Weekly Letter: Where to start?

Hello readers! I thought my first letter to you would be good at finding out more information on where to start reenacting.  It takes a lot of effort, from the wardrobe to the places you'll go and tricks that might help you along the way.
     First off, where are you planning to go for your event?  This will determine a lot when planning a reenacting trip.  For example: If I was to attend a ball I would need a ball gown, a hair style picked out, and the accessories to go with it.  Now, if I was attending a week long camp on the battle field I don't think I would need a beautiful white gown.
     Once you have the event in mind you'll need your packing list.  This is where some people get lost. I can not stress this line enough, You must do your research!!! This means the following:
Google is your friend, please use him. Pinterest is full of links that take out half the work of Googling things.  It never hurts to go to the library and read up on the time period you are reenacting.
      I'm not joking when I say you will be known as "Farby" if you show up with your hair down, shoulders showing and outlandish makeup on. Every person becoming a reenactor needs to save themselves from this fate. I understand we can't be perfect since none of us actually lived back then, and some of us can't spend millions of dollars to be perfect reenactors.  However, your idea of the beautiful Scarlet O'Hara dress on the battle field is not what you want to be wearing.  (Ok my rant is over).
     So, once you have found your destination and done your research.  You've found out that snoods were not that common, you had sleeves to your wrist and you didn't show your neck till after 5pm, your hair should be up in a bun of sorts with the best middle part, and you need to have a hat on when outside at all times, you are ready to start the fun part: SHOPPING!
     Now, I will warn you, there are many things you can spend your money on that are worth it, and some that are not.  I recommend that when you are starting off to find pieces you can mix and match.  No sense in buying a dress when you can have three outfits out of different accessories. Think of it as modern wardrobes.  We use different pieces in our wardrobe to make multiple outfits.  The Victorians did the same.  Where is it you find these amazing, non-Farby, decently priced reenacting outfits you say? 
     Well, for starters you can always look at eBay.  I did this and built my closet upon the few things I bought for my first year at the 1861 Girls School.  I will mention that if you are looking for more accurate pieces to not spend much time there.  It's really for people who are just starting out.  Next is Etsy.  Etsy is more accurate depending on the seller and it works very similar to eBay minus the bidding.  Another site I like to use is Recollections.  They have a wide variety but they can cost a pretty penny. 
     When doing your research you might have found a few other sights that make civil war clothing as well.  It all depends on where you look.  If you have the time to go to a local event there is always blockade runners or sometimes "Sutler row" which is a supplier of all things "needed" for your Civil war adventures. 
     Everything takes practice and you may not be able to get everything your first event.  The process it takes to be a civil war reenactor is not in one expensive trip, it's over the course of months and even years.  Even though I am fairly new as well I hope this may inspire some people and help them out along the way.
Yours Truly,
Shayla P.

Weekly Updates

       Now that I am home for the summer, I have decided that I will do my best to post updates weekly.  Anything from vintage hairdos, fashion pallets, tricks and tips, sewing progress, pictures, and news updates will be seen on Mondays.  I have a spot on the home page labeled "Hot Off the Press" where you can enter your email and receive updates when I post.  Tomorrow morning will be the first of these called "Weekly Letters".  I am also interested in hearing from you fellow Victorian Dreamers.  Feel free to send questions, comments, and anything else you may think of to: VictorianDreamers09@gmail.com
Yours Truly,
Shayla P.

