historical dress

Inspiration Board: Romantic Era Gown

I have said for the longest that the late 1820s-1840s era of fashion didn’t really appeal to me. But knowing how the universe likes to make me put my foot in my mouth, it really said HA! HOLD MY BEER!

My friend Robin of SewLoud is hosting her annual dinner, and it is themed after Young Victoria. It’s at the Joseph Ambler Inn in North Wales, PA. I’ve been to the last two, and have had such an amazing time. And the room accommodations and continental breakfast? chefs kiss

So with me not having ANYTHING other than a corset for that time period (that I actually found last night and surprised myself!) that a friend gave to me, I of course needed to make a new gown!
Since I received so many compliments on the 18th century Aidah gown that my friend Spencer (ThimbleRaven) made and gave to me, I decided to stick with jewel towns and go with emerald green. I mean admittedly, I look DAMN GOOD! PLUS! I’ve been dying to get me a pair of the Flora boots from American Duchess since they first came out, but could not settle on a color. So I believe I made the right choice. Plus, it matches my hair color!!!

These are from in front of the Louvre while I was in France for my art residency!

Back from France!

And oh my god, I don’t even have the words other than “freaking amazing!” I’ve been back a week now, and today is the first day where I feel that I have enough energy to dive back into my normal routine, in addition to cleaning and organizing the chaos that was caused during the reconstruction process, when a second pipe not only bursts when the heat was turned back on, 8 other cracks were found in the piping. PLUS, having to purchase a completely new furnace. It was A LOT. And thankfully my husband, who knows me so well, decided it was best not to tell me while I was away because I would have freaked out, my anxiety would be through the roof, so yeah…he was right!

There is so much to share about the trip, and about the project that I worked on while at the residency. Which means of course there are tons of pictures and videos that I need to edit and share. I’ve already started sharing some photo posts & reels over on my Instagram, if you want to take a look.

I am also getting back to doing the wax-sealed letters. I know that some of you have been expecting your packages, and believe me when I saw that between being overwhelmed and trying to prepare for the trip while living out of a suitcase in a hotel, coupled with executive dysfunction: it all kicked my ass, and I dropped the ball. So I deeply apologize for that. So some of you will be receiving letters and others, depending on your tier, a package or two with gifts along with the letters.

But check out this photo of me in front of the glass pyramids at The Louvre! A street photographer came up to me asking to take a couple of photos, and I was honored!!!

Countdown to France! It’s SO CLOSE!

I leave in just TWO DAYS! Two freaking days, and I still can’t believe it. So while getting things prepared, you may or may not have seen that we had two pipes burst in our back room /my husband’s office…AGAIN. The first time was 12/23, and we started the restoration process; in which they came and packed everything up and put it in a storage pod, and did a dry-out. Just to have another pipe crack in the ceiling on 1/10. Since then, we have been in a hotel the second time around, the plumber/HVAC company could not get the furnace to kick back in gear, along with a random pipe that’s not even connected along the floorboard (I seriously have no clue what that is about!). Thankfully, we are just down the road from our house, and I am so thankful that our homeowners’ insurance is covering everything.

This means that I have of course brought my sewing machine and such with me, and have been working on two ensembles, and a couple of accessories. I will be finishing the wearable mock-up for the Amalia Jacket here and cutting the pieces so that I can finish the full silk version while I am in France. Along with a petticoat, a mantle, two fur muffs, a pair of mitts, and a shift. At least, for now. Tomorrow, I swing by my house to gather the rest of the clothing and accessories that I plan to wear while away. Now this is kind of a big deal because I am doing my personal project: 28 Days of Historical Dress during February, which I have been doing for 3 years now (I think? it may be 2). So while it is easy to pick out what to wear each day while I am at home, I now have to deliberately plan my outfits ahead and pack them without going overboard with my packing (which I am prone to do, but since I am limited on bag space, I *need* to plan what I am packing thoroughly). I’m thinking of keeping things relatively simple, and just going with some classic vintage from the 1920’s through the 1950’s. So a couple of different dresses, wide leg trousers, kimono sleeved cardigans, and the like. And of course, my historical stuff. 18th century, a regency gown or two, and an Edwardian ensemble. The Edwardian ensemble is for this years #BGGL (Black Gibson Girl Legacy), created by the amazing Jasmine Le Fleur, the creative genius behind Black Fae Day.

So with two more days left, I am still raising extra funds to help offset the cost of this trip (since I am on disability, and am not doing photography as much as I used to), and have extra for things like admission to two exhibits that I am looking forward to seeing, travel (since I won’t have a rental car), and supplies while there.

Now with all of that said, if you do have extra to help support this art residency, it will be greatly appreciated. After all, if it wasn’t for all of your support from the beginning, the first GoFundMe goal to get me to the residency wouldn’t have ever happened! So a big thank you to all of you! Here are the ways that you can help!

