Recreating a dress from 1897
At the beginning of 2025, I had the wonderful privilege of examining a beautifully preserved dress made by my great-great-grandmother Alice for her college graduation. I immediately fell deeply in love with its intricate details and timeless elegance, which inspired me to study and carefully recreate the piece. This thoughtful and meticulous process took over a year, but I am excited to note that, by the end, I have gained valuable knowledge about dressmaking techniques from the 1890s, as well as uncovered charming little stories about my family that are hidden within the delicate stitches of the fabric.
Tutorials
For this unique project, I wanted to share how to make each piece of the Alice Dress. I’ve made both video and written tutorials to try to explain how I put this beautiful little dress together.
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The bodice is the more complex piece of this lovely dress. You can follow the written tutorial here, and watch the video here.
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The skirt is by far the simplest piece of this lovely dress. You can follow the written tutorial here, and watch the video here.
