Throughout the mid 19th century (1840s-1860s), pink was a popular color for both women and girls. Here I’ve posted plates from as early as 1846 up through 1962. In Happy Birthday, Kirsten!, our main character wears a pink and white short sleeve dress, with a raised hemline, both typical of a child or young teen’s silhouette. I’ll be going into more depth with style details and fabric in future posts but for now, think pink!

Girl’s Dress C 1845, Toddler Dress Close Up, 1830-1850s, Jumeau Doll Dress 1842-1856, toddler’s pink gingham dress 1860

clockwise from top left: Le moniteur de la mode 1846, le follet 1862, journal des demoiselles 1848, le bon ton1855

Here are a few more extant pink styles, both for women and girls. These have been a huge inspiration for how I can interpret Kirsten’s dress into an adult style!

For my latest historical sewing project, I’ve been working on a yellow linen Regency era vest. Before I debut the final piece (although it’s not a secret, you can see my progress on Instagram!), I wanted to share some of the inspiration behind my color, silhouette and embellishment choices!

Although I’m making my vest from an extant museum piece, I’m not copying it exactly. I’ve used popular color combos of the time (yellow and white), trims (Hussard inspired buttons and placement) and motifs (like the Napoleonic bee embroidered on back!). I’ve also modified the construction, but I’ll go into that when I show you the finished piece!

What are you guys sewing/crafting these days?

Hello! I’m Jessica Quirk!

Voted most likely to say “I could make that!”

Sewing & knitting obsessed, loves baking, making and spending time with my family.