You can donate directly to my cashapp/venmo/paypal:

I also have my Print site, in which you can purchase prints and wall art of my photography. Even while in France, I will be able to place orders within 24 hours of receiving them.
https://www.marisataylorphotography.com/art-prints-for-sale/

And the original GoFundMe campaign, with the goal amount increased: https://www.gofundme.com/f/lets-get-marisa-to-france-for-art

And my Patreon, in which there are different tiers that you can subscribe to monthly, or just one time. I will be sending out the wax-sealed letters & packages for my current Patrons either tomorrow or Tuesday 1/28, which is when I leave: https://patreon.com/TheMarisaZimmerman1

I also have some digital portrait illustrations that I plan to offer while I am gone, and because they are digital-once purchased you will receive a link to download them immediately! So stay stuned for that!

Lastly, I know that there are so many different platforms for social media. I recently created a new public FB page that will basically mirror my TikTok account. So if you could give me a follow there, it would be so very much appreciated! Follow me at: The Marisa Zimmerman

And with that, I think that is a pretty good update if I do say so myself! Now back to sewing and packing!!!

Summer is almost over Pt. 1

I am so sorry that I have been horrible with updating. This summer has been…interesting, but still amazing. I think I took my doctor’s orders to slow down and relax a little bit too seriously (they’ve actually been telling me this for like 10 years, but I am stubborn). However, my body definitely needed it. Because, YAY CHRONIC ILLNESS! I am desperately trying to get back into somewhat of a routine for myself BEFORE my kids start school right after Labor Day.

So a lot of things are happening, and I am super excited for all of it. As you know, at the end of January, I will be going to France for my art residency. My husband had set up a GoFundMe, and the goal for the residency was met super fast. I was honestly shocked, but of course so thankful. I will be updating the goal in hopes that whatever extra funds come in, they will go straight toward travel costs and such.

But for now, I wanted to share MORE amazing images from my 1790’s portrait series shoot with my friend and fellow historical costumer/photographer, Michele Quigley!

So about two months ago I posted about my friend, Michele Quigley’s 1790s portrait series and shared the first two images that she edited and the fashion plate that I recreated, now there are more!

So for one, I was gifted this session, and even though I am a photographer myself, I am absolutely horrible at setting up scenery and photographing myself, even though I can make magic happen in almost any space I am in! Anywho! When I found out, I started scouring through Pinterest and Google for fashion plates of that era. I didn’t necessarily have a particular look I was going for, but I wanted something that screamed out to me. And then, I found it!

“La Belle Espangole” (‘La belle Espagnole, – ou – la doublure de Madame Tallien’) – this drawing is of Maria Garcia, a dancer and tightrope walker. It was drawn by James Killray, a caricaturist in 1796. This was the first time that I came across an actual fashion plate from that era that featured a model of color. So of course I wanted to recreate this look!

To begin with, the gown itself was very simple to make. It’s basically a rectangle (one piece in the front, and one piece for the back), with a channel sewn along the top of the back to gather it, and then the trim went from the gathering in the back, over the shoulders, and to attached to the front. Very similar to a bog dress that is commonly worn at an event I go to called The Pennsic War in the SCA. I really need to write a blog post about the construction.

The challenge for me was making that neckline SUPER low, and to sew it so that it forms the natural swoop following the curve of the breasts, but also, NOT to have my girls fall out because I am wellllll endowed in that department. 😅

Even though I already had a pair of Regency era short stays, they didn’t create the silhouette that I wanted for a 1790s gown; and since I will be doing more 1790s projects, I bit the bullet and purchased a set of 1790s mid-length transitional stays (from The Paupers Modiste on Etsy, I HIGHLY recommend! ) – and they were perfect. The straps were also removable, which was ideal because the gold strap was thinner in width than the straps for the stays.

The gown itself is made out of a brown cotton Swiss dot fabric that I scored on Etsy. I made a simple yellow satin petticoat to wear under it. The waistband, arm bands, wristband, and the trim along the neckline and the straps were made out of various gold trims, some layered on a solid piece of gold trim. The necklace was a bib/collared neck piece that I got off of Etsy, but I do want to try to recreate the neck piece that she is wearing in the drawing. The shawl was too pashmina shawls sewn together (and I still need to add the gold trim along the edge as well). I found the PERFECT red shoes for this on Amazon (actually, if you search women’s mules on Amazon, there are A LOT that are passable for historic footwear for quite a few fashion eras). And while I did not have gold hoops (forgot to pack them), I wore my pearl drop earrings by Dames a la Mode.

So for the pictures, the first one is my absolute favorite, and this is the one that’s going to be printed and framed for the gallery exhibition that Michele is hosting.

If you’ve stuck around to read all of this, thank you!!!

My 1790s Portrait Series Shoot

My 1790s portrait session ensemble!

One of my friends who is a fellow historical costumer and photographer like myself has been doing a portrait series based on the fashions of the 1790s: Michele Quigley 1790s Series. I was lucky enough to be gifted a session, and was super excited about it. As soon as I found out, I began scouring fashion plates from the 1790s. When I came across this one, La Belle Espagnole, I was in LOVE! For one, I just love her gown in general, but for me finding a fashion plate that has a woman of color was like hitting a gold mine.

