1850 Work Dress

I'm about to start volunteering at a living history village and while I do have my old dresses, they're a little small and they aren't fully accurate. I haven't had the opportunity to do any living history in the last year, so I'm really excited to get back into it.

It is going to be a work dress so it's not the most interesting or prettiest thing but I mean to try a new style.  I was really inspired by Stitches of the Past's dress.

 I'm too old to wear short sleeves so I am going to do a basic coat sleeve.  In my research it seems to be a common style for younger girls, but there's buttons in the back. I have seen some examples of older women with the gathered and yoked bodice but they were a little different. Anyways, I just turned 20 and people typically mistake me for much younger so I think with long sleeves and a front opening it will be fine. I love this style too much not to do it. 

Source

I also ordered Simplicity 7212. I know a lot of people don't like the Simplicity patterns because of historical accuracy but I need a base pattern to go off of and I found this on ebay for 2.95! 

So I bought this pretty cotton plaid, mostly because it was on sale. It's a little too light in color and in weight but it will do for now. I'd like to get a dark blue plaid later for a second work dress in the same style. On the screen, the color actually looks worse than it really looks in person!

Then because it's more 1840's and 1850's, I can't really use my hoop. I wouldn't really want to with a work dress anyways, so I'm going to start on a corded petticoat. I have my crochet yarn and white fabric so that will be in the making soon! Along with an apron to wear over my dress from this blue homespun fabric I had just enough to make an apron out of.