the Not-Cold Mountain dress

I started a new Civil War dress last night.  I'm not making anything terribly fancy, just a decent, cotton print day dress, but I want to have it to wear next weekend at Mike's 21st birthday reenacting camping party thing.

When I first talked about a CW cotton print dress, I mentioned one of the dresses that Nicole Kidman wore in Cold Mountain which I absolutely loved.  Now, after a bit more research, I have come to the (sad) realization that while it is a pretty dress, it is a pretty 1850s dress, and not at ALL fashionable for the Civil War period.  Even assuming that the character left Charleston shortly before the war started, and that her dresses might be a couple years old, that would put her clothing at 1859/60, and this dress would have certainly looked old-fashioned even then.  The narrow sleeves, the bodice pleating, the low, pointed waistline, and the v-neckline are all very indicative of the 50s.


However, in spite of not being able to use something like this as inspiration for accurate Civil War clothing, I still can't deny that the fabric is lovely.

I wasn't able to find a cotton exactly like it, but I found something even better.  I found something on clearence.

I was straightening the sale cottons at work the other day, and found a nearly full bolt of a great reproduction print.  It's from the Nancy Kirk Civil War II collection by Benartex, and has been recently discontinued (hence the sale table). 



 I bought eight yards last night, and threw it in the wash as soon as I got home.  I spent the rest of the evening sketching out ideas for a dress (since the Cold Mountain one obviously wouldn't work), pulling out bits and pieces of patterns, and cutting out a muslin.  Happily, I don't have to go to work today, in fact, I don't HAVE to go anywhere, and will hopefully be able to get a really good start on the dress.

The plan is simple: tucked bodice, coat sleeves with little sleeve caps and ruffles, knife pleated skirt,  narrow black velvet ribbon trimming, and a black velvet belt.

I just need to have it done by next Friday!