HOUSTON, WE HAVE LIFT OFF!

That’s a play on words as I haven’t actually left for Williamsburg, VA, yet but it’s only 21 more days till I leave and 5 days after that I’ll be presenting my program on bloomer gowns at the ALHFAM conference at the William & Mary College.  

 A few things have changed since this first came up last November when I was asked to co-present a class with a contact I had at John Hopkins University, who had originally helped me with information on Amelia Bloomer, and introduced me around on the internet to various historical societies in search of the elusive bloomer gowns. We spent months emailing back and forth planning our class and sending the proposal to the conference committee. It wasn’t until the end of February that we heard it was accepted, and then I had to scramble to apply for a Fellowship or pay a large amount of money to attend it. That was a surprise to me, since I thought I was just coming to do the class. Although in retrospect now, I found out I could have actually done that, but the process of applying for the Fellowship, and writing a resume for myself, and then asking around for any recommendations from my contacts, was a surprising, humbling, and uplifting experience. Even better, it was accepted and I was awarded the Fellowship. So now it was really real.

Last month we began in earnest to pull together our information and bounce ideas around of what order to speak, and what to speak about or not. It seemed to be getting confusing to me, and it was hard, being as she was on the East coast, and phone calls with her had no continuity in her ideas. I was starting to wonder if I wasn’t as educated as she was, and was doubting how this was going to work. During one email we were “arguing” over the center point of our talk, where she wanted Amelia Bloomer as the focus, whereas I wanted the bloomer gowns to be. In our last email I had sent her my resume, and the two recommendations I’d received to send in for my Fellowship, since I hadn’t done that before. Shortly after that I picked up my mail and had the Fellowship check in my hand, a goodly amount. Yes!! Not more than 15 minutes later, I received an email from her saying, “I’m sorry, something has come up. I’m unable to present, nor attend the conference. You’ll be fine on your own.”  No explanation, and nothing further. What?? What just happened?? No!!

In the following hours, I was panicked. After all this work, and nothing? I was embarrassed. It was already announced on the ALHFAM conference website. I couldn’t let them down. How would that make me look? I wailed on Facebook with my friends, and got so much support and encouragement that yes, I COULD still do this on my own. I contacted the Program Director, who had also received a terse email from my co-presenter without any explanation, and told her I could still do this but needed some changes made to the class description. When I had seen the measly two sentence class description in the online program my former co-presenter had written, I was again embarrassed comparing it to the wonderful ones others had written for theirs.  And sadly we wouldn’t have the extant bloomer gown from New York that my co-presenter was going to bring down with her. The Director was very helpful and said it could be done but had to be done quickly. So I sent this in, and am proud of it, although it was too late to change the title that was originally given to them.

THERE’S MORE TO BLOOMERS THAN THEY SEAM!

Valarie LaBore, San Diego Costume Guild & San Diego History Center

There are only two known extant examples of mid-19^th century bloomer dresses in the U.S. This session will explore their history and function, and the story behind the interesting women who wore them and made history. Beginning as a dress reform and symbol of women’s rights in the 1850s, bloomers influenced future dress styles and gave freedom to women in the following decades. Styles included fashionable dresses to those worn working in the home and in the fields. A surprising number of real photographs showing women dressed in them will be shared.  Come and hear the story of the one recreated from the San Diego History Center’s collection, and get a hands-on look at the dress. *An extant bloomer gown may be on exhibit if available*

In the original description, she had only said “two known extant examples of mid-19^th c. bloomers”. And we all know people are already saying, “Wait! There’s lots of bloomer examples out there!” I came across that problem a lot while doing my search. She didn’t clarify that we were talking about bloomer DRESSES, not underwear, as that term came in later referring to them. I’m also proud of the fact that I fit in them being worn working in the home and fields, as this group is comprised of living history museums, and many are homes and farms.

So I began to re-group and re-do the slideshow I’d been working on, trying to figure out how to extend it another 45 minutes on my own. A few days later, the Calvary arrived in the form of Jody Luce from Peterboro, NY, a well-known person who portrays Elizabeth Smith Miller, the original “bloomer lady”. Jody and I had spent a lot of time conversing back and forth a few years ago when I first began researching the bloomer gowns and had a lot of information that she shared with me. She said she would be able to bring the extant bloomer gown down from the Cortland Historical Society, and would bring one of her ladies, Melanie Martin, from her “Bloomer Brigade” to help support me. I was able to get permission from the Program Director for that.

 As we talked, we began to realize that she would be a great replacement for my missing partner, and in my opinion now, an even better one. So I sent in an all new description that would include Jody and the extant gown.     *Jody’s Bloomer Brigade in Peterboro, NY*

I was also asked to represent our San Diego History Center and can include that and their logo in my title and business cards that I’ll be handing out. I also received flyers from the Center to bring with me. Heck, this was getting better all the time!

Jody and I had to wait a few weeks to hear back from the Program Director on all these changes, as she had to bring it before the entire board. But we were successful, and things are on track again. Jody and one of her “Bloomer Brigade” ladies are driving down from NY, and will be staying with us a couple days at our timeshare in Williamsburg, but will only be there for the one class that day.

We began reworking what we would be speaking on, and as confusing as the first time was, this time it seems perfectly clear to me. She knows more about ES Miller, and Amelia, and the dress reform movement than I do. Then we move into the historical slideshow of real photos showing women wearing them; then my story behind the bloomer pattern and the extant gown in San Diego. At the end we’ll be inviting the class attendees up to view the extant gown and my re-creation of the San Diego bloomer. Sooooo much easier this time.

**EDITED TO ADD*

I decided I need to include these two photos of Jody and I. They were taken at different times when we did our bloomer presentations on opposite coasts but the chances of us both wearing a walking boot on our left leg was just hilarious! 

Next up is doing some repairs on my original bloomer gown that had some errors in construction, since at the time I didn’t have a complete pattern to work off of, or directions. I didn’t know how to do dog-leg closures with the bodice and skirt attached to each other, and since I didn’t want to sew individual hooks and eyes all the way down the front of the bodice, I did a cheat and used hook & eye tape. Except I didn’t know how to do that either. I hand-sewed it to the underside of the front flaps and not in the seams like you’re supposed to. I thought I could repair that but realized there was no way I could open up the seams now with all the trim sewn on. So I took the tape off and am now sewing those period correct hooks & eyes on. And I “solved” the problem I had of the watch pocket that was too far back on the side-seam to be functional. Now that I had a complete pattern with directions I discovered I had it on the wrong side-seam. There is another seam closer to the front, and I had sewn the regular pocket there. So I took them out and reversed their positon.

I thought I would have to make new bloomer pants for my brown cotton outfit that I’m going to be wearing since the legs were too short but after trying them on and doing a bit of finagling on the cuffs, they are now wide enough to go over my boot tops as they should. I’ll get to wear my new Robert Land black boots, and I found a straw hat I like better to wear but it needs some trim put on it. 

On top of all this, Costume College is looming ahead, and I had at least three things I wanted to make for it. I have one just barely started, and definitely need to finish that for our Polka Dot Parade theme some of us are doing. I may end up wearing my 1914 purple plaid cotton dress that’s almost done, and I have another 1905 outfit that was close to being done, so maybe that should be yelling for some conclusion and be worn too. I doubt there will be anything fancy made for Gala night. I’m losing the two weeks I’ll be in Williamsburg and am just too slow to do much else. So I’ll be digging in my closet for something.

~~~Val~~~