Do you want Search?
Random Post
  • Set Up Menu
American Duchess Blog
Random Post
  • Home
  • Shoe Shop
  • Projects
  • Bookshelf
  • Resources
  • About Me
  • Home
  • Shoe Shop
  • Projects
  • Bookshelf
  • Resources
  • About Me
Search
American Duchess Blog
  • Home
  • Shoe Shop
  • Projects
  • Bookshelf
  • Resources
  • About Me
  • Home
  • Shoe Shop
  • Projects
  • Bookshelf
  • Resources
  • About Me
Search
  • Fabrics for the 18th Century and Beyond

    June 14, 2021

    One of the top questions I get from budding 18th century costumers is “what fabric should I use?” Luckily, there is ample choice for the Georgian era, though not as much a…

    4 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 11
  • 1780s Embroidered Italian Gown – Skirts and Sleeves

    May 21, 2021

    In the first post on this project, I constructed the bodice front and back. Now it’s time for skirts – the fun part – and sleeves – the evil part. Skirts first.…

    2 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 5
  • A 1780s Embroidered Italian Gown – Finally

    May 15, 2021

    Most of my 2020 was spent in working on – and finishing! – UFOs or “unfinished objects.” I completed my 1760s Sunset Silk Robe a la Francaise, an 1890s linen jacket, a…

    4 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 13
  • {Video} Cake or Death – Marie Antoinette

    February 3, 2021

    This is a bit of a weird one. Last Spring, 2020, I made an attempt at Youtube, like SO many of us. I had an idea for a series of cake-decorating-meets-interesting-historical-deaths. Dark…

    1 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 1
  • My 2020 Costuming Year in Review

    January 27, 2021

    This has indeed been a weird, challenging, rough year. I think I’ve left my house, like, 20 times max for 10 months. During this time I feel I sewed very little, but…

    0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 7
  • Old Projects I, Uh, Forgot to Post About

    January 20, 2021

     With all the updates to Ye Olde Blogge, I was going back and checking the “Projects” page when I found several costumes I finished but never actually posted about. The horror! So…

    0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 8
  • Lessons of the Volante – So Far

    January 13, 2021

    Du….Du Hast…Du Hast Mich… There’s something about pleat-to-fit garments that both attract me and drive me bonkers. I think it’s a combination of no two surviving examples being the same and my…

    0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 8
  • How to Fix Funky Points on 18th Century Stays

    December 2, 2020

      See those points on the front edges of the stays, at the bust? If you’ve got a pair of 18th century stays that lace at the center front, either fully or…

    1 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 7
  • Gown-in-a-Weekend: 1790s Vigee-Lebrun Round Gown from Simplicity S8941

    November 16, 2020

    For some reason I got a wild hair to do a “gown in a weekend” project. Dr. Carolyn Dowdell and I made a pact to fill the void of black gowns in…

    0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 17
  • Meet the New Pompadour 18th Century Shoes

    October 16, 2020

    This season, we’re proud to finally introduce the new and improved Pompadour 18th Century Court Shoes! We’ve made a few changes to this classic, curvaceous style. The Pompadours have been one of…

    3 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 2
  • 1760s Robe a la Francaise – Finished + Video!

    July 27, 2020

    At last, at last! My Robe a la Bon Bon 1750 – 1770 sacque is complete! I finished this gown a little while back but it’s taken me quite some time to…

    0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 14
  • Dress Analytics: Madame de Pompadour by Francois Boucher, 1756 {Video}

    June 29, 2020

    Today I have a new video for you…it’s basically a blog post in video form (lol) – you can listen to my charming stuffed-up-elf voice tell you about the gown in this…

    0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 3
  • Petticoat Pitfalls for Grand Panniers

    June 22, 2020

    Well shoot, this didn’t work…. Don’t you just love when you finish up a project, perhaps the first part of an ensemble, something you’ve maybe done numerous times before, only to put…

    1 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 8
  • How to Avoid Lampshade Hoops in the 18th Century

    June 15, 2020

    It’s a thing in the Georgian period too! I’ve recently started on my next big (physically big), early 18th century project, a Robe Volante. One of the reasons I felt confident to…

    0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 13
  • 1765 Robe a la Bon Bon – Simplicity 8578 – Trimming the Beast

    June 8, 2020

    Cutting strip after strip of pinked trim – the trick is the fold up your fabric three or four layers and cut through all at once. A plain sacque in a gorgeous…

    0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 18
  • How to Dress 18th Century – 1770 – 1780 Robe a la Polonaise {Video}

    June 1, 2020

    Howdy! I’ve been trying to make videos for getting dressed in different decades of the 18th century, since this is quite a visual subject and video is a natural tool for this…

    0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 2
  • 1720s – 1740s Robe Volante – Initial Musings

    May 27, 2020

    I just can’t get enough of 18th century back pleats! The time has come. This one has been brewing for awhile. I have a sortof underdog love for weird garments or time…

    0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 10
  • 1765 Robe a la Bon Bon Sacque – Simplicity 8578 – Construction Complete!

    May 13, 2020

    Trying on the new sacque – it’s always nice to have something, y’know, fit at its first real try-on. Next time I say something like, “oh I’ll just throw this sacque together…

    0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 8
  • Getting Dressed in 18th Century – 1780s – 1790 {Video}

    May 5, 2020

    Let’s get dressed! Hi Lovelies! I made a short video showing the steps and pieces of getting dressed in a 1780s Italian gown or Robe a l’Anglaise. I know for new costumers…

    0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 5
  • Pattern Notes on Simplicity 8578 – Robe a la Francaise Dress Pattern

    May 1, 2020

    A couple years ago now we worked with Simplicity to create a Robe a la Francaise pattern (Simplicity 8578) based on Abby’s sacque in The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking.…

    0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest 14
Older 
123
© American Duchess | American Duchess® is a registered trademark of American Duchess Inc.

Back to top