleeves preferred by my sister.  It fastens down the back with four dorset (thread-covered) buttons.  The side-back and shoulder seams appear to be corded, or to have small tucks of some sort.  The sheer material lends itself to some beautiful texture/shading effects, with horizontal tucks on the bodice and a diagonal tuck design on the sleeve. The right sleeve appears to have a draw-string 'cuff'.  The waist and neckline may also have drawstrings (or cording).  If I had sheer-er material, I would be very tempted to reproduce this.

Another cotton evening dress c. 1809-10 Very similar to the above.  The design is very plain, showing off the embroidered material.  Interesting 'gathering' on the center back.

Another embroidered muslin c. 1800
Cotton evening gown c. 1804
Cotton and Silk, c.1810 Gathered front bodice.  Fun sleeve decorations.
Silk, long-sleeved dress c. 1815-1820 Neck and waist drawstrings gather the back.  Still appears to have the 'four piece' back happening.
Silk Dress with contrast piping at the neck and arm.  It also appears to have a two-piece back (gathered front and back).  Self-fabric sash edged in contrasting silk.

For construction details, I consulted Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion I.  The half-dozen dresses dated c. 1795-mid 1820s included rectangular, gored, and hybrid skirts.  Gathering was the more common treatment, though some used pleats.  The narrowest skirt was around 96", the largest 128"; most were 100"-108."  If bodice piping is mentioned, I've missed it.

Lucy Johnson's Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail shows several bodices in the period 1800-1820, all of which seem to have either plain or bound seams (I see no cording, even at the arms).  The later 1820s and 1830s dresses show extensive cording at the seams, including contrasting cording and decorative effects. There was also a very intriguing sketch of a long-short sleeved dress, c.1800, with what appears to be seven tucks along the lower portion of each sleeve (unfortunately, the close-up photograph of that dress is on the skirt embroidery--fortunately, the VAM on-line collection has more pictures, though none of them features the sleeve prominently).

Short plan: Make a darted bodice dress (gathering seems more common on the cottons, but she prefers the darted look), with a faux-three/four piece back.  Back fastening with hooks and eyes, as I don't have any good period buttons for a dress. Closely-set "long short" sleeves.  Rectangular skirt of 2.5 44" panels (108" after seams) gathered to the waist, with the fullness concentrated behind, as discussed for the petticoat bodice.  Decorative tucks and self-fabric cording TBD; I'm currently thinking three 1" tucks on the skirt, three smaller tucks on the lower sleeve, and a few vertical tucks at the center front of the bodice, to add some subtle visual interest.

For the pattern, I'll be using the custom-fitted toile mentioned in the petticoat bodice post.  I draped a basic short sleeve, as well.  The skirt needs no pattern.

Music and Literature Resources for Victorian Reenactors

Musical Instinct (1860-69) by Eastman Johnson

 Another resource round-up.  Music makes a fun addition to activities, and doesn't necessarily require lots of extra equipment to incorporate into your impression.  Dance and literature are other favorite recreations of mine (and thus, of my main 19th century persona).  Tons of information survives from the period: these are just a few places to start.

Sheet Music
On-line Sheet Music Collections from the University of Michigan
Library of Congress's Historic Sheet Music Collection
(including 19th Century Song Sheets and Civil War Sheet Music collections)
Johns Hopkins University Levy Sheet Music Collection (custom search allows you to pick your year range, instrument, and topic)

Dance Resources
Dance Instruction Manuals, Library of Congress
Fashionable Dancing by Cellarius (1847)
The Ball-Room Companion (1868)
Diprose's Ball Room Guide (1861)
Brookes on Modern Dancing (1867)

Periodicals and Newspapers
Godey's Lady's Book (some years are also available on Google Books)
Peterson's Magazine (ditto)
Harper's Weekly (also on Internet Archives and Google Books)
Der Bazar (also at the University of Duesseldorf) German language periodical

La Mode Illustree French language periodical, known for its fashion information

Popular Literature
LOC "Books That Shaped America" 1800-1850 1850-1900
Goodreads.com lists popular books by decade: 1840s, 1850s, 1860s
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852)
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (first English translation published 1862)
Eizabeth Gaskell: North and South (1855), Mary Barton (1848)
Charles Dickens: Bleak House (originally published 1852-3), David Copperfield (1849-50), Great Expectations (1860-1) and more
Alexandre Dumas: The Three Musketeers (1844), Twenty Years After (1845), and other titles

Dime Literature
Beadle's Dime Book of Verses
Beadle's Dime Humorous Speaker
Beadle's Dime Song Book
Beadle's Dime American Speaker
The Quakeress Spy (a dime novel)

Some reprints are also available for living history use.  Ragged Soldier Sutlery has a diverse selection. Sullivan Press carries paperbacks, as well as reproduction documents, labels and writing supplies.  Amazon carried reprinted Harper's Weekly newspapers.

