Yuletide at Rock Ford Plantation

This winter I returned to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to celebrate Christmas with my family. While there I had the opportunity to attend a lovely event at Rock Ford Plantation, the 1790s home of General Edward Hand. The house is one of my favorite museums to visit. It is beautifully decorated according to how it looked during the years that the Hand family lived there (1790s to early 1800s). Many of the walls are painted a vibrant blue to match the original paint color - it's truly stunning.

The Rock Ford docents try their best to replicate the clothing worn during that era in history. It is always enjoyable to visit their candlelit evening events to see them dancing in the hallway to live music and enjoying a game of cards in the parlor, while below stairs docents portray servants cooking in the working hearth (another activity that I had the chance to participate in this winter).

Unfortunately, I was not able to dress in period attire for the occasion due to another activity the same evening, but I did get the chance to stop in and be inspired by the clothing of others.

The ladies above, Pam, Cindy and Nancy (my mother) each created their own attire.

My mother made this reproduction of the white and red striped 1790s jacket from the Kyoto Costume Institute's book 'Fashion'. Her jacket is made from a lovely pumpkin orange silk. The skirt is ivory with a diamond pattern woven into it.

Here she poses with Tom, a fellow docent.

Two very stunning Empire style gowns. The lady on the left is April Thomas of www.18thcenturygowns.com. She is attired in a lovely changeable blue-purple silk velvet gown. It looked a gorgeous deep blue in person. The muff was made by April and was constructed from diamond pieces of real fur. It was inspired by period images of similar muffs. There was a fad for harlequin items in the 18th century inspired by the diamond costumes traditionally worn by the comic Harlequin character in the Italian Commedia dell'arte.

Andrea, on the right is wearing a red embroidered silk robe with a lovely sheer white gown. She is fortunate enough to have a husband who creates her wardrobe for her while she crafts stunning reproduction jewelry pieces that can be found at www.ameysadornments.com. Andrea's turban headdress was made by Miller's Millinery.

Above: Andrea and Nancy in the formal parlor. Below: April, Mark and Andrea in the formal parlor.

Yuletide at Rock Ford was an inspiring event as usual.

Tavern Nights

Once a month Rock Ford holds a Tavern Night in the historic barn on site that includes dinner, dancing and a great opportunity to wear Revolutionary War era clothing. The event can be attended in modern dress as well.

Revolutionary Rock Ford

This summer Rock Ford will be hosting a huge Revolutionary War Reenactment on site. The Lancaster County Park where the Plantation resides is an excellent location for such an event because it is completely secluded from modern life and offers the chance to go back in time. Some of my particular favorite moments of the event are - the fall leaves that are always at their peak of beauty at the time of the reenactment, lovely costumes worn by docents and reenactors, and the vendors - of course. If you are in the area and have a chance to attend this event as a spectator or reenactor - please do, it is a wonderful event. This year, I will once more be costuming the fashion show and also look forward to making myself a new gown for the occasion.

18th c. men's patterns

Check out these FREE patterns for 18th c. men's clothing on the Los Angeles County Museum of Art website: http://www.lacma.org/patterns

1795-1805 Silk Dress

For my mother's birthday earlier this fall I made a blue silk 1795-1805 dress for her to wear when she volunteers at Rock Ford Plantation in Lancaster, PA. The blue silk was the perfect shade for her - she loves blue. She really loved the gift and I think that it looks very beautiful on her. Here she is wearing it at Rock Ford.

The dress was made from a pattern that I created several years ago based off of an original garment from Pennsylvania. This style was popular in this era of transition into the higher waistline and more diaphanous fabrics.

1795-1803 Silk Robe

Pictures of the c1795-1803 reproduction silk robe.

1798-1805 Silk Gown

A few pictures of the recently completed c1798-1805 Silk Gown.

Regency Silk Dress

c.1798-1805

Finally, pictures of the recently completed Regency Silk Dress. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

I'm thrilled with the lines of the back. The train seems to be the perfect length - awesome, since I had to cut very carefully to get all of the pieces out of the silk lining.

I didn't have quite enough fabric to line the sleeves as planned, but I really like how they turned out. I ended up using some plain sheer silk organza from my stash to line the sleeves.

A pearl button secures the bib-front.

Regency Silk Robe

c.1795-1803

I finally own a Regency Robe! I've wanted one of these since 'Sense and Sensibility' came out ages ago. I always loved the peach robe worn by Kate Winslet as Marianne Dashwood.

The lovely pleated back. Pattern from 'Patterns of Fashion' Original.

Regency Dress Update

Just a quick update on my progress with the Sheer Ivory Organza Regency Dress. I've been working diligently on sewing it and it is now all but complete. It has yet to be hemmed and then it will be finished. I will photograph both the Sheer Regency Dress and the Ivory Silk Pelisse shortly. The Pelisse was finished long ago but had not been photographed because I didn't have a dress to photograph or wear it with - the reason I made the Sheer Regency Dress. The Pelisse looked rather risque on the mannequin without a proper undergarment. Heh.

Aside from sewing I've been hosting dinner parties like a mad woman and working on updating my Portfolio. I'm super excited about this Civil War reenacting season as I already have a number of ideas for new clothing and accessories to add to my wardrobe. It's been sooo long since I've been able to look forward to a summer with this many reenactments to attend!

