It was all I ever hoped it would be. I have, I confess, been in a reenacting "slump" for the past few years. I haven't been very excited about going to events and the only thing remotely interesting about them is making the clothing that we wear to events beforehand.
But, picture it. Here in central Illinois, most events take place in a flat, open area. Few trees to provide shade. The ground is usually cemented and what is not cemented is coarse grass, recently mown, with hard, stubbly stalks on which to pitch your tent and make your habitations. The morning sun is blazing and hot. The afternoon sun is drowsy and hot. Smells of Hot Dogs and Funnel Cakes press themselves heavily upon the nostrils. Much sightings of polyester and ostritch plumes emerging from tiny straw hats, or enormous boquets of plastic flowers bedecking wide brimmed ones. Massive outbreak of Hoop Lines in skirts. Fashion ranging from 1770's quasi-colonial to 1970's Pioneer-Little-House-on-The-Prairie. A fondness for proudly displayed blue and red coolers seems to be the pervasive idea.By contrast, picture this.
A quiet, meandering creek, banked by soft green grass with tiny flowers nodding therein. Slender, lovely trees bending over the waters provide restful shade. 
A worn pathway leading over a rustic, turn-of-the-century covered bridge into a little historical town, complete with a boardwalk, a school, a restuarant and general store, two churches, homes, a blacksmith, a woodwork shop, a candle shop and other misc. buildings. . .
The air is still and quiet and the low murmur of voices can be heard as ladies in sunbonnets and well fitted work dresses bend over their cooking fires or walk modestly through town in company of their citizen husbands. Soldiers with good facial hair and authentic uniforms lounge in the shade; some nap beneath their shelter halves. A "village green" in the center of the town features a white painted gazebo and a black iron fence encloses it. A wonderful place for certain little boys to run and play while Mama and Papa rest upon a bench in this lovely little park. 
Did I chase children? Yes. But here. . .there was so much for them to do and so much for them to explore. Everything they did that delighted them equally delighted me. Visit the church? Of course! 
While little David appreciated the acoustics that magnified the sound of his boots stomping upon the floor I appreciated the coolness, the soft light sifting through the windows, the rows of dark wood pews, soft and glossy, facing the pulpit.
It truly was the best reenactment I have been to for many years. I had heard that it was dying and at last dead and so was curious to see what was really the case. What I found was indeed a smaller number of people and a smaller number of vendors but the quality had vastly, vastly improved. It seems to definitely be a Progressive Event now. Can I describe the thrill I felt when I realized I was looking all around me at women wearing things that I wanted to copy? One lady in particular had a lovely, airy striped slat bonnet. The curtain floated so prettily behind her as she walked. Hmm. . .a new use for the striped fabric I still have on hand? :)The Federal Camp:
Nothing so very extraordinary, but David was quite impressed with the neat rows of tidy tents all in a row. Very military and not commonly seen at the events we usually go to. So here it is.David:
After a firm talking to prior to getting him out of his carseat, little David suprised me and kept his cap on his head for most of the day. He took it off only after it began to rain, upon which action Judah snatched it up and wore it for the rest of the day. Judah wore his new corded sunbonnet for about five minutes. He didn't like the fact he could only see straight ahead of him while wearing it. Sigh. I guess I will save it for Malachi.David and Judah Discover the Governor's House:
Near the little village green, this pretty little home sits on the south east corner. The gate was open and inviting and a brick pathway led up the door. What more invitation did the boys need? 
Judah peered in the window, enjoying the fact that it went nearly to the ground. 
David enjoyed the fact the gate was loose and he attempted to shut it on several occasions. 
Inside the home Judah explored the rooms that were open. Here he is in the hall between the kitchen and the front room.
The battle took place only shortly after we arrived. We had forgotten to take into account that we would gain an hour after we crossed the Indiana state line. We thought we'd arrive by 11:00 a.m. and have a bit of time to walk around and have lunch, but alas, we arrived around noon and David immediately set off in persuit of the commanding officer for Federal medical. He discovered that the hospital was set up in a large barn.
While he mingled with the other surgeons and stewards and the young men who seemed to be helping with the miscellaneous, more menial tasks, the boys and I enjoyed the tree-shaded park.
David, of course, also soon discovered a sutler with cigars and got his characteristic two. He then came back to retrieve us.
The battle was situated on the far southern end of the village. We passed through the village, passed the barn, passed a large pavilion where the evening dance would later take place and passed the sutler tents. We passed the lemon shake-up stand that was beyond the sutler tents and then passed through the Confederate camp. We passed a farmhouse. By this time we were on the northern end of the battlefield, which was placed within a valley. The creek bordered one edge, a steep hill the other. Woods were all around. The path grew muddy. Little David lost one of his shoes. A kind young man from the Confederate Camp ran after us with the shoe. Otherwise, I would not have known until much later that it was missing. David left us to traverse to the far southern end of the battlefield and took his place among the other medical persona and the ambulance. I could tell who he was only by his height and his red checkered shirt. 
