Gettysburg National Base Ball Festival and the Base Ball Dress

Last weekend was the Gettysburg National Base Ball Festival. Sixteen teams from Tennessee to Maine playing various versions of 19th Century base ball. I had planned to attend this event for about a month and a half with a new sheer dress. A friend draped a bodice block for me so I waited for the pattern to arrive before starting, not a smart choice. I should have at least started the skirt. As it was I started it with only a couple of weeks lead time. Should have been enough but...

I had the fabric already and thought I found my inspiration; see my previous post. However, that was not the case. I found another dress I really wanted to make.

 
It was perfect for the event. I didn't have fabric for the lower sleeves so I took a weekend and went to Gettysburg and Needle and Thread. I found a sheer cotton and thought it would be perfect. But when I put it together it just was not sheer enough. So I then changed gears and decided on open sleeves with under sleeves, not pagoda, just open. I used this dress from K. Krewer's collection as my inspiration for the trim.

I spent a week of the midnight oil working on this dress. The trim is on, but the the bodice didn't fit. Readjusted, still didn't fit. I finally had to give up on it and ended up wearing an older dress sheer. It was too big but was able to move the eyes over to do for the day.

And since I moved over the waist closure the front overlapped and I didn't need the scarf in the front. Of course I have no photos of me from the base ball festival.

The original dress will get done eventually. I will just need to sit on it for a bit and let the frustration fade away :).

Enough dress drama, on to the base ball! The Base Ball Festival is in it's 6th year and this civilian spectator picnic scenario was organized by Elaine Kessinger of the Atlantic Guard Soldiers Aid Society. I arrived early with the rain. I was instantly glad I was not wearing a new dress as it was wet and muddy. Other members of AGSAS arrived with a fly and we had a great little civilian interpretation.

Lunch was cucumber salad and a chicken salad made from an 1854 recipe.

The games were great fun and I think the teams really appreciated our period appearance. Despite the rain and the heat we had a great time. The fields are in a beautiful location, a bit out of town with green hills and barns surrounding. It was a very entertaining day and I was very happy to finally get out to an event again and visit with friends.