I Feel Pretty!

As I mentioned in my last entry, I just spent a week at The Lake. It was gloriously relaxing, being out in the wilderness with no access to the outside world. I love technology and am an admitted Facebook junkie, but balance is always good and I can’t remember the last time I was quite as relaxed as I was while kayaking through a secluded channel at sunset.

 

And as I also mentioned in my last entry, I recently did a photo shoot with my friend Anne. Anne finished editing the pictures while I was on vacation, and coming home to a virtual album full of beautifully edited shots was such a treat! As I’ve said before, Anne does amazing work, and I am so glad we had the opportunity to work together.

So this is going to be one of those annoying blog posts full of self-congratulatory pictures. Consider yourself warned, and proceed at your own risk, but AREN’T THEY SO PRETTY?! And introducing my new outfit - the Swiss waist ensemble! (As a side note, all photos in this entry are courtesy of Anne Victoria Photography and may not be used without permission.)

I've had this hat for six years...I think it was waiting for the right outfit.

A fabulous prize for anyone who can figure out what book I'm reading...

Recognize the lace veil?

I'm channeling Eugenie here

I'm not always serious...

I don’t generally consider myself a photogenic person, but Anne has a great way of capturing fleeting emotion and using light/color to convey so much. I’m having a hard time picking a favorite – do you have one?

Next post, I will include some of the sillier shots...I think I ran out of dignity at some point during the afternoon...

A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings

Whew! Has anyone else noticed that July just flew by? It’s not quite gone yet, but it’s basically gone for me (for reasons I will explain later) and I’m left with my head spinning. Where has the time gone?

Part of the reason why the time has gone so very quickly was all the fun events I was able to do. So I’m going to do a quick recap for you, because it was an extraordinarily fun two months!

First: In mid-June, some of my friends and I went to Old World Wisconsin to take part in a film shoot for the Kenosha Civil War Museum. They needed extras and were paying, so we all scurried down there. The film shoot was a whole lot of hurry-up-and-wait, but it was cool to take part in and the production crew treated us amazingly well. Well, except for the camera guy who was trying to give me my motivation for looking sad and told me my 19 year old son had just died. Note: I am nowhere near old enough to have a 19 year old son.

Time between shots = opportunities for frolicking

We also got to stay in a very, very cool reproduction stagecoach inn with good friends. And we made lots of new friends too. So much laughter and fun and happy memories. 

                                                                                                                                                                

Second: The end of June meant my semi-annual get together with college friends for Crafting Weekend. These ladies are some of the smartest, funniest, most talented women I know, and I have the privilege to call them my friends. How lucky am I? It was three days of giggling, eating, drinking, and of course, lots of crafting. Two of my friends are/were pregnant (one gave birth on the same day as the Duchess of Cambridge, and the other is still waiting for her little stranger) so it was an extra special time to be with them. My projects were recovering my parasol , finishing my Swiss waist, and finishing my dotted swiss undersleeves.

Do you even recognize me in modern clothes? Fact: I have a side part in my hair!

 

 Third: Gettysburg. I did not actually make it to Gettysburg – camping with tens of thousands of people in hot, muggy Pennsylvania where there are bugs and ticks is my version of hell. So I commemorated the sesquicentennial in Minnesota at several special events put on by the Minnesota Historical Society. One of them had me gussied up in my ballgown, and once again discovering that the Empress Gown has Marilyn Monroe tendencies when caught in a breeze… 

Fourth: Remember those amazing, talented friends? One of them is Anne. Anne is an amazing photographer – she has her own business, Anne Victoria Photography. She and I collaboratively schemed to set up a photoshoot at the historic LeDuc House in Hastings, Minnesota. This would give her the opportunity to add some really unique photos to her portfolio, and I got some shots of myself that weren’t taken in a dimly-lit mirror. The photos are still being edited, and I will put up the highlights when they are done, but this is just a sneak peek of the amazing work that she did:

Photo by Anne Victoria Photography

So, that’s it in a nutshell! There were other things, of course, and I wish I had properly documented them, but c’est la vie, non? Next week, I will be out of town at The Lake, which those in the upper Midwest know is a mystical land where time ceases to exist and everyone is happy. It is truly paradise. I already have a bin full of projects to work on – some millinery, some embroidery, some knitting. Look for results when I get back!

What are you working on lately? Has the summer been busy or slow for you?

