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We had a special surprise for our September program. One of our members, Roberta Siegal, is involved in Civil War re-enactments. She dressed in her authentic 19th century garments and talked to us about the clothing of that era. People did not have nearly as many clothes in those times. Material was valuable and often remade into other garments. 

Roberta began the meeting dressed in a wrapper with a morning cap on her head. The cap was often worn by older women to protect (or maybe hide!) their hair. The wrapper was worn at home before getting dressed to go out for the day. Younger women wore brighter colors while older women wore darker and more somber outfits. Buttons in that era were very special. Roberta showed us how buttons were sewn on to the top of the sleeve so they could be shown off instead of the side as they are today. 

Roberta removed the wrapper and talked about 19th century underwear. The drawers had a split crotch for convenience!  An under petticoat was worn on top of the drawers.  She said that the corset, that laces up the back, is not really uncomfortable, but it certainly ensures good posture! Drawers and under petticoats were worn with wrappers but corsets were optional.

Next Roberta showed us how a Civil War era lady would get dressed for the day. Hoops, also called a cage crinoline, were put on over the under petticoat. On top of the hoops, she added another petticoat because you would never want your hoops to show through your dress!  Before the cage crinoline was invented, a crinoline made of woven horse hair was worn covered by 6-8 cloth petticoats. The crinoline provided a stiffened base for the petticoats. Roberta's dress was designed to be worn with hoops although her wrapper was not. There were other wrapper styles that were full enough to accommodate hoops.

Next, Roberta put on a pretty vest, decorated with white work, that she had stitched herself. Younger girls would typically wear these garments to fill and hide the neckline. We were finally ready for the ready for the dress itself. In the Civil War era, there were no snaps or zippers, so this dress was held closed with a broach at the neckline and a sash at the waist. Hooks and eyes did exist, and they were used to hold the inner lining of this dress together. Hooks and eyes were also commonly used on dresses. Accessories were added to complete the outfit including hair jewelry and a timepiece on a chain, tucked away in a watch pocket. 

A bonnet tied with a wide ribbon and topped with pretty flowers covered the head and gloves covered the hands. It was not the style to be tan in the 1860's! Roberta added a reticule and showed us some of the things a lady would carry it. She passed around an authentic card case, a miser bag to carry a few coins (a man always carried most of the money!) and a vinaigrette. The smells in a city on a hot day could be overpowering for a lady, so she would sniff the vinegar scented sponge in the little silver box to cover the other smells.

Roberta ended her presentation by passing out a whitework kit and talking about how people trimmed their clothes with decorative stitching. We asked all kinds of questions including:

• How many yards of material does it take to make a dress? 
  Answer: 7-9 yards.
• What would you make out of a dress when it wore out? 
  Answer: Perhaps a man's shirt. 
• How do you sit down in a hoop skirt? 
  Answer: You just had to be there!

Roberta's clothes were all authentic hand stitched reproductions. We really enjoyed taking a closer look at the wonderful workmanship. Thank you, Roberta, for a very entertaining glimpse into the everyday life of a lady of the Civil War era! 

Click on any of the pictures below to see a larger image.

For show and tell, Kathy Joassin proved that she has been very busy. She has finished the pieces from the Marsha Papya Gomola workshop held by LMSG in June. She showed us her pin keep, scissors fob, laying tool packet, and thimble keep. Congratulations, Kathy!

Thanks to all of our members who participated 
in our meeting this month! 
A special thanks to Roberta Siegal 
for her presentation.

Please join us for our
5th birthday party in October!