Happy Labor Day!

I thought I would just drop a line to say Happy Labor Day to all! Hope you have a lovely day with friends & family.

God bless,
Sarah Grace

The Story of a Seamstress Hosting A Giveaway!

Atlanta from The Story of a Seamstress is hosting a wonderful giveaway for her Design Your Own Regency Dress kit! If it is anything like the Design Your Own 1860s Dress kit, it will be fabulous & an immense inspiration to anyone who receives it.
I was blessed to win the 1860s Dress kit & it has been an informative & fun aid to use whenever I need to create a new Civil War dress or I just want to attempt recreating something that I have seen on a film or photograph. The drawings that she has in the kit are beautiful & there is information attached, so that you know what types of fabric would work best with the design you have just drawn. It is almost like a guide to helping you choose, not only the style of your next CW dress, but the fabric as well, so that when you go to the store you have an accurate idea of what to buy.
I think this kit would be a wonderful gift to any aspiring seamstresses, designers, or lovers of history. I have entered the giveaway for the Design Your Own Regency Dress, so that I can pass it on to a friend whom is learning to create her own clothing. I hope whoever wins will enjoy their kit as much as I have mine.

God bless,
Sarah Grace>

Sewing For Gentlemen......

I have been so busy since the last post I made that I have only been on the computer for short periods of time, so posting had ceased. I seem to think that you must always write long posts, but I suppose that is not the real purpose of this blog.

What have I been so terribly busy with that I have neglected this writing source?
Well, I have received several alteration & repair jobs of multiple items, which I am being paid to do, thank you God, I am helping more with the housework at my Grandpa's house, trying to sew for my own miniscule wardrobe, helping my Mother prepare for another year of homeschooling for my youngest brother, Matthew, returning to teaching Sunday school & singing with the Worship, & last, but not least preparing my sermons for our ministery training class.

So, needless to say, I have not had much free time for writing. I would like to try & document my next project, if not with photos of the process, at least of the finished projects & writing how I accomplished it.

What might this new venture be, you say? Well, the title of this post is a very good indication as to the answer. Yes, I am embarking on the stormy seas of sewing for gentlemen, for a gentleman actually. A good friend from church has a birthday coming up (all too soon it seems), & I have gotten the supplies for about $15 to create for him two corduroy vests, (one sky blue & one deep brown) one pair corduroy pants of the same deep brown fabric as the vest, & one lovely blue shirt (Hopefully I can create a pair of suspenders to go with the pants, but I don't know if that will happen). My friend is quite the history fanatic & has expressed an interest in wearing historical clothing. I have chosen the period of the mid 1890s to early 1900s, as the style that I have found is more in line with the appearance that he needs to present at church. I have a pattern for the vests, which are probably what I will atempt first. The shirt, I plan to take a general idea from the Laughing Moon #107 pattern for the Victorian & Edwardian men's shirt. The pants I will probably end up drafting from looking at images of period correct garments. I hope to have all of the items done before or at least by Christmas. I know I am undertaking alot, but I really would like to give him something for his birthday/Christmas that he will truly love. That is the plan, but I have been noticing other men's styles from several other eras that would look quite dashing on him, so if I don't change my mind, all will goes as aforementioned.

God bless,
Sarah Grace

P.S. Please pray for me that God will help me with these new sewing endeavors.

Anne of Green Gables Fashion Week

It seems completely odd to be posting twice in one week, much less in one day! Ashley of Bramblewood Fashion is hosting her Anne of Green Gables Fashion Week (it began Sunday 11th & is over on Saturday 17th). I wanted to create an outfit for it, but I haven't had the time, so I am posting a photo of my Anne of Avonlea inspired dress for my friend's Prom in May.

(Left to right: My brother Joshua,his fiancee Shelby, myself, & my friend Adam)

My dress was construct with my Mother's help, as was Shelby's dress, hers being inspired by the Tudor era.

Anne of Green Gables & Anne of Avonlea are two of my favorite movies (books as well) in a rather long list. Since watching the set, I have become engrossed in the Road To Avonlea series, both for the clothing & the characters. I am continuously borrowing them from my library's inter-library loan program. I can relate very well to Anne & to several other characters such as Olivia & Felicity in the RTA series, as I find myself to share similar traits. Would that my imagination were as vivid as Anne's, that would be a dream come true, for I am certain that it would improve my writing immensely. I like Anne & Hettie King am a teacher, but I long, as they, to be a writer, an authoress! That is one of my life's goals. If that is God's will, it shall be.

Below are two of the lovely photos that Ashley has used for her links to the stupendous event. I love both of the ensembles & hope to recreate them someday.



This is a painting of an outfit that I think Anne might have worn & that I would again love to recreate. It is something that I think would work very nicely for every day wear, even in the modern world.


God bless to all on this day,
Sarah Grace

An Old-Fashioned Girl Giveaway!

Johanna of An Old-Fashioned Girl is have a giveaway in honor of her 200th post! I only have a little more than a dozen posts thus far. I can hardly imagine having 200! Back to Johanna's giveaway. She has received donations from several wonderful companies, whose products are quite lovely!

The first item is a sweet little night light donated by Roses & Teacups.


Second is an epattern from Sense & Sensibility Patterns, a fabulous sight, run by a fabulous lady, Mrs. Chancey.


Third is a pattern for a Summer Shade Jumper & the fabric to make it up with from Marie Madeline Studios.


Finally, last but certainly not least is a pair of "Pure for Life" earrings donated by The Joy of Jewelry.


All in all a simply superb giveaway indeed! I hope that the giveaway generates more readers to Johanna's blog & more business to the generous donors for their fantastic donations!

God bless,
Sarah Grace

P.S. I simply adore the layout of her blog, especially the lovely painting of the Edwardian lady at the top. Wouldn't you just love to have her ensemble?

Summer Heat....

Is barely beginning & already I am wishing for the cooler days of fall. I haven't posted in ages. It seems that I never have enough time to post anything new.
I have been very busy with several alterations projects for a fellow church member, which has taken up quite a bit of time & given me many a painful poke from my Mother's glass head pins (OUCH!, lol). I appreciate the business & hope for more to come in the near future.

The heat as I said has been somewhat overwhelming, with temperatures reaching well over 100 & humidity not far behind it. So I have been trying to stay indoors as much as possible during these heat waves. Hopefully it will cool down a little so that I can plant my rather late summer garden(crosses fingers, hoping it will be so).

I am in the process of trying to finish a drop-front early Regency dress for church on Sunday, so my post will have to be rather short.

I found the below photo of El Yunque National Rain Forest in Puerto Rico & thought that it was such a lovely scene, it makes you feel like you are in a cool, comforting embrace.


God bless to all & I hope you enjoy the summer,
Sarah Grace

An Overdue Post....

Hello to all who take the time to read my blog, much forgotten by its authoress for many months. I have been much overdue in my writing & beg your indulgence, as every time I planned to write, some other matter took precedence. I hope over the summer months to be more frequent & post at least once a week, but I am uncertain what will occur, what with graduations for many family & friends taking place over the next two months. I am also in the process of tutoring a fellow homeschooler, a task for which I am both overjoyed & anxious. In the interim of all other things important, I am attempting to create a Civil War wardrobe for summer, for which I have recently purchased five dress lengths of appropriate fabric, at a much lower price than I had hoped (Thank you, God). So, my schedule will hopefully open up for further posts, but I make no promises.







Isn't the above 1860s court dress simply stunning. It would be magnificent as a wedding gown in my opinion. God bless to everyone & have a joyous summer,
Sarah Grace