A Most Beguiling Accomplishment

So much is going on! I am pleased to announce that Regency Women's Dress  has been put up in the Pavilion Books store, with a release date of September 17. Looks nice, doesn't it? I'll be giving you more information as I get it about international releases and such things, as well as (of course) a nice giveaway. And below, I would like to show you the first gown made from a RWD pattern! Riley never looks at the camera This pattern was taken from a gown at the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown. Pictures were taken when I went home for my ten-year high school reunion, in my mother's backyard. The entire gown, apart from the side and back lining (which is a white linen/cotton blend I had on hand), is silk taffeta from Renaissance Fabrics. The original was in a light blue, which would make it more appropriate for evening dance situations, but. This is my color. It's definitely not perfect and there are a few things I'd like to

Originally, I was going to write about lingerie dresses in general, as they make up a large portion of heirlooms everywhere, and especially of my small collection of antique clothing. But then I remembered - I can do better! A long time ago, I posted some photos of ancestors of mine, including one of the following portraits: This is my great-grandmother, Ardis Burdick Allen Luce, in 1919 - although at the time, she was just Ardis Burdick. Like pretty much all young women in the late 19th and early 20th century, when she graduated high school, she wore a white cotton commencement dress. It's not exactly cutting edge, but it is  fashionable for the time - raised waistlines could be found even in the Gazette du Bon Ton through 1921 - and it was probably made for the occasion, perhaps by someone in her family. (Her maternal grandmother worked in the clothing industry for most of her life, as a dressmaker and then as a saleslady/merchant.) Ardis kept this dress and passed it