Civil War Inspired Art

I would like to introduce a new seller on Etsy, Alissa Studio. Alissa set up shop last week and I just love her art work. I found out about her site after I wrote my last post. This is what she says of herself on her Profile:

"While working on my family tree, I became interested in those family members of whom I had no photos. I had piles of records, but no image of what they looked like. I began trying to create a visual reference for them in my paintings. Some of my paintings are inspired by these distant relatives of mine..." (Alissa Studio's Profile)

Joy

This is my favorite paint sold by Alissa Studio. I love the way Alissa captures the civil war look!

Here is an up-close view of Joy.

Caroline

This painting by Alissa Studio was inspired by an old photograph of Alissa's great great great grandmother, Caroline.

Here is the whole painting of Caroline.

Frontier Woman in Blue

Here is another painting that I like from Alissa Studio. If you like these panitngs you should check to see what Alissa's other paintings! Alissa paints pictures portraits from several different eras.

Thank you Alissa for letting me feature you on my blog! (This pictures were used with permission from Alissa Studio)

The Past at Your Fingertips

Yesterday I sold out of CDV's in my Etsy Victorian Times store. A couple of ladies wore browsing "Civil War" and came across my original Civil War CDVs. So today I am listing some new ones. While looking at the faces of the women in the photos it made me look back in time for a while. What were these women thinking as they were having their pictures made. Was the terrible war just starting and they wanted to give their loved one something to remember them by? Or had the war just ended and now was the time to celebrate!





The photo with the woman with her hair pulled back has chevron strips on her sleeves. The sleeves are called a two piece coat sleeve and resembles the sleeves worn on military jackets. Chevrons are what the officers wore to denote rank. Women during the civil war mimic military marking and designs in their own dresses. It was fashionable to do so. Was this woman's sweetheart or son an officer in the army? Her eyes are so deep and serious.




These things we will never know. There are no names written on the back and no way of finding out who they are. They are now just artifacts, relics of our nations (the United States) most horrendous war. I'm sure these women had no idea their image will become collectors item. The very photo they held in their own hands now out lives them over a hundred years. Their pictures have seen things that were beyond their own comprehension. I'm sure they did not think there picture would be posted on line for all the world to see. And yet here they are. I know they did not think these things. When was the last time we wondered where our pictures will be 150 years from now while the photo was being taken?

Civil War Doll Dress

I am back from the wedding and ready to start blogging again! Today I want to share with you another Etsy seller, Hannah's Handwork. Hannah is a new seller on Etsy but I think she will become very popular especially as the Christmas season approaches. Take a look at these cute civil war doll dresses she makes. They are just darling. What little girl would not want one of these!

This dress is a 3 piece set that includes the dress, a hoopskirt and a petticoat. That is a really good deal for $25! The dress will fit an 18 inch doll such as the American Girl dolls.

Here is an up close look at the petticoat!

Here's another three piece set!

This is my favorite! It is a 5 piece set that includes a bodice, skirt w/underbodice, hoop skirt, petticoat and bonnet. I just love the bonnet!

Here is an up close photo of the detail on the dress.

Check out Hannah's Handwork on Etsy. She has some more dresses as well as other items. Hannah's Handwork is a new shop so more items will be listed soon. (These photos were used with permission from Hannah's Handwork.)

I hope you enjoy looking at these beautiful civil war doll dresses as much as I do! If you would like more information about the dresses just click on the photos and it will take you to Hannah's Handwork.

Off To a Wedding!

Sorry I have not been posting much. A lot has been going on here getting ready for my brother-in-laws wedding. My family will fly out to Omaha Thursday, but there is still so much to do to get ready.

I don't have much time to post much, so since I'm on a wedding theme I'd like to post this beautiful Civil War Bride!

Victorian Dolls on Etsy

I would like to introduce to you Uneek Doll Designs. See your favorite literary and historical characters come to life! All miniature dolls are made by Uneek Doll Designs and are made without a pattern. Each doll is indeed one of a kind! Fell free to look at all the dolls at Uneek Dolls Designs on Etsy. Bellow are a few of my favorite dolls.

Ah! What is the civil war era without Scarlet O' Hara

and of course you can't have Scarlet without the handsome Rhett Butler!

Here's a couple I was surprised as well as delighted to see! Jefferson and Varina Davis

The lovable Queen Victoria Herself!

My favorite literary characters The Little Women: Jo, Amy, Meg, Beth, and Marmee.

