Everyone has a few favorite dresses and this evening dress is one of mine- It was fashioned after an 1882 design from La Mode Illustrée, The taffeta is changable gold and green. The brocade in the skirt is a vintage piece and the lace is mbroidered net. The bodice bottom edges are hidden underneath the folds of the overskirt for a seamless look, and it is fastened up the back with silk ribbon laces and 30 handmade eyelets. The pleated trim around the overskirt and skirt bottom is book lined.

This is fashioned after one of Annie Oakley's Costumes it is made in wool broadcloth. The gentleman standing there is Paul Fees curator of the BBHC. You will have to forgive the white cotton gloves(ordinarily they are black kid) but that's actually Annie Oakley's gun I am holding!!

The idea for this 1880's style day dress was taken from a Butterick pattern catalog from that vintage. It is made in a polonaise form- the bodice and overskirt being one piece. The polonaise fabric is wool- a lovely olive green, and forrest herringbone weave that I fulled to get the proper texture and weight. It is fully lined and finished with 24 brass fillagree buttons, handmade buttonholes and bias cut cotton ruching. The skirt is Cotton and made with a polished cotton foundation skirt to which is inserted the appropriate bustle pads(this is common for the 1880's -each dress with its own foundation) and is trimmed with 3 rows of knife pleated ruffles, the upper two only spanning the back two panels.

My Sister in a Dress I made for her fashioned after an 1896 Harper's Bazar Fashion Plate. All the old gentlemen rave when they see her strolling down the promandade. It is fashioned from Shot Taffeta (Blue and Teal) and Black Brocade with real mother of pearl buttons. The vest and Jacket are made as one piece, the waist(blouse) is seperate. The hem of the dress is faced with drill to help it stand out in the cone shape popular of the period, and the sleeves are set in with flat box pleats to make them stand correctly

These dresses are just a few of my personal favorites, made for myself and my family- To see more of my work go to our Shooting Star Enterprises pages

May, I show you a few of 
my creations?  I draft all of my
patterns from scratch, and can work from photos, fashion plates, and descriptions of the1800's. My prices start at $200 for a day dress and
around $450 for an evening gown. There are no duplications of dresses,  so you won't meet yourself on the street. 
Please write for a quote.
or see our pricing guide

1880's Entertainer's Costume- Just what every lady of the evening needs is a dress to "Wow" the Gentlemen. This one is made in gold crushed velvet with cotton fringe(O.K., I admit, it's a bedspread - but it never looked this good on the bed before)It is finished with bead trim and a brocade skirt, just a little high in front. Lots of drapery in the back forms a great bustle, without that wire cage to get in the way.

My baby Annie at 11 mos. in a Mother Hubbard Dress. I fell in love with this design from an 1880's Butterick pattern catalog. The ladies of the 1800's were ingenious in their makeing of baby dresses, using a drawstring and wide hems a dress could fit for quite some time

As you see here is the same dress nearly a year later. Its a bit shorter but still long enough to be correct. I love this pattern!

Mother's back then had the right idea!