My Sewing/Cosplay Projects

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

WOW! Your work is awesome! The photos take me back in time! Love your dance with Abraham Lincoln!

Thank you, and glad you enjoyed it! 😊

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

Also, I have another fun picture to drop! This was posted on Facebook somewhere and my friend found it. Here I am dancing with President Lincoln! 😂

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One thing to keep in mind about dancing in the 18th and 19th centuries is that it was a social activity, and not necessarily a romantic activity. It was considered very rude for a man to stand around and not dance with any ladies at these things, because a woman couldn't ask a man to dance. So it was considered a very polite and gentlemanly thing, and not a weird creepy thing, for a man to dance with as many ladies as possible during a dance. It was a way of making sure everyone got included. (Fun fact, George Washington made a point to dance with as many ladies as possible for this exact reason!)

Also, I like this picture because it shows the dress in motion (I was trying to teach the President how to box step, lol) and so you can catch a glimpse of my shoes and underpetticoat. An underpetticoat is worn underneath the hoop skirt as an extra layer of warmth and/or modesty. I used to think that was overkill, but uh, let's just say it's really not overkill when you're wearing open drawers and moving around a lot. It's nice to have an extra layer of protection for when your hoop skirt is swinging around a lot.

And those shoes are actually modern shoes, ballet flats with elastic around the ankle, which I've had since 2020. They are extremely well-loved and beat up, since they've been a staple in my everyday wardrobe for many years. And they're close enough looking to 1860s ball shoes. Since they're so old and beat up, I don't mind wearing them in the muddy grass for these outdoor dances. I do hope to try to find an exact replacement for them sometime soon, so I can have that look in my modern wardrobe again but less ratty, lol!

The hairstyle is very neat, and the flowers in it looks so cute! 🥺 (gives Aranya vibes!)

 

[Ashley]

It was considered very rude for a man to stand around and not dance with any ladies at these things, because a woman couldn't ask a man to dance.

*side-eyeing Darcy*
Also, that’s really interesting. I’ve always thought it would be really fun to still do ballroom dancing, and I can see how that would make it more common than the romantic associations dancing has today.

I think the dress looks super pretty, and it’s always cool to learn more about different time periods. You do such a fantastic job making these!!

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

*side-eyeing Darcy*

Right!! This is why everyone thought he was so rude for standing around and not dancing with anybody! Especially since there was a shortage of men at that dance. Elizabeth was 100% right to chew him out for it.

Also, that’s really interesting. I’ve always thought it would be really fun to still do ballroom dancing, and I can see how that would make it more common than the romantic associations dancing has today.

For sure! Though, what we do isn't really ballroom dancing. We do historical line dances, which are a bit like square dancing. Here's the most famous one we do, the Virginia Reel. It's a lot of fun!

I think the dress looks super pretty, and it’s always cool to learn more about different time periods. You do such a fantastic job making these!!

Thank you so much!