1867: Sean Sullivan

Yay for finally getting stuff done! With a cold no less.

I did find out I don’t really like some of the programs in Win10. I always used paint to resize and add tabs and now they’ve done away with the color I always used and made adding a plain straight line a pain in the ass. I know I know, first world problems, but it annoys me and I need to vent and I’m also a little hopped up on meds. GRRRRRR.

Anyway, this is Sean, who worked with his father to build the Transcontinental railroad. He works his way up from a water boy to driving in the steel pikes to build the road.

Sean wears a union suit and socks as undies. His hair is a curly mess.

His outfit is based on this, this, and this picture of real railroad workers from the 1850s to the 1880s. He has a shirt, pants with a belt, a hat, boots, and what I’m pretty sure were meant to be knee protectors. He is wearing them in the second cover, and I swear I found a reference photo, but he was drawn before I pinterested and I can’t for the life of me find it again.

His book is here, and with the updated cover here. The updated cover has the knee pad things I mentioned.

1863: Lieutenant James Edmond Pease

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from the States!

I’m still having keyboard problems, so please excuse any really bad typos.

James is a Lieutenant in the Union Army who is assigned the role of historian. It is his job to record what goes on in the regiment, what battles they fight, and who is lost. The American Civil War was the first war fought “modern” guns (ones that fire more than one shot per load) and the death toll was staggering. Though fiction, James’s diary is heavily based on real Civil War era diaries.

James wears a union suit, or long johns as they’re sometimes called, and socks. His hair is a bit of a mess.

His first outfit is his uniform. The uniforms were not really uniform, since most of them were hand made. His is a jacket with a peter pan collar, a belt, pants, boots, his haversack (with diary and pencil, obviously), and the hat.

His second outfit is a casual outfit for days off. He has pants, the same boots, a shirt, and a jacket.

James’ book is here, and here with an updated cover. Or, if your like me and want to save some money, his book might be in most public libraries. Becasue I can into a library and and leave with more books than I can read in the three weeks the library lets me keep them.

1862: Harriet “Harry” Palmer

Harriet’s father is off digging gold in the Caribou and she decides to go join him after her mother dies. The journey is hard, and Harriet becomes Harry to make the journey easier on her as a boy traveling alone.

Harriet wears her own girl’s undies, but slightly changed to look more like a boy’s. She has an undershirt, pantlettes, and socks. Her hair is cut short so she can play a convincing boy.

Her first outfit is her boy disguise: a shirt, pants, boots, a warm jacket, and a straw hat. Her outfit is based on pictures of real male miners from the same time period.

The second outfit is from when she’s back to being a girl: a dress with a pinafore and the same boots from the boy disguise.

Harriet’s diary is available here.

1865: Philis Patsy Frederick

Patsy was a former slave, freed at the end of the American Civil War. At the end of her diary, Patsy chooses a new name for herself, Philis Frederick.

Patsy wears a simple chemise, petticoat, and brown stockings. Her hair is in 2 braids, tied with pieces of brown string.

Her first outfit is a work outfit, a blouse with a skirt and boots. She can wear her red head wrap with it.

Her second dress is  bit more formal, though still simple. It is a navy blue dress with a short apron. She also has a straw bonnet to wear on her head.

Dear America and the various spin-offs LOVE the 1860s. Apparently, that was a busy decade.

Originally posted on July 21, 2013.

1861: Amelia Martin

Amelia lives in a lighthouse station with her keeper father, and often helps him with lighthouse chores.

For undergarments, Amelia wears a simple chemise, petticoat, pantalets, and stockings. Her hair is in a bun.

Her first outfit is a rain coat dress she would have worn on rainy nights while she kept watch on the light house tower. Her wool dress kept rain off her, and the cape kept her warm. She also has a scarf and boots.

Her second dress is a day dress to wear to school and while she helps her mother. She wears an apron over it and has a shawl and bonnet for outings.

I think I have some unresolved problem with tabs…

Originally posted July 18, 2013

1863: Emma Simpson

Emma is a confederate girl living on a plantation during the American Civil War.