Nineteenth Century Schoolbooks Online

The School Exam (1862) by Albert Anker

Collating free period primary sources.  This time, it's school and text-books.  Fair warning: there's a ton more out there.  I'm primarily focusing on American (then English) works.

Reading
Swinton's Primer and First Reader (1883)
The First Reader (Minnesota Series, 1889)
The Normal Course in Reading: First Reader (1892), Second Reader, (Alternate) Third, Fourth
The First Reader of the School and Family Series (1861), Second Reader, Third, Fourth, Fifth
Second Lessons in Reading and Grammar (1831) and Third Lessons

Spelling
Cobb's Spelling Book (1842)
The Spelling Book Superceded (1860, 66th ed.)
Spelling and Language Book (1887)
The Student's Spelling-book (1853, 11th ed.)
First Lessons in Composition (1868)

Penmanship
Theory of Spencerian Penmanship (1874)
The Science of Practical Penmanship (1850)
A Text-book on Penmanship (1862)

Mathematics
First Lessons in Arithmetic (1848)
Another First Lessons in Arithmetic (1853)
Arithmetic: Being a Sequel to First Lessons in Arithmetic (1824--note, this is not the same author or sequence as the two above)
Second Lessons in Arithmetic (1888)
The Standard Arithmetical Copy Book (parts 7 and 8 of 9) (1803?)
Euclid Arranged for Examinations or The Geometry Copy Book (1860)
A Text-book of Deductive Logic (1886)
Marks' First Lessons in Geometry: Objectively Presented (1869)

Languages
The First Book in French (1855)
First Lessons in French (1898)
First Lessons in German (1898)
Ollendorff's New Method of Learning to Read, Write, and Speak The German Language (1859)
First Lessons in Latin (1874)
A Series of First Lessons in Greek (1876)

History
First Lessons in Ancient History for Young People (1869)
Aunt Charlotte's Stories of English History (1873)
Aunt Charlotte's Stories of Bible History (1875)
Aunt Charlotte's Stories of Greek History (1876)
Aunt Charlotte's Stories of German History (1878)
Aunt Charlotte's Stories of Roman History (1881)
Aunt Charlotte's Stories of American History (1883)
Outlines of Medieval and Modern History: A Textbook for High Schools (1894)
The Student's Textbook of English and General History (1858)
Textbook of English History from the Earliest Times for Colleges and Schools (1898)
A Textbook of Indian History (1894, not this is India, not Amer-Indian history)

Sciences
First Lessons in Human Physiology (1846)
Maxwell's General Geography (1869)
First Lessons in Geography (1878)
First Lessons in Geology (1881)
First Lessons in Zoology (1892)

Pedagogy and General School Information
School-Houses (1873) page 16, "Fig. 4. A Dilapidated School-House" says it all, really.
The Village School Improved (1815)
The Teacher's Hand-book (1874)

On-Line Patterns for Clothing (American Civil War/ Mid-Victorian)

Getting into this hobby as a broke high school student, and again as a broke grad student (and now continuing as a broke un/underemployed former student), I've spent a fair amount of time hunting for free patterns and resources on-line.  What follows is a mixture of modern instructions from very generous, reputable persons and original patterns from the 19th century (these are not always easy to work with, especially for a beginner).  Since I mostly do 1855-1865 women's clothing...most of the links are for women's clothing of the 1850s and 1860s.

Useful for New Reenactors

The VERY FIRST Thing to Read Before Making/Buying Women's Clothing:
Your Best Bet Wardrobe by Elizabeth Stewart Clark

General Advice on All Things (but especially non-military clothing for men, women and children)
The Compendium & The Sewing Academy Forums
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society Links (Go for the first person worksheets, stay for the widespread advice)

Patterns & Instructions (& Some Advice) 

Hats and Bonnets
Cost-effective Headwear for All Seasons (advice thread)
Original Soft Bonnet/Hood Patterns On-Line (with my commentary)
Romantic History Hood Pattern (printable, modern instructions)
1861 Knit Hood (Original pattern with modern commentary)

Hair-styling
My Hair Tutorials
Video: Basic Hair (with some alterations to the side-styling, this will get you through much of the 1850s and early 1860s)
Hair Advice (Thread)
Later Victorian Hairdressing (Beautiful step-by-step pictures, but about 15 years post-ACW)
Video: Rag Curls