This was the hardest part of the day for me. I put the two older boys in the wagon and spread Malachis quilt on the grass. He rolled to his tummy and scooted his way to the edge of the quilt. A few moments later, he was meditatively chewing some grass stalks. David and Judah were for a few minutes amused with drinking water in their little glasses, poured from their daddy's canteen. But once their thirst ceased, their interest did too.How good God is. The boys started attemting to climb out of the wagon as they wanted to follow David to the field. It is very hard and difficult to grasp two squirming, strong toddler boys and to try to keep them in the same place when they want to go both in different directions. I prayed, since I knew I needed help. A sweet lady from the crowd offered to help me and she played with Judah while I held David. Judah was unsure at first about being friendly with a strange lady, but he did warm up to her after a bit! Malachi was good on his quilt until the battle began and then he cried at the shock of the first cannon. Another lady held and cuddled him until David came back. I tell you, the acoustics in that valley were something else. The cannon and rifle fire were amazing to hear.
The soldiers marched back to their camps after the battle and the wounded were taken to the hospital.
David and the others attended to them. David was the most handsome of them all. I love how he looks, carrying his doctors bag!
We ate our lunch then and little David napped for almost an hour. Malachi nursed and Judah was full of energy. He did not nap at all. Once little David woke up we set out to explore the village a bit more. David wanted to look more closely at the sutlers. Malachi and little David were packed into the wagon and Judah, with tireless chubby legs, walked.
The wagon is not period correct at all, but we figure it is better than our modern double stroller. I can't seem to get around the need to have something to help me haul the children and the few necessary items I need to bring for them. It has come in very handy. Other mothers and fathers had wagons too, but theirs were much more period looking. We inquired as to where they got them and one man told us they were from Ireland. Well. I doubt we could afford to purchase a wagon from Ireland and then pay for the cost to ship it here but perhaps David could build one similar to it, if we could find wheels somewhere.Later in the afternoon it began to rain. We took shelter in the hospital-barn. Here Judah looks out into the rain.
The boys found a wooden stairway and went up it with great excitement. Steps! I was worried that they weren't supposed to be up there but I was reassured that it was entirely fine for them to go upstairs if they desired to. 
I went up too. A large collection of antique farm equipment was stored up there. Judah found something with a wheel on it. He loves wheels. So he spun it round and round and round. It entertained him for quite a while. 
Here are both my older boys. In the same picture, too. A rather rare occurence. 
The rain did not stop. Little David enjoyed the barn but after a while Judah grew weary of it and ventured outside into the rain. He got quite wet and quite muddy. He picked clover and brought it to me and watched a trickle of water streaming off of a roof corner with intense concentration. He was happy when his daddy bought him and his brother a watermelon candy stick from the general store. 
As it was wet and rather chilly and Malachi was damp from the rain in his little strapped underdress we decided to come home earlier than we had planned. We cannot wait until next year and are looking forward to it very much.
And yes! I had a "Magic Moment". While I was in the barn, during the rain, the surgeon and one of his young helpers came in. They spoke about lighting candles and the surgeon sent the lad in search of some in the upstairs of the barn. I felt I was looking back into history then. It was wonderful.Love,
Sarah
Malachi got a corded semi-sheer sunbonnet to protect his delicate little head from the sun while yet providing maximum airiness so that he won't get too hot. The bonnet is made from a tan/white stripe cotton I have. I have yards of it left, so it is nice to be using it up. The brim is a rectangle that is folded in half to provide a self facing and the cords are inserted between the layers. I used the peaches n' cream cotton cord and sewed in two rows of 5 cords, then a final row of 3 cords. This stiffens the brim quite nicely. Since it is so small, I think the bonnet will retain the stiffness here and not wilt around Malachi's face.
The inside (all the bonnets have the same inner construction) has the seam between the brim/crown and curtain finished and a drawstring is inserted so that the bonnet can be adjusted at the back of the neck. 
Judah's Sunbonnet:
Judah's sunbonnet is made from a very lightweight cotton twill fabric. This fabric was actually a Ralph Lauren shirt that I got David from a garage sale but it did not quite fit right. So I chopped it up to use for this bonnet. Judah's bonnet is the same style as Malachi's bonnet but it is a good deal bigger (Judah has a big head) and has 15 rows of cording instead of just 12. I put piping between the brim and crown, for sturdiness and visual interest.
My Sunbonnet:
I tried something new this year. I have made slatted sunbonnets and corded sunbonnets in the past but have never made a quilted sunbonnet. I have made quilted winter hoods and I liked how the brim retained stiffness without me having to starch it or put slats in it. I read some posts about quilted sunbonnets on the Sewing Academy and then went ahead with mine. I used leftover blue cotton print from one of Malachi's gowns (there wasn't enough left for a pinafore, but just enough for this bonnet - and I mean just enough!) I made the same style as Judah's and Malachi's. The brim and curtain are both rectangles and the crown is a U-shaped piece gathered in.
