Plaid Wool 1860s Day Dress

I made this dress to wear to Gettysburg Remembrance Day 2017, but then it was so cold and rainy that I got hardly any pictures of it the whole time we were there!  Fortunately it fit perfectly into my plans for Costume College, and I had a lot of fun wearing it again despite the possible pitfalls of wearing wool in July in California.  I was indoors most of the time, after all!

The gown itself went together super fast with no hiccups.  I love projects like that!  The collar and cuffs are cotton organdy with embroidered lace edging, and a velvet bow from M&J Trimming ribbon finishes things off nicely.

This is the gown where I used my modified coat sleeve hack to change up the sleeves that came with the pattern (Laughing Moon #111).  This is just one variation that you see in period sleeves--some of them are incredibly intricate!  This one was relatively simple but I love how it turned out.

Photo by Gloria from In the Long Run Designs. 
Featuring Samantha of The Couture Courtesan in her splendid black 1860s evening gown!

Since I didn't want to pack any bonnets for cross-country travel, I decided to make a fun, silly hair net instead.  I ordered a readymade base from Timely Tresses and decorated it with silk ribbon that I already owned, with a bow at the top and gathered loops down each side.  Again, this is on the simple side compared to some period examples but I think it gives just enough fluff to balance out a bold pattern like the big plaid.