Original Trousseau Photos

There are 7 original photos of LMM taken in late May early June 1911 at Park Corner. The originals of these photos are in the LMM Collection in the Archives of the University of Guelph http://images.ourontario.ca/uoguelph/results?q=trousseau&st=kw . The photos below were published in a book called "The LMMontgomery Album" By Kevin McCabe  http://www.fitzhenry.ca/detail.aspx?ID=8079

These are three of the pictures we used. We first created a pattern based on the design of the dress and then made a basic fabric mock-up to test the fit and to see how well it resembled the design details in the photos. Next we altered the pattern to give a better fit and allow for any changes that needed to be made. In some cases this took as many as three or four tries to achieve the look and fit that was appropriate to the time. 

Above: On the dress form on the left is the basic petticoat that we used to give the skirts shape and fullness. If the dress required more fullness we added a second layer of ruffles at a higher level. The dress form on the right has the mock up for the embroidered white cotton dress. After we got a high powered magnifying glass we were able to see the the ruffles were not so wide and went with a simpler lace.

     

The Dress form on the right has the blue mock-up top while the dark green shirt is a work in  progress. Behind this dress you will the edge of the second white embroidered we tried with the pattern modifications.