So I set to work recreating the gown for my photoshoot. I used a brown Swiss dot cotton for the gown, the petticoat was a yellow satin, the shoes were red mules from Amazon (I need to go back and stitch on the gold trim to them). The straps and my arm cuffs were made from different widths and types of gold trim and gold patent leather.
Now it is RARE that I am on the other side of the camera as the subject, but when I saw the edited images that she posted while I was at a camping event for my birthday last week, I screamed. Full on OMFG I CANT BELIEVE THIS IS ME!

Other than adding the gold trim to the shoes like in the fashion plate, I really want to try to nail down the neckpiece/collar that she has on too!

16th Century Persian

Two weeks ago, my shire (#caeradamant) went down to compete in the kingdom of Atlantia’s #revengeofthestitch . It’s an event in which teams of 5 with the 6th person being Al the model create a historical ensemble within 24 hours. This year my daughter Charlotte was the model! Our team captain did an outstanding job with the research and documentation, and the planning of the entire ensemble. We chose 16th-century Persian. I had to step back for a moment because who told my baby she could grow up! We did not win, sadly-but it was still a great event. And my daughter absolutely loved being the model!

Georgian January 2024-Day 12:Shapes

I had coffee this morning after a good nights sleep at the end of a productive day, so I’m on a roll!!! Anyway, I picked a couple of different images for today’s theme. The first two being #underpinnings No matter what time period you decide to costume in, it’s always important to have the correct underpinnings to give you the silhouette (the shape, ah! Get it!) that was fashionable during that time period. So the first up is a custom set of #hippanniers for an 18th century gown (I have yet to start working on the #robealafrancaise that it is to be worn with) that I won from @hannah_alice_costumes . The second are my #regencyera stays made by @paupers.modiste . | the next two shapes are circles. My black #bergérehat, and my diy macaroon pattern weights. | last two are from when I decided to make a #chemiseàlareine to wear to a friends party. At first I was kind of intimidated when looking for a pattern, but then I came along the tutorial by @freshfrippery , and realized that it was basically three large rectangles sewn together into a tube basically, with shoulder straps and sleeves! | #historicalcostuming #historicalcostumer #costumersofcolor #blackwomensew #blackwomenstitch

Georgian January 2024 Catch-up! Days 5-11!

In between working on a commission, the normal chaos that is my home, and trying to get the bedroom back to normal after having a pipe burst in my closet therefore displacing all of my stuff in there, exhaustion finally caught up with me. This time, it was brought on by some craptastic weather that was basically the cherry on the cake for the storm that is having a chronic fatigue flare up. But I’m hoping today to tackle some things, and one of those things was catching up on the days missed for Georgian January 2024. I have them all up on my Instagram, with detailed posts and some having multiple images but here is a quick run through:

Day 5: Town

Day 6: Country

Day 7: Laughter

Day 8: Inside

Day 9: Outside

Day 10: Details

Day 11: Lines

2024 Sewing Projects

So 2023 was…let’s just say, a very interesting but taxing year for me. I had so many projects I wanted to do, but health issues and other things pretty much kept me in survival mode. But I am hoping for 2024 to be better! Especially in regards to my historical sewing and crafting! So here is what I want to do!

Do a better job at documenting and recording my sewing process for my projects.
Take high quality photos of my finished projects (as a professional photographer who can pull magic no matter what space I am in, I am embarrassed that I can’t photograph myself well! 😅)
Complete at least two full 18th century outfits for my husband (one for daytime wear, and a fancier one for balls and dinners.)
Complete at least two regency era outfits for my husband (again, for daytime/nightime).
Make proper underpinnings for my daughter (who literally won’t stop growing! 😂)
Make my daughter her pink regency gown to match mine.
Make an 18th century gown for my daughter.
Make an 18th century outfit and a regency outfit for my son (he keeps getting taller, but he still can fit into a size 4-6 kids at the waist, even thought he is 9)
Make two wigs. 1 is inspired by Queen Charlotte’s In Bridgerton, and and another 18th century updo wig.
Sew the Amalia jacket and a petticoat for a Galentines Day tea with my friends in February.
Sew a zone front robe a la anglaise
Sew a Robe à la française
Make all the hats I want! Edwardian, Victorian, 18th century- I want it all!
At least 1-2 daytime regency gowns
Redo my purple velvet open robe
Sew a Victorian evening/ball gown to wear to a fancy dress dinner that my friend is hosting
Get over my fear of my serger and learn how to use it 😅
Possibly take on some commissions

I find that making an inspiration board for a project helps immensely, I’ve done two so far:

This was the finished open robe. I plan on detaching the skirt and reworking the pleating.

This is my upcoming project for an event in February.

Georgian January-Day 5

So for Day 5 of #georgianjanuary2024 it is: Town. here are two photos in the towns we visited. The first one is at a colonial tavern called @jessopstavern, which is located in the town of #historicnewcastledelaware . The second was from our anniversary trip to the @innboonsboro , in the town of Boonsboro, Maryland. Both places, I love dearly. Jessops has AMAZING food! And the InnBoonsboro has themed rooms based of famous literary couples. We stayed in the Darcy & Elizabeth room.