This year at Market, I picked up a splendid new silk bonnet, a new handsewn cap, a handful of patterns, a tiny bit of fabric, and some jewelry. So now, my promise to myself is that I will:
- Actually sew up the stays pattern I cut out a year ago
- Make at least one new garment that "goes" with the new bonnet
- Men and/or finish the pitiful rags I already have
My goal is to put together a small wardrobe that wouldn't embarrass a shopgirl or lady of very modest means. I lean to portraying a middling-class sort of lady, since I have neither the time nor the resources to pull of an aristocratic or even moderately wealthy impression.
At the moment, I'm considering throwing in with a friend and doing primarily German-American, of which there was a substantial presence in the mid-Atlantic. I should also have a couple of changes of French/French-Canadian clothes for working in the shop (we sell French-Canadian historic pottery). In the next few posts, I'll start laying out a plan and gathering research.