elizabeth_mn (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
elizabeth_mn) wrote2015-05-04 12:44 pm
elizabeth_mn) wrote2015-05-04 12:44 pm
Entry tags:
Little House dress: inspiration and plans
Ok, let's start with the fabric. I bought this on sale a couple years ago at work and since my plan for it was an 1880s dress anyway, I figured why not combine that plan with a Little House plan?
My primary inspiration photos are the printed cotton dresses from Fashion In Detail.
But I'm not making a direct copy, so a couple fashion plates from the Harper's book are helping to round out the missing elements.
Possible overskirt on this one:
I like the super plain, rounded bodice in center; little stand-up collar.
A similar rounded bodice image from a pattern catalog.
Or possibly a pointed one?
And another pattern image of an overskirt.
Here is Laura Ingalls in her teens. Her dress looks like wool but you see again the little stand up collar with a bit of lace.
EDIT: That little bit of lace? I think I might have to knit it. The Ravelry database has tons of historic lace edging patterns. I have knitted lace before and even if I keep it super duper teeny (and I'm talking Katherine level teeny) I can manage enough for a single collar.
I am going for a c.1883 style; while not a direct reproduction of any of Laura's dresses described in her books, I do want to make something that she or someone in De Smet might have worn. Something nice but not too fancy. Even Laura's dresses for Sunday Best were still modest compared to some of the schmancy stuff that appeared in Harper's.
Undies: She describes her preference for a smaller bustle in one of the later books, set in the mid-80s when the bustle was at its peak, so I might wear my smaller lobster or possibly just a small pad.
So far I have the skirt just partway together. This project has stalled a little but I hope to kickstart it again this week.
My primary inspiration photos are the printed cotton dresses from Fashion In Detail.
But I'm not making a direct copy, so a couple fashion plates from the Harper's book are helping to round out the missing elements.
Possible overskirt on this one:
I like the super plain, rounded bodice in center; little stand-up collar.
A similar rounded bodice image from a pattern catalog.
Or possibly a pointed one?
And another pattern image of an overskirt.
Here is Laura Ingalls in her teens. Her dress looks like wool but you see again the little stand up collar with a bit of lace.
EDIT: That little bit of lace? I think I might have to knit it. The Ravelry database has tons of historic lace edging patterns. I have knitted lace before and even if I keep it super duper teeny (and I'm talking Katherine level teeny) I can manage enough for a single collar.
I am going for a c.1883 style; while not a direct reproduction of any of Laura's dresses described in her books, I do want to make something that she or someone in De Smet might have worn. Something nice but not too fancy. Even Laura's dresses for Sunday Best were still modest compared to some of the schmancy stuff that appeared in Harper's.
Undies: She describes her preference for a smaller bustle in one of the later books, set in the mid-80s when the bustle was at its peak, so I might wear my smaller lobster or possibly just a small pad.
So far I have the skirt just partway together. This project has stalled a little but I hope to kickstart it again this week.