Original Swiss Waist

This weekend I am headed out to Wisconsin for an 8K kayak adventure. Before I left, I thought I would share the promised pictures of my original black Swiss waist.

(Please note that these types of garments seem to have interchangeable names - corselet, Swiss body, Swiss waist...I am using Swiss waist because  it seems to be the term most are familiar with, and is also recognized as a garment worn over a bodice outside of the dress, and thus prevents confusion).

The front (I think?) of the Swiss waist

The back - notice the shaped side-back seams. The side seams are also prevalent.

I acquired this Swiss waist from a woman at the Midwest Open Air Museums Coordinating Council fall conference in 2011. Unfortunately, there was no information on its provenance. I think the waist may have been made from a silk bodice that was cut down/remodeled, but I can't be totally sure. It is made of black silk taffeta lined with white cotton twill. It's in pretty good shape for its age, though the silk does have some stains and shattering. For a while, I even considered whether or not it was a reproduction - but on close inspection, the garment definitely shows its age. It is also incredibly small. It might fit a very small teenager today, and may even have been an older girl's item.

The piping is a work of art!

The waist, neckline and armscyes are piped with the same silk over brown cotton cording. The trim is self fabric strips which are knife pleated in a really cool pattern; the top edge is pleated in one direction, and the bottom edge is pleated in the other direction and staggered with the top pleats, which makes for a very cool ripple effect. These strips are hand-applied, but the rest of the bodice is sewn by machine.

Detail shot of the really cool trim.

It's a little hard to tell which side is meant to be the front, and which is meant to be the back. The side with the opening is, I think, the front - it is fitted with darts on this side, right below where the bust would be. The back also has the typical V-shaped seam. The eyelets on the opening are hand sewn and there is boning along the eyelets. The ribbon used to close it is silk, and has some ingenious copper aglets, but it is impossible to tell if this ribbon was original to the garment.

Inside-out front, show construction details (and some pretty bad pitstains)

Detail of darts and piecing (?) seam

One of the interesting things about this garment is in its piecing. There is some strange piecing on the front - at least I think it's piecing. You can see it in the images above (the black lines running slightly diagonally across from the armscyes) and in the image below. Anyone have any ideas about this?

I have really enjoyed observing this Swiss waist and figuring out how it was constructed. It's like being a detective! I am currently making a Swiss waist with trim inspired by this one. I hope it has inspired you!

Crow Wing, or The Land That Time Forgot.

It's been a while. There's been a lot going on. One of the things going on has been a lot of sewing. I've been working on a swiss waist which mimics some features of an original swiss waist I own. Pictures of that are coming up soon, but it just wasn't inspiring me, and I wasn't sure what to write.

Today, though, I went on a blog-worthy Sunday Funday Afternoon Adventure. I live in central Minnesota, and one of the sites that has been on my list of things to see since I permanently moved here almost two years ago is Crow Wing State Park. The park is located just south of Brainerd (Minnesota's vacationland) on Highway 371. It's a pretty small park, and not well-known, which is a shame as it has some really amazing historic sites.

The area known as "Crow Wing" is situated at the confluence of the Mississippi and Crow Wing rivers. In the middle of the place where these two rivers meet is an island shaped like a bird's wing, which may be the source of the name. Rivers, as any good social studies teacher will tell you, are always a source of travel and transportation, and this area saw lots of people who used the river. The earliest, of course, were the Native Americans who lived here, particularly the Ojibwe and Dakota who fought for control of the area. British fur traders and soldiers were thought to be in the area as early as the middle of the 18th century. After the game of hot potato known as the subsequent trades leading up to the Louisiana Purchase, French fur traders began to settle in earnest and used the Mississippi river, and other rivers, to transport their goods. Lumbermen and loggers were also attracted to the area for its dense forests, particularly for the white pine. As if there wasn't enough traffic through the area, the Red River oxcart trail traveled along the Mississippi river, cutting right through the area and offering an overland supply route into Canada.

Crow Wing Island, as viewed from the east bank of the Mississippi river. Very flooded, as you can see!

