Two years ago, Drunk Tailor and I celebrated my birthday at a vintage event at the Congressional Cemetery in DC, for which I obviously needed a new dress. We bought the tickets not long before the event, but fortunately, 1920s clothes are somewhat simpler than 1770s clothes. That June was unpleasantly hot, so although I had initially planned to wear a pink-and-green-print cotton dress, I quickly realized that linen would be a healthier choice for the weather.
Renaissance Fabrics had a blue-and-white check linen and an off-white windowpane check linen, similar to the large patterns seen in 1920s illustrations. I ordered three yards of the check and one yard of the windowpane, and started drafting a pattern– pretty much a set of rectangles.
I was excited about the event, not just for the costuming aspect, but also because Anne Reynolds Cutbush is buried there. Anne Reynolds was born in Philadelphia in 1768, the daughter of James Reynolds, carver, the brother-in-law of Anne Peason Sparks. In 1795, Anne Reynolds married ship carver’s son Edward Cutbush, who went to medical school and became a surgeon in the U.S. Navy. Through a random internet search, I came across a Book of Common Prayer owned by Anne Reynolds, which I acquired for no particularly good reason beyond her relationship to Anne Pearson and the Philadelphia neighborhood I keep researching. This event offered a chance to visit Anne’s grave as an extra birthday treat.
Once the fabric arrived, I had less than ten days to pattern, cut, and stitch the dress, working around my job and a research trip to Philadelphia. The bodice has a collar with folds, not unlike an 18th-century gown, which frames a “stomacher” of the windowpane linen. Although the bodice and skirt are separate, the skirt pleat is similar to the one-hour dress. The sash and cuffs match the stomacher, with folds on the cuff to echo the collar.
For accessories, I need a hat, jewelry, a bag, and shoes. The blue hat, a present from my mother, was decorated with pink velvet ribbon and flowers left over from the wedding outfit. I made the black cotton bag the day of the event, using fabric from a New England remnant table and vintage plastic handles from Etsy that had been lingering in a drawer for several years. The shoes came from Memery. The early 1930s style felt close enough to the fashion drawings to work, and I wasn’t going to buy new shoes!
On that hot, muggy Saturday, we took the Blue Line to Potomac and walked to the Cemetery. Drunk Tailor’s suit was not well-suited to the weather (he really needs seersucker), so our time at the event — while enjoyable– was short. I did get to visit Anne Reynolds Cutbush, and came home well satisfied, if blistered.
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