My Monday Blues

My Monday Blues for this week is one of my most prized possessions.  My great grandmother's wedding dress was blue!  Being married in the late 1800's didn't always mean a white dress.  She must have liked the color blue because this isn't the only thing I have of hers that was blue.  I'm not going to tell you what one of them is, I'll save that to share another Blue Monday. 

The dress fits our DD almost perfectly.  She's a size 0/1 so that tells you how small my Great Grandmother was when she married.  DD would only model if I promised not to show her face!  "I don't have on any makeup and my hair's in a pony tail". 

Close up of the bodice,  the inserts are mesh with embroidery on them. 

Close up of the neck insert...

and the insert above the waist line.  The waist is pleated horizontally.   

The sleeves are also edged in the embroidered mesh and accented with hanging beads. The beads are also an accent on the sides of the bodice, they are stitched on in graduated lengths. 

Side view of bodice

The bottom front of the dress has two rows of buttons, in between each row is a pleat.  A very subtle added interest. 

One of the most special things about our DD posing in this dress is the fact that she is named for this maternal ancestor.  Carrie was married in this dress on January 23, 1884.  Our DD is named Carrie in honor of her Great-Great Grandmother Carrie. 

Growing up I used to go into my Mother's closet and admire this dress.  I always dreamed of being married in it as well.  That didn't happen, a more modern  white dress was chosen, as you saw a few posts back. 

Poor DD Carrie was complaining about not being able to breath in this dress, I told her to look on the bright side, I didn't lace her into a corset before I "made" her put on the dress! 

Have a great week.  ~Ann