Given these factors, this area was prime for settlement in the 1820s - 1840s. The various groups who interacted in this area - white Yankee settlers hoping to get rich, French fur traders hoping for the same, Native Americans and Metis, missionaries from a variety of churches - began a little settlement at this important confluence. It was given the name Crow Wing - I'll leave it up to you, gentle reader, to determine whether the settlers were smart or unoriginal. Over time the town grew to a population of over 600 at its peak in the 1860s, rivaling other settlements in the upper Midwest. But just as quickly as it popped up, it disappeared, as boom towns are wont to do. By the 1870s, the Native Americans and Metis were moved to the White Earth reservation and the railroads had passed by the settlement. The town was left to ruin.

The state Department of Natural Resources has done a great job of preserving and interpreting this site. There is only one building left, but there are markers indicating where other buildings were, and the boardwalk has been rebuilt so that one can get an idea of the lay of the land and imagine what the settlement was like. I really enjoyed my time and got some great pictures on a beautiful blue-sky day.

(Here, it should be noted that I am not an outdoorsy person. I like the outdoors and nature well enough, but when things get too real I head inside. And I picked the height of tick season to go tromping around in the woods and the tall-grass prairies to take these pictures for you. If you've never encountered a tick, you are lucky - if bunny rabbits and kittens and duckings are proof of a loving God, ticks are proof that Satan exists. I foiled three wood ticks in their attempts to liberate me of my blood as I took these pictures. I hope you appreciate them, I really do.)

 This is the Clement Beaulieu mansion, built in 1849. It is commonly believed to be the oldest building in north central Minnesota. Clement Beaulieu was a prominent citizen, trader, merchant, speculator, and general man-about-town in Crow Wing. His mansion is the only building left - Beaulieu and his wife were Metis, so they were relocated to White Earth, and the was moved to a family farm after Crow Wing was abandoned. It was then moved back here in the 1980s and restored. It stands on the top of the valley, overlooking the Mississippi river - pride of place, indeed!
 

 

This boardwalk is a recreation of the boardwalk which ran along the river and served as main street for Crow Wing. The town had stores, hotels, taverns, and warehouses. Cellar pits for many buildings are still evident. The list of town residents is like a who's who in Minnesota history - Morrison, Peake, Whipple, Aitken, Rice, Father Pierz, Hole-in-the-Day and Curly Head all lived here, or traveled through here, or did business here. Crow Wing even made mention in Harper's Weekly. It really was quite a place back then!

 

This is the view above the Mississippi river, on the other side of the valley from the Beaulieu house. Crow Wing Island is to the left, and the site of Crow Wing town is to the right. At the top, you can see where the Crow Wing river meets the Mississippi river. It's like the convergence of two major highways.

 

Those who know anything about Minnesota history, or the history of the Old Northwest, will be geeking out with me when they see this picture. The Red River trail was an oxcart trail used by Metis from the Red River valley (just like the song) to travel between Canada and Saint Paul. It was hugely important to the settlement of Minnesota and the transportation of goods, people, and ideas. The park has a section of the Red River trail which can be hiked.

Unfortunately, most of the trail looked like this. But I got to hike about a mile and a half of the Red River trail! This history nerd geeked out the whole way.

And really, I couldn't get enough of the different angles of the Beaulieu house. 1840s Greek Revivals are one of my absolute favorite styles of architecture, and if I could live in this house, I would. I really want to sew an 1850s dress and go back to do a photo shoot.

I think what I liked best about this site, though, are the stories behind the area and the town. I think all history comes down to relationships - it's about how people interact with each other, with their environment, and with the ideas and problems they encounter along the way. Crow Wing is all about these relationships, and this view sums it up best - one lonely sentinel on a hill, serving as witness to a forgotten time.


Update 6/2/2013 6:53 PM: I have done the all-over-nekkid-tick-check and there is not a single one to be found. I vanquish thee, Nature!

Their Likeness Taken

On my recent trip southwards, we were able to fit in some antique-ing. Most of the places we stopped in were very much on the beaten path, and shops frequented by tourists, which usually means that the prices were a little high. There were lots of beautiful things to ogle, not a lot that fit in the budget. This was probably for the best, as our rental car was really tiny and things could have gotten pretty cramped pretty quickly.

I did find three tintypes, and brought them home with me, and wanted to share them!

First up is this lovely lady, still in the original pasteboard holder. The back has a note written on it, identifying it as "grandmother". Her dress is very much in style with the very early 1850s (perhaps even as early as the late 1840s - that era is a little bit past my knowledge base so I am not as certain). It's a little blurry and dark, but she has a lovely collar and a pretty brooch.

