Victorian Dress

Twice-Turned Dresses…

/ Karin McKechnie-Lid / 1 Comment
First day in Tombstone, only day as a tourist, the gown's first version. We bought the house the next time we came to town!

First day in Tombstone, only day as a tourist, the gown’s first version. We bought the house the next time we came to town!

“Twice turned” silk 1879 era gown with original figured lace, all from Paris that I made for the one (and only) day I was a tourist in Tombstone fourteen years ago. The silk was completely stained with mine tailings from the street, so it had to be taken apart and turned, then I remade it in the latest style.

Here are a couple of pictures of the process:

Deconstruction

Above is a deconstruction shot showing all the fading and dirt that I couldn’t get out. And now:

Reconstruction

Above is a reconstruction shot showing WHY I put dirt-colored silk pleats on the hem. Those are removable, by the way. 🙂

“Twice turned dresses” were a common practice in the 19th century, in a time where quality labor was cheap and textiles were expensive…the opposite of today! (One can easily find phrases in diaries like: “They were so poor they wore twice turned dresses”, etc.) Women (or their dressmakers) would pick apart their gowns, clean and press the pieces as best they could, then literally turn them over to expose the other side, flatline them to their foundation layers, and re-construct the gown, either in the same style, or to update their look.

The Dressmaker at Tombstone's #11. Check out the

The Dressmaker at Tombstone’s #11. Check out the “dirt” colored silk at the hem, this was intentional to mask the dirt and rocks that will inevitably trash the hem. Those are removable for cleaning.

My poor skirt had two generations of red silty mine tailings (sticky dust) that simply couldn’t be cleaned…so I did what all of the original ladies in Tombstone did…and turned the silk, et voila…New/Old gown, for 1879! Of course, we use original machines, and since our home in town was actually where one of the town’s original dressmaker/tailors lived and worked…it was a special experience. We like to think she’s still sewing there with me because one is never alone when you’re working at No. 11!

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This is the front parlor at #11. I rolled the treadle machine in front of the window, I had a “moment”…it specifically “fell” into place. There were ruts in the original wood floors that EXACTLY matched my treadle irons!! That tells me that the lady who was the town’s dressmaker had her treadle here. I cried. I would love to think she smiles and sews with me.

Leaving Tombstone

/ Adam Lid / Leave a comment

Well, as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end and for us that means packing up the truck, closing the house down, and heading back to Los Angeles. It’s been a fun four days here but business is pressing back in LA we’ve got to get with it.

Karin leaving the house.

Today we arrived in town just in time for the Helldorado Parade and in contrast with past years, it was a long one- it seemed like just about every entity had a float or presentation entered in the parade. It was also nice to see that there were a lot of mounted units- it’s always fun to look at the horses, even if there were a few who clearly didn’t want to be there (from personal experience, we can tell you that sometimes riding a horse in a parade can be a tricky proposition). One of our most favorite groups to watch are the Shriners in their miniature cars:

They really tore it up, zipping around in circles and figure eight patterns as they made their way down Allen Street.

And then there was the Arizona Rangers:

Finally, here’s another shot of Karin on Allen Street just after the parade:

After the parade, we retired for a couple of drinks:

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It was an excellent end to an excellent weekend and we look forward to returning. In the meantime, it’s back to LA and on to more adventures in design. 🙂

Helldorado Days- Day 2

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Today in Tombstone once again began grey and overcast with the threat of rain. After dressing, we left the house and headed in to town. Naturally, we took an umbrella for insurance but as fate would have it, there was no need for it. The weather gods decided to smile favorably upon us and by the time we had arrived in town, about 11:30 am, it had begun to clear with the sun coming out, accompanied by a gentle breeze. In short, it was a perfect day for being in town. 🙂

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Getting ready…yes, although we design for the 19th Century, we’re still rooted in the 21st Century.

And here are a couple images of us, now all ready to go to town:

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Ready to go to town…I even brought an umbrella “just in case”… 🙂

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For starters, we decided to check out the Helldorado Fashion Show. Sponsored  by a local volunteer group, the fashion show presented a variety of 1880s fashions reflecting their different skill levels and ideas. Now bear in mind that the participants are all volunteers and their presentations reflect a variety of skill levels.