I really like how it retains the shape of the brim, even if it is folded or smushed. It springs back into shape immediately. Yeay! The only drawback is that since there is cotton batting in the brim, it IS a bit warmer than a slatted or corded sunbonnet but I'm willing to let that go in favor of its other merits. I can't wait to make a few more!
I can't wait until tomorrow!! :)
Anyway, I wore this blue one for the first time to Billie Creek Village. Ah. The birthplace of my love for historic costuming. 
Here is my third dress. . .as you can see it is worse than the blue one. I liked it though. A rosebud print gown, with lovely big flowing sleeves and a big skirt, with a fitted bodice?
I needed some help with fitting issues, so badly, back then! I have no idea what happened to this dress. The blue one eventually was remade three times and at last sold off when it no longer fit, when I was pregnant with little David. 
Hopefully I'll have some nice pictures to share after the weekend! Have a lovely one!
Here is a full length view of the dress. Although there are many variations of style you can get into as you research extant original gowns, period photographic images and fashion plates of the era, this dress shows the basic shape and look of a dress from the era. As a broad overview, it has wide shoulders with dropped shoulder seams, a wide skirt hem and wide sleeves to create the illusion of a small waist. The neckline is high and is shaped in a shallow V. An alternate shape is a round "jewel" neckline, but I chose the V shape since it is much more flattering to me! The waistline ends at the natural waistline. On my corseted figure, this is the smallest part of my waist. The skirt ends a few inches above the floor. On the dressform it appears floor length, but I am a bit taller than my dressform.
Here you can see the side of the dress. This also shows well the shape of a cage or hoop. As you can see, it pushes out a bit more in the back and is a bit flatter in the front. By the 1860's this was a common shape. Earlier hoops were rounder, and later fashion would favor a flat front skirt and a bustle in the back. My cage is one I made from a kit I got from 
Here you can see the back of the dress. The back is fitted to the figure and the skirt is pleated all around to the bodice. On some dresses, you can find gauging or cartridge pleating in the back section of the skirt. For this one I was in a hurry so I pleated it all the way around. Note that the skirt is even at the floor despite the shape of the cage. The skirt on the dress is longer in the back by 3" than in the front. The panels of the skirt are sewn together evenly (I used five 45" wide panels for this skirt) and the bottom edge hemmed. To account for the difference in length at the front, side and back of the skirt the upper edge of the skirt is turned to the wrong side and ironed flat. 3" more fabric is pressed down in the front of the skirt than in the back. This creates a sloping line at the top edge of your skirt that will pleat or gather up to drape evenly across the cage.
Here you can see the shallow V-shape of the neckline a bit better. To dress up the space between the edges of the collar I added a black bow. This space could also be filled with a nice brooch, or a different style of bow. The bow is just pinned on with a straight pin so it can easily be removed.
Here you can see how the collar is attached. The collar is a completely seperate item from the dress and is simply basted into the neckline of the dress with long running stitches. This enables you to take off your collar when it becomes grungy and wash it without having to wash the entire dress. This also keeps the neckline of your dress protected from your natural body oils and sweat. Cuffs or undersleeves (see previous post for a photo of me wearing this dress with undersleeves) serve the same purpose at the wrist.
Adult womens day dresses opened down the center front. The front edges are turned back to the inside and slip stitched to the lining to finish the front edge. I used hook and eyes to close my dress although you can use buttons and hand sewn buttonholes as well. I find it faster and easier to stitch on the hook and eyes rather than sewing buttonholes. You could sew decorative buttons on the outside of the bodice but still use hook and eyes for the fuctional closure. I have done this with my silk dress (see three posts down). The hook and eyes I used here are white, since they are all that I can find locally, but I don't think white hook and eyes are period correct. In the past, when the stores still carried them, I used black hook and eyes. 
The Neckline: This finishes off the neckline for a neat look. You could also use plain bias binding here if desired. 
The Waist: You can use piping to finish off a darted bodice, or, as here a tucked bodice with a waistband. I piped both the top and bottom edge of my waistband. The piping at the bottom of the waistband reinforces that area to give you a sturdier place to attach the skirt. 
Bodice Style:
Here you can see the darted lining fabric on the inside of the dress. I use two darts on each side. 
Bodice Back:
Skirt/Bodice Closure:I attached the skirt directly to the bodice. I pleated the top of the skirt and then the pleated edge was stitched to the very bottom of the bodice. 
Since the bodice opens in the center front I wanted to make a dog leg opening so that the skirt opened slightly at the side. This prevents a seam from being down the front of the skirt. Here you can see the waistband hooked together and how the bodice closes over it.
