Our thoughts are with Leimomi of The Dreamstress, tonight, sending her *hugs* for the passing of her Nana Oakes. We love you, Leimomi!
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Why We Costume, Part 1: Every Dance is Your Wedding
Let’s take a break from our regularly scheduled costuming for a little insight, a little philosophy, a little article on why it is I believe we costume. Why DO we costume?What is…
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Ubersexlich…Proof of Life
Proof of my exploits as a hired seamster. That’s a LOT of trim, and it’s not even a quarter of it. There will, of course be more…everywhere…down the front edges, up the…
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Trim-Laden Teaser
Oh Duchess, you’re SUCH a tease! The collar of James’ frock coat, trimmed out,ready to be stitched to the body of the coat. Whee!
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The Dark Side of Costuming…
Girl, what the heck have you been doing!? We want updates already! I’ve been doing the most mundane, neck-aching, back-breaking, horrific-yet-necessary part of the costuming job: cutting. This doesn’t seem like such…
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Christmas Bait
Hooray for The Holidays! The Dreamstress posted about her lovely Christmas Bait (closely related to Pogey Bait), so I thought I’d post about mine as well. Amongst the cuddly flannel PJs, fluffy…
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Early Christmas Gifts, Ubersexlich, All Manner of Update…
It’s been a crazy mid-month, and here’s hoping things calm down. Lots of happenings and announcements and other zaniness ahead… First Up – Pogey Bait! Nicole, herself a fantastic seamstress and wonderful…
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Apocalyptic Costuming and Life
Sometimes things just don’t work out. Sometimes NOTHING works out. This makes me very grumpy. Dickens Day Dress? No. New Car? No. Sick dog? Yes. Men’s Breeches Toile for James’ 18th c.…
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The Great 1840s Combustion…
…on Hold. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very sorry to announce that the 1840s day dress for this year’s Dickens Christmas Fair…is on hold until next year. Why, you whimper? On account…
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Christmastime!
The Lady of Portland House made me smile with this little Q&A (I refuse to call it a meme, I don’t even know what that is really!), so I’ve done it for…
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The Great 1840s Madness, and Some 18th c. Toile-ing
It feels fantastic to be sewing again, and to be sewing on a tight deadline. I believe in the power of tight deadlines to keep us excited about a project, make us…
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The Great 1840s Digression
Today I went to the fabric store for one thing and one thing only: muslin, primarily for the purpose of mocking up James’ 18th c. men’s suit (more on this later). What…
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The Importance of Sewing Space
I’ve been so bad at updating, and this is because my brain has been a frazzled mess of goo due to the lack of organization and functionality of my sewing space. That…
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It’s That Time of Year: American Duchess T-Shirts
Who wants candy? American Duchess Boutique on Etsy Retail shop is up and running, taking international orders as well as domestic, yay!
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James’ :Ubersexlich 18th c. Men’s Suit: Sketches
The time has come to begin sketching and designing for James’ 18th c. suit. The nice thing about men’s fashion in the 18th c. is that while it was flamboyant, yes, the…
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James’ Fantastic 18th Century Suit – Starting Line
Red wool suit with gold trimming, Kyoto Costume Institute, 1740s It’s about time I posted something, yeah? I have a good excuse: this little Duchie has finally found herself a new home,…
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Birthday A La Francaise
Last weekend I celebrated my birthday by skipping down to Alameda for an evening of dancing with my favorite people. When I returned on Sunday, my parents and I celebrated again, with…
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70 Thank Yous to 70 Followers
Today I’m happy to celebrate 70 followers to this blog! Thank you to all my readers, and welcome to all the new readers! 2010 is fast approaching and I hope to fill…
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Time Travel: Le Bal Des Vampyres, 1840s
I promise you I have some delectable projects to begin updating about soon, including a fantastic 18th c. men’s ensemble ripe with embroidery and velvet and goodies. However, I also need to…
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American Duchess, Now Open For Business
American Duchess is now accepting costuming commissions, yay! I am not solely an 18th century seamster – I also work in Elizabethan, Baroque, Regency, Victorian, Edwardian, and retro fashions from the 1920s-60s.…