These are just a few of the dolls offered by Uneek Doll Designs! Just click on the pictures to learn more about each doll.

Victorian Items on Etsy

This week I plan to feature several people who sell Victorian Items on Etsy. If you like handmade or vintage items, Etsy is a great place to look for them.

Today I want to feature an item for sale by Lilly Queen. Lilly Queen has been selling on Etsy for three years come August 13th. You can find a wonderful assortment of jewelry in Lilly Queen's store. One of my favorite items for sale is the ring pictured. Lilly Queen calls the ring Victorian Marcasite and Mother of Pearl Ring. Rings were very popular during the civil war. This ring would be great for a living history impression or for a reenactor. It is very lovely.

Lilly Queen offers Internet parties that anyone can host. You can contact Lilly Queen for more information by going to Lilly Queen's Etsy store. You can also check out Lilly Queen on her blog Lilly Queen Jewelry.

Lilly Queen : http://lillyqueen.etsy.com/

Polka Dot Fun!

Polka dots were very fashionable during the civil war and Victorian era, as was the Polka Dance. Here is an original picture of a civil war photo (CDV) of a lady in a polka dot dress. Also pictured is my newly made civil war day dress.

The polka dot dress comes with a paisley apron. Paisley was another design that was also popular during the civil war. I think polka dots are fun and make a simple yet elegant dress. I've had the CDV for years and wanted to make a dress with polka dots. When I saw the fabric I had to buy it. I knew it would make a pretty dress.

I am selling the dress in my Etsy store at http://victoriantimes.etsy.com/. While making the dress my two year old told me I was making a dress to go dancing! (He loves civil war balls!)

Civil War Ancestors

I love to study and to learn about my civil war ancestors. Although I have many ancestor that fought in the war, I'm more curious about the ones who did not fight, the women and children. What a difficult time it must have been for the women and children to watch their husbands, fathers and brothers go off to fight.

Although I don't know to much about her, my favorite civil war ancestor is Sallie Winnie Wyatt. (I think I just love the name!) Her father Payton Wyatt was the first civil war soldier that I learned about. Sallie was born in 1861, in Virginia. at the start of the civil war. He father Payton enlisted with the 57th Virginia Infantry and was placed in Company F. Sallie's father died of disease a little over a year later of disease at Drewry's Bluff. Sallie grew up only hearing stories of her father. Sallie also had three uncles on her dad's side that also fought in the war, Silas, Robert and John. From what I can tell from my research, Sallie's uncle Robert was the only survivor of the war.

In 1879 Sallie married William Henry Altice who was born in 1858 in Franklin Co. Virginia. William's father, Abraham Altick also fought in the war. He fought in the 42th Virginia Infantry Company K. Although wounded several times Abraham lived through the war and died in Franklin Co. in 1900. He fought at 2nd Mananas, Harper's Ferry, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Ceder Creek, Cold Harbor and many other bloody battles.

William and Sallie Winnie had several children one was a daughter Eva Mae Altice. She was my Grandma's Grandma. My Grandma passed away in December, and there is still so much I want to know about her family. But the stories she did tell are now very priceless to me. Grandma gave me a picture of her Sallie Winnie when she was very old. Grandma did not have a picture of her in her younger age. But I will take what I can get and treasure it. (Sallie is the lady on the right.)

Victorian Recipe - Maccaroni Cheese

I stumbled across this recipe while looking though my 1861 Godey's Woman's Book. In our reenactment group we like to try to cook food that would have been served during the civil war. So I was pretty excited to find a receipt for Macaroni and Cheese! Often times spectators will ask if what we are cooking is from the Civil War Era. It is nice to be able to say with certainty, "Yes, it was made back then!"

Maccaroni Cheese.- Wash six ounces of maccaroni, put it in plenty of boiling water and a good deal of salt, let it boil half an hour, drain it in a colander; grate a quarter of a pound of rich cheese, place the maccaroni and cheese in alternate layers, in a shallow quart pie dish, letting the cheese come on the top; fill the dish with milk, in which a little butter has been melted 9but the milk must scarcely be seen in the dish), and upon this again place some small bits of butter; it should be placed in a very hot oven, where it will bake at the top and bottom equally in half an hour.

Now in order to make Civil War era macaroni and cheese you can't buy it in the cute Craft Boxes! But it must be made the old fashion way. I have not had macaroni made like this in a long time!

Please not the difference in spelling of macaroni and maccaroni. In my Godey's book it was spelled with two c's we now spell it with one c. So not only does it take less time to make now it also takes less time to spell!