At the bottom of the skirt, I sewed on a hem facing rather than making a turned hem. This does two things. It preserves fabric because you do not need to cut enough in the skirt to allow for a turned hem (just 1/2" for a seam allowance) and it also protects the bottom of your skirt from dirt and wear. In this picture you can already see some dirt on the hem facing, and I just wore this dress once! The facing protects the dress fabric from this. When the facing becomes ragged, it is easily replaced. I used 4" wide strips of scrap fabric for mine, in a light color. This is sewn right sides together with the bottom edge of the skirt, turned to the wrong side and stitched in place with a large-ish running stitch that is long on the inside and short on the outside. 
So there it is! Not a comprehensive overview by any stretch of the imagination, but hopefully it will give you an idea of some of the common features of period dresses.
We arrived at the beautiful Old State Capitol yesterday morning. The event went from the 5th-7th, but David decided a day trip on Saturday would be the best thing for us and the boys. We had beautiful weather and went to the medical encampment upon our arrival. The grounds of the Old State Capitol are enclosed within a tall iron fence. This caused both David and Judah much interest and curiosity. 
Even Big David seemed interested in the fence. I wonder if little David will be as tall as his daddy someday?
Once the excitement of sticking ones head through the spaces in the fence wore off, Judah wandered about the medical encampment and was for the most part, for the time, good. Little David excellently presumed that since there was a fence, there must be a gate or an opening somewhere, and set off in earnest pursuit of it. For, of course, the outside of a fence must be very much more attractive than the inside. I pursued him as he ran . . .and ran. . .and ran. . . Reason #1 why I am tired today. I ran too. I think the mingling Public and other reenactors saw more than their share of my drawers and stockings. Oh horrors. 
A real-life photograph (I had no idea my husband, back in camp, was taking these pictures!) of a concerned Mama stooping to grasp her son before he ran in front of the photographer and caused a certain boy-shaped blur on the tintype that was being taken. 
A brief period of relative peace was enjoyed as we looked for a place to have lunch. We each received a $10 meal coupon so we walked around, trying to decide where we would like to eat. We walked quite a ways before settling on a little restaurant called Robbie's, just south of the Old State Capitol. Inside it was cool, and dark. The boys were very good and although they did not eat their lunch they enjoyed the cold lemonade they got and the crackers the waitress brought to them. It was a bit of a treat for us to have a meal "out", all together. We do not go out to eat very often and almost never with all of our children. This was the first time that all five of us went "out".
Judah laid his weary little body down next to his "beebee".
Little David went back to the steps. So I did, too.
I am pretty happy with how the corset and dress came out. I used 5 panels of 45" fabric in the skirt rather than the usual 4. I think the extra fabric helps my skirts look better. In this picture, my skirt almost appears too large, but I think it is because it is being pushed out by the wall I am leaning against. I had a black bow for it, but Malachi pulled it off. I had a black belt too but I decided to not wear it yesterday since I was afraid I'd look too "matchy". 
And David, testing out his new cigar. Cigars are reenacting-ish things for David. He only gets them when he goes to a reenactment since he does not have a period correct pipe anymore. (he lost the very nice one he had when little David was born, in the hospital). 
The boys roamed the ditch, discovered a dead pigeon, and stomped upon a grate that led into a three-story hole. 
We went inside a bit later. A BEAUTIFUL display of many original dresses, shoes, bonnets and accessories, courtesy of K. Krewer, was set up. I was absolutely enthralled. A costumers dream! I had Malachi over one arm and was holding Judah's hand with the other. . .and he kept pretending he could not walk and lifted his feet off the ground. When I would let go of his hand and try to get him to stand up, he'd dart beneath a rope into a sectioned off area. Big David took little David to see a display of original guns. I at last settled onto a bench and put Malachi next to me and held Judah. Judah was happy but Malachi was not. He did not like the fact that Judah was sitting in my lap while he was merely propped up against my side.
Back outside again the two littlest went to sleep. David was almost hysterical since he wanted to go back inside. At last he fell asleep while I held him and rocked him. He gets hysterical when he is very tired. During this time I got to meet a lovely lady from the Sewing Academy and later, when David had waken up again, I went back in with the Lady from the Sewing Academy to look more at the originals. That was the incredible highlight of my whole day. At this time, I got to see Mrs. K. Krewer and met some more ladies from the Sewing Academy. 
A bit later I even got to meet Carolann Schmitt from 
Hopefully our next event will go a bit better. We could always leave the boys with a sitter but that makes reenacting not worthwhile for me, since David and I desire this to be a family event and a time when we can bond with each other. Anyone with little ones in the hobby have any experienced advice to share? :) I think we will set up the tent and beds in the yard over the next week or so and get the boys used to sleeping in it. That will hopefully help next time we are out!