FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY

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Heritage Rose

stitch-1

SUBMITTED BY:

Ginny Allen

LINKS:

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Outline the story …

I will be making an a set of 1893 foundational garments based on a photo of my great great grandmother. The photo was taken of the family just before boarding the train in Chicago to start their new life of homesteading in the Dakota Territories. My mother taught me to handsew as a child but I've never entered into a competition. It's been just for me or my family members to wear to historical reenactment events. I decided to push myself this year and enter three entirely handsewn garments based on extant examples from The Met Museum.

Outline the construction…

Practical yet pretty was the goal with these garments. My Great-great grandmother had seven kids and a farm to manage so her garments needed to be easily maintained and long lasting. The Chemise and drawers combo were inspired by a set at The Met Museum, the lace insert at the chest to the longest to design as it needed to add volume and moisture wicking for a larger bust in the summer. The chemise was entirely draped using two one yard squares of cotton and a long rectangle of lace. The Bustle was my first experience with hoop metal and also balancing high tension on handsewn seams. I used bias tape to help protect the linen from the hoop tension and backstitched all seams for maximum support. The soft pink would be a special secret for her alone to treasure, a reminder of her old life in the city, safely nestled amidst her practical petticoats so it doesn't get damaged.

COMMENTS

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10 Comments

  1. Avatar Samantha Solveson on April 18, 2024 at 11:20 pm

    Love it .I would love to know where you got the pattern from so that I could make one for myself at some point soon.

    • Avatar Ginny Allen on May 17, 2024 at 6:37 pm

      I self drafted the chemise and drawers by draping them on my mannequin. For the bustle I used the Truly Victorian Pattern “TV163 – 1887 Imperial Tournure”. I am quite petite and when i pinned the ruffle to bottom hem it dragged on the floor so I had to move the ruffle up so that I could more comfortably walk.

  2. Avatar Cassandra Sif Jensen Al-Towaiji on April 19, 2024 at 4:24 pm

    I love the colour combination,the pink and white is so pretty and delicate.

  3. Kitty Mortensen Kitty Mortensen on April 19, 2024 at 5:51 pm

    This set is fabulous, I love the story behind them and that dusty pink is just perfect (and also my favourite colour) 🙂 well done!

  4. Avatar Lowana O'Shea on April 20, 2024 at 3:51 am

    Beautiful work 🙂 I love how neat your sewing is on the bustle, and reading the story behind the inspiration for this ensemble <3

  5. Avatar Courtney Chu on April 21, 2024 at 7:21 pm

    I love how neat your stitching is! I can really see the care that went into every seam, you did a beautiful job!

  6. Avatar Brooklynne Michelle on April 22, 2024 at 2:16 am

    What a great shape you achieved! Your bustle is so well made and with such nice stitching.

  7. Avatar Jenny B on April 23, 2024 at 6:45 pm

    Wonderful work! You’ve created a beautifully made set of garments!

  8. Avatar Angela Karl on April 28, 2024 at 7:16 pm

    Really great work with all three garments and the even handstiching!

  9. Avatar Anna-Catherine Sendgikoski on May 2, 2024 at 9:15 pm

    Oh this has such a cool backstory. Your great-great-grandmothet would be so proud!! Nice work!

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