Patterns of Fashion Regency Dress

The Sewing Room is cleaned up thanks to a little help from my Handsome. I was at a loss to determine how to properly store all of the fabric and decorations that I was trying to house in my Sewing Room. Handsome came up with a few very helpful storage solutions. I'll be sure to post pictures eventually.

Now I'm hard at work on a Regency Dress from Janet Arnold's "Patterns of Fashion 1". I'm making the c1798-1805 "Morning Dress" on page 48-49. My dress is an evening dress though, so the pattern will be slightly tweeked to suit the fabric and style needed.

The fabric is an Ivory Sheer Silk Organza with Gold embroidered rectangles. Found at the PA Fabric Outlet in Leola, PA for $.99/yd...and I got a 50% employee discount, so it was $.50/yd - score! The Ivory Beaded Silk was purchased on Clearance at JoAnns several years ago. The Ivory Beaded Silk will be the lining for the dress. I considered removing the beads, but they looked so lovely showing through the sheer organza. The above original reminded me of the fabric that I will be using for my reproduction.

The dress is to be worn under the Ivory Pearl Beaded Silk Robe c1795-1803 from "Patterns of Fashion 1" page 44-45. I love the way it turned out! I can't wait to make more garments using that pattern. I made the Robe from Ivory Pearl Beaded Silk.

Here are a few links that might interest you if you're working on a similar project:

First, if you don't like enlarging patterns from grids, the same pattern as the "Patterns of Fashion" Morning Robe c.1798-1805 can be purchased from Reconstructing History.

Wearing-History c.1806-09 Dress from "Patterns of Fashion" Reproduction - Very Pretty!

Vintage-Textile Metallic Brocaded Silk Dress c.1810

And, 'Getting Dressed in 1805' by Koshkacat on Youtube - learn how to put on a drop front regency dress!

Rock Ford Christmas

I'm living vicariously through my mother again! Since moving to Pittsburgh I am still in the process of locating museums and living history events to attend in period costume, so for now you'll have to see pictures from all the events that my mother attends!

This weekend Historic Rock Ford Plantation in Lancaster, Pennsylvania hosted a Christmas Candlelight Tour. My mother, a docent at the museum, participated. She is pictured above in the green sheer dress. Her role this year was to help a docent portraying Mrs. Edward Hand, the lady of the plantation, to dress for the evening. 'Mrs. Hand' is on the right in a shift, silk stays, quilted petticoat, and bedgown. My mother told me some fancy name for the bedgown...she thought it was called a nighttrail? I've never heard of this before. What is the proper term for a long bedgown style jacket like this?

Choosing a gown for the evening.

Mom's sheer dress was patterned by me, based off of the same original dress as Pam's dress further down in this post. I'm in the process of patterning a new style of regency dress with a bib front. It's similar to the bib front gown in 'Patterns of Fashion'.

Rock Ford Christmas

Pam wearing a Silk c1795-1805 dress based off of an original silk dress from Pennsylvania.
I draped the pattern for this dress.

Regency Dress

I'm loving this dress!

Actually, I don't know anything about the painting - artist, date, subject. I love that V front and the fullness of the skirt! I'd love to make my white silk dress like this, but I don't think the V bodice would look that great with the Pelisse, so I'm sticking to another design.

Regency Dress Thoughts

I'm sorry for my lack of interesting posts! I have been a busy bee lately with Holiday Decorating, travelling home for an early Christmas with my family, and working at a fabric store (fun!). The house is all decorated for Christmas now and it's time to begin sewing once more! At the top of the list is a White Sheer Silk Organza Dress to coordinate with the White Silk Regency Pelisse (that I still need to photograph to show you!). I'm still determining the pattern that I will use. It's looking like I may have to draft my own. But I'm wishing that there was an easier way out. (P.S. The above picture is from another Regency dress project, not the current one.)

I know it's not just me. How many of you love to collect patterns because it makes it look as if sewing is so easy? With their beautiful glossy pictures on the front it seems as if all you have to do is select the fabric and then sit down for a few minutes and "whala" you have an amazing finished garment. But for me, at least, sewing is the boring, mundane, dull and tedious part that I dislike! The research, designing, and patterning stage is my favorite. I'm still crossing my fingers and hoping to someday develop a passion for the sewing part!

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Brom Bones & Ichabod Crane (Dan Deal)

On a cool fall evening in the year 1794, an evening gathering was held by the Van Tassels (in the heart of Lancaster County at Rock Ford Plantation). At this gathering the lovely Katrina Van Tassel would be courted by Brom Bones and Ichabod Crane. And perhaps the legendary Headless Horseman would make an appearance?


Brom & Katrina Van Tassel (Stephanie Jo Wise)

Party Guests playing at Cards

A lovely spread of delightful foods was set for the evening's entertainment.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Mark & Andrea Amey

Notice Mark's apron attached to his button. This is for a working impression.

Nathaniel

Nancy

Jenny & Vance

When Jenny and I first met we discovered that our husbands had similar names - Vince and Vance, and that Vince and his brothers joke that Vance is his evil twin, and Vance joked that Vince was his evil twin! Now we know that we have to get the two of them together to meet! I'm sure they'll discover that neither is the evil twin. ;)

This burgandy cotton dress is one of my favorites that I've made! It was based off of a c1795-1810 dress from Pennsylvania. I draped the pattern from pictures of the original. It's the perfect style for Rock Ford Plantation, where they focus on the era between 1794-1802 (the years Edward Hand and his family lived in the home before he died in 1802).