Civil War Swiss Waist at Martha's Chapel

Well it has been a crazy week! These past couple of weeks I have been helping with Latta's Miss Jane's Civil War Camps and then this weekend was a Civil War Living History weekend.  I have worn my corset for 7 days in a row for 8 hours each day!  I have truly felt what it was like for the women of this time to wear corsets during the 1860's.  The corset has actually began to reform my waist into the hour-glass shape. :P  It has been great fun though! :D

During the camps I wore one of Latta's dresses and fell in love with it! So I decided to make one similar to it.

This is the one that belongs to Latta. Abe is wearing his Confederate Jacket I made and his Civil War shirt I hand sewed for him.  He was helping with the boy's Civil War Soldier camp.

I made my dress for this weekend but the forecast was  for rain all day. So I put it on just to show Theresa. :D  Then I took it off and changed into one of Latta's dresses. :P 

Let's see, my mom hand embroidered the belt. For the Swiss waist belt, I took Latta's belt and traced it onto my fabric and added 1/2 inch seam allowances with a hook and eye closure in the back.

Come, Thou fount of every blessing, 
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace. 
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, 
Call for songs of loudest praise. 
Teach me some melodious sonnet, 
Sung by flaming tongues above; 
Praise His name, I'm fixed upon it, 
Name of God's redeeming love. 

 Hitherto, Thy love has blessed me, 

Thou hast drawn me to this place. 

And I know Thy hand will lead me, 

Safely home by Thy good grace. 

Jesus sought me when a stranger, 

Wandering from the fold of God; 

He to rescue me from danger, 

Bought me with His precious blood. 

                                                         Teach me some melodious sonnet, 

Sung by flaming tongues above;  

O to grace, how great a debtor, 

Daily I'm constrained to be. 

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, 

Bind my wandering heart to Thee. 

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, 

Prone to leave the God I love; 

Here's my heart, O take and seal it, 

Seal it for Thy courts above. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU1u6Lmz27A

One of my favorite hymns! <3

 Come Thou Fount was written in 1757 by Robert Robinson.

You can just see my under petticoat peeping out. ;)

Haha, you can see my boots!

That was fun!  There were so many photos to choose from, it was hard to limit them. :P 

~Bascha