Chemise Patterns
Mrs. Clark's Chemise Pattern
1860 Chemise Pattern

Drawers Patterns
Draft Your Own Drawers
1863 Drawers Diagram

Corset Patterns
Stays in The Workwoman's Guide (1838/40) [page 80-81, diagram page 327]
"Practical Instructions in Say-Making" in Godey's (1857) [diagram and instructions pages 165-6]
1868 Corset Diagram (Patent)
1869 Corset Pattern

Skirt Support Instructions
A Covered Cage
Cage Crinoline
Another Cage Crinoline (Thread)
Corded Petticoat (Thread)

Petticoat Instructions (Do not wear a hoop without a petticoat--it will look bad)
A Petticoat

Note on skirt supports: Hoops appear in European high society in 1856, and spread quickly--by 1857-8 they're already on the westward trails & America's Pacific coast.  By the early '60's hoops are ubiquitous.  If you're doing pre-'56 events (or are doing 1856, but aren't the Empress Eugenie), use a corded petticoat.  If you're in the 1860s, use a hoop, or select a non-hoop impression (nurse, servant, cook).  Keep hoops away from open fires.

Dress (Bodice) Patterns
Original 1859 Bodice Patterns
Bodice with 3-Piece Back and Coat Sleeves ('60's)
Mrs. Clark's Fitting Instructions
1857 Bodice

Dress (Skirt) Instructions
Gauging a Skirt (No Pattern Needed)

Undersleeves
Undersleeve Instructions

Collars & Cuffs
Draft a Simple Collar (Thread)

Outerwear & Warm Layers
Easy Shawl Instructions
Original Mantle & Cloak Patterns
Original Jacket & Mantle Patterns
1855 Mantle
A Knitted Sontag (and more knitted items for keeping warm)
1859 Winter Cloak

Accessories
Swiss Waist (patterned from an original)
A Basic Apron
1850 Crochet Reticule
Analysis & Dscriptions of Period Hair-Nets

Shoes
Yes.  There are period sources for home-made shoes (ie Every Lady Her Own Shoemaker 1856), but you'll want to buy this item.  See Robert Land Historic Shoes and Fugawee to train your eye, then either save up for the good stuff, or search e-bay & second-hand shops for something passable.  I've heard paddock boots are a possible alternative, depending on your situation.  Things to look for in 'period-passable' shoes: leather upper, low/no heel, fastens with side or front laces or side elastic panel ("congress gaitor"), and square or rounded toe (not pointy).  Speed laces should be removed if possible.
1850 Lady's Slipper (All the fancy work slipper patterns I've seen either have a two-piece upper like this one--a trapezoidal toe-piece with a straight band around the heal, or else a single-piece upper shaped like a bottom-heavy V).

Nightclothes
1859 Nightcap
1859 Nightgown Drawings

Baggage
Pouche Pompadour (elegant travelling bag)
Travelling Bag
Re: Period Baskets (read this before buying a basket; Mrs. Mescher's other articles are as interesting as they are diverse
Toilette Sachets


Looking for something to work on at events?  Antique Pattern Library

New period seamstresses looking for an easier start should buy The Dressmaker's Guide.  I've heard good things about the Truly Victorian patterns, and Past Patterns.  Kayfig patterns are meticulously researched; I've made up their wrapper pattern and found it charming (also, the instructions are a comb-bound book, the first half of which is an illustrated tutorial of period construction techniques). If you pick up Simplicity patterns during the $2 sales, look for the Martha McCain or Kay Gnagley ones--the shapes are good, but the scaling is weird and the instructions aren't always period-appropriate.  I've used several simplicity patterns, but I wouldn't recommend them for a first dress unless you have good spacial sense & really can't afford a more straightforward pattern.

Good luck, and always make a test muslin!

Link-Dump: 19th Century Original Items On-Line

Looking at originals items (whether clothing, housewares, or what have you) is really useful for developing a period 'eye'.  Here are a few sites that I find useful to look through when researching the 'look' of a particular item, or deciding if a reproduction is accurate enough for me to feel comfortable using it.  I originally found many of these sites through The Sewing Academy.*


Original Clothing:
Museum of Fine Arts Boston- Searching the museum collections can be...interesting.  There's a lot of material, so tweaking searches to produce the desired results can some practice.
Met Online Collections- Both the Met and MFA have gorgeous bonnets and dresses.
The John Bright Collection
Los Angeles County Museum
Victoria Albert Museum
UK National Trust
Wisconsin Historical Museum Online Collections
The Henry Ford Museum: Collections Access
Budapest Museum of Applied Art
The Graceful Lady- Pictures of original garments, fashion plates and CDVs.
Barrington House- CDVs
Originals by Kay (Research Corner)- Short articles illustrated with original fashion plates and pictures; also, the research behind Simplicity #2881 and #2887.
La Couturiere Parisienne- Fashion Plates & CDVs, original patterns from the 1850s.
Demode Couture- Extensive list of pictures of original garments, from the 17th-20th centuries
The Fashionable Past- A few original items c. 1820-1910, but with lots of good close-ups showing the construction details.