Her undergarments are from the pre-war days, when she would have had riches. A soft chemise, a lace petticoat, pantalets, a crinoline, and stockings give her a fashionable foundation. Her hair is in a bun to keep it out of her face, but not without decorative curls. She also wears pearl earrings.

As Emma is in mourning, her day dress would have been black, with a white collar and under sleeves. She would have worn black boots, a black shawl, and a black bonnet, as was the fashion when a family member died.

Her second dress is her white ball gown, which she wore to parties before the war. It has red roses for decoration. She also has several pearl bracelets, white slippers, and the ring her beau gave her around her neck, because it did not fit her fingers.

The third outfit is a riding outfit. Riding her horse is one of the few joys Emma had during the war. It is based on army uniforms, and was quite popular during the period. It features a white blouse, a black skirt, and a jacket. She also has riding boots and gloves so the reigns don’t give her hands blisters. The army cap has a brim meant to fold under her head, and would have been worn to protect her head while riding.

Can you imagine riding sidesaddle with nothing else protecting your head? I refuse to even trot astride without my helmet.

What is it with me an tabs?

Originally posted July 17, 2013.

1862: Adeleaide Carson

So last week I got busy and couldn’t post as much as I wanted. Very very very busy. Mind, I work there, so as busy as the people in line at 5 am were, I was busy restocking boxes.

Anyway, this is Adelaide, a northern doctor’s daughter who decides to help in the Civil War by becoming a nurse.

Adelaide wears a chemise, corset, pantlettes, socks, and crinoline. She would also have worn a petticoat, but I wanted to draw a full crinoline. Her hair is in a bun.

Her first outfit is a casual day outfit with a skirt, white under blouse, jacket, and boots.

The second outfit is her nursing uniform. I tried to stay as close to uniforms worn in War photos and reneactor costumes as possible. It is a blue or black dress with light blue lower arm sleeves, a white apron with a red cross, boots, and her nurse’s cap. Originally, it was nuns who took care of sick people, and Florence Nightingale wanted the nurse uniforms to be as close to nun habits as possible.

1863: Virginia Dickens

Ginny lived through the Civil War, and witnessed both Gettysburg and the assassination of Lincoln.

Ginny wears a chemise, petticoat with ruffled hem over a crinoline, pantletes, and socks. Her hair is loosely pulled back away from her face.

Her first outfit is either a white dress with a sash or a white blouse with a skirt. I can’t decide which I like better, although for a 10 year old the dress makes more sense. Either way, she has pantletes and boots with the outfit.

Her second outfit is a dress, with sidetie boots and pantletes.

Her cloak can go over either dress, but if you cut these out, don’t cut between the hood and the main cloak because I forgot to make room for her hair.

1864: Sarah Nita

Sarah Nita is a Navajo (Diné) girl who’s family is forced to a relocation camp on the Long Walk of the Navajo as part of that same Europeanization that forced Little Rose to go to Carlisle School. I find it very interesting that in 1864, while the country was at war with itself, they managed to find soldiers to force people to move.

Sarah Nita wears a simple shift as underwear. I think just as the Mexican settles borrowed some ideas from natives, the natives would have borrowed some from Mexicans. Her hair is in a braid down her back.

Her dress is based on a photo from the era. It’s mostly black with a few colorful designs. She also has leggings, moccasins, and a bead necklace.

Sarah Nita’s book is available here.

1868: Libby West

Here’s another girl who’s name HAS to be short for something, but I don’t know what. I like to think Liberty.

Libby travels with her reporter father through Utah territory watching as they build the Transcontinental Railroad. I like to think she met My Name Is America’s Sean Sullivan (the diarist of “Until the Last Spike, as it is now titled) since they both share same  adventure.

Libby wears a chemise, petticoat, pantlets, and stockings. She is a farm girl when she’s not traveling on the railroad, and I hardly think she would enjoy wearing a corset.

Her dress is based partly on a photo of ladies standing around when the railroad was completed, but built more for a farm girl. The blue dress has a cut neckline so you can see the under blouse. Libby also wears an apron, boots, and bonnet.

Libby’s book is available here.