New fabric... ahhhhh

New fabric shipment!  I received the two wools from Fabric.com and picked up some things at Jo-Ann's.  Oddly enough, though, this shipment of wool came in the mail before a previously placed order of wool arrived (which hasn't arrived yet).  I must call Fabric.com on that issue.  Anyway, on to the goodies!

 The pile!

 First up, 2 yards of black silk to make a Swiss Waist

 2 yards of 100% linen to line my pink silk Georgian stays

 The plaid wool.... this is the most soft, wonderful, gorgeous wool I have ever seen.  I absolutely adore it.  It's purpley!!!!!  When my mom saw this fabric, she exclaimed, "Purple!  That's not period correct!"  (As a clarification, my mother does not know much about historic clothing.  Proof: every time I show her anything that I've made that's period correct, she exclaims, "Miss Scarlett!")  Purple, in fact, is quite period correct.  Just refer to my Pinterest!

This is the teal wool.  I'm not exactly thrilled about it.  It's of a heavier weight than the red and the plaid wools, which makes me hesitate on making it into a dress.  The weave is also kind of funky.  I'll have to ask for help on that one.  If the weave is not period, I'll just send it back.  If it's too heavy but the weave is period, then I'll sell it to someone looking for fabric for a paletot or cape.  Sarah?

 Here is my lovely, now organized fabric stash!  Puny as it is, I love it.

It's organized by fiber.  Here's the wools...

 The cottons...

 The silks...

 And the lonely linen.  Sigh.  Maybe one day I will find a sale and buy you some friends.  Till then, you must stay a loner, because you are $15.99 a yard.

Finally, one of my favorite purchases!  Little baby Ginghers!  I got these because I need scissors to use at reenactments and I found that these are passable.  I love love love the stork.  It's so cute.

Au revoir, dear friends!

Busy Week!

On Thursday, I practiced my Senior Project presentation on Civil War clothing in front of an amalgamation of AP English students (I am one of them) and Human Growth and Development students (I am not one of them).  I think it went very well except I went over time by like three minutes at least (obviously because I could talk about CW clothing forever and ever).  I think the students were pleasantly surprised with my presentation, not realizing how interesting this rarely-touched part of history is.  It was fun!  Now I just have to cut out some parts of my presentation so I can focus more on the clothing.  I mean, I did make two dresses for this project, they kind of warrant more than 3 overtime minutes of hyper speed speech.

Then, on Saturday, the Ladies Living History Society and the Western Female Seminary Living History Society all took a lovely trip down to the Cincinnati Museum Center for their Civil War Days.  It was great because 1. It is air conditioned 2. Lots of people were able to make it and 3. The museum provided lunch for all of the volunteers.  We also got to play a hilarious game of Questions and Answers with some Union gentlemen, which was very fun!  I was able to wear my red dress, but unfortunately, that may be the last time I wear that dress until fall because it is, in fact, wool.  It's so pretty, though!!!  Sigh.

So... about not buying any more fabric... I might possibly have bought two more dress lengths...  Don't yell at me!!  They were only $3.40 per yard and they're 100% wool and 60" inches wide... I couldn't help it.  Anyway, I got 6 yards each of these fabrics:

For this Caraco Espagnol from Peterson's, 1862:

One word--tassels!

For an asymmetrical bodice. My pseudo-inspiration image:

I say pseudo because it is just proof for myself that there were asymmetrical bodice dresses made out of plaid fabric.  I am probably going to do trim differently than this lovely lady.

Anyway, that is all!  Have a lovely day, everyone!