Original Material Culture:
Steamboat Arabia Pictures, More Pictures, Even More Pictures and the Virtual Tour- A favorite resource for period housewares.
Steamboat Bertrand (official site)- Fewer pictures, but some good close-ups.
Historic New England- Has wide variety of housewares, clothing, and furnishings (like bandboxes).

Pinterest Boards:
Anna Bauersmith- She literally wrote the book on sewing cases and straw bonnets.
Betsy Conolly- Repinned by the Empress herself
Duchess Martin- Note the fabric swatch books and buttons
Jenny Jones-  Original garments; examples of good reproductions for new reenactors


*I end up linking to the SA in every post.  This isn't coincidental, it's just that awesome of a place.

Plaid Sunbonnet I: Research and Links

I decided I needed a more utilitarian headcovering for days when I'm baking or 'doing the wash' at the Fort. I've been using my white sheer sunbonnet (from the 1857 Godey's pattern), but want to try a print/figured fabric that won't show dirt as well and/or doesn't make the visitors compare it to a christening gown*.

The fabric I selected is a light shirting-weight cotton plaid, in white, grey and purple.

Fabric in hand, I went looking for original patterns/instructions circa 1845-1855; I figure this garment would primarily be for Fort use (1855), and wanted to make my mid-century wardrobe less 60's-centered.  I tried all the usual places--Google books and internet archives, looking for Godey's, Peterson's, and other magazines**; I also checked "The Workwoman's Guide" (1838), and "The Ladies' Self-Instructor..."(1853). Apparently, sunbonnet patterns weren't in high demand.

And I can sort of see the point.

If you're not trying to imitate a specific historical period and it's aesthetic foibles, and are acquainted with the general shape, you don't really need a pattern.  The sunbonnet isn't exactly a complicated garment: there's a bit that goes over the head, a bit that goes behind the head, and a bit that hangs down.  All three are/can be basically rectangles (with varying degrees of rounded corners), and can be draped to fit; the same shape could be gotten in two pieces by either cutting the crown and brim as one piece (as in the 1859 hood pattern), or extending the crown and brim to form the curtain/bavolet (I haven't seen this actually done). Mrs. Clark's pattern (see "Make a Slat Sunbonnet"), manages a pretty bonnet out of only one piece.

Not finding an original pattern, I decided to just drape a pattern, using the 3-piece format, and looked to some original bonnets for inspiration.

This corded sunbonnet in a brown cotton plaid looks a lot like my '57 white sheer bonnet in shape and cord placement, even though it's dated c.1840.  The bias-cut brim is a cute touch, which I may duplicate.  The brown is more full than the '57 pattern, and I suspect it's a hold-over from the full, gathered crowns used on caps and bonnets earlier in the century.

I also considered doing a slat bonnet, like this beige linen example, dated 1850. It appears to be cut as a single piece (less ruffles and ties), much like Mrs. Clark's pattern.  I confess, I don't really care for the ruffle on the original.  

This drawn bonnet of teal silk confuses me a bit.  I tend to think of drawn bonnets as fashion bonnets, and long curtains as a practical trait of sunbonnets--even nice sunbonnets.  It's dated c. 1845, and could have something altogether different going on. [Edited to add: apparently, it's actually a capeline: a dressier version of a sunbonnet, or a more practical fashion bonnet.] On the subject of (apparently) weird hybrids, there's this c. 1860 cotton gingham drawn bonnet which has almost no curtains, and is transgressing all of the other generalities.   

This white corded sunbonnet looks a lot like the one I made, with a fuller crown (1840's?) and short-ish curtain.  The horizontal cords along the neck-edge of the brim is an interesting variation, which also appears here.  I'm not sure I could pull that off neatly, but I'm tempted to try...

Sunbonnets in prints, in solid color cottons, and in white cambric cotton.

If I ever find a sheer green wool (or just a sheer wool, it'll dye), I'm making this one.  It's another of those drawn-bonnets with the deep curtains; the date is given "early 19th century".

