Evolution of an outfit

I sewed my own reenacting dress again this year -- so now I have two to carry me through a whole weekend.

It started as a roll of beautiful plaid fabric very similar to the Black Watch plaid. I cut out pieces, sewed 'em together, and before long I had the resemblance of a dress. All it needed was hand-sewing and some hand-hemming.

I was extremely pleased with it.

But there was a key ingredient missing... if you know me, you understand this.

But a plain hat was just unacceptable, right?

The black ribbon made all the difference.

I loved the black ribbon so much, I went back the next day and bought two more yards (for a measly $1.20) to tie around my hiked-up waist.

Then following the period-correct fashion counsel from my well-researched cousin, I bought a large silk handkerchief to top it all off.

All that to say... the accessories may have cost as much as the dress itself. But it's all worth it. Or, it will be when I pull off a Jane Austen living history presentation in a couple of years.