Good day, ladies! Huzzah! I know it has been a long time since this site has been updated. Just to give you lovely ladies a head's up, the LLHJC's blog has changed hands for the time being. Deanna Smith's life has been crazy and it has therefore been hard for her to keep up with the society's interactions. Just to inform you a little bit about myself, my name is Sarah Dixon and I am majoring in Graphic Design at our local college, UCM. I will be receiving my degree at the end of this year, but will be sticking around Warrensburg while my husband, Chad, finishes his degree. Since I am a first time mother of an 8 month old daughter, Juliette, and currently without a job (I couldn't handle finishing my degree, taking care of the baby, and working like some amazing people can), I offered to take over. I figured I could at least try to be useful as I sit at home watching the baby and sewing. :P
My interest in reenacting began when I was quite young...probably when I dressed up everyday because I would rather have lived in another, more beautiful time period. I would pile skirts on top of skirts in order to achieve a full look. The love of petticoats and hoops was born.
As a young girl, a couple friends purchased some reproduction fabric from a sutler and told me they were going to sew their entire dresses by hand...I told them they were crazy! Now...I hand sew things ALL the time and love the results. I still enjoy using my sewing machine for long seams, but to make my reproduction clothing more graceful and wearable, many things are sewn by hand.
My first dress was a train wreck. I used Simplicity's sheer dress pattern (which, in style, is not half bad) and found some fabric that somewhat looked like the fabric on the cover of the pattern. Since I knew nothing of period sewing techniques, I purchased all the notions that Simplicity told me to, right down to the polyester lace and plastic boning. I have since upgraded to more authentic styles of executing my clothing and have laid aside the plastic buttons and snaps. With the help of the internet, I discovered thesewingacademy.com and Liz Clark's wealth of knowledge. Thank goodness, for unknowingly, she saved my reenacting career! I probably would have showed up to my next event in a polyester ballgown that I purchased off Ebay if it had not have been for her.
I still have so much to learn and continue to look forward to my journey in living history. Join me, ladies, in this fabulous adventure! We bring the past to life for ourselves and those around us. Men, women, and children look to us for the glimpse into the past...they trust our impressions to be accurate and honest. As we take on this awesome responsibility, let us learn and participate together!
Feel free to ask any questions you might have. If I don't know, I WILL find out. It's just what I do. ;)
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