By now you all have a hat, of course, fabulously trimmed with ribbons and plummage. There is just one problem: how do you keep this thing on your head!? Enter The Hatpin.…
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A Wild Hair : When Good Wigs Gets Better
At about 3 A.M. one morning I decided my 18th century “big wig” just wasn’t big enough. It’s not that I thought it ugly, it just wasn’t the right shape. It was…
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The Amazing Crafthat Pt. Deux : Finishing!
When we last looked at our friend The Amazing Crafthat, the crown had been cut off and the brim shaped into a lovely curve, using the spray-bottle method. Now it’s time to…
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Behind the Masque: Owl Mask Concept and References
What is more intriguing than and 18th c. Masquerade (and it’s masks)? American Duchess’ first monster project, which all the dress diary entries so far have been working towards, is the notorious…
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Butterick 18th C. Stays – In Progress “Glamour”
For all the corset and bodies I’ve made, the 18th c. version, called “stays,” is new to me. I picked up a Butterick (B4484) pattern some years ago and have finally gotten…
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The Top 5 18th c. Costume Blogs On the Web
The time has come for the first official “Duchess Awards” to be given out for five of the best costume blogs around, covering 18th century costuming. These sites, updated and maintained regularly…
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I’m NOT Crazy! – Examples of Incredible Feather Gowns
Holy Mackerel! Look what I found wandering the interwebs! This is an Yves Saint Laurent gown made of pheasant and vulture (vulture!?) feathers. It’s GORGEOUS!! I don’t have access to vultures, but…
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Hair of Great Enormity – a Practical How-To…
Get ready ladies. This is the post you’ve all been waiting for! A step-by-step guide to creating 18th c. monster hair from a long synthetic wig. So by now you’ve got your…
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1795 Open Robe: The Sheety Toile
The time has come to create the pattern for the 1795 Open Robe! I printed out my scan of the Janet Arnold “Patterns of Fashion” robe and was pleased to see that…
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A Great Place For 18th c. Hats…
While recently perusing the love Duchess of Devonshire blog, I ran across a link for a site selling period straw hats, both men’s and women’s, called “Just Two Tailors.” I was very…
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The Amazing CraftHat Pt.1 – shaping
Ever wander through the fun-filled aisles of the craft store and notice the straw hats? They come in many sizes, from large sun hats to miniature doll’s hats. The kicker, though, is…
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18th Century Wig-stravaganza Pt.1
Hooray, my wigs have finally come and are in my clutches! After ripping open the box and hastily pulling my two wigs out of their packages, I stuffed the first one on…
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Wig Ransom
My wigs arrived today! Unfortunately they are being held hostage in the apartment complex office. I will likely pick them up tomorrow evening, in exchange for the ridiculous amount of dollars that…
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GREAT Hats of the Late 18th c. … [what are they and where do I get them?]
…That’s “GREAT” as in Great Dane, Great Blue Herron, and the Great Wall of China. With mountains of hair exploding from the tops of ladies’ heads throughout the 18th century, it made…
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We Have A Winner!
As this dress has been on my mind constantly for the last week, I’ve been mulling over construction and shape, and here, at last, the *FINAL* sketch for the design of this…
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I Can See Your [Regency] Underwear…
As noted in a previous entry, undergarments are quite possibly the single most important part of your costume. They provide the foundation upon which your dress will be built, and will alter…
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Cross-Over Necklines – 1795
Here’s an awesome page choc full o’ information on Regency everything, from which all these pics today have come. People nowadays tend to think in terms of decade and/or sometimes entire centuries!…
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Is Regency A Good Idea?
I’ve been very on-the-fence about whether I want to go Regency era or scootch back towards the 1790s with this costume. My dilemma is that I don’t like Regency. Why not? Because…
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The Hair Up There – Enormous Wigs of the late 18th Century…
Much planning has already gone into The Barn Owl gown, from the undergown to the robe, to the underpinnings, and hair is not to be left out! I am mainly starting down…
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New Sketch
A quick sketch of the new ensemble – the undergown with an empire waist, but full through the skirt, and the open robe pretty much as it is in the Janet Arnold…