The more I think about it, the more inclined I am to use the plaid bonnet as a guide.  It's a nice, classic shape that I'm more or less familiar with, and corded brims can be light and comfortable to wear.  I'll save the slat design for next time I'm in a hurry.  The main difference between this and the white are the shape of the side front brim (straight, not curved: should make the cording a little more straightforward), and no apparent back ties.  The crown may also be a bit fuller; it's hard to say.  Ten rows of cording at the front brim should also impart more stability; my white has 5 rows at the front, and it droops awfully if insufficiently starched.

*No idea why.  It's an unadorned, cotton, corded sunbonnet that happens to be white and semi-sheer.

**I did find a lot of references to sunbonnets in fiction; they are rarely described, but are sometimes differentiated "white" (most often), "pink", "blue", "gingham", "check", "print", "muslin", or "calico".  The dictionary of Americanisms (1860) defined: "Sun-bonnet: A homemade bonnet, with a large 'cape', so as to shade both the face and neck, much worn by women and girls in the country."  Elsewhere, there was also a language discussion, in which it was noted that "hat" had largely replaced "bonnet", except in the term "sun-bonnet".  The hyphenated term appeared most often, "sun bonnet" less, and "sunbonnet" not at all.

Links for Original Bonnet Patterns

Every so often, I end up digging out these links for someone or another, so here they are in one convenient place, with my comments and the bonnets I've made from them:

1. Godey's 1857 Sun Bonnet You have to scroll down to it.  I used this pattern for my corded sheer sunbonnet, and like the shape it has.  Don't be overwhelmed by the pattern pieces: there's actually only 3 of them, but they are given a second time as "half" pieces (to be laid out on a fold for cutting).  

(Back, close up on front brim and ties; 'first draft' bonnet sans ties)

Cut two of the brim/front, one crown, and one curtain.  Measure your head before cutting, to ensure that the brim (longwise) will go over your head, coming down to chin height, with the short side going from the crown of your head to your nose (add an inch or so for seam allowances, and a bit extra on the sides so they can be trimmed straight after cording: my first attempt developed a distinct slant and by time I had it straightened out, it was well-suited to someone much smaller than me). Cord the brim segment: I stitched the outer edge--curve to curve--right sides together, then turned it right-side out, and "sandwiched" the cords, top-stitching between all the layers behind each cord. Sugar'n'Creme crochet cotton was used for the cording, and it holds up alright, though it does better with a good starching.  I then joined the crown to the brim (it needs to be eased in a bit), encasing two self-fabric ties in the seam, so that they can be tied in the back for better fit.  The curtain is hemmed along three outer sides (I cut it on the selvage to reduce hemming), and then the top is sewn along the raw edge of the brim/crown portion.  Self-fabric ties are added to the front to keep the bonnet in place when worn.

    

2. 1859 Winter Hood (Finished sketch and description) Sometime it's called the "marquise hood", after the site where the pattern is found.  Though only two pieces, this one's a bit trickier.  Make a mock-up, and try it on over your period hair (mine slips down the back unless it's sitting on a bun).  The "half bell" piece is the brim and crown; cut it out with the straight edge on a fold, giving one large bell-shaped piece.  The other piece is the curtain: cut it on a fold as well, making a sort of rainbow-shaped piece.  The rim of the bell (the straighter curve) is the brim, gather the "top" of the bell to fit it into the curtain (leaving a few inches to fold back the brim), and try it on.  Once you're happy with the fit (I had to cut down the brim, despite my large head and mass of hair), cut the real fabric, quilt as desired, and line with a fun silk.  I encased the raw edges in a silk binding, but you could also sew the edges of each piece to it's lining right-sides-together, turn out, and then join the pieces (this will require hand-sewing the lining separately, I'd rather hand-sew binding). 

(This bonnet is shaped by the curvature of the pieces and a little gathering along the connecting seam.)

3. Mrs. Clark's Sunbonnet Pattern (Not an original bonnet, but appropriate to the 1850s-1860s) This is a very straightforward pattern for a slat bonnet.  It includes women's, teen's, and children's sizes, and apparently makes up quickly.  I've seen several pretty cotton print bonnets made from this pattern, and the friendly people at the Sewing Academy have several threads explaining how to adapt it as a corded bonnet or winter hood.

4. Peterson's 1864 Red Riding Hood (Kelly of Mackin-Art made it up beautifully here, and gives construction details).  This is a straightforward hood; it's all one piece (plus optional lining/non-optional ties).  It's basically a 27" square, with scalloped edges.  One corner is rounded, and the whole piece is gathered along the rounded corner, and on the diagonal between it's two neighbors.  That gathered diagonal becomes the edge along the neck, with ties at it's termini, the rounded "corner" goes up over the head, and fourth, intact, corner is the center point of the triangular curtain.

(The lining in the upper half conceals the tapes used to gather and shape the hood; it also protects the hair when worn.)