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Competition was keen and each participant went all-out put on their best presentation. We commend everyone who took the time and made the effort. Only through constant effort and experimentation can we all grow.

Afterwards, we wandered Allen Street and meet up with some good friends of ours who were spending the day in Tombstone:

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Later on, we met up with some folks from the group Tombstone Legends:

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Afterwards, we attended a delightful one-man performance about the life and times of Doc Holliday that was presented by our good friend Steven Keith. Set against the backdrop of a faro game that the audience participates in, Mr. Keith presents another side to the life of Doc Holliday that one rarely sees and he does raise some interesting questions. It was definitely an enjoyable experience even though you had to keep an eye on doc as he worked the cards… 🙂

Picture of a previous performance- Unfortunately, I was unable to get a picture when we were there.

Overall, it was a great day and it only underscores why we keep coming back to Tombstone so often. There were many sights to see and we are pleased that there were a lot of visitors in town- after the financial upheavals of 2008 – 2011, tourism in Tombstone suffered greatly and the associated industries along with it. It’s great to see that there’s a bit of a revival going on and we sincerely hope the best for the future.

Helldorado Days- Day 1

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Adam1

On my way to town.

If there’s one thing that’s constant about the weather in Tombstone, it’s changeable. Last night a strong storm front moved into the area bringing thunder, lightening, and a lot of rain. The thunder was so loud that it felt like someone was dropping artillery shells just outside our house and needless to say, the dogs were not happy about it one bit.

This morning has opened up with grey overcast skies and the threat of rain. This is contrast to what I encountered on the day before on Allen Street: 🙂

Yesterday, I decided to scout around town while Karin stayed home working on various projects and preparing her own toilette:

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One can never have enough knife pleats…

Heading into town, I soon arrived on Allen Street at about Noon:

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Allen Street looking North towards 4th Street.

Although it had been cloudy and actually cool most of the morning, by Noon the clouds had cleared out a bit and it had warmed up a bit. I spend a pleasant afternoon walking in town, taking in the sights and meeting friends. Since it was Friday, there were not a lot of people about.

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The Golden Eagle Brewery aka The Crystal Palace; 5th Street is to the right.

On my travels, I decided to get a picture of the Golden Eagle Brewery, also known as the Crystal Place. Just for comparison, here is a picture of the Crystal Palace in earlier years, taken from a different angle, looking at it from the south side:

Picture

The Crystal Palace circa 1900s, looking northeast from the intersection of 5th and Allen Streets.

After a few hours, I headed home. Reflecting on things a bit (I tend to do that a lot), it can be said that while it’s a 30-second gunfight that initially gave Tombstone its notoriety, there a lot more history to the town that may be a lot less exciting but had more impact in the long run. In many respects, the history of Tombstone and Southern Arizona representative of the history of the Old West and how the American West became what it is today.

Well, further adventures (perhaps wet ones with all the rain) await! 🙂

In Tombstone Again….

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Cover to Helldorado Program, October 24-27, 1929

It’s a cool October morning in Tombstone with overcast skies and the possibility of rain. It seems that it was only yesterday that we were here and it seems that the Monsoon Season never left. However, the weather is decidedly cooler and the sun is different and is definite that Fall is here. Yes, even in the Southwest, the land of eternal sunshine, there are seasons (believe it or not).

The first Helldorado Days in 1929.

This time we’re in town for the Helldorado Days event which is held annually on the weekend of the third Sunday in October. Originally started in 1929 as a one-time event commemorating the 50th anniversary of  the founding of the town of Tombstone, the event has continued on over the years in various forms, all focused on commemorating Tombstone’s colorful history.

And so, here we are! 🙂

The festivities will begin in earnest on Saturday culminating in the annual parade on Sunday and it brings out just above every civic group imaginable. Also, there is a fair representation of the various gunfighter groups; after all, the famous gunfight at (or around, depending on your interpretation) the OK Corral occurred on October 26, 1881.

For us, it’s a chance to take a few days to relax, see friends that we haven’t seen for awhile, and otherwise gather inspiration for new designs. We hope to see you out there!