Issue 3 - Scarlett's BBQ Dress and RRFF Civil War Outfit by Sata & Haykush Designs

BbeautyDesigns
3 days ago
3 min read

Scarlett's BBQ Dress

By Sata & Haykush Designs

In Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind, Scarlett O'Hara's BBQ dress is described as a white muslin dress sprigged with small green rosebuds and leaves, featuring a low neckline, tiny puff sleeves, and a very tight sash. It was a fresh, youthful, and deliberately provocative outfit intended to contrast with the more modest fashions of the day. The low-cut neckline and short sleeves were inappropriate for a daytime event however, Scarlett was not the one to follow the rules. She wore that dress in April of 1861 on the day the Civil War started. According to the story she was just a 16-year-old.

In this issue, I'll be presenting two outfits, the first one is made by my mom, Haykush, for an 18" doll and the second one is made by me for a Ruby Red Fashion Friends (RRFF) 14.5" doll.

My mom used a very beautiful lightweight silky fabric for the dress and trimmed the neckline with layered white lace and green velvet ribbon. The dress features a full skirt, a fully lined bodice and pearl buttons in the back for closure. This dress is made wide enough to accommodate Heather's 4-piece undergarment set underneath. I made a straw hat out of a straw placemat to match the one that Scarlett is wearing in the picture. I trimmed the opening of the hat with a green silk velvet and attached green charmeuse ties that tie beautifully into a bow.

Another accessory that I made for this dress is a gorgeous jewelry set that resembles closely to the one that Scarlett was wearing. To finish the look, I used Bbeauty's white Victorian Button Boots for this ensemble.

As part of the Civil War/Victorian Spring challenge, Heather asked if anyone would like to make a RRFF outfit. Although I had never done a single outfit for any doll other than American Girl dolls, I decided to take on this challenge. I think it's great to expand the scope and include other collector dolls. Heather already has gone this route with a line of products for RRFF dolls. And I'm glad she did, because it's so hard to find shoes for RRFF dolls. The outfit I made for RRFF dolls is a tribute to our collaboration and I drew elements from the other outfits in the colletion - some elements came from my collection and others were inspired by the collections of my collaboration partners!

The outfit consists of three pieces: top, skirt, and a hoop underskirt. I chose Scarlett's BBQ dress fabric for this outfit; I found it on Spoonflower. They have a wide variety of fabric types to choose from, and I decided on getting cotton sateen for this outfit.

I drafted the pattern, tested it, and made the outfit. It's certainly an experience making tiny little things, but I must admit I had fun! The bodice features scoop neck with dropped shoulders trimmed with delicate crocheted lace. The puff sleeves, the hoop underskirt, and each ruffle of the skirt are also trimmed with that lace. The bodice is fully lined and features small buttons in the back for closure. I made a matching four-piece jewelry set to go with the outfit. And to finish the look, I used a pair of cream RRFF Victorian button boots from Bbeauty Dolls.

Disclaimer: Both dresses featured in this issue are made using our own patterns. The patterns are not available to purchase, but I sure hope to make them available one day!