Historic Garden Tour Dresses

Roses, by Ignace Henri Jean Fantin-Latour,  (January 14, 1836 - August 25, 1904) France.

Today I finished the "Garden Tour" dresses, (and I am making sew-in labels for each dress with the names I made up for them) which were going to be worn to a popular garden tourist spot. These are also "wear at home" dresses for the lady who wants to spend her days at home but wants to wear something pretty and cheerful and not too casual yet not uncomfortably dressy.  These are made from good cotton, and are very soft, comfortable and ladylike.  

The waists are loose but there are ties in the back of the dresses to pull the garments closer if needed.

The neckline on this dress has a soft curve near the top button and it looks lovely on the owner of the dress.

This was from the Nuemode USA pattern I ordered, written in German, but I was able to figure out how to put it all together because it was so similar to the patterns I used in the 1980's and 1990's.

I added a ruffle to the neck of the girls dress because this little girl only wants Victorian styles these days. 

The sleeves are different than previous ones I have made on this dress series, and the dress has the look of some of the historic dirndle dresses.

I posed the dresses on dressforms this time but discovered later the photo was not as sharp as I wanted it to be. However I doubt I will haul those dress forms outside again for a better picture. 

It has been a soft, dappled-sun day in the mid-80's F, (approx. 28 C) and I am so happy that I got the extended summer I was hoping for.  Sunshine adds to my sewing ideas and enthusiasm.

Tomorrow I hope to finish the last mother-daughter dress set I have planned (unless you want more :-) I want the days to last longer so I can do more! I feel like I am on a vacation at a nice resort in this weather and I imagine I am making special clothes for each occasion; a garden tour, tea at the lake, dinner and a sunset, a stroll at the beach and shopping! In reality these are homemaker clothes for the myriad of things a lady at home needs to do.

 The quilt, above, has a story. I cut the pieces out 25 years ago and life got busy for me in other ways, so I never got anything sewn.  I kept them in a large zip plastic food bag.  I was sorting through my sewing and trying to pare down and eliminate some of it, so I put the bag of squares in the give-away pile.  I did not notice my daughter had rescued them. On one of my birthdays she presented me with the finished quilt.  I am so glad she rescued the fabric project because I have enjoyed this little throw with its tropical colors.

Since I was thinking about having "more" summer, the word "more" caused me to remember this song. We all like more of good things. This song has some "more" that is really important:

More holiness give me, more strivings within.

More patience in suffering, more sorrow for sin.

More faith in my Savior, more sense of His care.

More joy in His service, more purpose in prayer.

More gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord.

More zeal for His glory, more hope in His Word.

More tears for His sorrows, more pain at His grief.

More meekness in trial, more praise for relief.

More purity give me, more strength to o’ercome,

More freedom from earth-stains, more longings for home.

More fit for the kingdom, more useful I’d be,

More blessèd and holy, more, Savior, like Thee.

The poem was written by Phillip P. Bliss in 1873 and many churches  throughout the world sing it still, and sing it regularly in worship services.  I was thinking how many of our hymns are the ones the Victorians wrote and sang. We have a historical connection, in that way, with our forebearers.