The finished Pink Rose Dress!

I finally have some pictures of the Pink Rose dress! It's all done (except for buttons in the top pictures!) I did get someone to take my picture this time though, so it's not just hanging on a hanger!

I also finished up a pinner apron I started a while back which just needed the pieces to be sewn to the band.  I loved this blue plaid fabric but I didn't have enough of it for a dress so I just made an apron out of it.

Both pictures are shown with a hoop underneath

I think it's just my sewing, but while I am very happy with this dress I dont think I'd do the gathered bodice again. I think it looks kinda messy, maybe because the fabric is light so you cant see that it's a yoked bodice.

I like it so much better with the hoop but where I volunteer I'm portraying 1850 so I wear my corded petticoat which just doesn't give the same effect. Though I admit, I don't have my petticoat on in this picture (it would probably have helped a bit!) 

 I've heard such good reviews about those frixion pens lately that I had to try them myself! My marking pens always fade away and its frustrating especially when I'm sewing darts. I have to agree with everyone else they are amazing! I love that it's not a marker so you aren't getting a fat line and you can mark all over and the instant the iron hits it, it's gone! 

 I also ended up throwing together some long sleeves to attach to my dress and when I say throwing together... I really mean it. They came out pretty awful! But, I was volunteering this morning and it was  going to be cold and I was determined I'd wear my new dress this week.  They failed partly because I just made too tight a sleeve and partly (well mostly...) because I was literally using scraps of the fabric to conserve the whole squares I had in hopes of making a sundress out of those leftovers. sigh. 

So I got through this morning, but these sleeves are coming back off immediately! Since it is Texas, it's going to get very hot soon and I was always planning on using this as a summer dress.  This also gives me the excuse that I'm going to need to make another dress that has long sleeves!   

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.