1861 Girls School Class X

      I am terribly sorry I did not post before I left for the Girls School, however, as my step father likes to call me "Last minute Shayla" was at work packing and sewing like crazy before she left.  I did manage to finish my ball gown ahead of time! It turned out lovely and I received many compliments on it.  Amongst other reasons for sewing last minute, my dear sister's birthday was on Thursday the 17th, and I was making her a custom Anna of Arendelle dress. Unfortunately, I was unable to complete it before leaving, but I am currently working on it now that I have returned.
      Returning to my time travel to the 1860's, This years Girls school class was exceptional! This is most likely my favorite year out of the three! The girls in the class of 1861 X were more like sisters to me than roommates. I have most definitely made lifelong friends. This year our classes consisted of archery, domestic arts, etiquette, falconry, penmanship, floral arrangements, current events, church etiquette, hairstyles, table setting, mourning customs, music, art, side saddle and carriage riding, tea, and of course dance lessons.
      My yearly favorites are always domestic arts, music and dance but, this year we had the opportunity to do so much more at the new campus.  I took an avid interest in the archery and sidesaddle this year and plan to be involved in these even outside of the 1860's.  Since this year, both students and faculty were staying on campus it was a new experience for everyone.  I bonded so much more with the girls being able to share things and live like a family.  Seeing the teachers get along with each other and converse made them more like family who shared their knowledge then just teachers.
     Before you ask, yes, living with twenty girls and the teachers was not always roses and blue skies. We may or may not have rushed to be the first to claim the powder room in the evening or morning, or struggled the first few days to be an organized group, but that's one of the reasons we all bonded so closely together.
      I thank the teachers for all the hard work they put into the Girls School this year.  I was able to peek into the kitchen every now and then to watch the "behind the scenes" portion of the week.  The faculty cooked, cleaned, taught and worked so hard to make this week magical with great success!  I'm sure I speak for all the young ladies when I say they passed the week with flying colors themselves.  My heart goes out to each and everyone of them for dedicating so much time and effort that went into this week.
      I must also thank the gentlemen and the Jackson Cadets for giving up their evenings to help us in dance practice.  The new gentlemen were a delight to teach and get to know.  It's not everyday you see young men give up their evenings to dance with girls in hoop skirts for the fun of it.
      Now for a few pictures...

 Our beautiful scenery for the week.

Two of the lovely ladies from this week(From left to right; Neale, Myself, Tori)

The Class of 1861 X at the Rippavilla Plantation 

Top: Faculty at commencement

Bottom: Graduated class of 1861 X

Thank you to all who made this week possible! I am so grateful that I was able to return this year!  Congratulations to all the girls and thank you for making this week one I will never forget!

Yours truly,

Shayla P.

24 and Counting!

      Only twenty four days left before the Girls School! I am absolutely ecstatic to go! I realized I left with a slight cliffhanger to a new corset and a long list of to dos.  Well, I'm pleased to tell you that I have finished all of my undergarments minus my corset cover. It has turned out amazing. The last on my list is my ball gown(which I have in progress) my sheer shirt, ball slippers and corset cover(which is also in progress. I need it for my sheer ball gown so it is not see through.). I have most definitely made progress.
      Unfortunately, I was not able to order a corset from Kay's corsetry due to time, however I ordered a corset from Etsy seller Treadle Treasures. I must say I am incredibly happy with it and it feels more period correct then my cheap one(which I managed to find on eBay).  I will purchase one from Kay's in the future but for now this one will work fabulously.
      So on to my progress: I finished my pantalets(drawers) and chemise out of the Goodwill sheets. The trim on both of them is from the drapes that I used to make the petticoat. Then I used mint ribbon to finish the detailing. I feel like Scarlet O'Hara when I wear it!

     The ball gown is coming along, I managed to make ruffles thanks to my dear friend Linnea. (She has the most amazing knowledge that she picked up for research purposes.)
      However, my calculations were off and I've only done one row of ruffles for one drape.  I only bought two.  So, I am making do with what I have and I am just going to make it fancy some other way.
      As far as my accessories go I have recently gotten a belt from Recollections which resembles a Swiss waist. My friend recently went to Florida and found a pair of vintage gloves that she knew I would love. An as a slight splurge (as if this whole trip isn't?), I bought tortoise shell combs from eBay to finish my look.

I also managed to squeeze in some hand sewing and finish my mourning veil...

Well, Not too much left but I won't be able to update the blog until after I finish my new job training this week. Yay for med class...
Yours Truly,
Shayla P.

Underpinnings for a Lady

     This week I have finished my pretty petticoat! I decided to cheat a little and go with a drawstring instead of a waistband. (It saved so much time!) This was not, by the way, uncommon of any undergarments.  Undergarments had drawstrings on them most of the time, I'm sure especially for growing children, and the outer layers would have a waist band to create a more fitted look.  This will also help since I am ordering a new corset (to which I am beyond thrilled about!) and I'm not quite sure how fitted I need things to be.

~The finished product~

     I am ordering a corset from Originals by Kay. She has wonderful products on her website that I would love to have for myself, however, having almost everything done I just need a corset.... for the time being.