Proof that even then, children had a hard time holding still for the camera! This kiddo moved while the picture was being exposed and is thus captured for posterity. In the 19th century, little boys wore dresses identical to little girls until they were potty trained. In period images, you can often tell boys and girls apart by the part in their hair - boys' hair is usually parted on the side, girls' hair is usually parted in the center. I am taking a wild stab in the dark by saying this is a boy, as I think I can see a side part and definitely do not see a center part. So I've taken to thinking of this child as a boy - what do you think?

A few details: his little bootees are lovely and he is wearing some really cute striped stockings! It is really hard to put a date on this one (children's clothes are also not a forte of mine), and he may be a little past the 1860s, but I just adore this one so I took it home with me.

This image is my favorite of the whole group. There is no telling the relationship between these two girls - sisters? Cousins? School friends? Either way, they are obviously dear to each other. They are holding hands (and holding them in a really weird way - anyone have any idea why??) and their fashionable jackets are identical. They also appear to be wearing the jackets over dresses, instead of wearing them as part of a three-piece ensemble, which is not unusual but seems to be less common. Also interestingly, they are wearing what appear to be lace mitts on their hands, but have taken the mitts off of their clasped hands. Again, anyone have any insight?

I plan to get some bigger versions of some of the details in this image - they are both wearing some really cool jewelry, and the girl on the left has what appears to be a decorated hairnet. Probably the best thing about this image is the depth and clarity of it - looking at the actual tintype, it is an eerie sensation of looking back into the past, seeing them exactly as they were when they sat down to "have their image struck".

Millinery Monday: The Smell of Old Lace

I never intended to have a "Millinery Monday" theme, but that is just the way things have worked out the past couple weeks. I just had to show off my latest acquisition:

It's an original bonnet veil! Bonnet veils were the 19th century version of sunglasses, cutting down on glare and providing a bit of shading for the eyes while also keeping a physical barrier between a lady and strangers while she was abroad. This one is a spotted silk netting ground with an edging of chantilly lace. It measures about 30 inches wide at the top edge, and 16 inches long at its apex. I don't know if you have ever handled antique silk lace - it has a stiff hand and is as light as a spiderweb. It also has a lovely smell, like talc powder, usually because it was saved in some little old lady's closet or bureau, and it exudes grace from another time.

Obviously, it has been well-loved in its lifetime...

The border is coming separated from the ground in a couple places, and there are some obvious repairs to the ground from its previous owners. That's not so shocking when you consider that this veil is likely around 150 years old! I don't know about you, but I think she looks pretty good for her age (yes, I personify my antiques, and this one is clearly a girl). The border can be repaired with some fine sewing thread and some careful needlework.

Here is the main reason I am excited I snagged up this beauty - and for the even prettier price of $13. This bonnet veil was being advertised as doll clothes. In fact, the  seller was advertising it as a "cutter" item - meaning vintage linens and laces that can be cut up for doll clothes. Cut. Up. For. Doll. Clothes. If you can, imagine the look of horror on my face. I didn't so much snag up this great deal, but I saved it in the name of history

Unfortunately, this situation is all too common with vintage and antique textiles. Heck, it's common with ALL antiques in today's DIY world. Beautiful wooden furniture with lovely patina is painted lime green with zebra stripes (yes, this is an example from real life). Antique transferware is smashed and turned into mosaic architectural pieces. And you know what? It is the right of any person who owns an item to determine its use, and if that use is doll clothes, then so be it. It is equally dangerous to think that we can save every little thing in the name of history. That way lies an episode of Hoarders. Things are used up, they become tattered and torn, and at a certain point they are no longer worth saving. Lace becomes moth-eaten. Buildings suffer from fires and water and time.

But, I have saved this one small, beautiful thing that can be cherished for years to come. And hopefully, whoever is next in line to own this little beauty will be able to enjoy the smell of antique lace, too.

What about you? Do you have anything you have saved from an untimely demise? What do you think is worth saving - and is the DIY movement ruining antiques or giving them a new life?

Wordless Wednesday: How To Make the Papillote Curls from Yesterday's Post

(Okay, just a few words, because I'm Irish and I've kissed the Blarney Stone so I can't NOT say something - these have changed my historical hairdressing forever. They are incredibly easy, they stay in forever without hairspray, and they look just darling in a whole bunch of different styles. Janet Stephens is officially my hero.)