     My list of things to do has shortened just a tad:

1. Ball Gown (I picked out my fabric this last week!)

2. Chemise

3. Pantaloons 

4. Dance Slippers

5. A mourning veil

6. A new sheer shirt (made from the leftovers of my Merida sleeves).

7. Corset Cover

8. A belt/waist cincher (I haven't completely decided on this yet but thought it would be better then my current sashes which do not stay in place)

9. Mitts

10. Corset

     Sometimes I feel like this list keeps growing instead of checking things off! Hopefully I'll have more done after this week. (All my friends are graduating on top of all my running around this week).

   That's all for now!

Yours Truly,

Shayla P.

Boots, Petticoat, Bonnet and Mitts

I must say, I can not believe the 1861 Girls School is right around the corner! I have been working full time which makes it harder to gather all of my things, especially the projects I am sewing! Slowly but surely, I have managed to get most of my belongings ready to go. (I'll have to do a 1860's closet review soon!) I have also found a new friend in Goodwill! No more paying for yards of plain cotton, I am buying sheets from now on!
    This leads me to share with you one of my many projects, a new petticoat! I found two drapes that had beautiful lace detail at the bottom, which I am turning into a lovely petticoat.  This will be much simpler than a skirt but same process. Sew the sides together, cartridge pleat the top, sew the waist band. I don't have to hem since the lace is sewn to the bottom! Huzzah for less sewing!

     This week I've been planing a trip to Blockade Runner, which is a civil war shop full of camp things, ladies garments, gentleman's clothing, hats, shoes, books, basically everything one would need to get involved in reenacting.  It's a dream come true. I went over there in search of ladies shoes and a new hat. (Let me mention something about period correct ladies shoes, they are extremely hard to come by and if you do manage to find them, be prepared to crack open the piggy bank and loose a limb.)  Luckily, I managed to search around online to find that Blockade runner had the perfect shoes starting out at, get this, $89!!! Naturally, I wanted to make sure I had a good fit so I decided to go and try them on. Here is my beautiful period correct shoes:

I must say, they are very slick on the bottom of the boot though.
     I also found a very pretty grey felt bonnet and I may get their longhorn hat in cream later if I have some extra funds.

I must say that the people who work there make good quality products and are very friendly! The last thing I have been working on are my hand crochet mitts.  I have never crocheted gloves of any kind before which makes this very interesting, especially with no pattern!  I am currently working on the second hand but here is a look at the first one I've made:

With all of that said, I am slightly closer to having everything ready... Ok, maybe not, but I am getting there. The last of the list consists of a ball gown, a corset, a pair of black gloves, a chemise and drawers, tortoise shell hair combs, a mourning veil, dance shoes, and corset cover. Oh and I'm still debating about one more dress, a sheer plaid cotton dress. So very tempting...
Yours Truly,
Shayla P.

Merida Inspired 1860's Dress

I am beyond thrilled to share with you my finished product of my Merida inspired 1860's dress. I went through a phase of procrastination but when I finally realized how soon I would need all of my finished garments, I surprised myself by getting it finished quicker than I thought. (It's amazing what a little motivation will do!)
     Let me start off by showing some of the patterns I used.  I used two patterns for the shirt and did the skirt by basic knowledge( Basically I cut three panels of the material and sewed them together, gathered it, put it on a waistband, and hemmed it).  I used Simplicity 8735 a Renaissance pattern that had the gauntlets,

                     

Simplicity Renaissance 8735

  and Period Impressions basic shirt pattern.

    I used the one on the right minus the trimmings.  I had the hardest time setting the sleeves with the choice of material I used though. I do believe it was a chiffon of sorts, but it is sooooo soft I had to buy it! I chose to use a different material for the sleeves since I used gauntlets to go over over a lighter material(which is perfect for Tennessee summer heat).

   Alrighty, enough of my ramblings, here is the dress in all her glory:

                                              

My Grandma's old buttons

I had a blast making this and I can't wait to wear it for the Girls School this summer! Now I just need to make my ball gown, corset cover, dance slippers, new under garments, get a new corset, bonnet, and set of boots... No biggie. 

Yours truly,

Shayla P.